Bounce to the End of Summer With the Sizzling Productions of Babel Records
Over the past couple years, Beijing-based Babel Records has been making a mark on the electronic scene, wrangling a wide range of producers with an affinity for futuristic takes on the type of pop music that China was awash with in the '80s and '90s, crafting an urban sound that’s tailor-made for the hot summer nights in the process. From the suave and sultry R&B-laced numbers of Joy Ginger to the elastic Daft Punk-esque future pop of neo-soul duo Truetrue, the label’s power lies in their embrace of sounds that meld the mainstream with trendsetting elements that currently grip the electronic scene.
This curated identity is very much intentional according to Babel's ringleader Sid Chen, who since 2016 has been building a bridge between China's aural future and the past, between the underground and mainstream. The label's sound is best showcased in their latest compilation, Hotel Summer Vol. 2, a collection of sensual, humid, and neon-soaked singles from their stacked roster. Meticulously crafted and dripping in breezy swagger, the tracks share crowd-pleasing qualities yet are individually equipped with enough offbeat flavors to make you want to research each musician and dive straight into the deep end of their creative pool.
To celebrate the release, the label has taken the Hotel Summer concept on the road, transporting their sunshine gloss straight to source with a special seaside showcase this Saturday, Sep 14 at Beidaihe, next door to the Aranya Auditorium (where DDC has also set up shop since last year). The lineup features ZHI16, Dokedo, Joy Ginger, as well as Nencol, who'll keep the beats sizzling into the evening. Below I chat with Chen about the label’s humble beginnings, how nostalgia plays into their sound, and breaking into the mainstream.
Congrats on a wonderful 2019 thus far – seems a month doesn’t go by where you haven’t put out something! How do you keep so busy? How big is the Babel team these days?
Thanks. “I’m so busy” is probably my go-to phrase these days. The label seems to have been operating on a certain course and at a fixed speed since this year. Fans want to hear more music and the musicians also want to release more. Currently, we are a team of three, but most of the label's musicians and DJs are also actively giving a helping hand offering their own expertise.
Could you give us a little history on how Babel Records began? Was there ever a specific goal in mind?
I had been studying music since childhood and was playing rock music in bands since middle school. My major in college was recording engineering, but I have been working as a TV show director since graduation.
I began to pay deeper attention to young producers in China in 2016. They were much better than I expected. At that time, the contemporary urban music scene in China was almost non-existent, so I started to set up Babel Records as a hobby. We released our first album Hotel Summer after several radio shows.
Compared to rock music, I believed our music had a lot more mainstream market potential in China. Mainstream music in China at that time was very boring – it felt like there was no progress over the past decade. My idea was that we could bring some changes to mainstream music, and introduce new sounds, which, of course, is a long-term kind of goal.
It feels like you’re getting closer and closer to a ‘Babel Record sound' – how would you describe your label’s taste in music or the artists that fall into your circle?
It's difficult to describe Babel Records' style using words because it's not as simple as describing it in terms of style or tone. It is more like a feeling. Whenever I hear it, an overwhelming feeling will take over my senses.
If I really had to describe it, it’s more like an attempt at localizing urban music. We try to fuse more futuristic aesthetics with the aesthetics of our childhood and the music that we grew up with and still love to this day. So you may feel both a spirit of the future and an emotional resonance in our music.
What’s the idea behind Hotel Summer? How do you plan to bring this idea on the road and replicate that ‘vibe’ in a live setting?
My favorite season is summer – the sense of freedom during those two months of summer vacation when I was a student. Once I came back from an island in Thailand where I had seen a hotel called Summer Hotel. I imagined that if I could stay just in this hotel all the time, I would forever stay in summer. The idea was so romantic and became the basis of our compilation. As long as you're listening to this compilation, you’ll be in summer, staying at the Hotel Summer – even if you're in Siberia!
What are we to expect at these ‘summer hotel’ parties this month? How about for the Beijing edition?
Different from our previous tours, we chose four seaside cities this time around. This tour is really about setting a cool, chill, and relaxing mood. It was lots of fun picking out the venue – we chose some really interesting ones, such as an ice cream bar, a beach, and even a barbershop.
For the release show back in August in Beijing, we threw a fun party – the first time we’ve ever thrown a party in a restaurant. The musicians DJed in the kitchen and people danced in the restaurant. It was quite a unique experience for us all.
What have been some of the label’s favorite artists or releases?
All the artists and releases are like my children, so it's hard to choose. But I always hope this next release will be a perfect album.
What does the future hold for Babel Records?
We’re more ambitious than ever now – and have some high expectations for the future. As I mentioned before, we’re confident we’ll be giving the mainstream music market in China a much needed hit in the future.
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Images courtesy of Babel Records
