I’m speeding in a Didi to the airport to go to the next gig. Zhang Xin hooked me up with a new livehouse called ONION in Zhengzhou, playing the after party for Yunnan reggae legends KAWA. I’ve been mad busy lately with a motley joy of activity ranging from parties, dinners, Met Gala-esque Gen Z trans queen livestream to Simpson-themed football competition training.
Here I wanted to share the full interview LOFi, a Chinese indie publication, did with me as part of a Salomon collaboration at Chun You 2025. I think the questions were great and allowed me to write about not only the festival but my musical upbringing and lifestyle in a dialogue format.
I was pretty nervous going into the photoshoot in the middle of Day 1 at the festival. I was dressed in a giant leopard robe and some bunny ears, thought omg, what am I. But the photographer, light and director of LOFi were super encouraging and made me feel comfortable throughout. Bunny leopard in the forest vibes! Ya!
Big up Chun You. Follow my IG @kaishandao for updates, pics and videos, I update pretty regularly over there, but will always keep blog for long form sheyit!! Chur!!!
Thanks Salomon for the steezy shoes.
1）Introduce yourself 介绍一下自己吧：）
I’m Kristen. I was born in Wellington, New Zealand and have lived in Chengdu since 2014. I perform and produce music as Kaishandao. I’m the co-founder of Chengdu Community Radio (cdcr.live), an online radio platform formed in late 2019. I’m also an event organizer and run DIY tours for New Zealand bands in China with my label Kiwese (奇异思). I’m also involved in the incredible promotion team of Chun You.
I am of southern Chinese heritage. My great-grandparents originally immigrated from Guangdong to New Zealand in the early 20th century to escape the war.
Queer. Sagitarius sun, Capricorn rising. 麦霸.
我叫Kristen，出生在新西兰的惠灵顿，从2014年起就来到成都生活了。我用艺名“Kaishandao” 来进行表演和音乐制作。我也是成都社区电台CDCR.LIVE的联合创始人，这个电台成立于2019年底，与此同时我也是一名演出活动的组织者，通过我自己的厂牌Kiwese (奇异思) 为新西兰乐队在中国定制巡演。我也是春游音乐节宣传团队中的一员。
我的曾祖父母在20世纪初为了躲避战乱从广东移民到了新西兰，所以我身体里有中国南方的血统。我还是一个酷儿，一个射手座，一个上升摩羯座，一个超级麦霸！
2）How many times have you been to Chun You? What does it mean to the local music scene? 今年是第几次来春游，你认为春游音乐节的场景在国内是什么样的存在？
This year was my ninth Chun You (if we include Good Morning Chengdu, the small party and cdcr.live livestream on Flower Island one year Chun You was cancelled).
The first one I went to was in 2015, when it was at Morning Bar in Flower Town. Got so many mosquito bites on Day 1 that I thought I had bed bugs, and missed the second day bug bombing my apartment, hahaha. I’m gutted because that is the year they were doing free Chun You tattoos and I definitely would have got one.
The first Chun You I performed was in 2017 in the back room at Morning House, playing backing guitar noise for now-defunct techno label atmen. I’ve played as Kaishandao every year since then.
Like many local musicians and fans, Chun You is the most important date of the year for me. The festival brings together many forms of art, music, creativity, fashion and performance into one crazy weekend. It is a gathering that manages to unite an extremely diverse range of people, across gender, age, genre, style, not only the artists and workers, but audience members from various social circles. In this regard, I think it is entirely unique in China, if not the world.
今年是我第九次参加春游音乐节了（如果算上那年春游因为特殊时期取消，转而在花岛上举办的那个小型派对和CDCR直播的话）。我第一参加春游是在2015年，当时是在三圣花乡的Morning Bar。我第一天被蚊子咬惨了，我觉得我可能是招了臭虫带回家，结果家里虫灾大爆发我因此错过了第二天的活动。那年他们提供免费的“春游”纹身，结果我却错过了，我真的为此难过了好一阵子，要不然我肯定也会纹一个的。
我第一次在春游演出是2016年，在 Morning House 的里屋给当时一个techno厂牌atmen的环节弹奏一些吉他噪音，从那以后的每一年我就一直以Kaishandao的身份在春游演出。
和许多本地音乐人和乐迷一样，春游对我们来说是一年中最重要的节日，它将各种不同形式的艺术，音乐，时尚，创意和表演融合在一个疯狂的周末里。这场盛会成功地将形形色色的人们聚集在一起，跨越性别，年龄，流派和风格，不仅仅有这些艺术家和音乐节的工作者，还有来自社会各界的乐迷和参与者，从这个角度上来看，他在中国，甚至是在世界上，都是独一无二的。
3）What kind of show did you bring to the festival this year? Any special moments? 今年在春游带来的是什么演出，有什么难忘的瞬间想要分享？
This year Chun You I performed my electronic live set on the Vitamin Stage on the evening of Day 1, right after Cvalda and DJ BLUE, two Chengdu queens I greatly admire for their artistry, power and vibes. Chun You is my most anticipated show of the year — as a festival and friend reunion, it is very important to me and has helped me develop immensely as an artist.
This set was a rollercoaster of moments. I think playing Dragostea Din Tei, then singing “moya hee / moya ha / moya hahahahahahaha” and turning it into an evil laugh was a highlight. It was a random idea that blew up the dancefloor. I love unpredictability of live performance – dance music often tends to be quite ‘serious,’ so I like to introduce random elements and allow people to have a laugh.
After the hahaha was reverb / delaying out, I raised the BPM by 10 and played my new Daiku Time remix live. I made the remix last year in Osaka with my new bestie Ascalypso, who was also at Chun You (but missed my set cos her purse got stolen in Chengdu and they went on a giant 6-hour mission with the police to find the thief!!!)
This was a full circle moment, as Yutampo (co-founder of Daiku Time) discovered me through my performance at Chun You in 2023, then invited me to Osaka last year to play at their party.
I was so happy to see so many friends in the audience that have come together from different parts and times of my life, including my crew from Aotearoa and friends who have supported me for many years. Love you all!
(Ps. They found Ascalypso’s purse!!!)
今年春游的第一天晚上，我在维他命舞台表演了我的电子现场，在我前面演出的是 Cvalda 和 DJ BLUE，我非常欣赏这两位成都女王的艺术造诣，能量和那种劲头。在春游的演出是今年我最期待的，无论是作为音乐节还是一个朋友大聚会，它对我来说都非常重要，并帮助我在艺术家的层面上得到了极大的发展。
这场演出就像坐过山城一样跌宕起伏，我觉得播放Dragostea Din Tei, 然后唱那段 “moya hee / moya ha / moya hahahahahahaha” ，然后把这段笑声变邪恶是演出中的一大亮点，这个骚操作也引爆了舞池。我特别喜欢现场演出的那种不可预测性，舞曲通常都很“严肃”，所以我喜欢加入一些随机的元素，让人们开怀大笑。
在那段邪恶的“哈哈哈哈” 大笑以混响和延迟效果逐渐衰减下来以后，我将速度提高了10个点，并演奏了我新的Daiku Time 再混音版本的现场，这是去年我和我的闺蜜Ascalypso在大阪时一起创作的。（她本来可以看到我的演出的，但是我演出的那会儿她因为钱包在成都被偷了，正在和警察进行一场6小时的大追捕，等她来的时候我的演出已经结束了）一切都是最好的安排，2023年 Daiku Time的联合创始人Yutampo 在春游看了我的表演，然后邀请我去大阪参加她们的演出。
我很开心能看到台下有这么多来自我人生不同阶段的朋友和听众，还包括我新西兰的团队和成员们，我爱你们！
（顺便说一句：Ascalypso的钱包找到了！）
4）What does “girlhood” and “life” mean to you? 如何定义「少女」与「生命力」？
Power, passion, pain, emotion, intelligence, confidence, sisterhood, family, laughter, vulnerability, anxiety, levity, fashion, hair, skin, endurance, fun, strength, tenderness, beauty, understanding, multi-tasking, ferocity, blood-sweat-tears, bags, hats, accessories, tissues, unity, love.
力量，激情，痛苦，情感，智慧，自信，姐妹情谊，家庭，欢笑，脆弱，焦虑，轻率，时尚，头发，肌肤，耐力，乐趣，劲儿，温柔，美丽，理解，多任务处理能力，凶悍，血汗与眼泪，包包，帽子，饰品，纸巾，团结，爱。
5）As a musician, how do you maintain energy and stay curious? 作为音乐创作者，如何让自己保持高能量的创作状态与好奇心？
Listening to my own music, listening to my friends’ music, listening to my body. In Tikanga Māori (the culture and philosophy of Māori, the indigeous people and guardians of Aotearoa New Zealand) there is a concept called “Hauora,” which guides my way of life. The Hauora is a concept of overall health and wellbeing, encompassing physical, mental, social, and spiritual dimensions: your life is like a house of four walls – if one wall is broken, the house will fall down.
The four aspects are as follows:
– Taha Tinana: Physical well-being
– Taha Hinengaro: Mental and emotional well-being
– Taha Whānau: Family and social wellbeing
– Taha Wairua: Spiritual well-being and personal beliefs.
While I am often very extroverted and high-energy, I also have moments of downtime and introversion. I can go days or even weeks without wanting to see anyone or be in big group scenarios. When inspiration strikes, I go to creation mode. When my body and mind needs rest, I try and honour that with self-care.
Forcing myself to make music when I’m not in the mood or feel anxious does not do well for my soul.
I’ve also kept a journal since I was 15. In recent years, I have discovered another concept called Bullet Journalling. This helps me keep organised and clear on what my plans are for the week, my goals, habits, birthdays and daily tasks, which helps me feel more in control of my life.
聆听自己的音乐，聆听朋友们的音乐，聆听自己的身体，在蒂堪伽毛利（新西兰原住民和守护者）的文化和哲学中，有一个叫 “Hauora”的概念一直指引着我的生活方式。
“Hauora”是一个涵盖身体，心灵，社会和精神层面的全面健康和福祉的概念：你的生活就像是一个由四面墙支撑起来的房子，如果其中一面墙倒塌，房子也会随之倒塌。
这四个支点是：
– Taha Tinana: 身体安康
– Taha Hinengaro: 精神和情绪安康
– Taha Whānau: 家庭和社会安康
– Taha Wairua: 灵魂安康以及个人信仰
虽然大多数时候我都比较外向和精力充沛，但也会有低落和内向的时候。有时会连续几天甚至几周都不想见任何人，更不想参加大型的聚会。当灵感迸发时我就 进入创作模式，当我身心需要休息时，我会尽量的关爱好我自己。
如果在心情不好或感到焦虑的时候强迫自己创作音乐，会我的灵魂有损害。我从15岁起就开始写日记，近年来我发现了一个新的概念叫做“子弹日记”，它能帮助我保持清晰的条理，清楚地记录我一周的计划，目标，习惯，以及日常任务，让我感觉能更好掌控自己的生活。
6）What’s your creative inspiration? 你的创作灵感有哪些？
I love DJs, live music, and especially bands. I am lucky to live in Chengdu where we have such a fruitful and diverse music scene with many great venues and gigs throughout the week from which to gain inspiration.
I am from Wellington, which had an incredible music scene when I was growing up in the mid-00s. I was lucky to have my sister’s ID card so I could get into bars and see local heroes like Cut Off Your Hands, So So Modern, The Phoenix Foundation, The Mint Chicks, and international artists like Ratatat, Grimes… I also love R&B, reggae, dub, rock, folk and KTV.
It wasn’t until I moved to Beijing in 2013 that I was truly exposed to club music at clubs like DADA and Lantern. In 2014, I went to Dimensions Festival in Croatia and that opened my mind to the diversity of dance music, and the depth of fandoms and rave culture.
After Dimensions, I moved to Chengdu, where I met friends deeply involved in the local scene, including Dayi, Lydia and Mat (founders of Zaomengshe), Tan Zhong, (founder of XIONGMAO), Cvalda (founder of MIST), Zhang Xin and Xiao Hu of Morning早上好, and all the crazy club cats in the newly opened Poly Centre, specifically .TAG and Here We Go.
I am deeply inspired by underground scenes worldwide. In particular, I am deeply inspired by the worlds created by festivals Camp A Low Hum and Chun You.
我喜欢DJ,现场演出，尤其是乐队的现场。我很幸运能住在成都这里音乐氛围很丰富多元，每周都有很多很棒的场地有很不错的演出，能让我汲取灵感。
我来自惠灵顿，在我撑场的千禧年中期，惠灵顿的音乐氛围非常活跃，我很幸运能用姐姐的身份证去酒吧里看诸如Cut Off Your Hands, So So Modern, The Phoenix Foundation, The Mint Chicks, 以及像Ratatat和Grimes这种级别的国际音乐人的演出。我还喜欢的R&B, 雷鬼乐, dub, 摇滚乐, 民谣和卡拉OK .
直到2013年我搬到北京才真正在DADA和灯笼等俱乐部里接触到俱乐部音乐。2014年我去了克罗地亚的Dimensions音乐节，这让我对舞曲的多样性，受众群体以及锐舞文化有了更深入的了解。在那之后我搬到了成都，并结识了深耕本地音乐文化的朋友们，包括早起造梦社的创始人Dayi, Lydia 和 Mat ，熊猫俱乐部的创始人谭仲，MIST的创始人Cvalda，Morning House 的张欣和小虎，以及那时新开业的保利中心（特别是.TAG和Here We Go）里所有疯狂的俱乐部成员。
我深受世界各地地下音乐场景的启发，尤其深受Camp A Low Hum 和 春游音乐节的启发。
7）What’s your biggest challenge? 对你来说目前最有挑战性的一件事是什么？
Taking care of Kristen, not just Kaishandao.
照顾好 Kristen, 不仅是Kaishandao.
8) What do you like to do when you’re alone? 独处的时候你都会做什么？
Obviously listening to music is a big one. I also love reading. I studied English Literature at university and love novels. In recent years I’ve been getting more into non-fiction and podcasts. Currently reading ‘Minority Rule: Adventures in the Culture War’ by British writer and journalist Ash Sarkar. Favourite podcast at the moment is ‘No Tags’ by Chal Ravens and Tom Lea. Love a good cuppa.
Other than that I like to cook (while listening to podcasts or music), play with my cats Bubu and Nunu and have friends round at my place. I also love massage.
听音乐肯定是很重要的，我也喜欢看书。我在大学学的是英国文学，我很喜欢看小说。近年来我越来越喜欢非虚构类的文学和播客，我目前正在读英国作家兼记者Ash Sarkar的作品：《少数派统治：文化战争中的冒险》，最喜欢的播客是Chal Ravens和Tom Lea的‘No Tags’。我也很喜欢喝杯好茶。
除此之外，我喜欢边听音乐或播客边做饭，和我的猫咪Bubu 和 Nunu 玩耍，也喜欢邀请朋友们来我家，我还很喜欢按摩。
10）How do you balance work and life? 你会如何平衡工作与生活？
I found what I love to do and live it everyday.
我找到了我热爱的事情，并以此度过每一天。
出品 Production：LOFiONLINE
项目制片 Project Manager：SameMore
平面摄影 Photographer：FENGYILUN
活动场地 Venue @ 春游音乐节2025
特别鸣谢 Special Thanks:Morning 早上好
Thanks sister ChaCha for connecting and translating this interview into Chinese.
KIWESE 