china beats presents :: Hedgehog

Founded in 2005, this Beijing-based indie trio clearly belongs to the small clique of revered veterans in China's emerging alternative music scene. Over the last years, Hedgehog (刺猬) has established its credentials as an exciting underground outfit and won scores of devoted fans, playing all major music festivals in China and also touring overseas (US, Australia).

Praised for high-powered live performances, the dynamic band is currently one of the most successful acts of premier Chinese indie label Modern Sky.

The sixth and latest album of band members ZO (guitar & vocals), Fun (bass) and Atom (drums & vocals) dates from April 2014 and is entitled 'Phantom Pop Star (幻象波普星)'.

Musical references? Well, the three have named Nirvana, The Clash, Spacemen 3, Fugazi, New Order and Joy Division as shining examples. If you fall for indie rock / noise pop / psychedelic rock or however you wish to tag the sound, there is a chance you might like this troupe from the Chinese capital.

By the way, with the song 'Star Shine (星光)' below and the other tracks on 'Phantom Pop Star', Hedgehog shows a more dreamy pop side - in stark contrast to earlier albums that were decidedly much noisier affairs. If you are interested in buying the digital album / CD or want to check out the trio's discography, visit the Bandcamp site.