Back in January, Kiwese hung out with the boys from Shanren 山人 (mountain men) in Beijing to chat about ethnic music fusions, tourism development in Yunnan and their upcoming trip to New Zealand for WOMAD. Shanren are a band from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau in the south-west of China, where the mountains are tall and majestic, theContinueContinue reading “High Times with Shanren”
Category Archives: Music
Chinese Rock Royalty: Tang Dynasty in New Zealand
Tang Dynasty, 唐朝乐队, are often hailed as China’s first heavy metal band and are a household name to many in a country of more than a billion people. Kiwese met up with these members of Chinese rock royalty while they were in Wellington. Tang Dynasty came to New Zealand to play at a variety of Chinese culturalContinueContinue reading “Chinese Rock Royalty: Tang Dynasty in New Zealand”
Haere Mai Nevin Domer: Getting Genjing and Maybe Mars bands to NZ
From heading DIY record labels, playing in punk bands, averting lyrical censorship, booking dozens of tours and crowd surfing on them, to speaking on music panels, Nevin Domer is one of the most dedicated people in the Beijing underground today. Kiwese caught up with him to see if there’s anything in store for us over in New Zealand.ContinueContinue reading “Haere Mai Nevin Domer: Getting Genjing and Maybe Mars bands to NZ”
Time to reflect with Disasteradio
Kiwese caught up with Luke Rowell aka Disasteradio for some reflection time about his sizzlingly sweaty 13-date tour of China back in 2012. With Camp A Low Hum now at a close, it feels only right to take some time to reflect with Disasteradio. I’ve seen Disasteradio play in a bunch of weird places -ContinueContinue reading “Time to reflect with Disasteradio”
God Bows to Math make some noise in China
Awesome people, free red wine, glamorous poodles, unexpected blackened chicken feet fished out of wonton soups… Kiwese had a yarn with God Bows to Math guitarist/vocalist Martin Phillips about their latest tour, the underground post-punk scene in China and how to make soup dumplings. The noise they emit is as raw as a dodgy steak.ContinueContinue reading “God Bows to Math make some noise in China”
Carb on Carb, Rice on Rice
Got munchies? Aucklanders (奥克兰人 Àokèlán rén) Carb on Carb completed an epic eleven date tour of the Middle Kingdom back in November with good buddies God Bows to Math. Kiwese followed them from Beijing to Suzhou and recently we reminisced about their first foray into Asia and how Chinese cabbage and eggplant dishes are exponentiallyContinueContinue reading “Carb on Carb, Rice on Rice”
Unknown Mortal Orchestra set to play China and NZ in January
Tài hǎo le! [太好了! Awesome!] Split Works are bringing Unknown Mortal Orchestra to China next month as they kick off the Asian leg of their colossal ‘II’ tour. Seems like just yesterday they were playing at good ol’ Bodega, but January has long since past for this hardworking, hard touring three-piece psychedelic-pop powerhouse, who have played packed outContinueContinue reading “Unknown Mortal Orchestra set to play China and NZ in January”
KIWESE 