China’s indie music scene is firing on all cylinders in 2025, and we’re jumping into Summer with a careful—and lengthy—curation of the best. Included in this anthem playlist are Zhuhai’s Cherry Top, who are debuting with jangly dream pop, while music savant Mamer drop a live compilation through his band IZ. There’s soul-imbued folk from Yunnan’s Mu Jing, lo-fi noise pop from Thermostat, and sticky synth-pop courtesy of now Chengdu-based Shii. Whether it’s noise rock, experimental instrumentals, or photo-punk anthems, these are the new albums and EPs defining the sound of China’s alt scene right now. — Editor.
Thermostat恒温人员 – Daria (达瑞亚)
Thermostat, the lo-fi noise pop project from bedroom musician Roubing, returns with the quaint, quirky, and sublime EP Daria, centered on the story of a “lost puppy.” Leaning further into the woozier side of chillwave and synth pop, it wisely avoids the vapid and overly saccharine tendencies often found in the genre, steering away from easy hooks in favor of something more immersive — a hazy fever dream brought to life. There’s a lot of magic behind the production — its layers blur into one another — giving the sonic world Roubing has created a lush, serene gaze that wraps around you like a warm blanket.
8Immortals八仙 – 巨人川 (River of the Giant)
Beijing indie rockers who wade through grunge, stoner, garage, and psychedelic rock return with their new LP River of the Giant. Despite their brief brush with mainstream stardom on The Big Band, they haven’t veered far from what made them so alluring in the first place — a sultry yet grit-worn sound rich in guitar-led arrangements, old-school cadence, and Wang Fan’s pillowy vocals. The perfect soundtrack for a road trip down a long, dusty highway.
The Equation of Love and Death 吉米的猜想 – The Equation of Love and Death
Henan continues to prove it’s the most “emotional” province for rock and roll — a hotbed of passionate, volatile, and rhythmically charged dreamers fighting to make their mark on a world seemingly set against them. The Equation of Love and Death taps into a world of ignitable noise pop — using ample amounts of reverb, feedback, and jangly melodies to propel its sincere and vulnerable lyricism — an elegy for youth, as it were. With a grainy texture that feels worn-in and tangible, it’s a freight train of fraught emotions and one of the best debuts of the year.
IZ – 回忆 (Memory)
Xinjiang Kazakh music savant Mamer — known for his thrumming voice and engulfing layers of instrumentation — drops his latest with band IZ: Memory. A kind of compilation, it includes live recordings from the band’s Koxpendi tour in 2023 and a BBC radio session from 2010. One of Mamer’s most accessible releases to date, it’s both a collection of their most respected tracks and a gateway into their industrial baroque tendencies. Mamer pulls back the curtain on Kazakh folk music traditions, twisting world music inward on itself with looping effects and drones. His gravelly voice becomes something haunting and otherworldly, eventually dissolving into cacophonous noise and metal.
Wang Wen 惘闻 – Clap Your Hands (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
With their latest project, Dalian post-rock staples Wang Wen add another film soundtrack to their already extensive catalogue. Scored for director Zhu Jie’s 2022 film Clap Your Hands — a story about a woman and her family’s struggles over a decade in the countryside — the core of the soundtrack is built on two thematic motifs inspired by the film’s atmosphere and narrative rhythm (and a Wang Wen track from 2006), later expanded into full compositions. While the themes work well as standalone Wang Wen tracks that let the band indulge their love of electronics, it’s the stripped-down moments that truly set the mood for the film.
Wasted Laika 丢莱卡 – 红蜻蜓，绿孔雀
Beijing’s Wasted Laika comes back stronger than ever on Red Butterfly, Green Peacock — an ambitious and more mature album that unfolds like a metaphysical saga. Its bittersweet romanticism feels timeless, and its raw poise lived-in, grounded in chamber pop with a twang of surf rock via the Eastern Bloc. With instrumentation that hits deeper, looser, and more invigorated — yet without losing its melodic edge — it consistently surprises. Sure, there’s some excess fat here and there, but it mostly fills its hour-plus runtime with rich theatricality and sonic amplitude. A high bar for rock and roll this year.
ihateEmmett – Intimacy
ihateEmmett is the bedroom pop project of Ma Lik — propelled by cough-syrup guitar tones, fuzzy warm-hued synths, and a singer who’s as cool as a cucumber. Intimacy, the artist’s first proper release under rising indie label WuTang Records, will be a treat for fans of woozy sonic dreamscapes. Traversing the fatalistic tendencies of young adulthood in Shanghai — from bunny-eyed femme fatales to smoking through a pierced cheek — it playfully indulges in the search for connection and meaning. An album that’s easy to sink into and hard to shake off.
Mu Jing 穆静 – Fields Flower 田野之花
Nomadic pop music for dreamers of the great outdoors — Mu Jing, a Yunnan-based singer-songwriter and rural life explorer, brings compassion and sincerity to her sound. There’s a quiet power in how she finds soul within folk aesthetics — using instruments from around the world (guitar, whistle, shakuhachi, mouth harp, bawu, bird flute, and more) while mining rhythms that feel heartfelt and organic. An aural waltz with the natural world we often take for granted.
Green Deer 青鹿 – 光，照不到的地方 (Black Sun)
Rather than shedding their noise rock roots, Ningbo’s Green Deer double down, beefing up every aspect of their sound on sophomore release Black Sun. With brooding vitality — brought into sharp focus by vocalist Yang Zhenzhi’s more prominent presence — Green Deer channels the sound of today’s youth, veering from combustible post-punk to nimble math rock, sometimes within a single track. Derivative, sure, but never dull. Their charisma and musical heft are hard to ignore.
Cherry Top 樱桃顶 – Cherry Top
Zhuhai’s Cherry Top delivers jangly, noise-inflected dream pop on their self-titled debut — full of rich, assured sonic landscapes that find the sweet spot between dissonance and melodic tension. Restrained in a way that feels mature, it might not blow you away, but it’s a compelling intro to a band with a bright future.
Shii – 相识之泪 (Tears of Acquaintance)
Now based in Chengdu, indie electronic artist Shii takes her sticky synth-pop world to new heights on sophomore release Tears of Acquaintance, out via Modern Sky. Whether it’ll boost her profile in the ever-morphing Mandopop world remains to be seen, but there’s much to love here: analog synths swirling around ethereal vocals, seamless track transitions, and strong melodic anchors. At times, its electro-pop bombast threatens to overwhelm, but for the most part, Shii is in total control — cruising from one glorious pop vista to the next.
Twinkle Star 闪星 – ēmOLè（是谁emo了）
Pop-rock royalty Twinkle Star tap into the current emo craze with a cheeky wink on ēmOLè, reminding everyone why they’re one of the scene’s OGs. With sincere lyricism wrapped in power pop sheen, it’s a catchy little banger that lead singer Zhao Meng (you may know him from New Pants) absolutely owns.
Various Artists – 尾巴尼亚 TAILNIA
Wuhan-based label TAILNIA, helmed by experimental musician Ziyang (of Sweet Sister Session), has opened the floodgates of sonic chaos. Within its first month, the label’s dropped over ten releases — live recordings and raw sessions from the growing experimental scene across China. Highlights include psych-drone collective Acid Lumo, the chaotic object-and-sound mashup Pang Pang (of The River, Orchestration, Walkman!), and the gloriously named noise duo Diarrhea Agent (Ziyang + Ding Chenchen). Expect the madness to continue — and evolve.
白麝香 The White Musk – Grubby Plum R’N’R
Guangzhou’s The White Musk burns bright — and possibly burns out — on their “first and last” album Grubby Plum R’N’R. Raw, sexy, and whiskey-soaked, this is garage rock, photo-punk, and retro rockabilly in its most glorious bar-crawling form. As old-school as they come — love it or hit the road, as the band says.
Various Artists – Feedbacking: A Number of Feedback Practices in China
The latest compilation from sound art collective Where is the Zeitgeist? — founded by Shanghai artist Jun-Y Ciao — explores feedback as both concept and sonic technique. Featuring experimental luminaries like Li Jianhong, Li Qing and Li Weisi (of Carsick Cars), Zhu Wenbo (Zoomin’ Night), and Yan Jun (Sub Jam), it’s a deep dive into the abstract world of audio loops and distortion. Essential listening for heads deep in the China experimental scene.
FEED – FIRST EP
Jittery post-punk out of Xiamen — FEED is a young, ravenous band riding a wave of sardonic energy. Their debut EP is a firecracker, full of lo-fi grit, manic glee, and Robert E. Smith-level charisma. Still shaking off the residue of their influences, but the raw energy is impossible to ignore. Riotous fun.
Cover image via Bandcamp/feedfeedfeedthemband.
