Da Bang
Bone Hug (Modern Sky)
Full of melodious synth and soothing choruses, the debut album from Beijing’s most hardworking – and underrated – band (formerly known as Bigger Bang!) fully captures their infectious live charisma. These dance rockers are out to party until they die.
Duck Fight Goose
Sports (Maybe Mars)
Overlaid with deep bass, whimsical choruses, heavy drums and gritty guitars, the full-length debut from this Shanghai band recalls everything great about indie rock. It’s sanguine, impulsive and insanely glorious.
Mamer & IZ
Shadow (Self-release)
Avant-garde rock set against a backdrop of Kazakh folklore. Mamer and co incorporate looping guitar patterns, amplified baselines, intense
dombra riffs (an instrument commonly played in Central Asia) and steely percussion to build up a particularly dark and industrial sound.
Proximity Butterfly
Reprieve (Maybe Mars)
A semi-conceptual album honouring those affected by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. The Chengdu-based prog rock-cum-metal quartet build a hauntingly psychedelic, eerie tone through their use of diverse instrumentation and quick tempo changes. This is definitely one for the festive headbangers.
XHYXXH
Black Sheep (Kungpao Chicken)
This handmade CDR from Zhu Wenbo (the organiser of Beijing music showcase Zoomin’Night) and Zhao Cong (together known as Xiao Hong Yu Xiao Xiao Hong or XHYXXH) is surely the crowning achievement of the capital’s DIY music scene. The swelling ambience built by Zhu’s keyboard and the echoes of Zhao’s voice conspire to create a soundscape of pure dreamy simplicity.