The World Underground : Episode 2 is live! Watch it now.

Episode 2: GUIGUISUISUI & NOISE ARCADE

Budget : $3,000 after fundraiser fees

Hello again. Welcome to the newest edition of The World Underground. This project is funded entirely by donations. I release everything for donation so that it's accessible to everyone, as well as in the hope of continuing, or some day becoming self-sustainable.  Please consider making a donation of $5 via the donate page.

Episode 2 follows Beijing based musicians GUIGUISUISUI (Dann Gaymer) and Noise Arcade (Michael Cupoli) on tour in Japan, Korea, and Northeast China.  This is a film about the people you meet along the way. The endless sounds that now, can never be unheard. Noise meeting deep quiet, and confusion meeting exhaustion. Finishing this film almost broke me. It took four years. It's shifted and morphed so many times. Those who don't follow me closely may not know that I moved to China while making it, spent three years there, and have since moved to Indonesia to do this project full-time.

For a while I thought I'd never be able to make something that I didn't loathe. I did, and this is it. An attempt to capture a three week trek through some of the most beautifully bewildering, drunken, noise-drenched landscapes on earth. To me, it's always surprising just how much can be shared without language. Alongside the Korea based media outlet Aweh, our goal was to align ourselves with as many local artists as possible, and see what stories came naturally.  From Busan, to Osaka, all these sounds and stories that stuck to us over the weeks, it's bottled into 90 minutes. To me, this film is unfinished, and it will remain that way. When is something ever truly "done" anyway?

This isn't an attempt to provide any sort of objective documentation of the people, places, or artists we discovered on our journey.  It's not even meant to be a reflection of reality.  It's simply a story we've chosen to share.  Take from it what you will.  That said, I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks so much for continuing to support this project.  It means the world to me.

It features performances, footage, and interviews by:

GUIGUISUISUI (China)

Noise Arcade (China)

Luvplastik (China)

JFI (China)

Nice Legs (Korea)

Yamagata Tweakster (Korea)

East Guinness Crew (Korea)

Mineri (Korea)

Colours (Korea)

Drinking Boys & Girls Choir (Korea)

Say Sue Me (Korea)

Genius (Korea)

Bellbottom from 80's (Japan)

Macmanaman (Japan)

Ninja Man (Japan)

Tero Tero (Japan)

Blond New Half (Japan)

Psychedelic Desert (Japan)

Komai Satoshi & Cyappie (Japan)

Harikozue (Japan)

Punk Disco (Japan)

Elephant Noiz Kashimashi (Japan)

Darklaw & Facial Mess (Japan)

Your Pest Band (Japan)

Thanks so much for continuing to support this project.  It means the world to me.

Film, photography, editing, and sound recording by John Yingling

Japanese translation : Jon Van Dyke

Korean translation : Seoyool Park

Genius audio mix : Arne Stich

Say Sue Me audio mix : Philip Brett

Trailer credits: 

Sound Design by Dereck Blackburn of Quiethouse Recording

Songs by: 

Your Pest Band

Noise Arcade

Say Sue Me

GUIGUISUISUI

Blond New Half

Additional footage by Julia Pentelute

Take care out there.

- Yingling

Episode 2 progress, a move to Indonesia, and the future!

Howdy folks.  A few things for you:

My time in Northeast China has come to an end, and next Friday, I begin exiting China. I'm moving to Indonesia for a deep dive, and taking this project full time for as long as possible. This has me jumping in and out of tours with Hiperson, Dirty Fingers, and Hedgehog in June.  Hiperson and Hedgehog both have new records out.  Click their names to listen.  I'll also return to Osaka, Japan, this time with my filming camera, so I'm hoping it's even half as eventful as that last trek with Blond New Half.  I'm so excited to begin a new chapter that will bring this project to the next level.  For those who threw down on the fundraiser to help make it happen, Thank You again.  I will briefly return to the midwest in July to ship your donation perks!  Some major boxes in my personal life have finally been checked.  All of them, really, except that of the release of Episode 2 of this project.

Episode 2 has been all but finished for some time. My original plans to have it released have come and gone many times. This is frustrating, but due to the DIY nature of people doing things for low-to-no cost, I must sit tight and let the rest of the pieces be finished when they're able. I hope for a June release, but time will tell. For my move to Indonesia and the subsequent new shorter film series, I'm putting pieces into place to expedite these issues. I've learned a lot over the last few years, and I'm very excited to start having consistent high quality content for you that really makes The World Underground shine each month. That's what the move to China was working toward, and it begins now. In nine days.  Holy shit!

The future is bright. I begin a move to Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 9 days.  This will serve multiple purposes.  The first, will be to begin editing Episode 3, which is a self-funded endeavor, trekking once again with Beijing's P.K.14.  This film will be very different from my previous pieces.

Once this has finished, I hope to begin a longer piece on Indonesia, while I am living in country.  I think this brings great opportunities to not only show-case past filming efforts done there in 2015, but bring some new light to what is currently happening.  In the middle of all of this, I will begin a short film series, that I hope to release every single month.  Bringing this project into more hyper time-sensitive output is something I have wanted to do for year, and it's about to become a reality.  After this has all began taking shape, I will begin work on a film about Missoula, Montana.  That will be a very interesting time capsule.

Summer and beyond is going to be very interesting.  Aside from what I have lined up so far, I will be letting things fall into place naturally along the way.  Freeing myself up to "just go" has long been something I've pined for.  Fall will bring a 7 city S.E.A. tour by the South Los Angeles Spanish punk band Generacion Suicida.  This is only the beginning, as everything in between will be an "as we go" endeavor.  There should be shows by Mexico grind-core bands in Rumah Api, Kuala Lumpur, treks in Sumatra with Palmer Keen from Aural Archipelago, and everything else in between.  That's not to mention the very vibrant scene of Yogyakarta, the city that will be my editing and resting base.

For all of this to become reality so soon, I am very, very excited.  I'm doing my best not to freak out entirely right now.  Thanks for your patience, and your support. It's about to get real. 

As always, I'll update you every chance I get along the way.  The tours should bring daily updates.  Social media is doing its best to keep eyes on the fear, terror, and shittier aspects of life, but we can only do what we can to push forward in healthy ways.  Let's keep rolling.  We can make it.  Stay safe out there.

Best,

- Yingling

Watch a trailer for The World Underground: Episode 2

Episode 2 follows Beijing based musicians GUIGUISUISUI (Dann Gaymer) and Noise Arcade (Michael Cupoli) on tour in Japan, Korea, and Northeast China.  This is a film about the people you meet along the way. The endless sounds that now, can never be unheard. Noise meeting deep quiet, and confusion meeting exhaustion. An attempt to capture a three week trek through some of the most beautifully bewildering, drunken, noise-drenched landscapes on earth. To me, it's always surprising just how much can be shared without language. An inability to speak with traditional language can still bring powerful bonds. As technology continues to grow, so shall this. Alongside the Korea based media outlet Aweh, our goal was to align ourselves with as many local artists as possible, and see what stories came naturally.  From Busan, to Osaka, take all these sounds and stories that stuck to us over the weeks, and bottle it into 90 minutes. I really think you'll enjoy it.

This film features performances, footage, and interviews by :

GUIGUISUISUI (China)

Noise Arcade (China)

Luvplastik (China)

JFI (China)

Nice Legs (Korea)

Yamagata Tweakster (Korea)

East Guinness Crew (Korea)

Mineri (Korea)

Colours (Korea)

Drinking Boys & Girls Choir (Korea)

Say Sue Me (Korea)

Genius (Korea)

Bellbottom from 80's (Japan)

Macmanaman (Japan)

Ninja Man (Japan)

Tero Tero (Japan)

Blond New Half (Japan)

Psychedelic Desert (Japan)

Komai Satoshi & Cyappie (Japan)

Harikozue (Japan)

Punk Disco (Japan)

Elephant Noiz Kashimashi (Japan)

Darklaw & Facial Mess (Japan)

Your Pest Band (Japan)

It will include many others.  As with the first episode, the films page will include exhaustive details on all artists, people, and places featured in the film.

This film isn't an attempt to provide any sort of objective documentation of the people, places, or artists we discovered on our journey.  It's not even meant to be a reflection of reality.  It's simply a story we've chosen to share.  Take from it what you will.

If all goes as planned, this will be released in Summer 2017.  Keep an eye on our social media.  In two weeks, I'll once again go on tour with Beijing's legendary P.K.14, so there will be stories daily.

Thanks so much for continuing to support this project.  It means the world to me.

Trailer credits: 

Sound Design by Dereck Blackburn of Quiethouse Recording

Film, photography, editing, and sound recording by John Yingling

Songs by: 

Your Pest Band

Say Sue Me

GUIGUISUISUI

Blond New Half

Additional footage by Julia Pentelute

BEIJING : Screening at Caravan - Monday, August 15

BEIJING : The World Underground - Episode 1 will screen at Caravan on Monday, August 15.  This was already happening, but I'll be in town to interview Noise Arcade anyway!  Lucky.  Come hang.