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,Continue 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 toContinue 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 wantedContinue 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 sharedContinue 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 ofContinue reading "The Shock of the New: Interview with Jin Jiangbo"
Put down your screens: Interview with Liang Yi from Stolen
Ever find yourself wasting time by mindlessly scrolling through an endless stream of images ? Disillusioned by the modern obsession with digital documentation, Chengdu post-punk/cold-wave band Stolen 秘密行动 are touring their new EP Stealing Our Lenses《我们遗失的视角》, which might make you think twice about updating your Instagram in the middle of a gig. Kiwese caught up with frontman Liang Yi 梁艺 earlier this week for aContinue reading "Put down your screens: Interview with Liang Yi from Stolen"
Zaomengshe Turns 1: Interview with Lydia McAulay
While the Chinese Government plaster the streets with images of the 'Chinese Dream' 中国梦, there are quite different dreams being conjured in the belly of the Chengdu underground. Zaomengshe.com 造梦社 is crowd funding website that provides a platform for the local creative community. Co-founder and Marmite enthusiast Lydia McAulay came over for a cuppa to talk about the website's one year anniversary. The music scene in Chengdu is probably the mainContinue reading "Zaomengshe Turns 1: Interview with Lydia McAulay"
Not just a girl band: Interview with Ming Ming from The Hormones
It's that time of the month! Local Chengdu indie-rock band the Hormones 荷尔蒙小姐乐队 will kick off their first ever national tour tonight at Little Bar 小酒馆. Bassist and lyricist Ming Ming 明明 invited me over for dinner to talk about vengeful elephants in Yunnan, menstrual cycles on tour and the new EP. The Hormones 荷尔蒙小姐乐队, are a five-piece indie-rock band fromContinue reading "Not just a girl band: Interview with Ming Ming from The Hormones"
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