What do Nova Heart and Hedgehog have in common? They’re both from Beijing and both have Shi Lu 石璐 aka Atom as the driving force on drums! Kiwese got the chance to ask Atom a few questions about what it’s like being a drummer in two of Beijing’s most well-loved indie bands. KIWESE: Hey Atom! How did you first join NovaContinueContinue reading “She Bangs the Drums: Interview with Atom from Nova Heart & Hedgehog”
Author Archives: Kristen Ng
Review: Nova Heart at Little Bar in Chengdu 11/15 and 17/12
Nova Heart have graced Chengdu with their presence twice in the past two months, touring their hotly anticipated debut album,《新星的心》and drinking the whiskey cabinet dry. Word has spread about the spellbindingly evil electronica of this four-piece supergroup, masterminded by the inimitable ‘Queen of Beijing Rock’ Helen Feng 冯海宁, formerly of Ziyo/Free the Birds, Pet Conspiracy, on lead vocals and lead chaos – as well as co-founder of theContinueContinue reading “Review: Nova Heart at Little Bar in Chengdu 11/15 and 17/12”
And the Prize Pack goes to…
The prize pack was drawn this morning in Chengdu! Congrats to the lucky winner!
When the Chinese Kid Drops Maths for Art: Interview with Allan Xia
Chengdu. An old lady in slippers fossicks about in the bright yellow leaves for fallen nuts from the local ginkgo tree. Bananas on pedicabs roll past mahjong players and open air eateries. Bundled up babies flail about like pudgy starfish on the laps of knitting grannies. The pace is chill, the sun shines, the sky is blue. This is the environment where Allan Xia 夏昊禹,ContinueContinue reading “When the Chinese Kid Drops Maths for Art: Interview with Allan Xia”
Huh, where are my roots? Oh, there they are.
“Don’t forget your roots, my friend,” jangled that awful song by Six60, bringing flashbacks of some drunk chick’s ass crack in my face as she shoulder rode her boo at Homegrown 2011. Though the concept remains present. How can I forget my roots if I’ve never seen them before? The time has come to return toContinueContinue reading “Huh, where are my roots? Oh, there they are.”
Kiwese Prize Pack Giveaway!!
One year ago, amidst the panoramic plume of grey sky and uncontrollable heating units of Beijing, over a tenuous VPN connection in a dank, cramped dorm room at BLCU, Kiwese was born. To celebrate this milestone, Kiwese has a prize pack to giveaway to one lucky winner! This is a bunch of original notes I hacked out while thinking about what I wantedContinueContinue reading “Kiwese Prize Pack Giveaway!!”
From Tuva to Chengdu: Interview with Sayan Bapa from Huun-Huur-Tu
It is cold tonight — but not a touch on the sub-zero Siberian winters that Huun-Huur-Tu have weathered in their homelands of Tuva, a remote region of Russia near the outer Mongolian border. Proof that group huddles around a fire for warmth result in sing-a-longs, especially those that take place in a yurt. Sayan Bapa founding member of the veteran throat singing ensemble sharedContinueContinue reading “From Tuva to Chengdu: Interview with Sayan Bapa from Huun-Huur-Tu”
The Shock of the New: Interview with Jin Jiangbo
Intrigued by the potential for free cocktails and drawn to the purple skyline on familiar, yet dream-like landscapes, Kiwese wandered into the opening of the group exhibition, Signals at Starkwhite Gallery on K Rd back in August. The latter, the work of Shanghai-based artist Jin Jiangbo 金江波, who has been interpreting the visual language of New Zealand over the past five years and creating a dialogue with both the mountainous beauty ofContinueContinue reading “The Shock of the New: Interview with Jin Jiangbo”
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