13 Eclectic New Music Releases to Soundtrack Your October

New Music is a monthly RADII column that looks at fresh Chinese music spanning hip hop to folk to modern experimental, and everything in between. This month, we introduce you to new music by Salty Tomorrow, Yangfan, The Hormones, and more!


It’s been a whirlwind summer for China’s music scene, to say the least. Axed tours, abrupt lockdowns of all stripes, and venues are scrambling to survive amidst Covid-19 chaos and oftentimes arbitrary restrictions. On the ground, one gets the sense that the industry is in free fall, finding its footing one moment only to have the rug pulled out from under it the next.


But if there’s one area that autumn is proving to be fruitful, it’s in the rich spread of top-shelf music releases that have graced our ears over the past month.


From hot-bloodied indie rock’s newest torchbearers to the return of some of the Chinese music scene’s most revered characters, there’s plenty to dig into in October.

1. Frankfurt Helmet (法兰克福头盔) — INDIVIDUALS (星丛)

IDM electro architects Frankfurt Helmet, consisting of Wuhan transplants Hu Juan (former AV Okubo drummer) and Da Fei (of short-lived electro-rock band CodNew), have been making a name for themselves with their deconstructed glitch-filled, ambient-laced electronic music that builds its sci-fi evoking world piece by piece. Their debut LP was produced by well-known German electronic musician, producer, and co-founder of the legendary label Raster, Olaf Bender, aka Byetone.


Listening to Frankfurt Helmet’s sonically dense tracks, which are sometimes stirring, sometimes kinetic, and always engaging, is akin to losing oneself in a mammoth installation piece — one that looks simple or minimalistic on the outside but contains a multitude of layers and crevices within its framework.


2. Yangfan — Trip Jigsaw (小曲儿辑)

Renowned producer and musician Yangfan’s musical fingerprints are all over the fabric of the Chinese underground music scene with seminal acts like Hang on the Box and Ourself Beside Me (not to mention her work behind the scenes for Maybe Mars). Her latest solo, Trip Jigsaw, is a curation of her work over the past decade — a richly eclectic and royally crafted collection that captures the composer’s dexterous idiosyncrasies.


Utilizing a studio’s worth of equipment — guitar, piano, recorder, synths, and drum machines (as well as the help of industry friends) — and a sense of imaginative thrust and offbeat whimsy, it’s a Grimm fairy tale brought to musical life. Or better yet, a Hayao Miyazaki story crossed with French new wave cinema and psychedelia.

3. Salty Tomorrow (明天的盐) — Salty Tomorrow II (明天的盐 II)

Starker, moodier, and yes, saltier than their breakthrough debut from last year, Hangzhou post-punk outfit Salty Tomorrow is back with their sophomore release, which is aptly titled Salty Tomorrow II.


The band wisely falls back on its dry yet on-edge monotone vocals, evocative lyricism, and direct, repetitive, and foot-tap-inducing instrumentation. Just about every track includes one ear-twisting riff that expands and folds in on itself over each verse, making it a record that welcomes replay. Tight, restrained, yet as potent as ever, Salty Tomorrow is post-punk at its best.


4. ShiShi’s Demon (施施巳敌门) — 千药有醒

A solo project by ShiShi, a member of Kunming’s staple synth electro band South Acid Mimi, ShiShi’s Demon is essentially a streamlined club-made version of the band, a coldwave-inflicted cross between M.I.A, Peaches, and Grimes that works wonders.


Whiplashing between old-school rave music and contemporary club bangers with ease and a woozy electro-pop bent, it depicts hell both in the present and the future, a place where we’re forced to ‘amuse ourselves to death.’

5. Utopian Daymare (乌飞兔走昼还夜) — ‘ÜTO4ZOOMIA 乌兔飞走米亚’

Burly and rustic progressive rock band Utopian Daymare holds back nothing with their eccentric carnivalesque track ‘ÜTO4ZOOMIA乌兔飞走米亚,’ set against the backdrop of a clown making his way through the vast universe.


Led by Inner Mongolian musician Hai Qing and Li Xing (known for his role in Red Scarf), the band throws everything in their arsenal into the new single, from flailing sheng (a Chinese reed instrument) to discordant guitar riffs pitted against free jazz saxophones.


The MV for the track, off their forthcoming release with Badhead Records, is a visually stunning stop-motion animation video that taps the ingenious techniques deployed by Switzerland-based director Gu Tianyu and Lebanese installation/animation artist Mara Ingea.

6. The Hormones (荷尔蒙小姐) — Garden (花园)

Chengdu’s The Hormones return with their sophomore LP, Garden, leaning hard into the electronic elements that have always bubbled under the surface and emerging as an electro-rock band whose cold wave heart can’t hide dance-pop aspirations.


Assembled across home studios and desktop computers (just one of the many ways Covid-19 has upended the recording process), its fluctuating timbre, deep bass, and marching band drums are perfectly complimented by Zhu Mengdie’s voice, which remains as striking as ever.


7. FAC-D12 — Sword on Da Street (街上的宝剑)

Esteemed rapper FAC-D12, who cut his teeth in the underground rap scene as a core member and producer for legendary Beijing hip hop group Purple Soul (alongside Jahjah Way and SouthSideSamurai), has returned with a new album with long-standing hip hop label Undaloop Records.


Old school in the best possible way, it’s a poetic, sword-friendly reminder that the OG rappers of China still have plenty of bite left in them.

8. Aero Boat (空气船) — Aero Boat (空气船)

Aero Boat, featuring Zhan Pan (of The Gar), Li Nan (aka producer LST), and Niu Fangfang (of Hang on the Box), shot for the cosmos on their buoyant, richly layered and atmospheric self-titled debut, released with Modern Sky.


A flickering sonic mash-up of Washed Out, Caribou, Death Cab for Cutie, and cult indie favorites The Gar, the band taps into something sonically lush, using a tapestry of trance, IDM, and big beat to propel its heightened emotions and guitar-wailing arena rock aspirations.


9. Me and My Sandcastle — Ballads

Me and My Sandcastle — led by the young, talented singer-songwriter Xiao Liu out of Shanghai — finds serenity in its post-Demarco world.


While traces of Al Green, The Cardigans, and James Taylor can be found in Me and My Sandcastle’s aesthetics (particularly its pulpy funk-pop, lounge room atmosphere), its lo-fi patchwork colored with cough syrup guitar tones and woozy synths immediately calls to mind acts like Dr. Dog and Mac Demarco.


Reflecting on the deep-seated ‘sadness and boredom’ of life, Ballads coasts on its subdued tempos and its swaying hazy charm.


10. Wu Wei (吴维) — The Man on the Atlantic Coast (大西洋边上的人)

Wu Wei, frontman of Wuhan-based Celtic punk legends SMZB, settles into his life on the Atlantic Coast and his role as a folk hero on his second solo release, The Man on the Atlantic Coast.


While his new life as a father and a stranger in a foreign land has forced the musician to approach his music with more restraint and tenderness, Wu’s words still cut deep as he adopts rustic folk prose that suits him all too well.


Grizzled perhaps, but beneath the lonesome guitar and the echoes of barking dogs and crying babies lies the rallying spirit of a battered punk — and a cry for a better world.

11. Sense Print Shop 涂闻打印店 — Spinning 1999

Kunming’s Sense Print Shop is back with their latest EP, taking the band’s jangly sardonic late ’80s synth-pop sound and turning it inward.


A moodier and more somber affair than the band’s breakout debut from last year, Spinning 1999, their latest release with indie pop label SJ Records, is darkly introspective and candidly indifferent to the world around them, yet searching all the same.


Its dourness may be a turn-off for some, but it’s a subtle affecting new shade for the band — one that should resonate with fans.

12. Casino Demon — City Life Sucks

Beijing mainstays Casino Demon, a fixture of the city’s underground scene for over a decade, find solace and treatment in their brand of woozy sun-baked indie rock on their latest offering, City Life Sucks, out on Ruby Records.


Taking their tongue-in-cheek lyricism and using it as a remedy against the urban decay that surrounds them, the band, led by Wang Yi, seems more than ready to take on and roll through these frustrating times.


Made with sincerity and rock ‘n’ roll zest, it mixes everything from surf guitars to quirky wow pedals and even a couple of full-steam-ahead punk rock piledrivers. Comfort food indie rock at its finest.

13. Diner — Cassini

Beijing-based singer-songwriter Diner is a ‘cross-culture kid’ whose years of globe-trotting and studying music have made her a genre-defying jack-of-all-trades. That much is apparent on the artist’s new EP, Cassini, which finds her swapping her rockier roots for something more ethereal and beat-driven.


Electro rock with a post-punk, new wave aesthetic, Diner, with the help of renowned Berlin-based producer Mark Reeder, captures a slow-burning, sensual, and synth-fully lush sound — one that knows when exactly to lean into cosmic rave beats or its gothic panache.


Cover image designed by Haedi Yue

Urijah Faber on Yan Xiaonan’s UFC Win: “She’s Got a Promotion Coming”

Chinese mixed martial artist Yan Xiaonan gave Chinese MMA fans a much-needed reason to rejoice this past weekend, winning UFC Fight Night 211’s headlining bout against Mackenzie Dern. The UFC event, alternatively promoted as UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan, was held at UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada.


The five-round strawweight fight was a big one for Yan (currently 16-3-0), who had fallen short of clinching the ‘W’ in her previous two contests against Marina Rodriguez and Carla Esparza. Despite the stakes — and bookies labeling her the +180 underdog, Yan entered the Octagon in fine form and defeated the higher-ranked Dern by a narrow majority decision.

Yan, a striker trained in the Chinese martial art of sanda, came out swinging and kicking in the first round and skillfully managed to avoid takedowns by Dern, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. Dern used her grappling skills to dominate rounds two and five, although Yan’s strong performance in rounds one, three, and four was enough for her to win what can only be described as a ‘clash of combat styles.’

As you can tell from the video above, Yan was more than a little amped about her victory, letting out a yell after the judges’ decision was announced and dancing a little jig on the Octagon mat.


“I know her jiu-jitsu is amazing; she’s a black belt, and I’m a white belt. So, I knew what I should expect in this fight, but I trained so hard. Four times, five times on grappling in this camp. So I knew I could make it,” said a visibly excited Yan through an interpreter during her post-fight interview.


Likewise, China-based UFC fans were exuberant at the outcome of the main card’s anchor bout, particularly following rising Chinese MMA star Song Yadong’s disappointing loss to Cory Sandhagen at UFC Vegas 60 in September.


On the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, a hashtag for Yan’s win has amassed 14.7 million views, with one fan writing, “I was in tears while watching, such a narrow escape during the second and fifth rounds!”


Both Song and Yan fight out of UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber’s Team Alpha Male, and following the latter’s victory at UFC Fight Night 211, the veteran UFC fighter did not mince words when asked about Yan’s future: “She’s got a promotion coming for sure.”

The looming question now is: Who will Yan face next?

Cover image shows Yan Xiaonan vs. Cláudia Gadelha in November 2020; courtesy of UFC

Woman Scammed $12.5k While Playing China’s Most Popular Mobile Game

Sheep A Sheep is, without a doubt, the most popular mobile game in China at the moment. The concept of this game is straightforward: clear a pile of overlapping tiles by matching three identical ones. The highly addictive game has gone viral for how easy it is to play and how difficult it is to finish.


Players struggling to complete the game (most people, frankly) have the option of watching a short advertisement to gain a second chance at winning. The ads are usually about other online games, but one, in particular, happened to be about an online platform for loans — this just so happened to be the ad that captured Ms. Yan’s attention.

Hailing from Changzhou, Jiangsu province, Yan was short on cash, so she clicked on a link in the ad that directed her to a website. After scrutinizing the company’s business license for granting loans to small businesses and start-ups, she followed instructions on the website and downloaded an app to apply for a small loan.


The app stated that she had a balance of 26,000 RMB (about 3,600 USD) with the company, which led her to believe that her loan had been approved. However, her attempts to withdraw the money failed.


Next, customer service informed her that she had entered incorrect information for her application and that her account had been frozen; it seemed she would have to pay a deposit to unfreeze her loan, so she did.


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A screengrab of the fake business license. Image via Jiangsu News’ Weibo


Yan eventually realized that the whole thing was a sham, but a little too late. By then, she had already wired 90,000 RMB (about 12,500 USD) to the scammer. She immediately called the police, who discovered that the business’ license was fake, reported Jiangsu News.


Some netizens have criticized Yan’s gullibility, saying that one should never click on any pop-up ads, which are often scams. Others have sympathized with the victim.


“That’s really tragic. The scam is making things worse for her when she really needs money,” commented a Weibo user.


Many have debated whether the developers of Sheep A Sheep should take responsibility for having scam ads in their game.


This is not the first time the popular mobile game has caused legal troubles for its users.


Last week, state-backed broadcaster CCTV reported that vendors are selling game props that supposedly give players an advantage at winning. As part of the scam, gamers are sent a QR code granting them more ‘lives’ in the game. Instead, scanning the code allows malware — which steals personal information and data — to be installed on victims’ mobile phones.


Cover image via the official ‘Sheep A Sheep’ Weibo account

First Behind-the-Scenes Glimpse of Netflix’s ‘The Three-Body Problem’

It’s a race between media giants Netflix and Tencent, which are simultaneously producing rival adaptations of Liu Cixin’s award-winning science fiction trilogy Remembrance of Earth’s Past. Most know the series by the title of its first book, The Three-Body Problem (三体).


Tencent has yet to announce an official release date since dropping a trailer for its television series in November 2021. On the other hand, Netflix has promised fans that its live-action series — produced by Alexander Woo and Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss — will be released sometime in 2023.


Additionally, Netflix released a behind-the-scenes teaser for its adaptation on September 24.


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A still from Netflix’s teaser for The Three-Body Problem. Image via Weibo


“People who have read the books will be stunned to see how it’s been realized in the show,” says actress Jess Hong in the teaser. “Visually, it’s a beast.”

Filmed in China and the U.K. and featuring a cast from 11 different countries, the show follows humanity from its first point of contact with extraterrestrial life until the end of the world.


Actor Saamer Usmani called the series “[possibly] the most universal show imaginable.”


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A scene from the Netflix teaser. Image via Weibo


Published from 2008 to 2010, Remembrance of Earth’s Past jumps back and forth between China’s Cultural Revolution and humanity’s future encounters with aliens.


There have been previous attempts to create on-screen adaptations of the popular series. In 2014, a company called The Three-Body Universe even produced a Minecraft animation of the trilogy.


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The Minecraft adaptation of The Three-Body Problem. Image via Weibo


Chinese game developer and movie studio Yoozoo also filmed a movie adaptation, which unfortunately never surfaced from the post-production stage.


Yoozoo later sold Netflix the rights to produce an English-language adaptation of the trilogy. However, the latter’s adaptation has experienced its fair share of drama. In December 2020, Yoozoo CEO Lin Qi died after allegedly being poisoned by a colleague while working on the Netflix series.


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Promotional poster for Tencent’s The Three-Body Problem. Image via Weibo


Though some Chinese netizens were (and still are) unimpressed by Netflix’s casting choices, calling out the shortage of Chinese actors, many have also expressed their excitement for the adaptation, primarily since little is known about Tencent’s adaptation, which was supposed to have been released this month.


“I want to see Netflix’s The Three-Body Problem right away. Of the world’s streaming platforms, only Netflix has the ability and aesthetic value [to do the books justice],” boldly exclaimed one user of the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo.


Another commented, “The Netflix preview has come out [and] I’m looking forward to it. If the Tencent version doesn’t come out soon, it will be completely beaten by Netflix.”


Cover image designed by Haedi Yue

Epic Horseback Ride From Europe to China Was a Lie, or Was It?

Earlier this year, 32-year-old Xu Zhixian (徐智显) gained fame for documenting his journey through Europe on horseback, with Chinese and European media outlets picking up his story. Since beginning his travels on February 20, Xu has gained over 185,000 followers on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok.


Last week, however, a reporter for the Chinese media outlet Cover News alleged that Xu lied about the entire journey, a claim amplified on the Chinese internet and by Xu himself. This revelation, though, raises questions.


spanish coverage of xu zhixian story

A Spanish newspaper’s coverage of Xu’s horseback travels. Image via Weibo


In a call with a Chinese reporter on September 23, Xu said he had actually been in Shanxi province in North China the entire time while posting about his European journey on social media. In a screenshot of a subsequent WeChat conversation, Xu responds “never” when asked if he has ever been to Europe.


However, he refused to call the reporter from a Chinese landline to prove he was in the country.

And there are other aspects of Xu’s new claim that he has never been to Europe that don’t add up. For instance, Xu’s Instagram feed is filled with pictures of him and his horse, Furion, in front of European landmarks like the Eiffel Tower. Other photos depict him and Furion in the ocean, despite Shanxi province being landlocked.

Mathijs Valcke (@valckepigeons), who commented on one of Xu’s Instagram posts in August, spoke with RADII, and confirmed that he had met Xu in the city of Ghent, Belgium.


“I made sure [Xu] had a location to sleep while he was on his trip,” said Valcke.


Additionally, in an Instagram post from August 28, Xu holds up a Dutch newspaper featuring an article about his travels — a story that only began appearing in Dutch newspapers in late August.


xu zhixian in the netherlands

Xu holds up a Dutch newspaper that features an article about his adventure. Image via Instagram


Interestingly, the initial Cover News story alleging that Xu lied can no longer be found on its website. However, its claims have been repeated by countless other media outlets.


Believing that Xu lied about his travels, many netizens have been angered by the Chinese media’s apparent gullibility for reporting that Xu was in Europe. One Weibo user wrote, “This is blatantly destroying media credibility (if there ever was any).”


The irony, however, is that it appears that Xu actually was in Europe and that media and netizens alike are possibly being duped by a new lie.


The claim that he is lying is not the first controversy to mar his travels. Earlier this month, many accused Xu of animal abuse for subjecting his horse to the long journey. Dutch police reportedly detained him for investigation but released him after they could not prove the allegations.


The saga of Xu’s travels has been compared to Tang Seng’s, the latter being a key character in the 16th-century Chinese epic Journey to the West. Unlike Tang, however, Xu’s adventure is now shrouded in controversy and mystery, which prompts a burning question: Why is he lying about lying?


Cover image via Instagram

7 Staggering Examples of Sustainable Architecture by Eugene Tssui

A real Renaissance man, Eugene Tssui is renowned in architectural circles, less so in mainstream consciousness. RADII hopes to change that.


Recognized as one of Project Coyote’s ‘Guardian Angels of the Planet’ in 2015, Tssui, who might have met success in medicine, music, or martial arts, chose the path of architecture for a straightforward reason: to better the world.


While many are guilty of climate denialism, the 67-year-old has long taken action to protect the planet — not in the form of demonstrations, as some scientists have taken to doing after this year’s disheartening IPCC report, but via creative means.


Given those young climate whistleblowers — including one student who was suspended from school — don’t always achieve their goals in China, perhaps current and future generations might take a page from Tssui’s book — by using art and architecture as a form of soft protest.


Although we hesitate to call Tssui the ‘Antoni Gaudi of the East,’ both architects share stark similarities, from employing ecological principles in their practices to creating structures that render any viewer speechless. As you’ll soon see, Tssui’s stuff is just so out there.

1. Ojo del Sol aka ‘Fish House’

ojo del sol fish house

Ojo del Sol, the residence known to all in the posh neighborhood of Berkeleyside in California, USA. Image via Tsui Design & Research Inc.


ojo del sol fish house

Oculus windows are a defining trait of Ojo del Sol. Image via Tsui Design & Research Inc.


‘30 Animals That Made Us Smarter,’ a podcast by BBC World Service, would probably tick all of Tssui’s boxes if he gave it a listen. But while the series only began airing in March 2019, the sustainable architect has preached biomimicry, the process of imitating nature to solve complex human problems, since the 1990s. Ojo del Sol is concrete proof of this.


While it’s hard to imagine that a sprawling house (2,200 square feet) was modeled on a microscopic and transparent creature, what the tardigrade or water bear lacks in size, it makes up for in indestructibility. Likewise, Ojo del Sol has been touted as “the world’s safest house.”


Tssui’s gift to his parents, Florence and William Tsui (talk about filial piety), also took inspiration from the fire-retardant Cholla cactus and was built using biodegradable and cost-effective materials.


Meaning ‘eye of the sun,’ Ojo del Sol (Spanish) or Tai Yang Yen (Mandarin) is named for its largest oculus or circular window. Natural sunlight floods into the house, cutting down on the need for electricity-powered lighting and heating.

2. Tsui Design and Research Inc.

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A computer workstation in a geodesic dome. Image via Tsui Design & Research Inc.


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An office pantry worthy of Architectural Digest centerfolds. Image via Tsui Design & Research Inc.


Easily mistakable as part of the set design in a retro sci-fi film, Tssui’s now defunct headquarters in Emeryville took the prize for coolest office ever. And we thought RADII’s co-working space was rad…


In addition to entering the office via a 20-foot-high waterfall, staff would attend meetings in a six-meter sphere, and were privy to presentations, music performances, and poetry readings in a theater seating up to 350 people.


Just as much an experiment as a project, Tsui Design and Research Inc. took seven whole years to complete (1991–1998) and involved much trial and error for its interns and architecture apprentices, who experimented with recycled and natural materials such as rope, newspapers, tin cans, seashells, and moss.


After no more than a decade of use, the space was sold and torn down. “They [new owners] couldn’t find anybody to rent it because it was so unusual,” lamented Tssui in an interview with SFGate.

3. The Watsu School at Harbin Hot Springs

Eugene Tssui Harbin Hot Springs 1

The Watsu School is further proof of Tssui’s love of spheres. Image via Harbin Hot Springs


Genius is drawn to genius, and Tssui’s line of work has allowed him to cross paths and trade ideas with other luminaries of his time. American aquatic bodyworker and poet Harold Dull (1935-2019) was one such icon.


The inventor of Watsu, an abbreviation of ‘water shiatsu,’ Dull dreamt of building a massage school like no other. Liking what he saw at Tssui’s headquarters (see above), he commissioned the architect to realize his vision.


The school of massage in Middletown, California, which sees five domes connected by hallways, is concrete proof of Tssui’s love of spheres, and for good reason: Not only is the sphere the strongest and most efficient shape in the universe, but its minimal surface area also makes for cooler interior temperatures, states the project brief.


Despite the imagined difficulties of fitting angular furniture into each unit, we’d love to tour the classrooms, bedrooms, offices, kitchen, and three-story studio in said spheres!

4. ‘Butterfly Pavilion’ Exhibition Tent

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The butterfly-shaped tent complete with an abdomen and antennae. Image via Tsui Design & Research Inc.


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The tent had a large-enough ‘wingspan’ to accommodate hundreds. Image via Tsui Design & Research Inc.


Resembling a mammoth-sized butterfly on the verge of taking flight, Tssui’s exposition building for the International Celebration of Innovation in San Francisco, California, was equal parts eye-catching, easy to erect, and economical.


Despite being given one week to construct the exhibition tent, Tssui and his team rose to the challenge and completed the task in just five days (with a crew of three, no less).


As evidenced by his choice of last name (born Tsui, the architect took the surname ‘Tssui’ after a dream in which Genghis Khan advised him on the magical effect of doubles S’s) and sense of style (inspired by Mongolian deels), Tssui harbors a soft spot for Mongolian culture and might have looked to yurts for inspiration before designing the exhibition tent.

5. Reyes Residence with ‘Dragonfly Roof’

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Giant predatory insect or gratuitous housing feature? Image via The Concept Academy Blog


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Form meets function in the ‘dragonfly roof,’ which improves airflow in the residence. Image via The Concept Academy Blog


Another example of architecture that espouses Tssui’s ecological principles, the Reyes Residence in Oakland, California, was outfitted with skylights, earthquake-resistant shelves and furniture, and floor heating powered by recycled water. Its most head-turning feature, though, was undoubtedly its hinged roofs resembling dragonfly wings, which could be maneuvered using hand cranks.


Not unlike the bulk of Tssui’s projects, the home with a ‘dragonfly roof’ provided a fresh canvas for experimentation and involved new materials and techniques. As the architect’s brief states, “The greatest challenge throughout the construction was to keep up the spirit of daring and imagination without succumbing to conventional means and results.”

6. Flintstones House (Remodeled)

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The Flintstones House in Hillsborough, California. Image via Jim Maurer/Creative Commons


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Tssui’s most striking addition to the Flintstones House is its kitchen. Image via flintstonehouse280.com


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Fred Flintstone making a sunny-side-up egg, caveman-style. GIF via Tenor


Deemed “a big failure” by the original architect William Nicholson, the ‘Flintstones House’ earned its moniker — a reference to 1960s American animated sitcom The Flintstones — for its Stone Age aesthetic. Regardless of what Nicholson believes, we think the house rocks! (Pun intended.)


Built in 1976, the huge home fell into ruin in the 1980s due to a lack of waterproofing; Tssui then swooped in to remodel the residence in the 1990s. The architect’s most iconic addition is the kitchen, which Forbes has called “the most eye-catching space in the house.”


In June 2021, current owner and multimillionaire businesswoman Florence Fang told The Mercury News that her grandson spent the Covid-19 pandemic hunkered down in the unique home. Jealous much?

7. Ecological House of the Future

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The Ecological House of the Future in Shenzhen, South China. Image via Tsui Design & Research Inc.


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It’s easy to see why real estate website Curbed described the house as a “tentacled truffle.” Image via Tsui Design & Research Inc.


While the bulk of Tssui’s projects were built in California, USA, the Ecological House of the Future was erected in Shenzhen, South China, or, more specifically, on the grounds of the Shenzhen Ecological Theme Park.


Although the ambitious and well-meaning park aimed to educate visitors on plant intelligence and southern China’s wealth of florae, it never quite took off. When the project’s innovator was marched to prison for embezzlement, Tssui suddenly found himself without his biggest backer.


Nevertheless, the “tentacled truffle” above showcases Tssui’s capacity to dream big. The biotic building contains a circular kitchen, a roll-out kitchen buffet table, a see-through glass pool roof, an indoor waterfall, and a composting system for growing one’s own food. It expresses the inventor’s desire for harmony between man and nature.


Cover image via Sartorial Adventure Tumblr