Ride out This Long Weekend in Style at Rye Music Festival
The Fall festival season is upon us and while we’re not quite back to the good ol’ days of waltzing over to Haidian Park and jumping into a mosh pit, it’s refreshing to see a new player in town and the Rye Music Festival, Sep 23-24, hosted by Taihe Music (among others) is no small apples. Held at the Changyang Music Theme Park (where the Grammy Festival was held this past spring) it features an array of Chinese and international acts spread out across three stages. Hip-hop, indie rock, Mando-pop, and then some – it’s all in there. And while the lineup doesn’t have the pizazz or oomph of some of the more established festivals, there are plenty of gems within worth seeking out.
Kikagaku Moyo (Day 2, 2.30-3.10pm)
I had the pleasure of checking out this Tokyo based band a year and a half ago on their home turf and they blew me away. Drug-fuelled 60s psych jam rock that feels like a lighter, more head-bopping folk-oriented cousin to Acid Mothers Temple's more chaotic palette. Thick reverb, acoustic breakdowns, meaty guitar riffs, cosmic prog-rock builds, and a sitar for crying out loud – how does one not enjoy this. And I swear that the band must have had a requirement before joining that had to be a certain length. Acid folk at its finest.
Listen here.
Second Hand Rose (Day 1, 8.20-9.10pm)
It’s a bit of an easy choice, but that doesn’t change the fact that Second Hand Rose (also pictured at top) are arguably one of the country’s best live acts. A hot pot of Chinese opera, rock and roll, cabaret, and èrrénzhuàn (two-person crosstalk folk music in northeast China) – the esteemed rock legends have been going strong for nearly 20 years and are one of the few Chinese acts to sell out major theaters and headline major festivals at home. Their shows are a spectacle to behold – costume changes, humorous banter, and rock star swagger. They’re on the brink of their newest album so expect them to be in top form.
Listen here.
No Party For Cao Dong (Day 2, 5.50-6.40pm)
One of the biggest voices to emerge from Taiwan in the past couple years, No Party For Cao Dong is an indie rock band that blends post-rock, math rock, and heavier dance-punk sound that veers into anger and melancholy. They took the mainstream music scene by surprise with their ambitious debut album The Servile, winning both the “Best New Artist” and “Best Musical Group” awards at the 28th Golden Melody Awards. Full of social commentary and a resentment toward a lot of what their generation is dealing with in Taiwan, they’re become particularly popular with younger crowds. Expect an explosive set from these trailblazers.
Listen here.
Wogui de Houche (Day 1, 1.40-2.10pm)
Hangzhou neo-psychedelic band Wogui de Houche (or Railroad Suicide as some people have just started translating it as) has attracted quite the following since their 2016 release Aftermath – one of my personal favorites of that year. The band is great at capturing that humid poetic sound that sways in and out of daydream romanticizing and reverb-heavy rock and roll blitz. Intricate, rich in emotion, with plenty of rock and roll gusto to spare, the band manages to avoid the many pitfalls that have caged and hindered other bands of its ilk. There’s a looseness at play here, a genuine appreciation of not only melody, but also mood, and often times feels like a lo-fi bittersweet moment caught in time.
Listen here.
School Girl Bye Bye (Day 2, 3.50-4.30pm)
They may not have the rock star appeal of the other acts, and they haven’t played too many big stages, but the Nanjing trio has been on my (and various indie circles') radar for some time. The indie rock band had a strong following a couple years back (they won the 2016 Best Newcomer Award from Douban) before taking a break as the couple involved in the band brought a child into the world. Wiser, more mature, and wistful all the same, they returned a few months back with renewed enthusiasm and a dreamy pop sound. Plus, they have a song called "Jodorowsky's Dune" which is a must-listen for all you Dune fans out there. Sleeper set of the day.
Listen here.
Rye Music Festival runs over the Mid-Autumn Festival long weekend, Sep 24-25, at Changying Sports Park. See the full line-up, set times, and more here.
Prefer more psychedelia in your music? Check out the full listing of Upstream Gaze festival, this weekend.
Images courtesy of the organizers
