What the critics are saying about Ólafur Arnalds' latest album, …And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness:
"Timeless and sublime" – UNCUT
"Hotwired to the soul. Will reduce you to wordless tears." – The Quietus
"Keep an eye on Arnalds. He will only increase in importance." – Filter
Iceland’s neo-classical whizkid Ólafur Arnalds first came out this way as part of Split Works’ JUE | Music + Art festival last March, playing to packed houses all over China. In each city Óli visited, fans queued up to meet him and snap his picture. It was clear that his rich, absorbing sonic landscapes had touched a nerve with Chinese fans. Óli was delighted (and so were we!).
For those of you who caught Ólafur’s live performance back in March, this tour marks a distinct departure from the first: a setlist of brand new material, more intimate and peaceful venues, and a multimedia experience with video artwork designed specifically for Ólafur’s new compositions.
Since his first visit to China, Óli’s star has continued to rise at a rapid pace. His second full-length album,…And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness, was released in April of this year.
This collection was received with critical acclaim (see above!) and continues his mission, in his own words, to “bring my classical influence to the people who don’t usually listen to this kind of music…open people’s minds.” He has been wildly successful in this regard, luring a generation of pop and rock fans into the beguiling world of electronic chamber music.
Don’t miss the opportunity to experience this captivating performance!
Ólafur ArnaldsSeptember 2010 Tour Dates
Shanghai – Friday, September 10
@ He Luting Concert Hall
Door time: 7 pm
Concert will start promptly at 7:30 pm
Address: 20 Fenyang Lu near Huaihai Zhong Lu
Price: 80 / 100 / 120 /150 RMB (check out the seating chart here)
From Plastered T-Shirts (Mon-Sun, 10am – 10pm, cash only)
61 Nanluoguxiang, Dongcheng District
Tel: 010 – 64078425
About Ólafur Arnalds:
Ólafur Arnalds, the 23-year-old prodigy from Iceland, boasts a musical background that is as eclectic as his work. Although this young artist kicked off his musical career as the drummer for a hardcore band, his recent compositions have featured more delicate harmonies which call to mind the work of Bach and Schubert. Arnalds has successfully fused the modern ambience of alternative genres to a more classical foundation. By blending chamber music and piano with subtle electronics, Ólafur has created a sound that is both wholly unique and completely captivating.
International recognition of Arnalds’ musical ability has skyrocketed since the release of his debut album Eulogy for Evolution in 2007. His follow-up EP Variations on Static was delivered the following year, which saw a greater exploration of the crossover between traditional and contemporary genres. Although Ólafur still maintained the classical basis evident in his debut album, Variations… further featured crackling electronics and the dead voice of a machine. 2008 also found Arnalds selling out London’s famed Barbican Hall, which in turn won him the opportunity to open for Sigur Ros across their entire European tour. Ólafur fully embraced his widening fanbase in April 2009, when he recorded and released a song once a day for seven days to create the Found Songs collection. Each song was made instantly available to over 300,000 fans for free on both Twitter and the official Erased Tapes website. In December 2009, Arnalds released his contemporary dance score Dyad 1909 which was commissioned by award-winning choreographer Wayne McGregor. The dance piece premiered at the Sadler’s Wells theatre in October 2009, becoming part of an unpredictable and much talked about 5-nights of live music, dance and visuals.
Ólafur’s debut album Eulogy for Evolution and his brand new album …And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness will soon be available in China via Erased Tapes under exclusive license to a-Peer Synergy Group. Variations of Static, Found Songs, and Dyad 1909 are already available via Escaped Tapes on Wa3.cn.
An electro-pop chanteuse who marches (with penguins) to the beat of her own drum
Surrounded by music from an early age, Emilie Simon was winning critical plaudits as early as 2003, when she recorded a debut album largely written, composed and produced by herself. The self-titled record, Émilie Simon, won Album of the Year at Victoires de la Musique, a prestigious French music award ceremony.
Born in Montpellier in Southern France, Emilie grew up bathed in the Mediterranean sun and immersed in the sound of clarinets and electronic melodies. Wishing to imbue her second album with a more wintry and polar vibe, she began to record sounds that related to coldness. Coincidentally, in the midst of her search for sounds for the album she was contacted by film producer Luc Jacquet to compose the original soundtrack for his Oscar award winning documentary film La Marche de l'empereur(March of the Penguins), concerning the annual migration of emperor penguins.
In 2006 Emilie went on to triumph at the Victoires de la Musique ceremony once again, winning the award for the Best Original Film Soundtrack of the year.
In 2009, Emilie started writing songs accompanying herself on a piano, rather than a computer. “I even forbade myself to go near a computer for a year and a half,” Emilie said, “I wanted to see what I was capable of without my usual comforts around me.” The result was a collection of sounds reflecting Emilie’s impression of New York City -- an urban, black and white musical that became her most recent album, The Big Machine. On this album, Emilie’s experimental inclination involved the clever use of traditional Chinese instruments together with keyboards as a vestige of her long stay in the heart of Chinatown.
How appropriate.
Emilie Simon China Tour Dates:
Shanghai – Friday – September 24
@ Dream Factory
4/F, 66 Yuyao Lu, near Xikang Lu
RMB 80 (presale) / RMB 120 (door)
Presale tickets available from September 1
- Dream Factory Booking Office (Mon - Sun, 12:00 - 17:00)
Address:
1/F, 66 Yuyao Lu, near Xikang Lu
- Taobao.
Inquiry Hotline: 13601647747
- The Source flagship shop (Mon – Sun, 11 am – 10 pm, cash only)
Address: 158 Xinle Rd, Xuhui District
Hong Kong – Saturday – September 25
Presented by The People’s Party
@ Grappa’s Cellar
Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place,
Central
HKD 260
Ticket Info:
-- White Noise Records: (852) 2591 0499
--Grappa’s Cellar: (852) 2591 0499
Alternative folk at its best – soulful, creepy and alluring
There is a touch of mystery surrounding the Seattle trio the Cave Singers. They never listened to much folk music, nor intended to play it. And guitarist Derek Fudesco had never even picked up a guitar until the 2007 disbandment of his previous project, Pretty Girls Make Graves (he was the bassist). The Cave Singers sees Fudesco team up with vocalist Pete Quirk (formerly of post-punk band Hint Hint) and drummer Marty Lund (from new wave revivalists Cobra High). Somehow, this unlikely trio is writing and performing some of the most original, hypnotizing folk music out there today.
Maintaining that they never made a conscious effort to play a certain ‘style’ of music, it’s not completely arbitrary that some of their favorites -- the Replacements, the Pixies, Fleetwood Mac and Dylan reverberate within Cave Singers campfire, big-country rustic sound.
The foot-stomping country drums, melodic guitar picking, and amber-grainy vocals produce tunes that “roll by nice and easy like a pickup rattling down a country road,” says Pitchfork.
The Cave Singers debut tour in the Far East couldn’t have come at a better time. Recently signed with Jagjaguwar, a record label home to the likes of Bon Iver and Black Mountain--Cave Singers have already starting exploring and generating new sounds for an upcoming album.
“Everything’s more electrified on this record, and just louder,” says Derek Fudesco. And he says fans in China can expect plenty of new songs.
One thing fans can also count on is incredible live performances throughout China. Check it:
Cave Singers China Tour Dates
Beijing - Thursday – September 16
@ 2 Kolegas
21 Liangmaqiao Lu
RMB 60
"A Piece Of Heaven ... Tender folk meets grandiose prog-pop ... Beautiful – like a forest dressed in the colours of Fall."
The Guardian
Denmark's Choir of Young Believers is the folky, baroque-poppy, orchestral solo project of 26-year-old Jannis Nova Makrigiannis, plus a rotating cast of additional members. Their first full-length, 2008's This is For the White in Your Eyes was nominated for 6 Danish Music Awards, winning 'Best New Act.'
Already garnering several Number 1 hits back home, the group went on to play at 2008's Roskilde festival and 2009's SXSW festival . They have been gaining accolades ever since, with similarities drawn to Neil Young and Fleet Foxes while simultaneously being lauded for their fierce individuality.
Meanwhile, over here in China, COYB have been building up a base of disciples, who have helped propel them to the Number 1 artist slot on Douban this summer, with 40,000 plays and counting.
This September is the chance for fans to catch COYB live in China. It's gonna be huge.
Shanghai – Thu, Sept. 9th
@ Yuyintang
Door time: 9 pm
Address: 851 Kaixuan Lu (near Yan’an Xi Lu)
Price: 60 RMB (door) / 40 RMB (student)
Support: TBA
"Seeing Jeff Lang was like being at church for three hours - a totally sacred event. He's the man as far as I'm concerned."
John Butler (from John Butler Trio)
Australian roots rock and blues legend Jeff Lang has built up a reputation for startlingly original performances, working without a set list, allowing the unique energy of each night to shape the songs. Having previously toured with the likes of Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan, Lang is coming back to shake up The Peoples Republic for a second time. Lang’s 2009 China tour won him a boatload of local fans blown away by his guitar-picking skills and soulful live performance. Now armed with a recently released album, Chimeradour, we should expect nothing less than something epic. Rolling Stonepraises Lang’s new albums as “[a] dizzying combination of deep folk, kaleidoscopic blues and Hendrixesque fuzzy rock, enough to blow most minds, leaving celebrated contemporaries for the dead.” Chimeradour is a spectral and many-faceted sonic journey. A voracious musical explorer, Lang has absorbed and transformed many rich influences in the course of his collaborations with musicians from Mali to Mumbai.
The result -- echoes of African desert blues reverberate in the rolling, hypnotic lap slide guitar work on South, whilst driving guitar rock of Slow Rooms and Half Blurred Faces suggests the ragged the ragged glory of Neil Young and Crazy Horse. The Australian remarks, “listening to a new Jeff Lang album is like a cinematic experience. Images from Lang’s latest album sear the brain and scour the soul.”
Jeff Lang 2010 China Tour Dates:
Suzhou
Aug 27, Friday
@ Cheers
Door Time: 8:30 pm
Address: 261, Fenghuang Lu
Price: 30 RMB
Wuxi
Aug 28, Saturday
@ Small Theatre
Door Time: 8:00 pm
Address: 3F, Building A, Beichangmen Life Art Center
Price: 30 RMB
Nanjing
Aug 29, Sunday
@ 61 House
Door Time: 8:00 pm
Address: 61 Hankou Xi Lu, Gulou District
Price: 35 RMB / 30 RMB (member)
Split Works hearts Handsome Furs. Following their immensely successful 2009 Asia Tour, we are psyched to be welcoming them back in all their synth-punky, sweat-drippy glory. Their 2nd Asian excursion will see Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner and his freakishly talented wife, Alexei Perry, playing in 14 (fourteen!) cities in 6 (SIX!!!) countries.
Asia Tour #1 was gloriously mental, earning ravereviews. SmartShanghai proclaimed the Furs’ set at Yuyintang one of the city’s best gigs of 2009. The entire tour was captured by CNN, who made it into a documentary, which you can watch here. Video of the Yuyintang show here. Who knows what’ll go down during Asia Tour #2?? We’re just as excited to find out as you are. Dates below!
About Handsome Furs:
It all started back in 2005, when Dan Boeckner, frontman of Canadian indie rockers Wolf Parade locked eyes with a bewitching girl in the audience during a gig in Vancouver. That girl was short-story writer Alexei Perry, and by the end of the night, the two were kissing by the merch-table. Awww.
Planning a romantic vacation around Scandinavia, the lovers had a flash of inspiration: why not form a band, and make a European tour out of it? Nevermind that Perry had no musical training save for a few childhood piano lessons. Boeckner got on the phone with his agent and booked the tour. The couple christened themselves Handsome Furs, the title of a short story Perry was working on at the time, banged out a set list of songs in a week’s time, and Perry performed live on synths for the first time ever in Oslo.
Now signed to Subpop -- the iconic label that helped engineer the success of bands including Nirvana, CSS and Death Cab for Cutie – the Furs released their first album, Plague Park, in 2007, and followed it up with 2009’s Face Control. While the inspiration for Plague Park was taken from their travels through Scandinavia, Face Control draws heavily on their recent trip to Russia. The term “Face Control” refers to bouncers at Russian nightclubs turning customers away based on their physical appearance.
So what do they sound like? Think “a synth-pop pep rally for the damned” (according to Blender). Boeckner’s well-honed guitar steez and haunting vocals and Perry’s beats combine to form sounds that are stripped-down yet complex, and straddles a line between crest-fallen and optimistic; at once bleak and soulful. Kinda like marriage.
Hong Kong – Wed. August 4th
@Grappa’s Cellar
1 Connaught Plaza, Jardine House B
Shanghai – Fri., August 6th
@ Yuyintang
Door time: 9 pm
Address: 851 Kaixuan Lu, near Yan’an Xi Lu
Price: 120 (door) / 80 (presale)
Tickets go on sale on July 19:
Taobao: http://shop62103895.taobao.com/
The Source flagship shop (Mon – Sun, 11 am – 10 pm, cash only)
Beijing – Sun., August 8th
@ 2 Kolegas
Door time: 9 pm
Address: 21 Liangmaqiao Lu, Inside the Drive In Cinema, Chaoyang District
Price: 120 (door) / 80 (presale)
Tickets go on sale on July 19:
Taobao: http://shop62103895.taobao.com/
Tickets hotline: 13263172366 (Mon-Fri, 10am-7pm)
Tianjin – Tue., August 10th
@ 13 Club
Door time: 8 pm
Address: 3/F, 58 Ziyou Rd., Hebei district
Price: 30RMB (door)
Tickets go on sale on July 19:
Daegu – Thu., August 12th Busan – Fri., August 13th Seoul – Sat., August 14th Bangkok – Thu., August 19th Chiang Mai – Fri., August 20th Singapore – Sun., August 22nd
Sign up for our newsletter to keep abreast of all our upcoming gigs. We promise not to spam ya or share your contact info with any third parties.
For further information about Handsome Furs Asia tour, please contact Abby at Split Works: [e] al@spli-t.com [t] (021) 6445 0500
The latest album from Caribou mastermind Dan Snaith, 2010’s Swim, is packed with expertly constructed, rave-tinged sounds that sing with soul. Taking a hint from the disco-fueled electronic revival, Caribou continues to evolve on his fifth full-length taking cues from the changing times while retaining his indie-electronic roots. With its absorption of club culture sounds weaved within subtle pop frameworks, Swim is Caribou's masterpiece -- the record he's wanted to bring to fruition for as long as he's been making music.
In Dan’s own words:”I wanted people to put the record on and not be able to say, 'This sounds like so- and- so.' I want people to say, 'This sounds like Dan!' It's what everybody wants-to have their fingerprint on the music they're making. I feel like I've achieved that to a greater extent than I have in the past, and thats exciting."
Fans have embraced the new sound. Swim was even one of the rare electronic releases to find its way onto the US’ Billboard Top 200 chart.
A Canadian from small-town Ontario now based in England, Dan has been a leading figure in electronic music over the past decade. A mathematics scholar and an ingenious multi-instrumentalist/composer, he surprised critics and fans with 2007s Andorra, a brilliant, electro-tinged pop breakthrough that made most year-end "Best of" lists and won Canada's prestigious Polaris Music Prize. The Flaming Lips also hand-picked Caribou to perform at New York’s All Tomorrow’s Parties festival last year.
The current tour marks a dramatic change in Caribou’s live performance. Now that technology has finally caught up to Dan’s ambitions for the band’s show, while it will still be four musicians on stage, there will be a strong video element as well.
Come on down and experience Caribou’s multi-sensory bonanza as they layer your mind with expansive, dance-y goodness!
Sign up for our newsletter to keep abreast of all our upcoming gigs. We promise not to spam ya or share your contact info with any third parties.
For further information about Caribou’s China tour dates, please contact Abby at Split Works: [e] al@spli-t.com [t] (021) 6445 0500
“The band’s lush, driving rock is the bristling, slightly psychedelic offspring of the likes of Radiohead and Pink Floyd” – The Los Angeles Times.
Following their 2009 China Tour -- which included gigs in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and at the Zhenjiang MIDI Festival – the rapidly rising Canadian rock quintet launched their Chinese website and struck up a partnership with digital music store Wawawa, laying the groundwork for their return to China this July.
Beating Radiohead to the punch, JOH pioneered the “pay-what-you-will” download model starting with their debut album, the Juno-nominated Bridges. Since their last visit to China, JOH have released their acclaimed sophomore album No Nations. The album was mixed by Malcom Burn, who has worked previously with greats from Bob Dylan to Emmylou Harris.
JOH have toured extensively, playing with Tegan and Sara, The Dandy Warhols, Our Lady Peace, The Dears, The Stills, The Frames, and Broken Social Scene (among others). Additionally, they have played major festivals including Bonnaroo, Coachella and SXSW. Now is your chance to hear them play in a more intimate setting as they tour China.
Witness their grandeur, join in the party, and feel your worries wash away.
Jets Overhead China Tour Dates:
Shanghai – Saturday – July 3
@ Yuyintang
851 Kaixuan Lu (near Yan’an Xi Lu)
RMB 40
Hangzhou – Sunday – July 4
@ Traveller Bar
176 Shuguang Lu, Xihu District
RMB 30
Nanjing – Wednesday – July 7
@ 61 House
61 Hankou Xi Lu, Gulou District
RMB 30
Hefei – Thursday – July 8
@ On the Way Bar
Jinxing Shopping Mall, opposite the North gate of Gongda New Area,
University Town, Jinkai District
RMB 25
Here's the deal: Split Works and the Fan Tan Group are co-hosting a music industry, tech and media conference in June. It's called transmitCHINA and it's going down at the River South Art Center in Shanghai. You can check out details here.
Live music is the bread and butter of what we do, so of course we're also planning a live showcase as a complement to the conference.
The transmitCHINA Ginger Beef Tour = 6 rising stars of Canada's alternative music scene. Everything from new wave to reggae to power rock. They're being brought over to with major support from FACTOR, the Province of Ontario, and the Province of British Columbia.
And since they're coming all the way to Shanghai to show us their stuff, we figured we might as well take them to 6 other Chinese cities too – Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Beijing, Wuhan, Tianjin and Changsha.
The bands will be joined by local support acts at each stop along the tour. Scroll down to see the full Showcase schedule.
Sign up for our newsletter to keep abreast of all our upcoming gigs. We promise not to spam ya or share your contact info with any third parties.
And here's some info about those visiting bands.
And here's some info about those Ginger Beef bands:
These dudes have toured with the likes of Franz Ferdinand and Arctic Monkeys, and Spin magazine named them 1 of "5 Montreal Bands to Watch" in 2009.
Raw and reverb-soaked, screams and whispers; sing-alongs and spacey instrumentals; warm and crisp, shimmering leads; short pop jabs and extended epics. You get the idea, right? It's quirky, it's catchy, and while it's full of familiar throwbacks to '60s pop, '80s post-punk, and '90s garage, it's also refreshing.
These Vancouver-based indie-poppers were quickly snapped up by the same guy who manages Tegan & Sara, and are preparing to record their first full-length album this summer.
Pit-stops on their rise to fame have included touring with Detroit rockers The Von Bondies, and – OMG – having their song "Room to Operate" featured on an episode of MTV's The Hills (Season 5, Episode 12. The scene where Spencer and Heidi are arguing about babysitting. Not that we watch The Hills.)
Wil CHARTattack said it best:
"Best. Acoustic. Guitar. Player. Ever. No joke — this man is gifted."
illScarlett
(Please don't confuse them with Good Charlotte.)
Warped Tour mainstays illScarlett are an Ontario four-piece who make reggae/dub-infused rock. Their most notable influences are Sublime and No Doubt. They even worked with Matthew Wilder, producer of No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom on their 2007 album, All Day With It.
Ohbijou (for fans of Joanna Newsom and Mazzy Star)
This Toronto-sextet make lush, string-heavy music led by vocals from band leader Casey Mecija and incorporating mandolin, bell lyre, banjo, piano, cello and more. The BBC's Paul Bennun called Ohbijou's music "gorgeous...folk music that swings."
The band has inked deals with Bella Union in Europe (also home to Fleet Foxes, Midlake, Andrew Bird, etc.) and Last Gang Records in North America (New Pornographers, Metric, Crystal Castles, etc.).
Flash Lightnin'
insist that you chug some bourbon and dance to their "bad-ass sludge boogie."
The Toronto power rockers wear their influence of 70's ZZ Top and Rolling Stones like a well-worn Nudie Suit, with rhinestone crests of Jack White and the Black Keys.
How many other bands do you know versatile enough to open for Priestess, Metric and Broken Social Scene?
For media inquiries, please contact Abby Lavin, Split Works:
al@spli-t.com
+86 6445 0500, ext. 21
Farewell, JUE!
Hello, MAY!
A big thanks to all of the brilliant artists, venue managers and art lovers who helped to make JUE 2010 a great success. Scroll down to the bottom to check out some of our favourite memories of JUE 2010.
And how can Split possibly top JUE, you ask? Defying good sense, we've decided to continue the momentum of JUE with 17 shows in the next 6 weeks. That's right, seven-bloody-teen.
French duo The Inspector Cluzo play a vibrant blend of rock, jazz, funk and soul. Their self-titled debut LP became a sleeper hit, selling 20,000 copies around the world, in part due to the infectious single, "Fuck the Bass Player."
In 2009, TIC played 185 shows in 23 countries around the world, including the Fuji Rock festival in Japan, Springscream in Taiwan, and Eurockéeenes in France, before returning to France to record their second album, The French Bastards. On their first visit to China, the French bastards will be playing at Beijing’s Strawberry Festival, plus additional dates in Beijing, Tianjin, Wuhan and Shanghai, in partnership with the French Embassy in China, and on the occasion of the Croisement’s Festival.
Seattle indie-poppers Throw Me the Statue have won accolades from NPR and those arbiters of indie taste Pitchfork. Those accolades tend to refer to TMTS' songs as “playful,” “bouncy,” “killer indie-pop.”
TMTS' upbeat, guitar-driven pop has propelled them to a record deal with Secretly Canadian, a gig opening for label mate Jens Lekman, and another opening for Cake. They also managed to find time for some highly awesome recording sessions with Daytrotter and with La Blogotheque.
Throw Me the Statue Dates:
Shanghai
Friday, May 7, 10 pm
@ LOgO
RMB 60
Opening Acts TBA
Over the years, the marriage of punk and folk has produced such notable offspring as The Pogues, Billy Bragg and Flogging Molly. The latest up-and-comer to join these venerable ranks is UK folk-punk hero Frank Turner.
Following the breakup of his post-hardcore band Million Dead, Frank launched his solo career. His astounding live shows – including support gigs for Biffy Clyro and The Gaslight Anthem, as well as an epic sing-along at the 2008 Reading and Leeds Festival – caught the attention of Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq, who helped to spread the Frank Turner gospel to a wider audience.
It wasn't long before Grammy-nominated producer Alex Newport got in touch, asking to work with Frank on his 3rd studio album, 2009's Poetry of the Deed. Newport, known for his work with At the Drive-in and Death Cab for Cutie, helped to fashion an album full of cross-over appeal to hardcore punks and folksters alike.
Frank Turner Tour Dates:
Shenzhen
Saturday, May 8, 8 pm
@ 1 Du Tang
RMB 30
Guangzhou
Sunday, May 9, 9pm
@ Hooley's
RMB 40, includes a Tiger Beer or house mixed drink
Guest: Kris Lao
After playing to a packed house at Yuyintang during the JUE Festival, the Mongolian five-piece is stepping it up a few notches, performing at Shanghai's MAO Live House for the first time. The venue is bigger, but the music will remain the intimate, powerful throat-singing and rock that has people singing their praises. If you've seen them before, you know why you can't miss this show. If you missed their JUE performance, don't make the same mistake twice!
Check out the band's exclusive interview in the May issue of That's Shanghai (including a few Hanggai tunes streaming online) here.
Hanggai Live in Shanghai:
Friday, May 14
@ MAO Live House
with Song Yuzhe
RMB 60/40(with student ID)
Rising to fame as the leader of one of China's most acclaimed alt-rock bands, Wood Pushing Melon, Song Yuzhe embarked on a solo career after WPM disbanded in 2002.
Since then, Song has staked out a place at the forefront of China's experimental music scene as both a musician and a recording engineer, reworking traditional folk ballads with new arrangements, and mixing his original music with ambient sounds recorded in Tibet and other minority regions in China.
He has also collaborated with avant-garde folk hero Xiao He to compose Two Big Men,a work that blends folk music and theater.
Who the hell is Patrick Watson and what the hell is Patrick Watson?
Patrick Watson is an internationally acclaimed singer, composer, songwriter, and producer. Patrick Watson is also the name of this mad genius’ band, darlings of Montreal’s indie rock scene, who have performed with the likes of Feist, The Dears, Phillip Glass and, gasp, James Brown.
Both Patrick Watson the man and Patrick Watson the band have received international acclaim since the September 2006 release of Close to Paradise in Canada, the album went gold in Canada, and won numerous awards, including Canada’s prestigious Polaris Prize. Close to Paradise saw international release in September 2007, and the band hasn’t looked back, selling over 100,000 copies worldwide. Since then Patrick Watson’s fanbase seems to have grown exponentially, with the live show now commanding huge audiences across the world, from Paris, to Reykjavik, Amsterdam, London, New York, and of course, Montreal, where Watson and most of the band still reside.
Despite the internationally demanding schedule, Watson himself also found time to contribute to Cinematic Orchestra’s 2007 album, Ma Fleur, and to compose scores and songs for a number of films—something he has always had a passion for. It should come as no surprise then, that the band’s music is often described as cinematic and wildly eclectic.
Watson met guitarist Simon Angell in their hometown of Hudson, Quebec when they were teenagers, and the two have collaborated ever since—Angell’s soundscapes and noise-influences having developed into the perfect complement to Watson’s colourful melodic compositions and gut-wrenching falsetto. Then, while studying music at Vanier College in the late-nineties, Patrick met Ukrainian-born Mishka Stein, and Swiss/British Columbia ex-pat Robbie Kuster, who were increasingly invited to fill out his rhythm section when performing live shows.
Patrick Watson and his bandmates spent most of the latter half of 2008 in Montreal recording the follow-up to Close to Paradise—Wooden Arms, which was released in spring 2009.
Sunday Jan 17
Doors: 8pm
Tickets: on sale from Jan. 1
RMB 80 (presale) / RMB 100 (door)
Canada. Throughout recorded history, this mystical chunk of frozen tundra has gifted humanity with an impressive array of cultural contributions. From voluminous reserves of maple syrup and Molson beer to Broken Social Scene, Celine Dion and Terrance & Phillip, The Great White North continues to dazzle the world with its ability to redefine the boundaries of creativity.
This December, the boundaries will inevitably be pushed once again with the arrival of Canada’s Immaculate Machine. Hailing from Victoria, BC – the same town that brought us Hot Hot Heat and No Means No – Immaculate Machine released their first studio album, The View, in 2003. After signing with Mint Records in early 2005, the band released Ones and Zeros (2005) and went on tour supporting The New Pornographers. Two years and two albums later, Immaculate’s single Jarhand from their album Fables (2007) was featured as iTunes’ single of the week.
Much has made of Immaculate Machine’s connection with The New Pornographers. Though Immaculate’s Kathryn Calder has played with those Pornographers since 2005, seeing Immaculate as part and parcel of the Pornographers would be a gross underestimation of the creative vitality ingrained in their sound.
Speaking of sound, NME described Immaculate Machine as “what Arcade Fire would sound like if they were injected with liquidized Jelly Tots and worried more about the monotony of living in a desolate town than world terrorism and death.” We don’t know what that means, so let’s just try to envision an elegant symbiosis of punk, pop, and folk sensibilities muddied up with a heap of that good ol’ Northwestern indie grunge. Pleasing to the ears indeed.
Split Works will loose this Canadian Machina on no less than 13 Chinese cities, from Hong Kong to Beijing, supporting their newest release High on Jackson Hill (2009).
Come see what all the liquidized Jelly Tot fuss is about!
Shenzhen
Thursday, Dec. 3
RMB 30
@ 1 Du Tang
Enping Rd. Huaqiao Creative Arts Garden (oct-loft) F3
Left of the Modern Arts Center
Nanshan District
0755-8609-5352
@ Nic Club
143 Munan Rd.
Huaguoren Chuangyi Space
Underground Floor 1
Heping district
13702126415
Beijing
Saturday, Dec. 19
RMB 50
Support Act: Smart Kin
@ Yuyongyishan
West Courtyard, former site of Duan Qirui Government
3-2 Zhangzizhong Rd., Gulou
Dongcheng district
010-6404-2711
For further information about the Immaculate Machine Tour 2009,
please contact Abby at Split Works:
Abby Lavin/李惠兰, Marketing & Communications, Split Works.
E: al@spli-t.com, M: (0)159 0046 3147, T: (021) 6445 0500.
"Crazy-catchy melodies, raging hooks, and headbang-worthy guitar riffs seal the deal" -- Spin
"Low-Budget Awesome" -- Entertainment Weekly
Ontario foursome Hollerado tore it up on the MIDI Fest stage last spring, and then crowdsurfed their way across China, bringing their punchy, sweaty pop-rock to Changsha, Wuhan, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Chengdu and Beijing.
Since returning to Canada, the boys of Hollerado have caught the attention of Jack white, who hand-picked the band to support his new band Dead Weather at a surprise show in Toronto in June. Who can blame him? These guys have cracked the magic formula of creating catchy songs that stick in your head, get people to sing along and have a good time. They package their cds in ziploc sandwich baggies with handwritten notes and extra "goodies.” You can download the album (sans Ziploc) for free at www.hollerado.com or on the Wawawa music store.
Back for another, bigger, China odyssey this December: 12 cities, 19 days, lots of beer.
Check www.spli-t.com for up-to-date tour info.
_________________________________________________ Beijing
Tuesday, Dec. 1
with Candy Monster
@ Iron Age Space
2F, New-Awakening Youth Club, Guangzhou University Town
020-2868-3060
For further information about the Owl City China Tour 2009, please contact Abby at Split Works:
Abby Lavin/李惠兰, Marketing & Communications, Split Works.
E: al@spli-t.com, M: (0)159 0046 3147, T: (021) 6445 0500.
@ Yugong Yishan
West Courtyard, former site of Duan Qirui Government
3-2 Zhangzizhong Rd., Gulou
Dongcheng District
RMB 120 (presale)/ RMB 160 (door)
Tickets go on sale on Oct. 10: Ticket Info:
· (010) 6404-2711 (Mon- Sun. 2pm-12am)
For further information about the Owl City China Tour 2009,
Please contact Abby at Split Works:
Abby Lavin/李惠兰, Marketing & Communications, Split Works.
E: al@spli-t.com, M: (0)159 0046 3147, T: (021) 6445 0500.
@ Zhijiang Dream Factory
4/F, 66 Yuyao Rd (near Xikang Rd)
RMB 50
Support: TBA
“[Hanggai] distills everything powerful about Mongolian folk music and makes something new from the ingredients…transcendently powerful music that anyone from anywhere can understand.”
– Pitchfork
When Beijing-based punk rocker Ilchi heard throat singing for the first time, he was determined to investigate his family's Inner Mongolian heritage. He journeyed there, met two traditional musicians named Hugejiltu and Bagen, and soon Hanggai was born. Based in Beijing but devoted to traditional Mongolian songs, Hanggai's spacious, undeniably gorgeous music has won it many fans --and accolades from international press including the Guardian, the Observer, Pitchfork, NPR, Popmatters and many more -- as they embarked on their recent tour across the USA and Europe.
Hanggai sing about Mongolian Robin Hoods, mix throat singing with rock instruments, and dress like men of the steppes even though they live in the teeming metropolis of Beijing. But embodying contradictions comes naturally to ethnic minorities in China -- only this time it's different.
With their elegant songs, top-notch production and strangely familiar tunes, Hanggai have made the leap from folk phenomenon to crossover pioneers -- without losing their soul. This is a not-to-miss show. Music this powerfully intimate does not come around often.
@ BED
17 Zhangwang Hutong, Jiu Gulou Dajie, near the Drum & Bell Towers
300m south of Gulouqiao
Tel: (10) 8400 1554
旧鼓楼大街张旺胡同17号
鼓楼桥南300米近钟鼓楼
RMB 50 (includes 1 free house cocktail)
Informal talk on Jamaican reggae history: 9:30 pm
Party time: 10:30 pm till late
________________________
Anthropologists, musicologists, and reggae-heads alike would have one hell of a field day with Clive Chin. Seriously. Born in Kingston, Jamaica with a sizeable helping of Chinese xuetong (bloodline), Chin made a name for himself as the producer behind seminal reggae and dub works from Lee “Scratch” Perry, Black Uhuru, The Wailers and many more.
In 1968, Chin’s folks founded Randy’s Records on the corner of Kingston’s East & Towers – a record store that later evolved into the jewel of Kingston’s reggae recording scene: Randy’s Studio 17. After recording artists like the Toots & Maytals, Peter Tosh, Bob Marley & The Wailers (the list goes on…), Randy’s relocated to New York City, where the foundations were laid for Clive and his family’s next musical installment: VP Record Distributors. Operating out of Brooklyn, VP has generated wide acclaim for its work recording artists such as Beenie Man, Shaggy, and Sean Paul.
Split Works is excited at the opportunity to be within the blast radius when Clive gets on the decks and the mic and unleashes his historical arsenal of reggae, dancehall, and dub jams at Bed Bar. Come one, come all for what is sure to be a boombastic event.
Lastly, we’d like to express our gratitude to sponsor 3+1 Bedrooms boutique hotel for its support in bringing Clive Chin to Beijing.
Situated in a traditional Hutong, 3+1Bedrooms boutique hotel represents a complete immersion in traditional Beijing coupled with first-class comfort--hyper-chic minimalist white interior and cutting-edge five-star amenities--which can only be found in a modern-day metropolis.
At the end of a quiet alleyway, dimly lit by a red lantern sits the converted state- owned machine-parts factory that houses BED, decorated with antique furniture and paintings of the old city. Pushing the boundaries of what constitutes an acceptable leisure space, BED, is a place where you can lounge on an opium bed, enjoying the selection of tapas and dim sum and the unique charm of Beijing.
Split Works and Club Tango are delighted to be presenting a killer double-bill: DJs Diplo and Steve Aoki. Two of the biggest names on the electronic music scene, these guys make some of the most innovative and infectious party music on the planet. Performing in China for one night only, the Diplo-Aoki duo will lift you up into a state of turntable-bliss.
About Diplo
Mississipi-born, Florida-bred Diplo is a party DJ who’s not afraid to mix it up, injecting bits of breakbeat, crunk and ‘80s flavor into his sets. Diplo is also credited with importing the Brazilian style of funk carioca or Baile funk to the United States, and popularizing it around the world. A far cry from actual funk music, it emerged from the slums and Favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where popular soul and funk from the U.S. and new electronic music from Germany blended together to produce a distinct bass-heavy sound.
Diplo has worked with artists ranging from Spank Rock to Santigold, and also DJ’d his ex-girlfriend M.I.A.’s Arular tour in 2005.
Starting his own record label, Mad Decent, Diplo has signed on Brazilian Baile Funk group, DJ Blaqstarr, while working on various social relief projects. Diplo’s newest album Decent Work for Decent Pay remixes Peter Bjorn and John’s “Young Folks”, Daft Punk’s “Harder Better Faster Stronger” and M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” elevates these sounds to become modern electro classics.
About Steve Aoki
Pitchfork famously bashed Steve Aoki by describing his sound as “the aural equivalent of mixing toothpaste and orange juice,” but it is that unlikely combination that has ignited a fierce following not only in the music blogosphere but among electro-freaks the world over.
An outcast growing up in the buffed and tanned 90’s SoCal, Aoki began to entangle himself into the underground music scene in California holding parties in the living room of his UC Santa Barbara apartment, creating his synapse-bending signature sound of experimental electronic beeps mixed with neo-pop from European bands.
Dozens of party-starting remixes later, the Steve Aoki empire includes not only his own clothing label, but his own record label, Dim Mak, with a roster including the likes of Bloc Party, MSTRKRFT, The Klaxons, Boyz Noise and Fake Blood.
Get ready to “shake and pop” to electro-phenoms Diplo and Steve Aoki on Sept. 18.
Lastly, a mighty thanks to our hotel sponsor Hotel G Beijing for its support in bringing Diplo and Steve Aoki to China.
About Hotel G Beijing
This retro-fabulous luxury hotel is the flagship of the Hotel G brand, which plans to roll out more hotels throughout Asia. Hotel G is all about sophisticated ‘60s glamour, with plush rooms from the mind of British designer Mark Lintott, plus fine nouveau-Japanese dining at Morio (by chef Morio Sakayori), and Scarlett wine bar & restaurant, which boasts a fine selection of wines along with tapas, cold cuts and showcasing a large variety of cheeses.
@ Grappa’s Cellar
Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place,
Central
HKD 200 (advance) / HKD 250 (door)
Doors: 7pm
Ticket Info:
Grappa’s Cellar: (852) 2521 2322
White Noise Records: (852) 2591 0499
Hanoi, Vietnam
Thursday, Sept. 10
Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Friday, Sept. 11
Bangkok, Thailand
Saturday, Sept. 12
@ Club Culture
Singapore
Sunday, Sept. 13
OTHER ASIA DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED
It all started back in 2005, when Dan Boeckner, frontman of Canadian indie rockers Wolf Parade locked eyes with a bewitching girl in the audience during a gig in Vancouver. That girl was short-story writer Alexei Perry, and by the end of the night, the two were kissing by the merch-table. Awww.
Planning a romantic vacation around Scandinavia, the lovers had a flash of inspiration: why not form a band, and make a European tour out of it? Nevermind that Perry had no musical training save for a few childhood piano lessons. Boeckner got on the phone with his agent and booked the tour. The couple christened themselves Handsome Furs, the title of a short story Perry was working on at the time, banged out a set list of songs in a week’s time, and Perry performed live on synths for the first time ever in Oslo.
The thing is, they didn’t suck. And critics are taking notice. Rather than being simply an excuse for an extended honeymoon, the now-married Handsome Furs duo have been earning raves. Now signed to Subpop -- the iconic label that helped engineer the success of bands including Nirvana, CSS and Death Cab for Cutie – the Furs released their first album, Plague Park, in 2007, and followed it up with this year’s Face Control. While the inspiration for Plague Park was taken from their travels through Scandinavia, Face Control draws heavily on their recent trip to Russia. The term “Face Control” refers to bouncers at Russian nightclubs turning customers away based on their physical appearance.
So what do they sound like? Think “a synth-pop pep rally for the damned” (according to Blender). Boeckner’s well-honed guitar steez and haunting vocals and Perry’s beats combine to form sounds that are stripped-down yet complex, and straddles a line between crest-fallen and optimistic; at once bleak and soulful. Kinda like marriage.
Split Works is stoked to be hosting these nomads on their first Asia Tour – 5 countries, 7+ shows, and hopefully the inspiration for a new album.
“Jeff Lang is the real blues deal…Australia’s best roots-music artisan.”
-- Rolling Stone
"There are certain musicians who are so gifted, so astonishingly talented, so plugged into Something Bigger than we can imagine when they make music ... I witnessed a show a couple of weekends ago that made me want to include Jeff Lang in that company."
-- Umbrella Music
Yuyintang, 1731 Yanan Xi lu, near Kaixuan Lu, Hongqiao district
Doors: 9pm
Tickets: RMB 50
Support Act: Joker
Info: 5237-8662 (M-F, 10am-6pm)
Australian roots rock legend Jeff Lang has built up a reputation for startlingly original performances, working without a set list, allowing the unique energy of each night to shape the songs. Having previously toured with the likes of Ani DiFranco and Bob Dylan, Lang is coming to China for the first time to showcase his insane, award-winning guitar skills that have critics hailing him as one of Australia’s hottest exports. Chart Magazine praises Lang’s expert finger-picking, “serious balls and flawless chops” that have earned him the reputation of Australia’s leading country, blues and rock guitar virtuoso.
While his influences range from the folk music of the Southern United States to the British Isles, Lang’s lyrics evoke the environment of his native Australia in a subtle, plainspoken manner. Switching from soothing acoustic guitar-picking to blistering electric riffs, Lang is one of those rare talents who is as adept with the slide guitar as with a standard, not to mention his dexterity on the banjo, mandolin, drums and Chumbush (similar to a banjo, but with more strings). His instrumental skills combine with his husky-voiced story-telling to create an arresting live performance.
Doors: 9pm
Tickets: RMB 100 (RMB 60 for students with ID)
Dream Factory: 4/F, 28 Yuyao Lu (near Xikang Lu)
If you like your dance-music with a touch of grit and spookiness, you just might be a Ghost Punk fan. That’s the term used by Brooklyn three-piece These Are Powers to describe their sound: simultaneously joyful and eerie, anarchic and tightly rhythmic. Think noise rock plus club beats, multiplied by spastic animal magnetism.
Formed in 2007, TAP are comprised of Anna Barie (vocals/guitar), Pat Noecker (bass) and Bill Salas (drums). Sometimes likened to early Sonic Youth, TAP have been making waves with their intense live performances, and their most recent album, All Aboard Future, which Pitchfork described as “distinct and stunning.” Split Works is psyched to be bringing these three merrymakers to Shanghai, as part of a nation-wide tour organized by Beijing-based record label Maybe Mars.
For their Shanghai gig, These Are Powers will be joined by kingpins of the Beijing rock scene P.K.14 and Carsick Cars.
The Shanghai gig won’t be the first time Bejing indie stalwarts Carsick Cars have teamed up with TAP; Carsick Cars’ frontman/guitarist Shouwang also contributed album artwork for TAP’s latest release, All Aboard Future.
Carsick Cars have risen to the pinnacle of Beijing’s live music scene, earning a reputation for riotous explosions of pent-up energy on stage. There’s a certain fearlessness to Carsick Cars’ music: they are not afraid to write perfect, instantaneously catchy songs, and they are just as unafraid of detonating them midstream amid a howling wall of guitar noise. Their second full-length album, You Can Listen, You Can Talk, drops June 26 from Maybe Mars records.
Formed in Nanjing in 1997, P.K.14 have performed extensively in China and abroad, both headlining and sharing the stage with many notable bands, including The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Ex-Models, and The Soundtrack of Our Lives. In June 2006, the band was nominated for “Best Band” and “Best Rock Band” at the 6th annual Chinese Music Media Awards (the Chinese Grammy Awards). In July 2006, MTV China featured their video Ta Men (They) as their “Pick of the Week.” Most recently, TIME magazine chose P.K.14 as one of Asia’s five best bands and one to watch in 2008. Their fourth album, City Weather Sailing (Chengshi Tianqi De Hangxing), was released in July 2008 on Maybe Mars records.
These Are Powers in Shanghai With P.K.14 and Carsick Cars
Saturday, July 18
@ Dream Factory
RMB 100 (RMB 60 for students with ID)
US three-piece These Are Powers are coming to
Shanghai to break it down Ghost Punk style.
Expect spooky, hypnotic noise rock and addictive beats.
________________________________________________________
Yuyintang, 1731 Yanan Xi lu, near Kaixuan Lu, Hongqiao district
Doors: 9pm
Tickets RMB 50
Info: 5237-8662 (M-F, 10am-6pm)
He’s a little bit country, a little bit rock’n’roll. Australian blues-folk legend Jeff Lang will be touring China for the first time,
showcasing his insane, award-winning guitar skills.
__________________________________________________________
Ghostface tore it up! A huge thanks to you hip hop fans in Beijing and Shanghai who came out to the shows last weekend, and showed Ghostface Killah some love at the end of his exhausting two-month tour. Props to opening acts Naughty Ray, Golden MIC, Redstar and Ne Zha, plus scratch DJs Lomang and Mr. Tsang for stepping in at short notice. And hats off to Tony Starks and the rest of the crew for traveling all the way from the slums of Shaolin to represent Wu in the Far East. Zai jian, fellas!
Canadian trance-rockers and multi-taskers Jets Overhead recently passed through Shanghai to rock the stage at Yuyintang as part of the three nights of Canuck splendor that was Split Works and TransmitCHINA’s “Straight Oota Canada” weekend. While in Shanghai, the group also found time to shoot a video for their single “No Nations,” off their latest album of the same name. Check out the time-lapse hustle and bustle below:
Math-rock, jazz-fusion, cyber-metal...call it what you will; Battles brought it to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Taipei, Beijing and Shanghai with a vengeance, smothering us in sound and playing to packed houses at MAO and the Dream Factory. There was a spanner thrown in the works when, just three days before show time, scheduled openers P.K.14 had to pull the plug when their drummer broke his foot. We'd like to thank Ourself Beside Me, The Offset:Spectacles and AV Okubo for stepping in at short notice, as well as our other stellar support acts Bigger Bang and LAVA|OX|SEA. We'd also like to thank P.K.14's fans for not throwing any hissyfits over the sudden line-up change. Lastly, a few words of gratitude to the good folks at WWF and Wu Ji aka Mr. Particle, who joined us in observing Earth Hour by switching off the lights and enjoying Mr. Particle's acoustic stylings before Battles' Shanghai performance.
So what's next for Split Works? This we cannot yet divulge...but watch this space!
Archie Hamilton, MD of Split Works, was honoured to be invited to participate in Canada’s premiere music conference, Canadian Music Week, in March 2009. Archie sat on the Promoter/Live Super Session panel along with other industry “power players” including (Vans Warped Tour creator) Kevin Lyman and (former Live Nation UK MD) Stuart Galbraith, for a discussion of the economic forecast for the touring industry, and the impact of 360 deals and technology on touring, ticket prices and the overall live music experience.
Archie also took part in CMW’s Spotlight on China programme, addressing the challenges and opportunities of the country’s growing music industry. Besides hearing Archie speak, other CMW attendees no doubt felt that the live performances from bands including Handsome Furs, Malajube and Holy Fuck were among the highlights of CMW ’09. Thanks, Canada! Hope to see you next year!
They Came, They Geeked, They Conquered
A big thanks and a bon voyage to Oxford rockers Young Knives, who unleashed their scissor-kicks and riotous geek eccentricities on Beijing (March 4) and Shanghai (March 6). Joined by local support acts Perdel, The Bigger Bang, Boys Climbing Ropes and The Sonnet, YK brought down the houses of MAO and Dream Factory, reminding us how bad-ass it is to be square.
He came; he saw; he conquered. Split Works had the pleasure of hosting Mr. José González as he traversed greater China in February, playing to sold-out crowds in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. We'd like to put our hands on our hearts and say a big thank you to support chanteuse Wu ZhouLing, the spellbinding José and co., and of course all the folksy fans who didn't let rain and snow hold them back. Check out reviews here and here, and click below for photos from José's Shanghai gigs.
Swedish indie darlings Jens Lekman and Viktor Sjoberg wrapped up a rollickingseries of shows in China in early December, 2008. Jens incited sing-alongs and smashed tambourines to smitherines, while Viktor’s beats updated Jens’ analog crooning for the digital age, turning these mellow folk performances into full-fledged dance parties. Split Works would like to give our tremendous thanks to the fans who turned out for the shows, as well as the good people at JZ Club, the Glamour Bar and Mao Live, and of course, to Jens Lekman and Viktor Sjolberg for braving the harrowing jetlag and putting on splendid performances for fans old and new.”
Well, yeah, it's Eminem, but just as exciting, Split Works have come out of the interior (we've been doing some cool shit in lots of cities outside of Shanghai and Beijing) and are ready to bathe your ears once more in all sorts of sound.
Over the next 4 months we will be subjecting you to Swedish singer-songwriters, Miami based dancehall rappers and Welsh alt-rockers. We hope you will join us in celebrating the diversity of music that our wonderful world has to offer.
PK14 and Queen Sea Big Shark finished China's first ever road trip this weekend with a knees up in Beijing. 2 buzzing shows in Mao was a fitting end to the most ambitious project undertaken in the history of Chinese alternative music. They were joined by the 5 support bands from the 5 stops on the tour.
Converse commissioned a bus and took the Beijing rockers to Nanjing, Hangzhou, Changsha, Wuhan and Xi'an. 5,000 km and 5 full houses. A bit of crowd surfing, some table dancing, the odd brush with the law and a lot of rocking out. A China first...
UK magazine Dazed and Confused were on the road with us and you can see what they had to say on the matter
here.
Props to Converse for having the kahunas to support the local music scene in this way, and to W&K for everything they did to make it so memorable.
Beijing Rockers Hit the Road
Summer is fully upon us here in Shanghai, with Olympics spirit reaching fever pitch, and
actual temperatures snaking up into the 30s. We've decided to get into the summer spirit
with that great hallmark of the season: the cross-country roadtrip. Thanks to Converse,
we'll be sticking two of Beijing's indie bands (most likely PK14 and Hedgehog) in a
specially converted bus and 3 supporting wagons for a pilgrimage to 6 Chinese cities:
Xi'an, Wuhan, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Changsha and Beijing. Footage from this daring feat --
along China's nearly 2,000,000 km of roads and amongst 57,000,000 cars --will be
incorporated into a Chinese docudrama. If 65-plus hours on China's roads doesn't drive this
band of merrymakers legally insane, then it's sure to inspire some kickass shows
nationwide. Stay tuned for a confirmed schedule...
Dandi Wind break new ground on an 8 city Asia tour
At Split Works Towers, we are happy to report that our first full Asian Tour went without (too many) hitches. In the space of three weeks, team Dandi hit 8 cities and played 9 shows. From sell outs (6 cities) to 64 people (Xi’an – it was a Sunday night, OK?), Dandi and Szam never failed to provide the high intensity insanity that China has grown to love.
And it showed us that with the right band and the right amount of commitment, a tour with a foreign artist in China is and can be a viable commercial concern. A massive thanks must go out to Dandi and Szam, our intrepid cameraman Nathan, all the great clubs that we played at and all the great people behind those venues and of course the bands that helped us along: Hard Queen/ 24hours/ Hush/ Snapline/ The Casino Demon/ 海龟先生
Dandi Wind China Tour
Spring’s up and Split Works have got some end of winter insanity for you.
Dandi Wind, Over the last 3 years this dynamic duo have traversed the world, here trashing venues at SXSW, there overselling London’s world renowned Fabric, from the tropical heat of Mexico City to the arctic wilds of their native Canada, sharing stages with the likes of The Klaxons, The Presets, The Horrors and Simian Mobile Disco. Now they are bringing their very own blend of gothic glam disco, demented costumes and mad antics to a stage near you. Shanghai, Wuhan, Xi’an, Chengdu, Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo will all bear testament to a pair of artists who will excite, energize and alarm in equal measures……
October 5, 2007 saw the inaugural Yue Festival kick off in Zhongshan Park, Shanghai. After months of continuous rain, including Typhoon Wipha the week before (and Typhoon Krosa the weekend after), it was with bated breath that we watched the sun climb into a cloudless sky over a site unique to China's short music festival history. A main stage, a secondary stage inside the Bacardi B-Live space, creative side attractions, food, beer, cocktails and sun set a glorious scene. 20 eclectic artists and thousands of happy music lovers spent the day interacting, cruising, bumping, jiving and rocking.
Faithless, Ozomatli, Talib Kweli, Yacht, Banana Monkey, SuperVC, Hedgehog, IZ, Bananas Soundsystem, Uprooted, Redstar... with major support from Bacardi, Converse, and Neocha.com.
In the words of the Basement Jaxx, June was the toughest month that we've had so far. June 1, Infadels/Killa Kila Beijing, June 2, Infadels/Killa Kela Shanghai, June 29, the Go! Team Beijing, June 30, the Go! Team Shanghai... that's a serious amount of not sleeping, I can promise you that.
4,000 tickets sold, 5,000 ecstatic people throught the doors. We are beginning to do what we promised. We really are bringing great music to China. Thanks to all the bands, plus the fantastic efforts of the Verse, Young Kin and Wordy, Banana Monkey and Flying Fruit. Also, a big shout out to Bacardi for making it all possible!
Bacardi Sino Session #4 welcomes the Go! Team to China. On the eve of their second album, the band are kindly fitting us in between Glastonbury, Benicassim and Bestival, so we are lucky indeed. The shows in China will be the last before the official release of the first single off their next album, Grips like a Vice... nice!
