Streets Kill Strange Animals

Streets Kill Strange Animals talk to Loreli at Live Beijing Music's Schoolhouse Rock Vol 1. at School Bar about their upcoming album and how they got started.

Posted April 21, 2016

Noise Arcade

Noise Arcade's Michael Cupoli speaks to Loreli about experimental music in China and the value of cassette tapes.

Posted March 29, 2016

Songwriters of Beijing Panel at The Bookworm Literary Festival

Loreli hosted our first-ever event for the Lit Fest -- and we recorded it just for you!

Posted March 23, 2016

Songwriters of Beijing was held at The Bookworm on March 16th, featuring:

Jordan Darling, Xuefeng Ji, Su Zixu, Nathan Borofka, Randy Abel; moderated by Daniel Lenk, with introduction by Kerryn Leitch

Beijing’s best songwriters discuss lyrics, licks, and taking it to the bridge. Featuring acoustic performances and a lively debate about collaboration, compulsion, and the vibrant and diverse Beijing music scene – plus what the future might hold after the loss of several live venues over the last few years. Featuring singer-songwriter Jordan Darling, Nathan Borofka, Randy Abel, Su Zixiu (苏紫旭) of The Paramecia (Su was a contestant on the TV show Sing My Song), and Xuefeng Ji of the psychedelic band The Peppercorns.

The Peppercorns

The Peppercorns talk to Loreli about incorporating weird instruments into their psychedelic sound and the importance of turning up the bass! 

Posted March 16, 2016

Jump the Fence

Jump the Fence talk to Loreli about their unique songwriting process and combination of different elements to form their sound. 

Posted March 8, 2016

The Twenties

The Twenties talk to Loreli about their progression as a band and their plans to make their debut record. 

Posted March 1, 2016

Jokers Belief

Jokers Belief talk to Loreli about their unique 'mashup of madness' sound and being a fairly new band in the Beijing scene. 

Posted Feb 23, 2016

Poetry by Jenny Tang

Jenny Tang delivers a few pieces of her poetry at the Spittoon Poetry Night on January 21st at Mado.

Posted Feb 1, 2016

Kirk Kenney - China Arts Podcast

Kirk Kenney talks to Loreli about his love of the Chinese music scene and why he decided to turn that love into a podcast. Find China Arts Podcast on iTunes and also at Beijing Pickers website.

Posted Jan 22, 2016

About Kirk Kenney:  

Kirk Kenney is an eclectic musician who studied Mandarin and music at Bennington College before moving to Beijing full time to teach and perform. As a leader in the Americana scene, he performs solo shows and runs community square dance events with his bands, the Hutong Yellow Weasels, and Sourpuss, as well as with other local and international musicians; his regular Beijing venues have included Jianghu, Modernista, Mako Livehouse, DDC and the Bookworm. Kirk has organized and taken part in music festivals in Beijing, Shanghai, and Suzhou, and been involved in workshops for university students at the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Xi’an Normal University and Xi’an International University. He has toured and performed around China, including with American fiddlers Emerald Rae, and Michael Ismerio. With fellow musicians, Hadi Eldebek and Kate Smith, he organized the Compass World Arts world music camp hosted by the Linden Centre in Yunnan -- the first of it's kind in China. Cooperating with Ping Pong Productions, Kirk has also managed and coordinated tours around China for prominent musicians, as well as for the China screenings of the film, Gideon’s Army, a recipient of grants from The US Department of State, and the Ford Foundation. He has collaborated with Pojie Arts and Handicapped International to promote awareness of people with disabilities through dance. When he’s not memorizing lyrics on a plane, or editing the China Arts Podcast, he’s teaching violin and guitar to students in Beijing, managing the local musicians group, the Beijing Pickers, and working to bring musicians together from around the world. Kirk has shared one of many episodes of China Arts Podcast with Loreli - Episode 5: Paul Meredith. Download China Arts Podcast for free on iTunes or on the Beijing Pickers website.

AD: How did you get into podcasting?

 KK: About a year ago I found myself sitting in my Beijing apartment trying to stay warm, playing Civ 5, and listening to podcasts. I didn’t have any voiceover gigs or that many musical performances lined up and was feeling introspective, so my friend Nathan Paul, who is an actor, recommended I listen to the Nerdist. I had been listening to Radiolab for a few years, but the simplicity of the Nerdist’s format showed me it’s actually super easy to get started, even if you don’t know what you’re doing yet. With the work I’ve done in music, recording and voiceover, I’ve spend a lot of hours in front of a microphone. Might as well do something I initiated, and in the process learn how to talk to people, learn how to tell and pass on stories.

 AD: What’s your connection to the music scene in Beijing and the rest of China?

 KK: I came to Beijing because of it’s music scene. When I first came, Nameless Highland was still around, so I got to see and meet some of the folk rocker heroes of mine from Chinese studies in Vermont. The presence of the Beijing music scene on the internet was pretty minimal in 2006, and so very much has been done in a short amount of time to make it accessible to people anywhere in the world, from Badr’s Beijing Daze, to Live Beijing Music’s mixtapes. If those mixtapes had been around back then it would saved me a lot of trouble. They’re amazing. One of the key articles I found and held onto for dear life was Matthew Corbin Clark’s PBS Frontline article about the “Birth of a Beijing Music Scene,” which included Realplayer files of his recordings of key underground bands. The Wild Children’s song, "Leave," in particular, got me hooked, and I knew I had to come to Beijing, and try to involve myself in the music scene, even if River Bar was no more. 

 AD: What do you aim to achieve through the podcast?

 KK: The podcast aims to create a record of the people who are involved in China’s creative industries now while they are still here, and hopefully connect them to each other so they can collaborate on new things in the future. People come and go from China quickly, and I want others to hear from the many many interesting people I’ve met along the way, many of whom are ex-pats and locals who ended up where they are unexpectedly. I started with just music in mind, and I started with my close network of musician friends, but I’m not just interested in musical stories, so why stop there. I plan to make it bilingual eventually, and ultimately I hope that diversity in the creative and cultural industries here gain validity and support from those above (cultural visa? cough cough).

 AD: What’s been your most interesting interview?

 KK: John Flower, who guests on Episode 2, is the Sidwell Friends School’s China program director. Every spring the Linden Center near Dali, Yunnan, hosts a group of Sidwell students. I met John, “interviewed” him, played a square dance, jammed and had beers with him all in the span of 24 hours. I was majorly surprised by how academic and cool he was, and though I had no idea he existed beforehand, here he was with all these amazing stories of playing bluegrass in China and studying Sichuan folk songs way back when. That was the interview where I decided that I wanted to try and interview people in interesting locations, or in their surroundings if possible, too, complete with background noise. I like less formal conversations more than interviews, but I’m still trying to train myself not to say “嗯” all the time, or giggle obnoxiously.

 AD: What’s your outlook for the china music scene after doing the podcast?

 KK: I have hope for the future, though I don’t think anything’s just going to fall into place. It’s going to take a lot of work from a lot of dedicated people who aren’t going to profit too much. Thankfully there are more and more of these people. The China music scene sometimes seems kind of stagnant, especially if you look at Beijing, where you have long-time venues closing down, but a music scene is like an ecosystem, and a sustainable ecosystem requires a lot of players on different levels. I wish there was more growth in the legal side of things, but at least people are actually making contracts now sometimes kind of. Promotors like Splitworks are making great strides in professionalizing and standardizing best practices. MusicDish*China is bringing interesting people over and creating forums for learning. There’s been a lot of growth in venues in smaller cities and towns, which is creating performances opportunities that while small, are fun and can actually pay all right, as well as longer-term residencies. Whiskey and dice bars that would normally just have some pop band play “My Humps” are starting to have to compete with each other because of the corruption crackdown, and diversifying their musical offerings. There are more and more tour managers setting up low-budget tours. There are more people connecting smaller players to larger world-class venues and concert halls, as well as to the International scenes. Groups like Ping Pong Productions and Creative Asia have been working really hard behind the scenes to build trust and productive working relationships between different art social strata, and putting tons of time into educational performances and workshops for migrant schools, universities, and so on. If you want a music scene to sustain, you need young people. Likewise, there are more and more younger sounds guys who actually care about what they’re doing, and more older sound guys who cared ten years ago who actually have capital now to make a difference. You have photographers who actually specialize in music, like Aurelien Foucault and Laurent Hou, who make all this amazing music LOOK amazing. Booking has been made a bajillion times easier with WeChat. I can’t imagine doing all of what we do without WeChat, with which you can book a weeklong Shanghai tour in almost a few hours. Incredible. I wish there was a Mastertour Pro for China. The music scene in China used to be pretty much be Beijing, Wuhan and Shanghai, but it has spread to places like Chengdu, and Dali, where people have moved to get away from giant cities and Pollution.

 AD: Anything else you wanna tell us about this project?

 KK: Staying consistent is one of the hardest things to do with a podcast, especially when it’s not your “Main Thing.” I’ve spent a year on the China Arts Podcast, and only now do I feel like I have a handle on how to proceed, and a basic workflow, but my major challenge for 2016 is going to be to keep it going NO MATTER WHAT amidst all the other stuff I’m doing, and I have some super cool ideas coming up that will make it way easier, and incorporate it into my life more. For example, my bandmate Chris Hawke and I are preparing for a music and storytelling podcast performance at the Shanghai and Beijing American Centers in February and we’ll build on this idea and open it up to the public in Beijing at Jianghu on Feb 20th. I'm looking forward to stitching it all together. 

Lucy Luan

Lucy Luan talks to Loreli about her lifelong obsession and struggle with playing the Chinese zither.

Posted Jan 14, 2016

Spencer Musick

Spencer Musick shares his story about being gay in rural America for Beijing Storytellers' theme of metamorphosis.

Posted Jan 07, 2016

Jordan Darling

Jordan Darling talks to Loreli at the 69 Cafe folk festival about getting into the folk scene, her bucket list, and Greek mythology.

Posted Dec 30, 2015

About Jordan Darling:

Jordan Darling is an indie pun princess who will look you in the eyes while wryly plucking on your heartstrings. She's always been a singer, starting young with Disney songs and country ballads and moving on to Italian arias and choir music in middle and high school, but started writing and performing her own songs at the age of seventeen. Since then, she's performed on a variety of stages for audiences large and small in the US, Israel, and China. Emotional, playful, erudite, and genuine, Jordan's folk originals are half heart, half art, and entirely worth your time.

Shannon Lethbridge

Shannon Lethbridge talks to Loreli at the 69 Cafe folk festival about her musical family, the Beijing folk scene, and in the process accidentally outs Amy as a Taylor Swift fan.

Posted Dec 24, 2015

About Shannon Lethbridge:

Shannon Lethbridge is a sunny indie-folk goddess with an enchanting soulful side. Surrounded by music her whole life, she only discovered her passion for singing and writing four years ago when she decided to sing a poem she wrote in her teens. Born in Australia, she left her home over a year ago to travel, teach and play music! She is currently residing in Beijing playing it solo and in her folk-rock band 'The Plum Trees'. She is lead on vocals, plays acoustic guitar and ukulele. Recently she has started experimenting with a loop pedal, layering vocals and ukulele to create rich sounds, similar to that of a choir.  

Belle Taylor Stand-up Comedy

Belle Taylor delivers her brand of Aussie stand-up at The Bookworm ahead of her departure from Beijing.

Posted Dec 17, 2015

About Belle Taylor:

Belle Taylor is an Australian journalist, flaneur, terrible student of Mandarin and sometime comedian. She moved to Beijing in 2012 and thinks it's one of the most exciting cities in the world. She is author of Cool Beijing, an alternative travel guide to the Chinese capital that is currently available on Amazon.

After nearly four years, Belle has decided to leave China and head for warmer climates in Australia. Loreli was able to get its hands on one of Belle's final stand-up performances at The Bookworm. (Audio and video available).

The Death Narcissist

The Death Narcissist talk to Loreli about their DIY attitude toward making music and flannel shirts, and their secret antique brooch collection. This is part two of a Carlo BANG BANG; last week we talked to one of his other bands, Harridans.

Posted Dec 10, 2015

About The Death Narcissist:

The Death Narcissist is a Beijing-based trio, a side project of local musicians drawing from the bands Luv Plastik, Nakoma and Harridans. Guitarist Tim Zhang, bassist Daniel Lenk and drummer Carlo V. Fuentes came together in late 2014 with the goal of making Beijing’s biggest circle jerk. Drawing in audiences with a raw, energetic live show.

Loreli was able to catch up with The Death Narcissist during Carlo's birthday week at Temple, in which he performed with a different one of his many, many bands each night.

Harridans

Harridans talk to Loreli about their multitude of lineup changes and unabashedly confess their love of The Eagles. This is part one of a Carlo BANG BANG, next week Death Narcissist.

Posted Dec 3, 2015

About Harridans:

'Harridans are a five piece band from Beijing, china. Their music is a blend of glitzy 70's art rock, classic British folk and the poppier side of English progressive rock. Their gigs often border on the chaotic, bridging the gaps between the wise, the kind and the eternal....a fascination for the masses. Loreli was able to catch up with Harridans during Carlo's birthday week at Temple, in which he performed with a different one of his many, many bands each night.

Poetry by Judith Huang

Judith Huang delivers a few pieces of her poetry at the Spittoon Poetry Night on November 22nd at Mado.

Posted Nov 25, 2015

About Judith Huang:

Judith Huang is a Singaporean writer, translator and editor. A recipient of the Foyle Young Poet of the Year Award in 2001, 2003 and 2004, her poetry has been published in journals and anthologies at home and abroad. She graduated from Harvard University in 2010, and is a member of the Signet Society of Arts and Letters. Her online portfolio can be found at www.judithhuang.com.

Loreli was able to record Judith reading two of her poems at the Spittoon Poetry Night. Spittoon meets once a month at Mado bar in Baochao hutong.  

The Paper Tigers

The Paper Tigers talk to Loreli at their first gig about why they are like the United Nations...and reveal their nerdy side in the process!

Posted Nov 19, 2015

About The Paper Tigers:

The Paper Tigers are Beijing's "hottest new indie rock band," and they are preparing to take China by storm. With an explosive and "danceable" sound reminiscent of The Clash and The Cure meets Block Party and The Arctic Monkeys, the band's original new music is the creation of experienced and successful musicians from four continents forged together in Beijing's booming underground scene. Hailing from China, the US, Europe, and Australia, the band's four members boast award-winning musical experience in their home countries and abroad that includes international touring experience, a swag of big name supports, high rotation radio play, film clips broadcast on national networks and record sales topping 10,000 units. Bringing that experience together in Beijing to create something new, their first packed out gig in January this year prompted a flurry of interview requests and gig offers. Having spent the past few months writing and refining their songs and live show, the band is making a highly anticipated return to the stage in the lead up to the release of their debut EP, which they plan to back up with a national tour across China.

Macondo

Macondo talk to Loreli about being an international post-rock band with members from four different continents and how awesome their name sounds in a Columbian accent. 

Posted Nov 12, 2015

About Macondo:

Starting in 2014, Macondo is a cosmic 4 piece post rock outfit hailing from 4 continents. Their brand of music can be described as an infectious blend of hardcore, and electronic psychedelics. They are an attack on the senses, you have to watch them to experience it. Loreli caught up with them at their September 19th gig at Mao Livehouse, but sadly the Beijing music machine rocks much faster than we can keep up with and the Macondo lineup has already changed. At the time of recording, we got to hear from these guys:

Matt Byrne - Drummer (England), Sebastian Fernandez - Bass (Columbia), Gerald van Wyk - Synth (South Africa), Scott Slepicka - Guitar (United States of Minnesota)

Now, bassist Sebastian Fernandez has left the band and some guy named Fred has taken his place. Sebastian's spine-tingling Columbian pronunciation of "Macondo" will be missed but you can hear it in the interview below.  You can check out the new Macondo lineup at Temple Bar on November 21st.

An Exit Interview with Jonathan Alpart

Jonathan Alpart, host of The Sound Stage at China Radio International, talks to Loreli about covering the Chinese rock scene and why he has decided to leave China. 

Posted Nov 4, 2015

About Jonathan Alpart and The Sound Stage:

THE SOUND STAGE（音你而乐）was the world's longest-running show with an exclusive focus on Chinese underground and independent music.  This program gives you a fresh and intimate perspective into the lives of a new generation of musicians as they wrestle for control of their future in a rapidly modernizing China.  Oh, and the music’s fantastic!  So listen up, because China is getting LOUD!

The Sound Stage was produced by Jonathan Alpart（潘佳朗）for China Radio International in Beijing, China. It was a video series of 100 episodes with each episode featuring an original music performance and interview with one band. It was also a weekly radio show broadcast on major FM stations across China - the only show in the nation dedicated to playing music of this kind.

Jonathan left China in October, but was able to give Loreli's Amy (who also happened to be Jonathan's coworker at CRI) an exit interview about his time covering the Chinese rock scene. Below you can also find an example of The Sound Stage video show. All episodes are available on YouTube. 

Ernie Diaz

Ernie Diaz tells a story for Beijing Storytellers about his near death experience and the Chinese medical system.

Posted Oct 21, 2015

About Ernie Diaz:

I've lived all over, enough to not be from anywhere, belong to everywhere, and know everyone's much more alike than different. I also don't do bios in the third person, and find joy in being the best guitar player/singer on my living room couch, unless someone else is sitting there too.  Loreli was able to record Ernie's story at the Beijing Storytellers event on September 22nd, part of The Bookworm's 10th Anniversary celebrations. Full disclosure: Loreli's Amy Daml also hosts the Beijing Storytellers. 

Stuart Wiggin

Stuart Wiggin tells a story for Beijing Storytellers about making of fool of himself on Chinese TV.

Posted Oct 13, 2015

About Stuart Wiggin:

Stuart Wiggin is from the UK and has been in Beijing for close to 9 years. He is the writer of several web shows, including the C4 Show and Naocan Youji 脑残游记 for CRI and Youku, and Laowai Kan Dongxi 老外看东西 for Netease. He also enjoys graphic design and produces a magazine, which he will force you to take with you if you meet him. You can find Stuart on Twitter @chinacomedy_c4 and via Beijing Comedy Genius on YouTube. Loreli was able to record Stuart's story at the Beijing Storytellers event on September 22nd, part of The Bookworm's 10th Anniversary celebrations. Stuart was able to capture himself in video form, which you can find here. Full disclosure: Loreli's Amy Daml also hosts the Beijing Storytellers. 

Laura Lian

Laura Lian tells a story for Beijing Storytellers about the kindness of strangers...and joining the Mile High Club.

Posted Oct 7, 2015

About Laura Lian:

Laura Lian was born and raised in China and has been in Beijing for eight years. Her daytime job is doing project management for a startup, but she also moonlights as an overly sarcastic and risque Wechat blogger. She runs the Wechat blog, Shameless, which can be found using the ID: shamelesschina.  Loreli was able to record Laura's story at the Beijing Storytellers event on September 22nd, part of The Bookworm's 10th Anniversary celebrations. Full disclosure: Loreli's Amy Daml also hosts the Beijing Storytellers. 

Carl Setzer

Carl Setzer tells a story for Beijing Storytellers about his unique China experience of visiting his father-in-law's grave in a Shandong cornfield and the cost of progress.

Posted Sept 30, 2015

About Carl Setzer:

Carl has lived in Beijing for six years and in Mainland China since 2004. He founded Great Leap Brewing in "the age of awesome," and they now have three locations in Beijing. Loreli was able to record Carl's story at the Beijing Storytellers event on September 22nd, part of The Bookworm's 10th Anniversary celebrations. Full disclosure: Loreli's Amy Daml also hosts the Beijing Storytellers.  

Fake Weed

Fake Weed talk to Loreli about the Beijing music scene, their forthcoming album, the uselessness of pressing CDs, and how (some) of their moms think they're cool.

Posted Sept 23, 2015

 About Fake Weed:

Three bearded lads who make noisy math punk music or whatever you feel fit to call it. Always noisy. Started in 2013 as a two piece, then lucked out with the tragic passing of Mammals (of which Woolly was also a member), because we harvested a fully operational drummer (Mike Fuksman) from the bones to create the magical 3 piece Fake Weed you hear and get confused by today. Genius drummer Michael Winkler then became genius bass player Michael Winkler, and we all lived happily ever after until genius Michael Winkler decided to move back home. It was great fun. Our album will be recorded in the next few weeks, and available to download from bandcamp for the usual 'name your price. Mike played in Incisors, and Mammals, and a bunch of other bands. Winkler has done loads of stuff, played most recently in Yantiao, is a fine producer and composes some excellent electronic/ noise music (armtrick, guijian). Woolly played in mammals, and played drums in a band called tda for many years in the UK.

Songs: 1) Napoleon 2) You won on points, but we won on skill 3) Always the child bridesmaid, never the child bride 4) God help those who help themselves

Luv Plastik

Luv Plastik talk to Loreli about their punk approach to making music at the Ran Live showcase at DDC.

Posted Sept 17, 2015

About Luv Plastik:

Luv Plastik is an independent noise rock duo from England. Their music is a literal embodiment of ‘drum and bass’. Distorted, explosive and synthetic bass grooves are combined with classic 70’s drums. The common theme of the music is a vintage-voiced, gritty, dark-humored scream and a murmur. The band’s modern electronic sound and retro rock feel collide to differentiate Luv Plastik’s music from the Beijing underground music scene. Every live show is on the verge of bursting apart, and all of their energy is left on the stage. Over the last year, a lot of local media and magazines have quickly been drawn to this burgeoning new band, which has quickly ascended to the status of new intriguing act to emerge. Find Luv Plastik on facebook and more about Ran Records here.

Loreli spoke with Luv Plastik on September 12th about playing as a two-piece, working with Ran Records, and half a story before sound check cut us off about Dan's brush with death. Spoiler alert: he lives.

Songs: Jackson, Defective Detective, Psych Black

Remedios the Beauty

Robin and friends give us her final show + interview.

Posted Sept 1, 2015