September’s new releases showcase, per usual, the crazy diversity of music in China’s scene today. It’s all here, from Chainhaha’s atmospheric synth pop, to Demon & Eleven Children’s fuzzed-out sludge rock, and all manner of hip hop, from J-Fever, Eddie Beatz, and Zhou Shijue’s soulful collaboration as Heart-Healing Frequency (心愈频率), to Charity SsB’s edgy, electronic rap — Editor.

Wang Yiling 王忆灵 – Ode to Wither 枯萎颂

Making chamber pop with an avant-garde edge and expansive art pop veneer, Wang Yiling strikes gold on her ambitious, singular, and captivating LP Ode to Wither. Steering clear of the often bland and vapid arrangements found in Chinese folk music, Yiling, along with an arsenal of instruments (strings, accordions, clarinets, cello, and even harmonium) and maverick performers (including Bokai and Li Zenghui) at hand, has crafted arrangements dense in layers and rich in details. Set to the singer-songwriter’s restrained yet impassioned voice and a poetic poise not afraid to peer into the darkness of our lives, Yiling has crafted a delicate, elegant, and precious work of art.

Chainhaha – Za Nang Zz Nang

Chainhaha — the young independent singer-songwriter whose sound seduces, haunts, and bewilders in equal measure — returns with her latest LP. Za Nang Zz Nang is a tapestry of folk, synth pop, and trip hip that recalls the nymphish digital wonderlands of Bjork. At the core of Chainhaha’s latest is a harmonious melding of the organic and inorganic. Its delicately rendered digital provocations weave seamlessly into the singer’s graceful and otherworldly intonation, communicating with the spirits that populate the world. 

想想XiangXiang – Hear it, XiangXiang it! 也就听个想

Canton noise pop busting at the seams in youthful vitality, Guangzhou’s XiangXiang dazzle on their fizzy and fuzzy debut Hear it, XiangXiang it! Full of spunk, musical chops, and power chords, there’s a wistful fizzy exuberance to their brand of noise pop that’s infectious — brimming with a wide-eyed grin and an intrepid spirit. Evoking acts like Lonely Cookies, yourboyfriendsucks, and Carsick Cars whilst charting their own course, there’s not an ounce of fat across its twelve tracks. The band know exactly when to catch their breath and when to rev up the reverb.

Deep Water 水太深 – Deep Water II 

Chengdu dream pop duo Deep Water return with their sophomore release, the aptly named Deep Water II. Pushing ahead with their slick, sultry, and hazy sound, their latest finds the band leaning more into Mazzy Star territory — submerging listeners in simmering synths and wistful guitar chords — and letting singer Xiao Man’s smoky vocals do the heavy lifting. As before, there’s a pulpy efficiency to their music that’s seductive and easing. And production-wise, it’s a feast for the ears. Derivative maybe, but it’s hard to deny how damn delectable it all is. 

CharitySsB – CLEMENCY

Alternative rapper Charity SsB — whose emotionally-charged melodies are coated in everything from hard-hitting industrial beats, tipsy trap stylings, and sugar-coated vaporwave pop — has been a staple of the Shanghai scene for years. His latest, CLEMENCY, released with esteemed Shanghai electronic music label GENOME 6.66 Mbp, sees the artist throwing on his producer hat for the first time. This “bold venture” into music production pays off quite well, finding the perfect balance between its deconstructed club sheen and his ethereal, wraithlike vocals (which mostly fade to the background), accumulating in the ten-minute piece “WOOD HOUSE” — a heady ascent into divinity.   

ROMO 如梦 – Echoes of Paper 纸山脊

Indie rockers ROMO, out of Wuhan, pivot and mature on their sophomore release Echoes of Paper (纸山脊), released with Maybe Mars. Colored with a quieter, looser, and warmer hue, the band wisely zeroes in on their rustic cowboy blues musicality. Think grungy angst and self-reflective lyricism — a far cry from their post punk brethren. Its noise rock pop sensibilities and post rock meanderings may not be to everyone’s liking, and some might find its tonalities lacking in dynamism. But I hear a band gradually shaking off the weight of their influences and finding their own voice in the process.  

J-Fever 小老虎, Eddie Beatz 也是福, Zhou Shijue 周士爵 – Your Voice Has Changed (你的声音变了) 

One of our favorite team-ups in the past few years has been Heart-Healing Frequency (心愈频率), a trio made up of hip hop acts J-Fever (小老虎), Eddie Beatz (也是福), Zhou Shijue (周士爵), and their brand of vintage evocative, soulful hip hop. They’ve returned with a third volume of music last month, Your Voice Has Changed (你的声音变了). The lead single off the release is “欢聚” (Huānjù), a gorgeous embracing hug of a song and a love letter to the bonds we create and the need to cherish every gathering. For the track, the team gathered a murderer’s row of singers to create a gospel chorus — special guests include Voision Xi, Fishdoll, Kirby, Dara, and Leo1Bee, among others.

Demon & Eleven Children – Demonic Fascination

Sludgy, muddy, and stone-cold cool — something wicked this way comes on Demon & Eleven Children’s raw and heavy new LP, Demonic Fascination, released with SloomWeep Productions. With an old school grime that evokes classic psychedelic rock and blues rock just as much as modern-edged stoner metal and proto-doom, the band captures a down-and-dirty sound that oozes with attitude and lewd pleasures. It grinds down your soul in all the right ways. 

Wu Zhuoling – Reverie

Chengdu based producer Wu Zhuoling, known for her ambient-laced soundscapes and multi-layered dance rhythms, returns to the dancefloor with her latest, Reverie. Dank, dense, and atmospheric, its nature-informed meditative qualities blossom into up-tempo techno euphoria. In many ways, this is Zhuoling’s most accessible album yet, evoking the starry-eyed cerebral soundscapes of Jon Hopkins whilst never losing sight of its melodic club sensibilities. A richly detailed finely woven tapestry of ethereal dance music. 

Ying Shui Di Jiang 英水帝江 – Riding on the Wind 乘風 

Formed by Nanjing artist Zhao Yuan and featuring a rotating crew of members from the “world music” world, Ying Shui Di Jiang has been on quite the journey for the past two decades, in the words of WV Sorcerer label boss Ruo Tan, “absorbing elements of traditional folk music, ritual music, industrial, sampling, and scratching, transforming into an experimental musical art group with a variable lineup.” Finding cult-like appeal for their seamless collaborations and layered and atmospheric live performances, their latest release acts both as a retrospective of the band’s vast sonic breadth and as a tribute to their recently lost member, Mr. Malegebide, a.k.a. DJ Evilbee, who passed away not long after his participation in one of the two live performances collected here. 

Banner image by Haedi Yue.