The Beijinger Blog - Berwin Song

Interview: Techno Legend Richie Hawtin In Beijing

thebeijinger — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0800

Plastikman, Richie Rich, F.U.S.E., Concept 1, Circuit Breaker, Jack Master – Richie Hawtin is a man of many names. Hugely influential during Detroit’s second wave of techno in the early ’90s, Hawtin has since garnered plenty of acclaim and emerged as a leading purveyor of minimal techno. With nearly 20 albums under his belt (under various guises), he’s taken plenty of trips around the world and blown the roofs off countless parties. Ahead of Hawtin’s date at Tango on December 4, we caught up with the man of plastic on the phone at his home in Berlin.

Killing Them Softly: Ghostface Makes the Pilgrimage

thebeijinger — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:46:00 +0800

Ye shall know a member of the Wu-Tang Clan by these signs: He will hail from New York and hold aliases aplenty. Oh, and he’ll also possess that instantly recognizable gruff and grimy style of flow. On all points above, Ghostface Killah qualifies.

Before becoming the first amongst his Clan to rock the birthplace of kung fu, the man of many names enlightened us on where they all come from, his personal Wu-Tang favorites, and the meaning behind Chinese proverbs ...

Hear No Evil, See No Evil: An Interview with Ratatat

thebeijinger — Tue, 19 May 2009 17:00:00 +0800

Chances are you’ve never heard of these two Caucasian men who specialize in esoteric instrumental hip-hop. But you’ve definitely heard them. Since this New York-based duo of Mike Stroud and Evan Mast came together as Ratatat in 2004, their odd blend of synthesizers, live instruments and strange sound effects (read: panther cry) have been featured in a hodgepodge of places – from news radio and indie flicks to car commercials, the catwalk and video games. Despite it all, they don’t seem to take their success – or themselves – too seriously.

Before their Beijing gig at Mao Livehouse, Evan Mast shared a few insights with the Beijinger ...

Something To Their Name

thebeijinger — Fri, 15 May 2009 09:00:00 +0800

Beijing has one of the best local music scenes in the world.

It may seem a big statement, but the flow of local bands booked for overseas tours and foreigners coming to Beijing to check out the noise is proof of deepening maturity and incredible diversity. Nor has it lost any of the spontaneous energy that’s been its trademark since blasting off 20 or so years ago.

Power to the the People

thebeijinger — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:00:00 +0800

One of the best-kept secrets in hip-hop, Los Angeles duo People Under the Stairs has been killing the underground scene softly and consistently for the past decade. On Feb 21, they make their way across the Pacific to China for the first time. Before their Beijing show at YGYS, PUTS' Thes One took time out to discuss showmanship, Prince, and ten-plus years in the game.

Breaking News: 2008 Beijing Pop Festival Called Off

thebeijinger — Fri, 30 May 2008 20:18:39 +0800

Shan Wei of Rock For China dropped a major bomb today: there will be no Beijing Pop Festival this year, due to uncertainties in the current climate for music events.

"Things are too risky this year," he said. "It’s the earthquake, the Olympics, Bjork – everything this year has affected our decision.” He also stressed that it was an internal decision made by Rock For China, without any signal from the government.

Reached by phone in Hong Kong, where he’s making his own rounds through a few other music conferences, Rock For China president Jason Magnus confirmed the festival’s cancellation for this year, saying that the decision was made for purely “prudent” reasons, due to the financial risks with possibly being faced with a canceled festival after paying for permits and artist fees – a situation, for example, that Midi found themselves in (fortunately, they’re historically thrifty with their artist fees).

Approved! Midi 2008 is on*!

thebeijinger — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:30:50 +0800

* subject to change at any time

Performance permits for all 125 visiting musicians have been approved, revealed Midi Festival director, Zhang Fan, with the permits in hand to prove it. This year will mark Midi's ninth year in a row, maintaining its position as the longest-running music festival in China, and this year's festival will be one of the largest ever. Zhang confirms 100 domestic bands and 30 international bands for this year, plus a multitude of DJs and individual artists filling the side stages – a big jump from last year's roster of 70 Chinese bands and 20 international bands. Swedish rockers Mando Diao, coming off of headlining the HitFM side stage at last year's Beijing Pop Festival, will be the international headliners.

Cui Jian meets SambAsia at the Worker's Gymnasium this Saturday

thebeijinger — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:26:19 +0800

It’s a new year – specifically, a very important year for this fair city – and things are shaping up for some excitement. China’s rock and roll icon is certainly taking advantage of this auspicious year and starting things off with a bang – this Saturday, Jan 5, Cui Jian will make his triumphant return to the Beijing stage, presenting an “Evening of the Era” (Shidai de Wanshang). Though the title of the concert may sound slightly nostalgic, the gig comes just several months after Cui’s appearance at the third Beijing Pop Festival – the first official outdoor performance in the capital of his career. With the announcement of this high-profile show at the Worker’s Gymnasium (the recently reopened venue, of course, where Cui made his large-stage debut over 20 years ago), it appears as though Beijing and Lao Cui are starting things off swimmingly in 2008.

Ourselves Beside Me to open for Ex Models

thebeijinger — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:30:43 +0800

Beijing music mavens, take note (if you haven't already): these three ladies are the next big thing in town. Yes, it’s Ourselves Beside Me, the recently re-emerged all-girl rock band that's been kicking ass all over town (but mostly at D-22). Though Ourselves have already been scouted out by the Bingmasi (Maybe Mars) label (they hope to get them into the studio in time for their spring release batch), D-22 proprietor Michael Pettis realized it was high time to get the word out after a scorching set (click here to see a Youtube clip of the show - but beware, the sound quality is not great) at last week's Cheb Amir and the Black Leviathan show - a set that also happened to blow the French headliners themselves away.

Matthew Shipp sails through Beijing this weekend

thebeijinger — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:00:24 +0800

“I’ve never been to the far east,” says American jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, who will make his China debut this weekend at Yugong Yishan. “So for this trip, I’m looking forward to just seeing with my own eyes, and checking out the energy. I’m looking forward to playing in a new environment.”

Active on the free jazz scene since the early '90s, Shipp has played jazz festivals around the world, admitting “Well, I have been to the Asian part of Turkey – and the reception was great.” His densely precise, percussive playing style has been honed through collaborations with jazz artists such as David Ware and William Parker, and also alternative hip-hop characters like El-P and DJ Spooky – products of the Thirsty Ear Blue Series, for which he is a curator.