News, Releases, Yada Yada Yada

More releases coming your way from across the board genre-wise, with a bit of rap, dark techno, post rock, and even folk with releases from Kafe Hu, Zaliva-D, Illness Sickness, and Song Dongye. Check it.

That’s a track off of Illness Sickness’s first proper self-titled EP release. The heavy post rock outfit who utilize everything at their disposal, from piano, to trumpet, even a cello, have been mostly under the radar the past couple years, receiving accolades here and there, but keeping a relatively low profile. That all changed when earlier this summer they wiped the floor clean at dazeFeast, and now it looks as though they’re ready to unleash their sound upon Beijing. The EP is grand stuff – heavy, badass, it really is “anything but post rock” – closer in tone to metal at its most instrumental and gentle – the calm before the storm if you will. Purchase this baby over at their bandcamp page. I wouldn’t be surprised if they hold a show soon enough.

Song Dongye, a pretty big name in the folk world, who with the help of Modern Sky, pull off an epic grass-roots crowdsourcing tour of China this summer, has released his debut solo album entitled “The North of Anhe Bridge” 《安和桥北》the past week. Give it listen over on douban. As with most folk albums produced under juggernaut companies, it’s a bit too vanilla, and lacks that pristine mood that accompanies most live folk performances. Nevertheless, it’s a remarkably restrained album, one that thankfully relies on its artists’ voice and guitar. The video above is for the song “Miss Dong”, supposedly about a female photographer the 25 year old singer-songwriter came across – ChinaSmack has nice enough to translate it. You can purchase the album over at Indie Store in Gulou here (or in person if you don’t mind leaving your house – bums).

Time to head over to the dancefloor and dip into some dark electronica territory –Zaliva-D, dubbed ‘the black Bodhisattva from electronic hell’, has just released his latest EP under label Shansui entitled Origin. It’s hella good. Dark techno with a lot of black tar industrial flourishes. No compromises here – three tracks of pitch black electronic bliss, this sucka doesn’t let up for a second. Just wish there was more of it. Grab it here. And check out Zaliva-D at Dada this Saturday, August 31^st. I’d imagine those ultra-violent droggs who still around they’d be listening to this.

To close things off, we head over to Chengdu where little-known underground rapper Kafe Hu has released his latest new album, entitled ‘The Guy’. Though only running at 24 minutes, it’s a slick piece of work, and one of the best examples of hip-hop I’ve seen here in China. A very jazzy feel to the production – one that pays tribute to a lot of the brassy rap albums of the 90s, yet feels fresh from top to bottom. It’s sexy, soothing, and dare I say, some of the best flow I’ve heard here in China. Download ‘The Guy’ for free over here and throw some love toward Kafe Hu. Respect.

Enough this week – next time maybe new stuff from old hats Tomahawk, noise mongooses Noise Arcade and Cloud Choir, maybe a MV from Cassette (fingers crossed) and yada yada yada.