New Music is a monthly RADII column that looks at new Chinese music spanning hip hop to folk to modern experimental, and everything in between.
Another month, another New Music wrap-up.
This time around, we’re featuring a selection of tunes from artists including dungeon-ready DJ Temple Rat, vibrant indie outfit Zoogazer, and Sichuan rapper ZhiYu Xia, among others.
It’s all right here, so turn your speakers up and dive in.
Lur: – 从众
Xi’an cold wave duo Lur: surpasses expectations with their dynamic and lively new EP, ‘从众’.
Their signature sleek, steely post-punk grooves and immersive synths are still present, but the four tracks show a newfound willingness to explore the unexpected. The band’s musical quirks shine in the hallucinogenic squawks of ‘哑女’ and the punk energy of ‘坏结局’.
Zoogazer 动物园钉子户 – 动物园钉子户 II
Indie outfit Zoogazer, based in Nanjing and Xuzhou, spent five years crafting their latest work.
Their new album, 动物园钉子户Ⅱ, is brimming with synth pop theatrics and indie pop vibrancy. The band showcases a variety of styles, from jazzy city pop melodies to screamo theatrics, making each track a new adventure.
Very Natural 非常大自然 – Very Natural 非常大自然
Very Natural, an indie pop band from Guangzhou, brings a fresh and genuine touch to the indie pop scene.
Their music is filled with jangle and romantic charm, exploring life and love with seemingly effortless agility. Their melodies, devoid of any gimmicky production tricks, make for a perfect summer soundtrack.
Glow Curve 发光曲线 – Life is a Moracle 但愿人长久
Veteran indie rock band Glow Curve returns with their third LP – Life is a Moracle.
This album has a different texture, shaped by the impact of COVID-19 and ChatGPT, with a focus on the gruff vocals of Xue Ran against a backdrop of futuristic electronic rhythms and industrial dissonance. The result is an intriguing blend of the rustic and futuristic, making Glow Curve simultaneously more expansive, as well as more intimate.
Cola Ren – Hailu
Guangzhou-based producer Cola Ren offers lush, sun-soaked, psych-infused electronica on her new EP, Hailu.
The tracks explore the confluence of the modern and traditional, seamlessly blending instruments like kalimbas and marimbas with field recordings and vocals.
Temple Rat – The Composition Of Air
Shanghai-based producer and DJ Temple Rat presents The Composition Of Air, a journey that blurs the line between organic and digital sounds.
Reinterpreting traditional folk sounds, especially from the Erhu, Temple Rat crafts an atmospheric ambiance with acid sounds, tribal elements, and 4/4 rhythms.
bBb bBb 哔哔哔 哔哔哔 – Why Be Free 何苦逍遥
哔哔哔 哔哔哔 bBb bBb, a collaboration of Lao Dan and Li Daiguo, presents a fusion of Chinese folk, jazz, world music, and experimental music.
The team explores new territories, incorporating diverse elements from analog synthesizers to tabla drums, to create an engaging swirl of sounds.
Sonicave – 大梦归
Gothic post-punk band Sonicave returns with their self-produced EP – Big Dream 大梦归. The band explores the harsh realities of life with a brooding conviction and a rich musicality that intertwines their romantic Gothic elements with the grittiness of post-punk.
[Listen here](https://open.spotify.com/album/1jfADzhoGl78QJOJY5fvYu)
Peach Illusion 桃子假象 – Awake at the Carnivals 好大的一只羊
Shanghai indie pop band Peach Illusion releases a new single, Awake at the Carnivals. The video, shot in Xiamen, the band’s old stomping grounds, is a nostalgic retro masterpiece filmed with an old DV camera.
ZhiYu Xia 夏之禹 – 说唱 & 皇后
Sichuan rapper ZhiYu Xia shares stories about life on the Sichuan border in his new MV for the track Rap & Queen 说唱 & 皇后.
The video follows Xia around town, through concrete jungles, basketball courts, and abandoned warehouses, telling tales of survival in the rustic borderlands.
