Last week, Wuhan officially came out of lockdown. They’ve had a rough few months, and the road back to normalcy will be a difficult one. Luckily, China’s music community has been there for the city and today we’d like to share two releases that look to raise money for the ongoing struggles faced by the city during this crisis. 

今天武汉正式解封，武汉人民捱过冬雪，迎来了春天。再次回到正常的生活也需要经历一些考验。幸运的是，中国音乐社区一直都在这里和武汉并肩前行。我们今天想要和大家分享两张新的专辑，它们将为武汉抗击疫情募款。

Tapes for Charity Vol. 1 爱心录音带

Beijing DIY tape makers Nugget Records, along with Guangzhou’s Qiii Snacks Records and Beijing-based producer thruoutin, bring their love for the medium and charitable hearts to this lush robust two-cassette release – Tapes for Charity Vol.1 – ‘a collection of indie-pop/electronic songs from artists all over the world who want to do their part to help out during the current coronavirus epidemic’. While the first tape leans more toward indie-pop flavors the labels are known for, with some choices tracks from bands like Shenzhen’s Atta Girl and Guangzhou’s Power Milk, the second tapes spins a fine web of electronic artists and acts, including Wuhan’s Night Swimmer and Dalian’s Xie Yugang. Better yet, all proceeds from the digital album will go towards the Wuhan Small Animal Protection Association (www.590pet.com), a small Wuhan-based charity who helps stranded pets, during a time when many pet owners cannot return home to Wuhan as a result of the quarantine. 

这个双磁带合辑是nugget records, Qii Snacks records和thruoutin一起合作的项目。现在的冠状病毒疫情非常严重,我们发布这个合辑的目的是为了支持Wuhan Small Animal Protection Association (武汉市小动物保护协会)。2020年的春节前,很多人返乡武汉为了过新年。从而导致许多宠物滞留在家中, 主人给它们准备了几个星期的吃的。伴随着这个疫情的情况越来越严重,武汉市封城。主人们也没办法回来喂他们的宠物。武汉市小动物保护协会已通过在锁匠的帮助下获得各种所有者的许可, 进入他们的家给这些宠物及时的营救。他们是一个小的组织,但是已经帮助了数百动物。尽管该城市处于封锁状态,但他们仍在努力提供帮助。 

第一件事为了开始创作这张合辑是nugget record联系到广州地下音乐厂牌Qii Snacks和美国电 子制作人thruoutin要不要参加。后来大家同意把所有的收益给WSAPA。最后的结果是双磁带的合辑。分了两个大概的风格,第一张是独立音乐乐队和音乐人,第二张是更氛围和电子音乐的感觉。还有国内和国外的音乐人都积极参加了。现在我们的合辑能在Bandcamp上试听。 

Tapes for Charity – An Electronic Mixtape

Bandcamp: https://qiiisnacksrecords.bandcamp.com/album/tapes-for-charity-an-electronic-mixtape

Xiami: https://www.xiami.com/album/1tqVdgd316a

Tapes for Charity – An Indie Pop Mixtape

Bandcamp: https://qiiisnacksrecords.bandcamp.com/album/tapes-for-charity-an-indie-pop-mixtape

Xiami: https://www.xiami.com/album/1tqSYDc6911

Home Fitness 家庭保健

Newly formed Beijing-based music collective DCYY take on the Covid-19 pandemic with an energetic, elastic care-package of electronica courtesy of an array of producers and artists in and outside of China. Touching upon everything from house to techno and all its left-field compatriots, including tracks from acts like Gooooose (Shanghai), Knopha (Xiamen), and Negative808 (Beijing), the release will directly benefit the Firefly Plan ‘for the purchase of protective clothing, diapers, sanitary pads and other essential items needed by frontline medical staff’. The perfect workout plan for those looking to get their bodies active and help those in need. 

为防止疫情继续扩散，一切非生存必须的室外活动与聚集性活动被暂时叫停，大多数人都不得不窝在家中以保健康。于是，被困家中的我们筹备了这张募捐合辑《家庭保健》，收录了国内外20位音乐人捐赠的19支作品，希望能以我们的一技之长为对抗疫情出一份力，并给大家带来一些轻松与温暖。本张合辑的所有收益将捐赠给萤火计划，用于购置前线医护人员工作所需的防护服，尿不湿，卫生巾等必备品。

Bandcamp: https://dcyy.bandcamp.com/album/home-fitness

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Over the years, my tastes have expanded beyond Beijing, finding exciting new sounds from every little nook and cranny China has to offer. And while that’s a well that’ll never dry, I’ve been finding myself exposed and more importantly, intrigued by what looms in the rest of Asia soundwise. Hence, why I’m been all over Frequency Asia. The podcast, run by Luke Hansford, a former Beijing resident (and founder of Jingweir) now residing in Singapore, collects a variety of fresh tunes from around Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea, Japan, Australia, China, etc.) and presents them on the hour plus long sessions. And more recently, he has been approaching it with a more journalistic eye, including interviews and little snapshots of history including his most recent – a ‘History of Yaogun’, which gives a startlingly (though all too brief) satisfying chorological oral history of the yaogun scene. Which is something I’m been dying to get as since reading Red Rock: The Long, Strange March of Chinese Rock & Roll – music history without the music just really doesn’t cut it. So thanks Frequency Asia! You’ve earned a slot on my ‘Friends’ – which is like the highest honor that could ever be bestowed upon you. You made it. Bump it over here.

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This has been a long time coming but hey, better late than never. If you\’re in anyway involved with the Beijing scene, then you\’ve come across Aurelien Foucault\’s photography – simply put, man knows how to work a camera. Don\’t think I\’ve seen somehow who manages to capture \’that moment\’ as gracelessly as he does. Just take a look at TimeOut June\’s issue cover and you\’re get a sense of how jealous I get watching the Fuokographer prance about schooling all of us amateur photographer wannabes. Or better yet, jump over to his collection of concert photography on his blog, which if you dig around if has a picture of me sweating it out at Dos Kolegas. Welcome to the Friend Zone buddy!!!

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New friends from aboard – and by aboard I mean all over the friggin globe – that\’s the jist of Bee Hype, the online global network of music that has collected music bloggers, DJs, and just about everyone to share the music they love. Here\’s their log line:

\’We’re music writers, DJ’s and fans from around the world.

We collect what’s best on our local scenes to present it to the global audience.

If you would like to be a bee, let us know.\’

The site just went up last week and it is a treasure chest of new music from just about every corner of the globe. I was even invited to throw in my two cents leading to Second Hand Rose, Residence A, P.K. 14, Lantern Festival, and Hanggai making the cut (there\’s a listening committee, thus, not all of my favorites made it) . Dig in cause once you jump down this rabbit hole there\’s no turning back. Seriously, I spent a whole day globe-trotting – frankly, South America is killing it.  Check it out.

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