Noise Pollution: Deluge Release Night, Kiefer, Yuna, Spit-Tunes, Satoshi Kataoka Trio, Kevin Harris

Will Griffith | Aug 30, 2019 8:30 am | Add a comment | 130 reads

September is just about here, which means we’re entering the sweet spot of Beijing weather – blue skies, brisk breezes, and enough foliage to make you forget the city’s more brazen days. Best of all, it means the music scene is getting back into shape with one robust lineup after another. Here's a glimpse at the mayhem that’ll be unfolding this weekend.

Friday, Aug 30

Kelvin T, White Laser, Ian Jorg (NZ), Demone at Fruityspace
Synth makers unite as The Deluge – an all-in-one, stand-alone, portable synthesizer, sequencer, and sampler designed for the creation, performance, and improvisation of electronic music – has its launch party (plus workshop) at Fruityspace this Friday. They're celebrating with the help of some very kickass artists and producers, including Hong Kong musician Kelvin T, Shanghai-based White Laser (known to most as the drummer of Mirrors), prominent New Zealand force Ian Jorg, and Beijing’s own Demone. 7pm start. FREE

2D-Foil, White Paper, Tenzin Dolkar at DDC
The new indie rock series ‘New Gravity’ hosted by Wukesong’s Mao Livehouse looks to showcase up and comers around a loose theme – in this case, rock and roll alleyways like DDC. Concept aside, there’s some serious care and curating going on here and tonight they’ve gathered an intriguing batch of bands including shoegaze dream-pop outfit 2D-Foil, post-punk rockers White Paper, and Tibetan singer-led indie-rock trip-hop act Tenzin Dolkar. RMB 80

Finger Family, Summer Vapour, Gentle Grapes, Showhand, FancyWall, Summer Warz, Zhang Weiewei at Mao Livehouse
Kowa & PuppyParty put together a red-hot lineup of rock, pop, and punk with some of the scene’s slickest characters including vibrant and beloved pop-punk outfit Finger Family, dream-pop outfit Summer Vapour, acoustic folk-pop duo Zhang Ziwei and Yu Zi Jun, and many more. RMB 150

White Paper, Cherry Mor, Old Tea, The Sailor's Grape at Temple
A grab bag of musical styles and hijinks await patrons at Temple Bar as they wrangle post-punk bombasters White Papers, punk-pop rockers Charry Mor, psychedelic wavers Old Tea, and The Sailor’s Grape – an all-star reggae/ska outfit featuring members of PK14 and Bedstars among others. FREE

The Last Resort, Rectal Wench, Quan Luan, U.K.K.Y at School
Metalheads and hardcore freaks converge on School Bar for Heavy Holocaust! Set to destroy you are hardcore punk outfit The Last Resort, groovy goregrind foursome Rectal Wench, Tianjin hardcore dudes Quan Luan, and U.K.K.Y. RMB 80

Hoochie Coochie Gentlemen at Jianghu Bar
Veteran blues-rock outfit Hoochie Coochie Gentlemen look to bring the good vibes to the cozy Jianghu Bar – harmonica, acoustic guitars, and some very merry singers. These cats are pros and have been working the crowds for ages – expect nothing less than a harmonica-infused evening of home-grown blues. RMB 100

Shuangzi at Tango
One of China’s most beloved rappers, Shuangzi kicks off a two-night celebration of Chinese hip-hop at Tango tonight and he’ll be joined by artists including N-Bomb, Sweet, Spam, and rap metal legends CMCB. RMB 280

Feline, FE, Pinky Cheery, Sugar Free Monster at 13 Club
Some fine rock and roll treats await you in Wudaokou as 13 Club gets back to business with a solid lineup featuring indie rockers Feline, female pop-rock trio Pinky Cherry, pop-punk outfit Sugar Free Monster, and more. RMB 80

Song Dai Ting, Huang Qi, Song Shangcong, The Heartland, TY23 at MTA Space
MTA (which has a new swanky space over by Shilupu) host Tencent and their batch of rising artists and bands including singer-songwriter Song Dai Ting, Huang Qi, pop-rock outfit The Heartland, electro poppers TY23, and more. FREE

Yuna at Blue Note
Malaysian singer/songwriter and urban pop artist Yuna brings Beijing her most recent album Rouge and ever-eclectic jazzy soul-infused pop that channels the sounds of R&B sensations like Sade and Aaliyah. RMB 320-420

Geng Liang, Lu Xianghui, Zhu Jiaming at Yue Space
Folk and pop hold hands tonight at part three of the Black Hole Music Festival, held over the next month at Yue Space, welcomes rising folk star Geng Liang alongside some special guests. RMB 120

Diva Simona Quartet at The Bricks
Italian award-winning singer, composer, and educator Simona De Rosa has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the NY jazz scene and continues touring internationally. FREE

Sons of Thunder at Modernista
Started by four members of Stevie Mac and The Mac Daddies, this new explosive cover band looks to indulge in everyone's favorite songs of the 2000s. FREE

He Dazhao, Liu Jing at Mogu Space
Unplugged acoustic delights over at Xizhimen’s Mogu Space courtesy of He Dazhao and Liu Jing. FREE

Hex, 17 Land at Pink Moon
Folk campus singer 17 Lu joins regular wordsmith Hex for an intimate evening with these singer-songwriters. FREE

Fofox at 69 Cafe
Hear covers of prominent Chinese rockers Zhang Chu – whose Shameful Being All Alone, released in 1994, continues to influence a generation of Chinese artists – from mega-fan and folk-rocker Fofox. FREE

Saturday, Aug 31

Kiefer (US), StrawberryPapa, Voision Xi, 1999, ITSOGOO at Omni Space
Rising Shanghai label Eating Music and All Good Music welcome renegade producer/keyboardist Kiefer whose soulful jazz-infused work on Peanut Butter Wolf's LA-based Stones Throw Records has garnered him attention from some of the hip-hop scene’s most beloved, such as Dr. Dre, Anderson.Paak, and Lalah Hathaway. He’ll be paired up with some of Eating Music’s newest additions to their roster, including Yunnan-raised StrawberryPapa as well as jazz singer Voision Xi, beatmaker 1999, and hip-hop outfit ITSOGOO. Read our recent interview with the founder of Eating Music, Cookie Zhang, right here. RMB 160

Pumpkins, Wasted Laika, Hangnail, The Beauty at School
Another Saturday night doozy with a killer rocking lineup featuring veteran Xinxiang old school punk outfit Pumpkins, fresh off their newest LP, who embody the spirit of punk like none other, rising art-rock champs Wasted Laika, hardcore punkettes Hangnail, and indie rockers The Beauty. Expect a sweaty, packed house of true blood rockers. RMB 100

Paths, Anxt, Julian, Eric Allen x James Thompson at DDC
Spittoon – Beijing's main outlet for poetry and fiction writers – returns to DDC for a magnetic night of collaborating musicians and poets that will cover a vast array of musical styles. The pairings include experimental musician Julian and Stan, electronic producer Anxt and Sammy Boy, rustic Eric Allen and James Thompson with Sara F. Costa, and Paths, led by Spittoon’s own Matthew Byrne. RMB 60

Break The Silence, Whistling Chambers, New Generation at Temple
Rising punk champions Break The Silence join fellow rising stars, indie rockers Whistling Chambers and wistful dream rockers New Generation for an intimate yet robust eclectic evening of soul-quenching rock and roll. FREE

Hutong Rap Battle Vol.19 feat. Cypher at Soi Baochao
Head to Soi Baochao and lay down your best rhymes as an array of rappers compete and jam to their heart's content. Plus a special hip-hop filled set from rockers Cypher as special guests. FREE

Kevin Harris at Blue Note
The New York/Boston-based pianist Kevin Harris who improvises across multiple genres, drawing together everything from Bach to Scott Joplin and African and Caribbean beats, hits up Blue Note this weekend. RMB 240

Xu Fei at Mao Livehouse
Pop singer-songwriter Xu Fei appears at Mao Livehouse in support of her newest album Everything, chock-full of the young artist’s brand of subtle but powerful folk-pop that’ll have fans gawking. RMB 220

Liu Xin, Happy Birdy, Swing Ghost, Chen Min, Zhao Chufeng, Miao Kai, Chu Xiao, HenDaWei at Yue Space
Catch the new generation of young musicians tonight at Yue Space as eight independent acts who dabble in pop, R&B, folk, rock, EDM, and more hit the stage. RMB 120

The Peking Floyd at Modernista
Beijing's premier Pink Floyd tribute band bring their vast and ever-increasing collection of cuts from Pink Floyd's most creative years, priding themselves on emulating their live performances during the 1970s when their improvisation and psychedelic jamming were at their best. FREE

Blackwater at Jianghu Bar
For a true Irish experience catch Blackwater, whose music draws from the rich traditional Irish repertoire – from beautiful ballads to frenzied reels – these cats may just be the most authentic Irish punk rock band in Beijing and they’re looking for trouble tonight over at Jianghu Bar. RMB 80

Satoshi Kataoka Trio Fruityspace
Satoshi Kataoka is a guitarist, composer, and arranger living in New York. He attended the Jazz Performance program at The City College of New York where he studied with world acknowledged musicians like John Patittuci, Mike Holober, Scott Reeves and many others. Catch his trio which includes Yujiro Yoshimine on bass and Takeshi Sakamoto on drums. FREE

String, Xue Feng at 69 Café
Instrumental composer and performer String aka Xian, who combines "world music, Chinese traditional melodies, and spiritual/religious themes," joins singer-songwriter Xue Feng of The Peppercorns. FREE

Steve Blaque, John Haba at Pink Moon
American artist and producer Steve Blaque, who played formerly in the genre-bending rock band The Radiance, joins friends tonight. FREE

Sunday, Sep 1

Sulis Club (HK) at School
Hong Kong four-piece indie rock outfit Sulis Club who combine elements of Britpop, J-rock, post-rock, and pop-rock and are influenced by Oasis, Jet, Toe, Hiatus, and The Killers make their way upon School as part of their nationwide tour. RMB 100

Never Before, The Dark Prisons Massacre, Evil Thorn, Bad Clutch, Ephermerality at Mao Livehouse
Beijing’s premier sludge metal band Never Before, merciless and face-meltingly awesome in their might join razor-edged metal punks Bad Clutch, brutal metal outfit The Dark Prison Massacre, aggressive death metal act Evil Thorn and more this night at Loud Fest. So yeah expect things to get very, well, loud. RMB 120

PRIM (Austria) at DDC
Not bound by a single genre, Austrian jazz trio Prim impresses critics and crowds with their technical virtuosity and their progressive sounds as they incorporate rock riffs, classical themes, and film score expressiveness into their sound. RMB 80

Mojo Hand at Jianghu Bar
Blues supergroup Mojo Hand, made up of some of the skilled rockers of the Beijing scene, including OOC frontman Cheng Chen, bassist Wang Zheng, and guitarist Wei Wei, get a Chicago blues jam on at Jianghu Bar. FREE

BUA Seven at 69 Cafe
The BUA Seven guitar club whose motto is “We are abstract singers in the sense that we abstract,” gets down and jiggy in Changping this evening. FREE

Antonio Fusco Quartet at Modernista
Baochao Hutong invites drummer Antonio Fusco and his international jazz quartet for an evening of remade classics, original compositions, and lots of groove. FREE