Chinese Milk Tea Is Growing More Popular in the “Coffee Republic” of South Korea

South Korea is known as the “coffee republic” — in 2023 the average adult in the country drank 405 cups of coffee per year, their favorite coffee drinks being Americanos and regular black coffee. Last year the coffee market was estimated to reach a whopping 8.6 trillion won. So it’s no wonder that K-dramas always seem to be sponsored by coffee brands. But hold your mugs, because there’s a new brew in town — tea.


From the bustling streets of Myeongdong to the hipster havens of Hongdae, tea is increasingly becoming the trendiest caffeinated drink among Korean millennials and Gen-Zers. And it’s a trend that is in large part driven by milk tea brands from Taiwan and the Chinese mainland. Gong Cha, specifically, has almost single-handedly fueled the frenzy of the South Korean bubble tea market. With heartthrob actor/model Lee Jong-suk as its ambassador, Gong Cha’s has popularity soared, and the company now boasts 240 shops in South Korea. In fact, in 2017 Korean investors acquired around 70% of the company’s shares. Inspired by Gong Cha’s success, other milk brands like ChaPanda (茶百道) have also opened shops in South Korea.


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ChaPanda opens in Seoul. Image via Weibo.


The shift from coffee to tea seems to stem at least in part from the emphasis younger generations place on healthy living. From “beauty teas” to “anti-inflammatory brews,” the beverage has become yet another health and beauty product. Capitalizing on the evolving preferences of their customers, tea brands have formulated healthier tea product lines. While sweet concoctions like honey and citrus-infused teas once reigned supreme, demand is growing for natural and unprocessed teas. According to data from leading South Korean coffee chain Ediya, last November sales of floral and fruit teas surged by 22% over a 2 week period, with sales from traditional Korean teas like ginger and schisandra growing a whopping 78%.


This shift from coffee dominance to tea obsession maybe shouldn’t be too unexpected though. Tea is after all part of Korean traditional culture, and in South Korea coffee is synonymous with socializing, as cafés serve as an important spot for people to get together with friends. So it’s not that surprising that one caffeinated drink is challenging another, thanks to a little help from Chinese milk tea brands.


Banner Image via X.

New Music: Chongqing City Pop, Chengdu Fusion Rock, and Bouncy Shanghai Electronica

This month’s new releases mostly strike a positive — or at least high energy — tone as we gear up for summer and festival season. From CHILLGOGOG’s bouncy house and broken beat and The Upside Down’s Chongqing city pop, to Riot in School’s fuzz fests and Jade Breaking Plan for Liberty’s complex fusion of rock subgenres, artists are either inviting us to have fun, or having a ball themselves while tackling some more earnest sounds. But there are exceptions: check out avant folk master Mamer’s intense acoustic guitar album and moody ambient-leaning electronics from Noooodle King — Editor.

Jade Breaking Plan For Liberty 唯利玉碎计划 – The Sun-Quenching Chronicle 淬日纪事

Chengdu’s Jade Breaking Plan for Liberty go for broke on their sophomore LP The Sun-Quenching Chronicle, a sprawling, carnivalesque swirl of grunge, metal, hardcore, jazz, prog, and blues rock that dedicates itself to the “shadows, sacrifices, and dust in the era of madness.” Crafted together with manic literary glee and anarchic irreverence, it’s guitar rock that happily goes off the deep end, injecting a restless spirit of experimentation and fusion that threatens to collapse in on itself on every track. And while there are times when there are simply too many spinning plates, it’s all tied together with a palpable anger that pairs well with its hefty and whiplash-inducing instrumentation.


Noooodle King – Meia Lua à Beira Mar

Taking inspiration from the glow and pull of the moon and sea, as well as the bodily and spiritual dexterity of capoeira, Beijing electronic producer Noooodle King sets the stage for his lushly detailed and thematic debut Meia Lua à Beira Mar, released with Eating Music. An exploration of oneself through various mediums, guises, and moments, it’s a narratively-charged meditation that traverses multiple genres and frameworks, even going as far as to include Kaixiang’s soft-spoken vocals. With an ambient road trip one moment, a spiritual freakout the next, there’s a metaphysical texture to Nooooodle King’s journey that’s both deeply honest and boundless in its musical sensibilities. This is a soundtrack to one’s most intimate feelings. Spellbinding.


iimmune – 虚构集

Beijing-based electronic producer iimmune — one of the best in his field — returns with his latest reverie, the aptly-titled 虚构集 (Fantasy Collection). A master of structure, scale, and finding ways to craft electronica that’s dizzyingly visionary, instrumentally lush, and busting at the seams with detail, Xing Jiangbo (who is also one of the creative forces behind the post rock band Glow Curve) uses each track as his sandbox, swaying seamlessly between art rock, electronica, ambient music, and jazz as he composes flushed, flourishing, and fantastical freeways between states of consciousness, reality, and the imaginary.


Riot in School 返校日 – Those time we wasted on each other

The latest from Riot in School is essentially a preemptive B-side album, stemming from the tattered remains for their yet-to-be-released sophomore album. Entitled Those time we wasted on each other, the four-track release finds the Chengdu alt rock band — known for their grungy gaze-filled noise rock — in fine form, burning brightly as they skip along the edge of their predecessors, savoring the fuzz and buzz of their sound, and tapping into something more elemental as they process the world around them. It’s a riot, one that has us eagerly awaiting the band’s follow-up album.


Sparrow 文雀 – Certain 某

With sixteen years under their belt, Beijing post rock outfit Sparrow have put in the work, slowly building their fan base and expanding their sound. Never going for the jugular, Sparrow have always brought a delicate, almost modest touch to their music, and their latest EP Certain is no different. Four tracks of finely crafted post rock that unfurls at its own pace and is never showy, it’s an easy release to cozy up to, one that immerses you slowly in its poetic tapestry.


The Upside Down 完美倒立 – Bubble Night 夜色碳酸

Chongqing’s The Upside Down continue their descent into disco-laced urban pop on their latest LP, Bubble Night, all but abandoning their more guitar-heavy dream pop roots. It’s a neon-smear synth pop affair, one that aims to capture the magnitude of emotions that a single night (or bubble) can contain. While its soft touch doesn’t always work out to their benefit, it certainly makes things go down smooth, akin to a glass of crisp bubbly.


Demonslaught 666 – Endless Witchcraft

One of the metal scene’s thrashiest, most gnarly and invigorating acts out there, Zhengzhou-based Demonslaught 666 lay it all down on their new LP Endless Witchcraft, released with Beijing label Awakening Records and the UK’s Vicious Witch Records. Blackened speed metal that evokes everyone from Hellripper to Sodom, their sound comes charging at you like a freight train, with hooks that grip you, demonic vocals, and crisp and lean production (courtesy of renowned German audio engineer Marco Brinkmann’s mixing and mastering job). Glorious.


Tengguang Agency 腾光事务所 – D.L.C

Tengguang Agency is the latest outfit to inject math rock theatrics and emo rock sensibilities into the bedrock of instrumental rock. The young Suzhou band, which features former members of spry emo rock outfit autumngo 秋日疾走, hits that adolescent sweet spot — equal parts vulnerable and nimble — giving their EP D.L.C a clear-eyed intensity that will surely stir up some emotions. It may not reach the high-wire heights of its predecessors, but it’s a heck of a debut and one that has me eagerly awaiting what comes next.

Steve Rocks – I CAN BE YOUR FRANKENSTEIN

88rising electronic producer and musician Steve Rocks, also known as the rocker and vocalist behind synth pop outfit Brides Crisis 新娘危机, brings his love for 70s/80s Asian pop and vintage rock and roll to mad life on his latest single “I CAN BE YOUR FRANKENSTEIN.” Presented as a “sadomasochistic love story full of conquest, compromise and submission,” the music video is a cheerful pop art concoction, evoking something you might have come across on MTV in the mid-80s.


CHILLGOGOG – Revisit: That White Building

CHILLGOGOG, the Shanghai-based duo of life partners and label heads LATENINE6 and FunkeeCookee (the forces behind Delivery Music and Eating Music), head back to their sumptuous 2023 release That White Building. They’ve recruited Shanghai producers Sdewdent and Knopha to remix two of that album’s tracks, in the process “activating the hidden colors” within. If that wasn’t enough, the duo have also included two freshly baked tracks full of their signature bubbly and kinetic vitality, which will surely find their way into the hands of other producers down the road.


Mamer 马木尔 – Uyⱪesez / Sleepless 无眠

The ever-prolific Xinjiang Kazakh musical savant Mamer, whose thrumming voice and engulfing layers of instrumentation have engulfed audiences for years, is back with his latest release with Old Heaven Books: Uyⱪesez/Sleepless, an improvised session on acoustic guitar. The recording’s aesthetic may have one reaching for old-fashioned terms like “Oriental,” but there is something wholly one-of-a-kind in Mamer’s deconstruction and reappropriation of traditional Han and Central Asian music. He breathes new life in age-old traditions and techniques, whilst injecting his own intrepid spirit into the strings.



Banner image by Haedi Yue.



Graduate’s Subway Résumé Ad Generates Buzz in Guangzhou, Leading to 30 Job Opportunities

A post highlighting a unique job-seeking method recently went viral on social media platform Xiaohongshu. Xiang Yaohan, a graduate from Xiangtan University in Hunan province, gained attention by posting his résumé on an advertisement display in Zhujiang New Town Station on the Guangzhou Metro from April 13th to April 17th. By April 29th, a post about the advertisement had garnered over 1,000 likes and led to more than 30 companies contacting Xiang.


The subway advertisement featured a message stating, “It’s not easy for everyone to find a job or a partner,” along with some of Xiang’s awards. His WeChat QR code was located in the bottom right corner, and a photo with his face obscured was placed on the left. Xiang explained to Hongxing News that he chose not to show his face in the ad, stating, “I am not comfortable with showing my face in public like this.”



The idea to advertise in the subway came from a friend of Xiang’s, who specializes in personal branding and marketing. Xiang chose this method after careful consideration, citing the subway station’s high foot traffic and cost-effectiveness. According to him, there are many personal promotion advertisements in Guangzhou’s subway system, and he felt that this approach would help him get his name out and find a job. Additionally, he found that subway advertising was relatively affordable, with 1000 RMB allowing him to advertise for 5 days.


He also noted that while there are many personal advertisements in the Guangzhou subway, he had never seen anyone post their résumé before.


This post triggered heated discussion online.


Most people praised Xiang for his courageous behavior, leaving comments like “I’d just be making a fool of myself by putting my résumé up” (凹靡伽憨皮), or “The price seems reasonable, but I’m not confident in my résumé” (E3cape).


However, others didn’t think putting a résumé in a Metro station was an effective way to get a job. One netizen (文钦的墨尔本) commented under Xiang’s post, “Why don’t you consider a headhunter company, which is cheaper and more efficient?”


Xiang, who previously worked as a senior data analyst at a grain company and later as an AI instructor, decided to seek opportunities in data analysis due to perceived limitations for his career development in AI. His unconventional job-seeking method has attracted interest from various companies, mostly small to medium-sized enterprises, with whom he is currently discussing potential job opportunities.


As of the morning of the 19th, Xiang Yaohan had been contacted by HR representatives or bosses from around 30 companies. He had expressed interest in about a dozen of these companies and already attended an interview with one of them.


All images via Hongxing News.

F1 Driver Zhou Guanyu Sheds Tears After Missing Podium at Chinese Grand Prix

This past weekend, Shanghai hosted its first Formula 1 race since before the Covid-19 pandemic. The event also marked the first time a Chinese driver has competed in a F1 event on home soil, with Shanghai-born Zhou Guanyu getting behind the wheel for Sauber. With a major marketing push for the event centered on Zhou, expectations among Chinese fans were high. With chants of “Guanyu! Guanyu!” filling the Shanghai Audi International Circuit, Zhou had plenty of support. But although he was able to finish 9th in F1 Sprint on Saturday, sadly he came 14th in the actual race on Sunday.


This disappointing finish brought Zhou to tears on the race track.


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Zhou getting emotional post-race. Image via Weibo.


It was an emotional homecoming for Zhou. The driver caught the first Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai as a five year old in 2004, before heading to Europe to follow his motor sports dreams. At age twelve, Zhou moved to the United Kingdom to pursue his F1 dream by karting at Westbourne School. Throughout his teenage years, he claimed first place at numerous American and British karting championships. For six more years, Zhou worked his way from F4 to F1. He gained his F1 contract in 2021, but due to the pandemic, still had to wait three more years before his debut home race.


Although publicly shedding tears is often seen as taboo in China, fans came together for Zhou. The top comment on F1’s Weibo post reads, “A person’s determination to reach his dreams by persevering through 20 years is worth praising. You’ve got this, Guanyu.” Others felt that Zhou’s mere presence fulfilled China’s F1 dream: “Watching F1 as a kid, [I’ve] always wondered when there would be a Chinese F1 driver.”


Zhou himself still felt positive about the weekend. After the race he pinned a photo of himself crying to the top of his Instagram page, writing “A day to remember forever” and adding “What can I say… This crowd, this weekend has been unforgettable, thank you everyone for making it so special to me, I loved every second of it.”


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Zhou’s caption on his pinned Instagram post.


Banner image via Weibo.

Thanks to a Rapper, China’s Third “Disneyland” Opens in Chengdu

Two weeks ago, a crowd of more than a hundred people gathered at an unremarkable fitness area in Yulin Seventh Alley in Chengdu’s Wuhou District. They each waited for a single “amusement ride” — an exercise bike machine for senior citizens. It became so crowded that security guards tried to limit the number of tourists in the area. When their turn arrived they would sit on the bike and scream, “Xie Di, Xie Di, I want Disney!” So how did this humble corner of a neighborhood become known as China’s new Disneyland? A rap diss track.


The crowd in Chengdu’s Yulin Seventh Alley. Image via Bilibili.


This whole sensation started after rapper Nuomi failed an audition for rap competition show “The Rap of China.” During the audition, a judge named Xie Di (Boss Shady) scorned Nuomi, saying he should “just make rapping a hobby.” The judge also angered Nuomi by misremembering a song written for his grandfather as being written for his grandmother. To express his frustration with Xie Di, Nuomi released the song “Xietian Xiedi” (谢天谢帝).


In the music video for the song, Nuomi rides the exercise bike in Yulin Seventh Alley while singing the chorus “Xie Di, Xie Di, I want to diss you.” Incidentally dropping the English word “diss” into Chinese to say “diss you” (diss nǐ, diss 你) sounds similar to “Disney.” Based on this coincidence, netizens started posting the “I want Disney” challenge on Douyin, and even commenting “Take me to Disney” on Xie Di’s recent Weibo posts.


As “Rap of China” reached its next elimination round, Xie Di responded indirectly to the incident, saying “I hope no one will diss me today, but today is 1V1 (competition). If you want to diss each other and don’t want peace, try to see the situation from where we’re sitting.”


Netizens were also curious about how Nuomi’s take on the controversy. In an interview, the rapper expressed that he didn’t think of his diss song as a rebellion or attack on Xie Di. He simply wanted to express his feelings, to “keep [it] real,” and believes that Xiedi, as somehow who used to be very “real” himself, should understand.

Perhaps, Nuomi’s down-to-earth personality is what has gained him public support and 420K+ more Douyin followers than Xie Di. Before he became a rapper, Nuomi accompanied his father as a construction worker. Also, when visitors began flooding into Yulin Seventh Alley, he posted online reminding them to not make too much noise there, as the neighborhood is filled with senior citizens.


It seems like what the internet has fallen in love with is not Nuomi’s rebellious song, but rather the wholesomeness that lies beneath it. After all, the rapper still holds a sense of respect and admiration for Xie Di, and in the aforementioned interview, even expressed his hope to still work together with the judge in the future.


Banner image via Bililbili.

6 DJs Shaking Up Kuala Lumpur’s Local Scene in 2024

Kuala Lumpur (KL), the capital city of Malaysia, has always had a steady pool of DJs, selectors, curators — whatever you choose to call them. Sure, the electronic music scene isn’t as mature compared to Singapore and Bangkok, or even Vietnam, but the emergence of a new wave of promoters and tastemakers is slowly but surely growing the thriving club culture here, inching it ever closer to the likes of its Southeast Asian peers. The big names have made it to the mainstream, spinning at venues massive enough to fit 1,000 club-goers, where confetti and even pyrotechnics get triggered every time they drop a beat. But beyond these clubs are smaller — quaint, even — spots where emerging DJs bring their taste to the decks, blasting tunes from familiar favorites to cuts so deep even Shazam can’t pick them up.


So, which KL DJs should you pay close attention to this year? We believe the names below should be on your radar not only for their distinctive sonic styles, but also because of their skills at merging tracks and allowing them to flow in almost perfect unison. While most on the list work the digital controllers, some play on wax. Save their Soundclouds for posterity!

Mia

Focused on sounds inspired by the UK’s underground scene, a Mia set is typically heavy on rhythm, breakbeats, and tempo switches as she confidently weaves between genres, from drum and bass to halftime. It’s frenetic and relentless but listen closely and you’ll pick out a sense of cohesion as tracks form into each other without breaking flow. When not playing solo, Mia is part of the quartet, Breakboy Club, which, as the name suggests, is all about breaking beats and moves.


Notion A

Veteran DJ and producer Notion A first made his mark over a decade ago across the Causeway Bridge in Singapore, before relocating to KL. Now well into his thirties, he continues to bring his signature, Berghain-like, four-to-the-floor techno sets to dark rooms and listening bars in the city, guaranteeing ravers and casual listeners a heart-thumping experience. While hard techno is his calling card, Notion A also incorporates even more out-there subcultural sounds like dark ambient and industrial into his sets.


Kingston

A member of Public School KL DJ collective and resident at beloved music space fono, Kingston is a man of many tracks. By that, we mean you’ll never know what he’ll transmit to the speakers at any given set. Having started his journey showcasing mostly funk and disco, Kingston has since added afrobeat, hip hop, electro, jungle, and more to his repertoire. Vinyl purists can catch him putting the needle on wax live on selected dates; follow him on socials to stay updated!


Lionel Rizki

A Renaissance man, Lionel Rizki — or just Rizki, as he’s affectionately known — wore many different hats over the years before his come-up as a DJ. A roadie, a photographer, and a VJ before finding passion as a selector, Rizki’s wealth of knowledge in the local music business is reflected in his tracklists: diverse, nuanced, yet incredibly accessible to everyone. A self-proclaimed Japanophile, he delights listeners with warm and funky Shibuya-kei tracks and deep city pop cuts. Paying homage to his heritage, Rizki also digs deep into the archives of Indonesian disco and boogie, exposing listeners to the rich music lineage of the island country.


rEmPit g0dDe$$

A year ago, Victoria Yam, commonly known by the moniker rEmPit g0dDe$$, attained the holy grail for DJs: her very own Boiler Room session, live from Maho Rasop Festival in Bangkok. But this wasn’t rEmPit g0dDe$$’s first international rodeo; she’s played at buzzy Taipei club Final, The Alex Blake Charlie Sessions Festival in Singapore, Pesta Pora Festival in Jakarta, and Orbitware in Bali. What has made rEmPit goodDe$$ such a sought-after booking is her style — or lack thereof, in the best way possible. Her mixes are multi-faceted and unpredictable; one can be industrial and cinematic, the next rhythmic and percussion-heavy. You’ll never really know what to expect from her — and that only fuels the anticipation.

Roshan Menon

The founder of KL-based music imprint Saturday Selects, a name synonymous with the city’s underground electronic music scene, Roshan Menon is always on the clock; juggling between nurturing budding DJs and promoting shows locally and regionally. Despite overlapping responsibilities, Roshan leaves the dance floor begging for more with genre-bending mixes of house, R&B, jazz, and soul, night in, night out. Over the years, Roshan has shared the stage with names like Yung Singh, Benji B, and La Mamie’s.



Banner image by Haedi Yue.