Womb are a three-piece ethereal-wave band hailing from Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa (Wellington, New Zealand). Featuring Charlotte Forrester on vocals and guitar, Haz Forrester on synth, and Georgette Brown on drums, the three siblings once upon a time inhabited the same womb, and have now come together as a band.

Womb creates oceans of sound – from alt-folk soundscapes to the outer boundaries of dream-pop, where swirling synthesisers intersect with tenderly plucked guitars and other worldly singing. Rooted in folk while reaching to the edges of the sonic stratosphere, Womb’s music is a textural, emotional soundscape that effortlessly blends into a myriad of settings, blissing out audiences upon grassy fields, in dive bars, or encapsulated in an astronomical observatory.

Seeing Womb live is an affecting experience —you can hear it through the heart-on-the sleeve delivery of melancholic lyricsand their synchronised sound of hauntingly beautiful guitar melodies, delay drenched synthscapes and minimalist drum rhythms.

Womb evoke deeply personal connections, producing huge swells of emotion that say that it’s okay to be vulnerable, it’s okay to feel what you feel, never failing to deliver emotionally raw and spellbinding performances.

Since their humble beginnings in 2015, Womb have released a self-titled EP, a steady stream of singles, and their debut album Like Splitting the Head from the Body (2018) all via local Welling to alternative and experimental music label Sonorous Circle. Their album received critical success and a cult following within the New Zealand underground music scene and beyond.

Channeling the power of the cosmos, sibling trio Womb look forward to bringing their magical sound to audiences in China this summer.

STRANGE STAINS

Strange Stains is one of the many projects of Cooki Stains; producer, singer, visual artist, and designer. Cooki grew up in Rotorua, a sulphurous, thermal hotspot of bubbling stench and mineral beauty,she now resides in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, the earthquake-prone capital of Aotearoa; elemental cities of a living earth, that pulse with deep bass and unpredictable rhythm.

Her singular approach, and excitable energy, bring mesmerising and luscious performances of industrial-pop soundscapes that encourage footloose abandon. Inhabiting a nightlife where people lose themselves in Fever Ray and Lydia Lunch, Strange Stains contemplates the nocturnal with one finger raised to the toxic, and welcomes in the joy of unconditional acceptance.

Homemade Ableton beats, her faithful synth, and a strapped on microphone are just some of the tools used in crafting freshaural stains that amplify the poetry of this bogan Madonna.

Strange Stains is a mainstay at New Zealand’stop DIY festivals, many of which celebrate diversity, community, and theabsurdity of our surreal existence. At these festivals, such as NOW, Chronophonium, and Nowhere, her music can often be heard heralding the approaching night of sensory exploration, or sometimes it is the beat for the souls of the dancing shoes that are still hot to trot in the wee hours.

Cooki can be found working alongside Aotearoa bands like All Seeing Hand, and Disasteradio, and Australian bands like the Erasers. She has toured Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, and has had an artist residency in Japan, where she also played shows. She has had three releases on cassette through Albert Basement, All Gone, and Dubbed Tape; you can also find her music on Bandcamp.

GUIGUISUISUI 鬼鬼祟祟 (Electronic, Blues, Horror Punk, 8-bit, Noise)

Guiguisuisui is a two piece art-rock performance band. Curated by Chinese artist Nan Guazi and her British husband, Guiguisuisui blends electronic and live sounds to create the backdrop for interactive theatre performances which feature a cast of characters from animagined future and past. Over the top of this Nan Guazi’s live animations are projected onto the stage; animated steam punk fairy tales that add to thee the real quality of the performance. The show has toured relentlessly since it’s beginnings in 2012, with gigs in China, Taiwan, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe (UK, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Poland). In 2016 they were presented with the ‘Band of the Year’ award at City Weekend Beijing’s annual awards show as well as being featured on
the cover of 通俗歌曲 ('tong su ge qu') magazine, China’s longest running rock and roll magazine. The Shining Soundscape concept is the latest manifestation of the bands’ experiences to date.