Asian A.V. Club Chats with The Brothers Sun Director Kevin Tancharoen

Not a lot of people can claim the unconventional path to becoming a director that Kevin Tancharoen followed. At a young age, the Thai-American found himself as a backup dancer and eventual choreographer for some of the biggest pop stars of the early 2000s, like Britney Spears and NSYNC. However, his artistic aspirations didn’t stop there. Driven by a passion for storytelling and a frustration with the limited opportunities available to him, he took a bold step: creating the movies he wanted to see himself.


Tancharoen’s proactive nature and versatility in handling diverse genres have made him a sought-after director for over a decade. Yet working on the series Thai Cave Rescue and The Brothers Sun brought an unexpected shift for the confident director. These projects sparked a spiritual and emotional transformation, that will likely influence his future work in the years to come. We got to talk to Tancharoen recently about his fascinating career.


Asian A.V. Club: I gotta ask, I read somewhere that your initial interest in working in Hollywood was through creature designs and monsters. It’s fascinating because when you watch a movie at a young age, you don’t really think about the artisans behind the scenes.


Kevin Tancharoen: I think it really comes down to three specific movies in my childhood that I was really obsessed with, the 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and Child’s Play. Basically, I was a pop culture nerd growing up. And I remember seeing the ‘making of’ specials on the VHS tapes of Ninja Turtles and Terminator 2. They showed the animatronics and the rubber suits and just the whole process. And I was like, ‘Oh my God, that seems like so much fun.’

Asian A.V. Club: While you were studying this kind of craft, you also excelled in the world of dancing. As a young person in that industry, what did you observe or learn being a dancer back then?


Kevin Tancharoen: It was one of those things where I actually just did it as a hobby. I was a huge martial arts fan, but also a huge dance fan, because I grew up watching a lot of fun music videos. I stumbled into it, to be honest. I didn’t set out to be a professional dancer or choreographer, but it was something that when the opportunity came, I really just fully embraced it, and went for it.


And I was young. I went on the road for the first time when I was 15. So in many ways, I have kind of a similar story like that movie Almost Famous, where I was the youngest person on the road. I didn’t go out to clubs, I was very close to my family, I still had like a quote unquote, ‘normal life’ at home. I wasn’t all about the business. So I was going between both worlds, which I think is what kept me sane. But I learned how to deal with people, being something of a wallflower and just kind of being an observer. And I grew up with hearing loss, so I wear hearing aids. And a lot of my observations were just kind of being quiet and watching and trying to figure out what’s happening. If I couldn’t understand the words, it made me probably in tune with facial nuances and body language. And I think in turn that just all ended up benefiting my directing career later.


I ended up taking over and directed the Britney tour when I was 19. And I was like, ‘Oh my God. I don’t know if I can do this anymore.’ [laughs] I don’t think I was made for the music business; you know what I mean? Like, it’s a very specific energy. And as much as fun as it was, in my young adult life, I wanted to get back to my first love, which was film and TV, specifically genre.


The Brothers Sun

The Brothers Sun. Image courtesy Netflix.


Asian A.V. Club: Hollywood tends to pigeonhole talent, so when you wanted to transition from music productions to narrative film, was there a bit of pushback?


Kevin Tancharoen: Yeah, I understood that my first way in was always going to be something with dance and music involved. I was like, I know how Hollywood is, they tend to categorize you as best they can. So I knew my first anything was going to be that. And then I did [Fame] when I was 24 and it was a hell of an experience.


So after that, in order to prevent me from only doing dance movies, I picked up my camera and my own money and went ahead and shot Mortal Kombat: Rebirth on my own. I knew that no one ever is going to let this dance and song guy do his first love, which was nerdy comic book genre stuff. So I was like, I’ll just have to do it. And I gotta say, because of that, it’s the reason why I’m talking to you today. I wouldn’t have been able to do Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or The Flash or The Book of Boba Fett or The Brothers Sun. It really all stemmed from that decision. Sometimes, actually, most of the time, you have to take a bet on yourself. Because, literally no one is going to do it.


Asian A.V. Club: How did working on the series Thai Cave Rescue and The Brothers Sun affect you?


Kevin Tancharoen: On Thai Cave Rescue, not only was everyone on set Asian, but Thai. I had this weird, I can only say, spiritual experience that washed over me. Like I felt a community without having to say anything, and I never felt this before.


I’m born and raised in Los Angeles. So in many ways, I’m very Westernized and I never got to experience much of my heritage. When I was younger, maybe just being a kid, I rejected it. I was also on the road and became a cultural chameleon, feeling like my culture wasn’t really being represented in a cool way. But as I got older, I was like, why did I do that?


So when I came back to LA and did [The Brothers Sun] on my home turf, it was another elevated experience to see that represented here. I’m working with hundreds of people who look like me and it was something I had never, ever experienced before. It felt like I was with a bunch of family members making a show about our traumas and our inspiration and having a lot of fun doing it.


Thai Cave Rescue.

Thai Cave Rescue. Image courtesy Netflix.


To read the whole interview with director Kevin Tancharoen, click over to Asian A.V. Club where Kevin gets personal about the impact of his last few projects and if he still busts a dance move in public. Not only that, but we have loads more chats with wonderful creatives working behind the scenes of film and television!


Banner image via Asian A.V. Club.

New Music: From Southwestern Chinese Psych to Surf Rock and Bedroom Pop

This month once again brings an exciting array of Chinese music to your ears! Interestingly, things are quite guitar-heavy this March. Whether this is down to a series of coincidences in record release schedules or an emerging trend, it fits perfectly with the hopeful-yet-still-melancholic spring weather we’re going through and showcases the dizzying breadth of guitar music being made in the Chinese scene today, from Li Jianhong’s free associative psychedelic noise and YADAE’s smooth, jazz-infused indie, to Coastal Surf Club’s classic surf rock and Mola Oddity’s intriguing mix of alternative pop and world music — Editor.

Run Run Run – 五雷轰心掌

Beijing psychedelic rockers Run Run Run find resonance in the humid retro sounds of southwest China on their third LP, 五雷轰心掌, released with Spacefruity Records. While not as full of the krautrock-laced twists and turns of their previous records, the band — which has gone through quite the personnel shake-up — taps in something more elemental here, cooking up a zesty dish of electric guitar-drenched melodies, hazy grooves, soulful rhythms, and authentic vintage vibes that adheres closely to the psychedelic funk that’s currently undergoing a resurgence across Southeast Asia. While traces of their love for The Velvet Underground still worm their way to the surface from time to time, this Run Run Run is a very different beast.


The Grinding Ear 逆耳 – Endless Dream Tide 无尽梦潮

Beijing’s The Grinding Ear has floating around the capital for well over a decade, and are often cited as one of the unsung heroes of China’s post rock scene. Though the band called it quits for a bit, they have been back stronger than ever over the past few years. This reawakening has now resulted in one of the genre’s best recent albums. From the propulsive drive tethered to narrative change in “Time Driver,” to the sheer musical heft of “Escape Scene” and the evocative, resonating “The Last Postman,” the band has no issue steering the ship across multiple canvasses in search of treasure. A great surprise.


Li Jianhong 李劍鴻 – Soul Solitary 魂靈獨居者

If there was any question about the esteemed air that surrounds experimental scene figurehead and noise guitar legend Li Jianhong, just soak in the exquisite artwork (by Du Kun) for his latest release, Soul Solitary, a co-release from Australia’s Ramble Records, French/Chinese label WV Sorcerer Productions, and America’s Echodelick Records. Amassed from two live recordings made in France and China in 2018 and 2019, respectively, it features the artist at his most aggressive and mystifying. Throaty bawls, chant-like musings, shrieks, and plucked guitar punctuate its gloomy yet alluring atmosphere. Like in all his best work, here the sonic shaman puts listeners in a trance.


YADAE 鸭打鹅 – Night Gloss 夜光

Shanghai indie outfit YADAE (formerly known as Duck Fight Goose), led by Han Han (Gooooose) and Wu Shanmin (33EMYBW), return with their latest cosmic jam Night Gloss. The long-standing band continues their descent into the lush world of funk, soul, and electro jazz — adding a simmering psychedelic edge and an elegant classical touch. While the tonal shifts in their previous outing were sometimes jarring, Night Gloss finds the band on steadier footing, more assured in their cosmic tapestry of nocturnal grooves, deft instrumentation, and futuristic jazz, and even giving air to some of their indie rock roots. Geeky in the best way possible.


Jimaoda 鸡毛大乐队 – Eight Thousand Miles at a Time 动不动八千里

Psych rock wanderers Jimaoda (having abandoned the “xin” from their original name Jimaoxin in pursuit of their Grammy) return with their latest trip: the epic, striking, and gorgeous Eight Thousand Miles at a Time. Beefing up their already robust sound by adding a trumpet and keyboardist to the lineup, the album taps even further into the band’s almost primal rhythmic sway, with everyone in the band joining in on vocal duties, passing them off to one another like a game of musical hot potato. Yet there’s a layer of pathos to the sprawling arrangements that slowly sinks in, grounding their delirious, delightfully off-kilter folk-laced psych-pop ramblings in unexpected ways and always guiding listeners back to the core melody at hand. A rousing, singular work from one of the rock scene’s best acts out there.


Glamorous Pharmacy 美好药店 – Loud As Deadly Silence 喧嚣的死寂

Formed in 1996, Glamorous Pharmacy is still one of the most experimental and subversive avant-garde rock bands in China. Headed by surrealist folk minstrel Xiao He, and rounded out by an equally star-studded lineup that includes Ye Penggang, Li Tieqiao, Zhang Wei, and Zheng Zhiyong, their topsy-turvy blend of alternative folk, avant-garde rock, and free jazz has made them cult legends of sorts. After an extended hiatus, the band resurfaced last year to rapturous fanfare, with a tour following soon after. Old Heaven Books, a Shenzhen book/record store and label that maintains one of the most vital archives of Chinese rock, have now released a live recording of the band’s tour. This collection of songs beguiles, bewilders, tickles, stuns, and simply put, rocks.


Me and My Sandcastle – Love is Waiting

A little more refined, a bit more layered, and a heck ton catchier, the latest release from rising lo-fi bedroom pop artist Me & My Sandcastle is a major step up. Led by Xiao Liu, and swimming in a vat of cough syrup-y guitar tones, woozy synths, and tender vocals, Love is Waiting finds refuge in its gentle sway and warm atmosphere, recalling acts like Homeshake and Mac Demarco as well as 70s pop and the more whimsical touch of composers like Jon Brion. It may not win over new fans, but it proves Me & My Sandcastle has plenty more juice in them.


Mola Oddity 莫拉怪乐 – The Other Side of Hope 希望的另一面

A supergroup of sorts — consisting of Mandopop singer Amber Kou aka Birdy K, Yider, and Asr (the latter two of Inner Mongolian nu-jazz outfit NaraBara) — Mola Oddity brings esoteric grooves, world music embellishments, and more to its pop concoction. Expertly made, its production brimming with flourishes that feel both organic and otherworldly, Mola Oddity seems to be trying to stand out from the hordes of pop acts, carefully crafting an opportunity for their singer to stretch out her wings and go art house on listeners, at times evoking Fiona Apple.

Coastal Surf Club – Final Round 最终回

Surf rock that’s not afraid of collecting a little dirt on the way to the “glittering shores” at the end of a long road trip, Coastal Surf Club delivers a heck of a good time on their riotous debut LP Final Round, out on Fluorite Records. From the chugging hard rock riff of “Incantation” to the spry country twang of “Malacca,” it’s clear the Xiamen band (which features guitarist Soda of Cheesemind and Kirin Trio fame) understands precisely how surf rock can elevate and complement rock and roll’s most classic sounds, granting their music a texture that’s gnarly, psychedelic, and above all, badass.


SAMECUP 黑甜一枕 – Stand Still 按兵不动

Emerging Hangzhou post punk trio SAMECUP 黑甜一枕, formed “amid a wave of technological anxiety and technical embarrassment” joins the ranks of other post punk acts across China, leaning into the fatalistic undertones of the genre with relish on their debut EP Stand Still. The release is full of slick, melodic cold wave-inflected tunes whose methodical precision, particularly in singer Zhao Yiyang’s smoldering voice and its Y2K-fitted flourishes, only add to the band’s aura. It’s a promising introduction to the young band.



Banner image by Haedi Yue.

Young Chinese are Grabbing Up Gold as Both Jewelry and an Investment

Picture a crowded Chinese gold market decorated with festive reds and blinding gold. What kind of customers did you imagine? Aunties in their 40s and 50s? Indeed, up until recently they might have swamped the market. After all, younger generations have more daring taste in jewelry and aren’t tied to traditional investments, right?


All that changed this spring. Older Gen-Zs and younger millennials have started to comprise a significant portion of consumers at major Chinese gold stores. An investigation by Shenzhen Economic Daily found that young people accounted for nearly 70% of customers at two stores for major gold brands in the city of Huizhou.


On the one hand, this shift might be driven by new designs from renowned gold brands like Chow Sang Sang. Cute, intricate designs differing from the bold, weighty jewelry of the past have captured the hearts of young consumers. Chinese influencers have been sharing collections of cute gold bracelet charms in the shape of Chinese Zodiacs, cartoon characters, and video game characters on the Instagram-like social media platform Xiaohongshu. More playful designs like charms for Apple Watch bands and a gold necklace proposal box — which actually holds a diamond — have also gained popularity.


Gold Apple Watch Band

Gold charms for an Apple Watch band. Image via Xiaohongshu.


On the other hand, this trend may reflect a sense of “refined frugality” that young Chinese have adopted amidst an unstable economy. Millennials and Gen Zers with some disposable income are taking the steady annual rise in gold prices as a sign to invest in the precious metal. They can hit two birds with one stone by buying stylish luxuries while also potentially making a valuable investment.


One of the most popular investment methods is purchasing gold beans — tiny gold ingots sometimes shaped in cute designs like fishes.


Gold beans

A collection of gold beans shared by an influencer. Image via Xiaohongshu.


Some recent graduates who have just joined the workforce are attempting to get the most out of their hard-earned salaries. Each month, they’ll purchase several gold beans for around 600 RMB (around 84 USD), collecting them in tiny jars. Once these jars fill up, they visit a gold store to either sell the beans at a profit, or craft them into a piece of jewelry.


In reaction to this trend, netizens have joked that this Chinese generation is “buying gold instead of investing in real estate.” Experts have also cautioned that gold beans and jewelry may be riskier investments than other gold products, as crafting gold into jewelry may reduce its value, and items sold by less respected brands may be of lower quality.


Despite these potential issues, it seems some young Chinese are hooked on gold for the moment. Whether or not their purchases pay dividends in the future, they’re currently very happy to watch gold beans piling up in a jar.


Banner image via Xiaohongshu.

From Coffee Science to Semiconductor Engineering, China Has 24 New College Degrees

China’s Ministry of Education unveiled its 2024 catalogue of undergraduate majors for university programs, which includes 24 newly approved majors. The ministry announced the programs will be available for students starting in 2024.


The 24 degrees span a wide range of fields from STEM to the humanities, and include disparate fields such as semiconductor engineering, national security, coffee science and engineering, ice and snow dance performance, and Chinese classical studies.


New College Degrees Chart

Chart listing the new degrees, via Yangshi Xinwen on Weibo.


The new degrees are as follows: national security studies, security of overseas interests, football, equestrian sports and management studies, sports and health, Chinese classical studies, Sinology and Chinese studies, applied Chinese, agricultural and forestry smart equipment engineering, smart materials and technology, electronic information materials, soft matter science and engineering, rare earth elements science and engineering, high-power semiconductor science and engineering, smart vision engineering, engineering software, smart marine equipment, health science and technology, coffee science and engineering, interdisciplinary engineering, biotechnology breeding, ecological restoration, internal auditing, and ice and snow dance performance.


The new degrees are part of a broader education reform plan begun by the ministry in 2023, focused on establishing new higher education programs that are up-to-date with technology and industry. Majors seen as outdated will also be removed. The reform plan aims to reflect the evolving needs and interests of students, the workforce, and employers in China.


While there are certainly some unexpected degrees on the list, many do exhibit a clear connection to China’s stated long-term economic goals, such as technological self-sufficiency. Even some more esoteric fields of study start to make a little more sense when one considers the universities they are to be taught at: ice and snow dance performance will be a specialty of Harbin Sports University, where the annual ice festival is a major tourist attraction. Meanwhile, the coffee science and engineering course is quite likely to be much more than training for aspiring baristas — it’s based at Yunnan Agricultural University, found in a province where coffee is a major agricultural crop.


Banner image via Xinhuanet.

Alibaba Pledges $640 Million to Revitalize Hong Kong’s Film Industry

On March 11th, Alibaba Group announced it would devote 5 billion HKD (639.3 million USD) to Hong Kong’s culture and film industries over the next five years. The announcement was made on the first day of Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (FILMART), the largest entertainment content showcase in Asia, which was attended by Fan Luyuan, chairman and CEO of Alibaba’s digital media and entertainment unit, and Kevin Yeung, the Hong Kong government’s secretary for culture, sports and tourism. The initiative, dubbed the “Hong Kong Cultural and Art Industry Revitalisation Program,” is led by Alibaba Digital Media and Entertainment (ADME) Group. It aims to produce Hong Kong-based media and nurture new talent, with funds divided between its entertainment and media arm and Youku, an online video platform operated as a subsidiary of Alibaba Group. As part of the program, Alibaba Pictures will provide scholarships for 20 local filmmakers at the Hong Kong Baptist University Academy of Film. The move has welcomed from the Hong Kong government, which has prioritized the entertainment industry in recent years. In this year’s budget address, the government announced a 1.4 billion HKD (138 million USD) injection into its Film Development Fund “We eagerly hope that ADME Group will work more closely with the film and TV industry of Hong Kong to develop new modes of cooperation and explore business areas, to nurture new talent, and create rich and diversified content for film and TV, which will bring the development of our film and TV entertainment industry to the next level,” commented Yeung in a statement. It’s not the first time Alibaba invested in Hong Kong’s film industry. Last year, Alibaba co-produced the legal drama A Guilty Conscience, directed by Jack Ng Wai-lun, which is now Hong Kong’s highest grossing local film of all time, with box office receipts of over 108 million HKD (13.8 million USD). Alibaba’s entertainment and media arm is also planning to establish a second base of operations in Hong Kong and partner with local firms, including Shaw Brothers Pictures, TVB, Emperor Motion Pictures, Media Asia Group, Mandarin Motion Pictures, BenXiaoHai Media Co, and Huanxi Media Group. “Alibaba’s five-year investment plan is a shot in the arm for Hong Kong’s movie industry, which is suffering from an aging workforce,” said Crucindo Hung Cho-sing, chairman of the Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association. However, he noted that Hong Kong is far from its historic peak before the 2000s when it produced over 200 movies per year as the second-biggest film exporter, behind Hollywood. The Hong Kong film industry is currently struggling to maintain consistent and stable revenue. Over the Lunar New Year, the local box office revenue dropped 24% cent compared to the same time last year, with ticket sales of just 48.6 million HKD (6.2 million USD). Speaking with South China Morning Post, Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers spokesman Tenky Tin Kai-man echoed similar sentiments, and pointed out one challenge for the city would be to continue attracting foreign investors. “Success highly hinges on its execution and whether the city is ready to take on competitive projects that attract foreign buyers. There can be a lot of unpredictability. If the topic violates the national security law, then the project will need to be called off,” he said. Alibaba Pictures is currently partnered with a number of Hong Kong productions, including Without Remorse, The Last Dance, and In The Light Of Dark. Anticipated films in their production pipeline partnerships include Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, Born Evil Seed, and Behind the Scene. Banner image via AFP.

FEASTCON Showcased the Best of Shanghai’s Food and Beverage Scene

This past weekend, RADII hit up FEASTCON, an annual gathering for Shanghai’s food and beverage scene organized by SOCIAL SUPPLY x Feast in China at Station 1907. Bringing together stalls from restaurants and food businesses along with an impressive line-up of guest speakers and workshops, it was the perfect opportunity to get a taste of Shanghai’s culinary community. Overall, the event gave a sense of the excitement and passion that’s driving food and drink businesses in the city — and Chinese food globally — as well as some of the challenges ahead.


On FEASTCON’s second and final day, Sunday, March 17, we sampled some perfectly al dente pasta from JE&JO, a glass of vividly orange Ningxia natural wine via China Wine Club, and a slightly intense baijiu-based cocktail before grabbing a seat to listen in on some guest lectures.


First up was Xiaopu winemaker Ian Dai, who RADII joined on visits to China’s wine regions late last year. His talk highlighted the enormous progress that Chinese winemaking has made over the past two decades, while also revealing some surprising facts about its history — who knew that wine grapes were grown outside of Beijing in the 1920s for the city’s foreign population? Dai emphasized that the growth of vineyards was a gradual process, with years of experimentation sometimes necessary before a glass of drinkable wine can be produced. As he explained, the rapid expansion of infrastructure has made winemaking more feasible in remote areas, but taking the next step forward may require greater understanding and exchange between urban and rural China.


Ian Dai Wine Regions

Ian Dai points out China’s wine regions. Image courtesy Social Supply / FEASTCON.


Back in the big city, long term Shanghai resident Rachel Gouk, founder of the food blog and WeChat account Nomfluence, broke down her observations on how the metropolis’ food scene has evolved since the turn of the millennium. She took us from a time when Western food was almost nonexistent, and Chinese food often just meant Shanghainese and Cantonese, to today’s diversified, micro-trend driven “Wanghong” (网红, influencer) economy. While concerned about the knock-on effects of an online culture which leads diners to visit an establishment once, photograph its signature dish, and never return, she closed on a positive note by praising the discerning palates of Shanghai foodies.


Chef and food media personality Lucas Sin then took to the stage for his talk “Chinese Food, Outside of China.” Taking Thai food as a case study, he explored how so-called ethnic cuisines are branded in America, and underscored the influence of Chaoshan (Teochew) cooking on many dishes considered to be quintessentially Thai. Cheerfully admitting that he may have been betraying his profession, he challenged a “chef-centric” model of culinary innovation. Sin instead put forward a “people-centric” model of humble cooks simply making delicious — and profitable — food in the conditions they found themselves in. He gave the example of yaka mein, a New Orleans noodle dish that has Chinese roots but is today primarily associated with the city’s Black community. The noodle soup’s vague definition and obscure history just go to show the degree to which Chinese diaspora cooking is still understudied.


Lucas Sin in action in Bangkok.


Indeed, it felt like what made FEASTCON special was the chance for food and beverage professionals to exchange information — whether business tips or the story of a Louisiana hangover cure. Speaking to RADII after his lecture, Dai noted “We didn’t use to have an event in which we could combine all our knowledge together. I think at FEASTCON we can group F&B people together, share a little bit, and gradually accumulate knowledge. It’s very important.”


Banner image courtesy Social Supply / FEASTCON.