Escape from Dongbei : A trek for noise in S.E. Asia.

I hate to say it, but life is fairly easy for me up in N.E. China.  It feels stupid and shitty to be so comfortable during such tumultuous times.  However, that's just the way it has rolled out for me.  Working my ass off on a lot of fronts feels really good.  I have begun to understand that some things are just going to take a little more time than I'd like, and that's okay.  That's life.  I get paid decently well, am throwing large chunks of money at debt for the first time in a decade.  I have free time to finish a Bachelor's Degree and continue to work on this project.  I like my job.  Sure, Dongbei can be a bit grating sometimes, but for now, it's home.  Having the privilege to travel is another large benefit to taking up this lifestyle.  Though we have lined up some gigs in Heilongjiang, there is largely, nothing happening up here on a regular basis.  We have an upcoming rager with Changchun noise heads.  See the previous blog post for more information, if you're so inclined.  That said, I really miss a consistent noisier end of things.  I decided to take an extended Spring Festival holiday and head back to some of my favorite places.  Check out a few new spots.  Do everything I could to drench myself in as much art and music as possible.  This is how it went.

Wong Ah Wah on Jalan Alor

First up : food.  Night one in Kuala Lumpur. No hassles getting everything started at the airport. Data SIM, money, train into town. Easy, and all done with a smile. It's hot out. I laugh, as I haven't been this warm in a long time. Midnight by now. If you look at a few dozen lists of where to eat in KL, there are a few places that stick on every one, and that's the chicken wings at Wong Ah Wah, on Jalan Alor, a popular street food spot. I love a good Char Kway Teow, but these people, they're not wrong. After fifteen hours of travel, I limp to the end of the food street. Surprisingly, it's half empty. These wings are spectacular. Impossibly crispy. Try to go during non-peak hours. So good to be south again. My body is already happy. Today, all the food.

Nasi Lemak at Village Park in KL.

Now we're talking. Nasi Lemak with Rendang and chicken. Fragrant rice. Peanuts. Sambal. Truly an outstanding thing. On a tip from the ever-helpful Brad M. Seippel, I headed to what he suggested was the best in town, Village Park. Thank You, Brad. Couldn't ask for a better lunch. Afterwards, I met up with an old friend, Matthew Cronin, and his partner Lana Mckinnon. On the outskirts of Jalan Alor, we took a deep breath of Isaan thai food. Bar hopped with Kilkenny on tap. Ended with a second round of Wong Ah Wah. Tumultuous times call for a dive for warmth, and we've cosmically found it here, this week, in Southeast Asia. I hope you can, as well. Take care out there. Be well, and keep pushing on, friends.

Rumah Api

I didn't expect to see anything like this in Malaysia. Happy to be wrong. The wonderful Shaze, who is away from the city, contacted me about a gig at Rumah Api, which I had still never been to. Think of all your favorite dirty DIY spaces around the world, and that's it. Perfect. It's been well over a year since last seeing the members of Shh...Diam!, who are very vocal on LGBTQ, women's rights, and issues we should all care about. Much of the venue is covered in such. This night, as I take a quick glance and see America massing by the millions, a small handful launched each other into the air again and again. It felt like home to us. Thank You, Malaysia. This was the warmest, kindest 72 hours I can remember. Today : Jakarta, MDC, screaming with Dave Dictor . Perfect.

MDC at Ponti Fest Jakarta

M.D.C. Indonesia, day one. Flew in, ate Satay Padang. My friend Jay took me around to ten shops on his bike until we finally found a SIM. Met up with the wonderful Dea Karina, who brought me to "Ponti Fest". Yesterday, the collective's house was raided by police. Tonight, the M.D.C. crew played alongside two dozen other bands including The Elected Officials and The Restarts. Bonkers gig. So many kids. So many bands. Classic Indonesia. Insane heat in the main room. Anca Manimau was there! Spectacular night. Thanks for the killer first day, Indonesia. Tomorrow, a breather.  

You can listen to a live recording here, or by clicking below while you read.

Satay and soup

So nice to be street level in Indonesia again. First real taste of Jakarta traffic today. Truly bonkers. A short trip turned two hours, but that's the reality here. There are a few apps here like Uber, but for motor-bikes. Exact same concept.  It's a ubiquitous set of food, available everywhere here. Chicken Satay with an intensely good peanut sauce. Two types of soup. Chicken + Goat. Tea. Rice. It's great, and I've missed these flavors.

Morning, Bandung. A three hour train ride in yesterday, and I immediately met up with Palmer Keen. He runs the spectacular "Aural Archipelago", documenting lesser known traditional music around Indonesia. Also in tow was James Russell Fritsch, who just began a new label, "100,000". Our meeting point, the Sudirman street market, a Chinese / Indonesian area. I immediately ate two plates of Guangdong style pork. We then headed to a seedy Jaipong club, which I can't even begin to explain to you right now. This is Palmer's porch. The green house, James'. I didn't know this upon separately planning to meet both of them. They've both left the country this morning, and allowed me to stay. Thank You for the hospitality. A few days of wandering, until Jogja band Seahoarse, who I met on my first run here, play a gig! Excited!

Jaipong in Bandung.  Highly recommended.

Last night, Palmer + Sinta said we'd go to a "seedy Jaipong club". I'm still learning what I witnessed. In 1961, Sukarno prohibited Rock and Roll, Western genres, so Jaipong was born. It's a Sundanese dance performance with traditional instruments, but players + dancers feed off each other. This place... indeed very seedy. There'd be a pop session, then Jaipong would start. Men would go up and dance with the women. However, respect was paramount. It's about sensuality. How close can you get without touching? You'd do a jig up to tip the band. People cheered. Wild atmosphere. A wasted police officer kept sitting by us, telling us he was a cop, grabbing us, and pulling Palmer up to dance. Definitely the wildest place I've been that few foreigners ever trek to. If you're ever in Bandung, go dive in.

Seahoarse (Jogja)

Seahoarse. Well over one year ago, I caught their second show as a band, in Yogyakarta. Of course, now, they're tighter, faster, louder. An amazing warehouse spot, "Spasial" that supposedly used to be an old military area. Shops, cafes littered inside. Really something, and I'd assume, a perfect newer addition to Bandung's scene. Five other bands. A showcase for Jakarta based Kolibri Records. Really great to see this type of thing in Indonesia, such a massive space. Feeling pretty raw, with stomach sickness turning into body flu by night. My most anticipated gig is tomorrow, back in Jakarta, so I'm going to responsibly power through, and then rest when I get to the chill vibes of Yogyakarta. I'll be safe. Time to rest. Cheers.

Panca Dwinandhika Zen . He's working in Bandung, where we met, documenting tattoo culture. Not only has he worked in a prison, befriending the in-mates, he aims to capture the disappearing traditional world of the "hand-tap" style art-form. There are under a dozen remaining in the world that know this style, and he believes in keeping it alive. He's done another film about Bali. We talked about his current research, trying to find the Jugun Ianfu, or what were "comfort women" for Japanese colonialists. Near the borders of Indonesia and Timor Leste, at 14 to 16 years old, they'd get large tattoos to be spared being chosen for this. They're now around 90, and he's trying to wade the difficult waters of finding them. Very nice to meet you, Panca. Until next time.  You can read a bit about Panca's journey, in a VICE Indonesia article by Dea Karina.  Click here to do that.

BBDKK in Jogja

To Jogja!  One of my favorite cities on the planet.  This is BBDKK. Opening reception for "A Quiet Universe", which was nice. One of their members played a metal rod with bike parts as strings. I don't know the specifics, but I asked him about it and he said it was inspired by the group Senyawa. Good job Rully and Wukir! Chill night. It was Indra's birthday, and I asked him what his favorite spot to eat in Jogja was. He told me, an italian pizza joint. It was still open. Off we went, just in time for last order. We then decided it was a good idea to go get tacos down the street. These were good decisions, really, considering the lack of this type of stuff in N.E. China. We bode farewell to Indra. A few beers with the J's, and left the night as true gluttons. Another Happy Birthday to you, Uncle Indra. Thanks for the nice night. Today : Prambanan round 2.

Prambanan

Prambanan Temple. My second visit here. Really, just as good as the first. This, and the other main one around Jogja, you cannot go wrong with. Everyone seems to have to so much joy to be there. You'll get a boatload of selfie requests, first in a group, then they want to go one by one. I honestly do not mind, as everyone is so giddy about it, and not in a shitty way. You leave smiling. I think if anyone is really down and out in their life, they should just go here. We hit the grounds, and then went back to the city center, shopped Batik, and intense downpours began. Four hours of planning to hit a Sate Klathak joint, with no cars available, and around midnight, we ended up in the outskirts with Gisa, sipping on deep flavors. Indonesia is wonderful. Thanks to everyone who makes it so.

ARTMOSF at Ruang Gulma Collective

Spectacular show at Ruang Gulma Collective. Amazing space, great people. Ihsanul Fikri : "ARTMOSF, this time, is ecology. I use ecological elements. Sensor sensitive sound painting with pencil. Every scratch is the tone that represents composition of the plant. Fire reaction. I burned palm kernel as an icon for deforestation in Sumatra and Kalimantan, and they burn the forest. Minimal effect, only one, modulating pitch and shift."

Ikbal Lubys is from Malang, but this gig was at Ruang Gulma, in Yogyakarta, where he now lives. That bonkers instrument, handmade. "The guitar was made with really old railway wood. Built in 2013, it has a 4 piece knockdown system, for easier travel. The tuning is special, crossed strings, making two different areas of sound. Like percussion. Active and piezo pickups, but I never use piezo. It's better when played without guitar picks. I can get more than one sound if I turn between tuning system." This was a really great night. Off to KL for one night. This was an intensely wonderful trip, with a lot of layers, old and new.  Indonesia, once again, you've left me grinning with a full heart. 

Masakan Padang

Back in Harbin. Visions of Masakan Padang joints swimming in my head. This is Sumatran food. Eat it with your hands. Go in, and most of the time, you either choose, or they'll pile up all the dishes they have, in front of you. You're only charged for what you eat. Dangerous territory when you're hungry. It feels better than I thought it would, to be back in China. Familiar territory. Back to work on all fronts. Refreshed. Started a brutal new semester of school. Still working on the new film. Spinning plates. Plans I deemed set in stone, I'm already thinking of delaying. Strange calm with this decision. Not much else to do than keep rolling, do the best I can on it all, and let it play out how it may. 

Lots happening this year.  Thanks for following along.

Onward.

Meizhiyong and Changchun friends plan Harbin takeover! Incoming gig!

Incoming noise to Harbin, Heilongjiang!  It can be very difficult to get gigs together up here, but we've done it twice, and we're about to do it again.  Largely thanks to "The Door", who is letting us do basically whatever we want, we've got a killer one coming up on March 15th!

Meizhiyong joins forces with a crew of other people, including a fellow from Sweden!

Full line-up : 

粗糙影像（psychedelic rock 迷幻摇滚）changchun长春

PRCM (noise 粗噪音）(CN）

... (NIKO) notebook noise 笔记本噪音/CH瑞士

LGOOOO（experimental guitar 实验吉他）changchun长春

Consider everybody here super excited.

If you have any friends in Dongbei, let 'em know.  

Until next time,

- Yingling

M.D.C. - Live in Jakarta, Indonesia

 MDC - Live at Ponti Fest, Jakarta, Indonesia.

My recorder was cradled on my backpack, on a rickety piece of wood that Dea Karina and I were standing on. Even though there was a waist high concrete barrier dividing us, I still had to cross my leg over the area, barely moving the whole time, in order for no punk kids to fly back into the thing. Definitely the most nervous I've been for a piece of equipment in some time. This was a really perfect thing to see, right after this stupid asshole got put into office. Mastered by Dereck Blackburn of Quiethouse Recording. Thanks, Jakarta punks. Enjoy. Cheers.

No Trump.  No KKK.  No Fascist U.S.A.

Enjoy.

Free screening alert : Bristol, U.K. on January 26th!

Bristol, U.K. - The World Underground: Episode 1 will screen at the University of Bristol Arts Complex

19:00.  Free Entry.

Thursday, January 26th. Thanks to Simon Bishop and Guangzhou Underground 广州地下 for doing this. Very nice of you! 

I am in Indonesia right now.  Lots happening.  Some things (including a live recording of MDC in Jakarta) soon.

Cheers. <3

Depok, Indonesia meets Chicago, U.S.A. Arc Yellow's "Rad Pop Package" cassette, out now.

Here's some cool final news of 2016.  Depok, Indonesia ARC YELLOW have released a cassette on one of the greatest labels in Chicago, IL, U.S.A.  You can support this at Bandcamp by clicking here, or on the widget below!

I'll be heading down south in three weeks, to hit some shows in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bandung, and Jogja.  It's really about getting the hell away from Dongbei's crazy winter, and reconnecting to the scenes we fell in love with, in 2015.  I'll be storytelling whenever possible, and report when I get home.  

For now, enjoy this slice of 90's grunge, right here in 2016. 

Take care out there,

JY

Nu Underground : One week in Chengdu, Sichuan

It's been two years since I stepped foot in Sichuan province. The last time was a leaping point to follow a tour across Northeast China, Korea, and Japan. My next film. This trip, it's purely a noise and food endeavor. To get the hell out of the Harbin, Heilongjiang, where there's absolutely no underground culture to speak of. However...there's the ice festival, right? I've been told time and again it can be ill advised to travel during the October holiday. National Day. Otherwise known as "the week nearly every Chinese person travels somewhere", be it their hometown, or elsewhere. Flight prices go insane out of China, even from Dongbei to nearby Korea or Japan. The tourist hot spots get swarmed. So I figured I'd head back to one of my all time favorite cities. Chengdu. Nestled near Tibet in West China, the city captured me immediately upon rolling through with Beijing's P.K.14 back in 2013. This is Sichuan province. I'll spare you most of the redundant shit. Spicy food and cute girls, sure. It's important to note, you feel the change when you come here. It's pace, refreshingly eased. A great mixture of all the things you could want in a city, with a still reasonable cost of living.

Anshun Bridge

These two very young local bands, Hiperson and Stolen, blew me away. In one short year, they both grew even better when I returned to book a show with them at Little Bar in 2014. They found their sounds and ran with it. Stolen finally released their intensely refreshing “Loop” LP. Hiperson were currently on tour in Europe. If you think back to 2013, in that interview via Episode 1 of this very project, that's a pretty amazing change in merely 3 years. Their first tour outside of China, it looked like it went smoothly, amazingly, with short snippets of video being posted of crowds reacting intensely positive. Their debut LP, “No Need For Another History”, was released shortly after being signed to Maybe Mars. I'm so proud of these Sichuan kids.

So there I was, dumped back into the humid, sweaty city I so deeply missed. A trip to see about capturing what's new. With China changing at the speed of light, it shifts and molds their scenes, for better or worse. There's a newer player in town, aptly named NU SPACE, and it began right after I last visited. It's a performance space, a separate gallery and store, a cafe. Impressively large in scope, and extremely well executed. Soundproof doors help keep noise complaints down on the live-house side. The weekend I booked my trip, they just so happen to be holding a three day music and art festival. I had no idea it would remind me so much of my favorite street ragers in Chicago.

Kristen of Kiwese and NU SPACE

A mere 3 hour flight from up north, I arrived mid day, bolted to my hotel, and jumped right into things. Arriving at the end of the first day, a hip-hop group, CDC, or 成都说唱会馆 Chengdu Rap House, that rapped in the local Sichuanese dialect closed out the kick-off day. The setup was DJ stages on one end, a street lined with arts and craft tables, merchandise, beer.  It ended with a large main stage outside. The NU SPACE crew didn't stop there, as each day was peppered with electronic acts in the main venue's main performance room. It's basic, but potent. A rectangle outfitted with surprisingly great sound. My main objective was to scope the layout for tomorrow. So wonderful it was to meet the inspiring Kristen, a New Zealand born creative who runs a media outlet called Kiwese. We met and first spoke purely on the internet during that first run at China in 2013, so putting an actual face to the name 3 years later was really special.  She was a big help in fundraising Episode One.  Kristen curated the lineups for all stages at this years festival.  No easy feat.  

CDC (成都说唱会馆)

Day two, I woke up exhausted. It seems my body has atrophied a bit on the festival running end, despite intense exercise. It's a different muscle group and layer of activity, really. Never underestimate humidity, as well. Though it's October, Chengdu is still quite warm and sticky. I'm being accompanied all week by a friend from Shenyang who now lives on the outskirts of Chengdu. We eat some Sichuan dumplings, Hue Guo Rou, and Mapo Dofu for lunch. A pretty classic first meal. The flavors kick my mouth even though I had been waiting to embrace them. I welcome it.

Sichuan food is the real deal

I was most excited to see a band called Chinese Football, from Wuhan. A blatant nod to 1990's Mid-Western American emo, they even brazenly aped American Football's name. It's an homage, and the music follows suit. You can hear hints of Braid, Cap'n Jazz. In all my years following various music scenes in China, I've still yet to find a band that so closely models those scenes I grew up in near Wisconsin and Chicago. It was a trip to see and hear. After connecting with the band, they remarked on how they've never really seen anything like this in China. The staff of Nu Space should be seriously applauded for all their hard work, and making something of this caliber in Sichuan Province. Again, keep in mind, not only do they run this festival each year, they're deeply embedded in the scene, running multiple things at once.  From what I see, it's not just their venue, either.  They are wholly concerned with fostering a positive, driven creative community.  That's special.

Chinese Football (Wuhan)

China has changed immensely since my circular trip, three years ago. Beijing especially, taking hard hits on both venue closures, but also tour cancellations for no good reason. One always has to keep this type of shit in mind, almost expect it, but it always hurts when it goes down. Venues are one thing, but after a stampede in Shanghai on Chinese New Year, things got especially touchy with any festival performances or public events. A notable example would be NYC's The Boys. Further pressing their luck with a really, super fucked up poster via the spectacular Tony Cheung, they arrived in China only to have their entire tour cancelled by higher-ups with only hours to go. Every venue in every city got a letter saying there'd be trouble if these events went on. So, mostly, they didn't. Even as I write this, the continual and ever-morphing changes keep rolling. For example, in little over one month, Shanghai's storied venue The Shelter, will close on the last day of 2016, after the “boring reason” of failure to get its license renewed. There's a long piece written here about what it has meant for Shanghai.

Sulumi (Beijing)

I caught my first electronic act in Nu Space proper. Sulumi, who currently lives in Beijing and runs Shanshui Records. We mulled around the cafe area a bit, watched little kids paint umbrellas. Got beer from the many Beijing micro-breweries like Jing A. Grandmothers who live in the nearby houses sitting on their porches, either wholly indifferent to the whole thing, or up bobbing their heads taking selfies. Garbage filled platform bikes with seemingly nothing to do but split the crowd gathered at the end main stage. A little girl hands almost dangerously hangs off the sound booths side, turning to me, I point my camera up, and she gives me the rock horns. It was really a site to see sometimes.

NUART Festival's final day, reeling a bit from peppercorns and booze, we again rolled in mid-day, after a long lunch of Thai food. I remember back in 2013, being so enamored with the immense diversity of Chinese food, laughing at people's suggestions in Beijing, to get pizza or burgers. Having not been too well traveled at that point, I wondered why anyone would bother. “Just wait...” was a response often gotten. Indeed, today, despite having only scratched the surface of the cuisine of these regions, I'd do terrible things for a proper taco. The switch has been flipped, and here and there, sometimes you just want that itch scratched. That said, for its size, Chengdu has a really great spread of restaurants that can do just that. It's safe to say, Dongbei does not have a “Mike Pizza Kitchen” or “Red Beard Burger”. There's a Western BBQ spot in Harbin that is pretty good, but it's no “Iron Pug”. There was little embarrassment involved in rocking up to these places, especially when my guide to Chengdu for the week, Shi Hong, had never really been exposed to these things. Teaching her to make the “New York” pizza fold was a dark moment of pride for me. Chengdu's train system remains spectacular, and it was insanely easy to jump and transfer to the area where Nu Space was holding it all.

Vendors at NUART Festival

That said, to have the whole damn thing go smoothly, is an amazing feat for Chengdu, and China in general, amidst constant crack-down. There were no police shut downs. Kristen told me, “NUART Festival is supported by the local government body, they provide some funding, and allow us to close the street for three days, which is epic.” To hold such a festival, with little to no problems whatsoever, is an amazing feat. In a country where impossible red tape and bureaucracy can kill best laid plans that were executed perfectly, over night, it's a huge step forward, so much so that many of the Chinese touring bands left hugely impressed.

IIMMUNE

Every day, we were on time, and for the most part, so was the festival. IIMMUNE, a Beijing based electronic artist who also runs the collective Prajnasonic. Deep, layered pulses with beautiful visuals accompanied by the boards in the back room. My body was still adjusting, having basically gone through four seasons of weather shift by now, the colder temperatures finally making their way south.. We sat on an elevated platform, awaiting Vladivostok, Russia's Starcardigan to take the stage. More old people bewilderingly bopping their heads, taking super shitty selfies, some just sitting in their doorways, no doubt pondering a healthy mix of amusement and confusion. I saw more older locals enjoying themselves and very little to no flustered pushback. To me, that's amazing, as even in my years of hitting hundreds of Chicago street festivals, upsetting people's daily routine meant some seriously sour faces. Perhaps, the whole thing is a testament to Chengdu's vibe.

Starcardigan rally the crowd into hand-claps over electronic beats, and I start planning a a foray into the best hotpot Stolen and these old friends can come up with, for the next day. It's something I'd been salivating over since even deciding to come back to Sichuan. Having some of these people back with me, it really was spectacular. Xiaobin, who I originally met in Guangzhou, has a particularly wonderful habit of showing up wherever I am in the south, without notice. She lives in Chengdu now, and over a quick beer in the cafe, she told me how Anthony Bourdain was just in town filming a new episode of Parts Unknown. She was on staff to help with the piece, and told me about one day, when they were mulling around in the office, their Facebook messenger was being scrolled through. She saw a message I'd sent Bourdain. Basically, I was yelling at him to please check out Stolen and Hiperson. I yelped at that mention. Sure, i'm just one of millions following his pieces, screaming at him to check out this and that, come to wherever, go see whoever. I think I'd be a pretty damn solid music advisor, though. Either way, funny to hear how things get on the radar, even if nothing will ever come from it.

Starcardigan (Vladivostok)

Beijing based WHAI closed out the festival. I got distracted from seeing Xiaobin and the crew in the cafe, and my brain started to go fuzzy after too much stimulation. Being so far removed from art and music up on Dongbei, it amazed me how long it took to get back into simply holding a longer conversation, in English, about these types of things. Talking to them about what's happening. This foray into Asia has really been a roller-coaster in terms of leaping in and out of it all, building up a work ethic. Learning how to calm down and do things that are totally unrelated to what I love, for the good of the next half of my life. The age-old adage of “it'll all still be here” can be a tough pill to swallow when you're juggling ten things at once. However, solid amounts of effort, no matter how small, multiplied over time, is going to get me where I need to be by the end of 2017. There's an end in sight. I just have to keep going.

In an instant, clean-up crews seemingly had half the garbage off the street. Formol jumped on his motorbike and we headed around a few corners to find food. They mentioned last year, how afterwards, finding most restaurants had sold out of whatever they were selling for the day, it gave me one last nod of approval for the whole damn thing. I'm sure it's insanely stressful, having this behemoth event thrust upon your normal business operation, but to have everyone get cleaned out by nine at night, three days in a row, is surely a damn fine sight to see. We roll up to a wholly empty, but well lit small shop that has less than ten tables. The owner is sleeping at one of them. Formol wakes him, and asks about dinner. The guy doesn't skip a beat, breaths in, and jumps into getting us some rigorously refreshing, clear-stocked tripe and beef soups. Chengdu's ubiquitous red chili broth is well represented across the city, but things like this can go a long way to curb the rumble in your stomach if you've over-indulged, or are over-cooked with it all. We make plans go head a ways outside the city the next day, and I sleep like a baby.

Stolen rehearsing.

In the morning, Formol picks me up on his motorbike, and we trek ten kilometers outside the city center. Stolen are rehearsing for an upcoming festival gig. Out here, was the old Morning House space. Realistically, this was a different world. I've been here before. You drop down a few feet into a side road, and it feels like you're in the jungle. Weather shifts. We grip a quick snack of noodles and bread from a street-side cart. Though it's near what seems to be a busy area for couples and locals to walk, there is very little happening, compared to the city proper. As with many places in China, it got built out of its old home, and now moved down the road a bit, to a new spot where creators like atmen hold events. Large stages, one with a pool. Practice rooms, and all sorts of open, breathable areas to create in. Even still, having these things out here seem like a blessing and a curse, on a noise complain level. Formol telling me briefly of last year's Aus-atmen festival, which was held nearby in an area called "Flower Town".  Someone coming and unplugging the power, and later returning with a group of people holding metal pipes, when they'd just gone and plugged it all back in. Not quite a great position to find yourself in, considering the police's lack of activity with such situations. Stolen have new songs that continue their exploration into electronic, sonic guitar space, and visual experimentation. It's amazing to watch them grow. They don't want to move to Beijing or sign to any sort of regular contract. Now under management by a guy in France, he's going to bring them to Europe in December, with more plans to set down roots and go back a few more times. At least, that's the plan. I told them they no doubt have to align with Agostino from UZEDA and Bellini, and get themselves a goddamn show in Catania, Sicily. I should send them e-mail now. The band left to the festival grounds to sound-check, and I roll back to the hotel and get Chuan Chuan with Shi Hong. This is another thing I deeply missed, and haven't really gone properly in years, if at all.

Stolen

In the morning, back on Formol's motorbike, and out to the festival, in the middle of nowhere, “It's just for money”, they tell me. A one-off event for the opening of some new high-rise sprawl, mini mega-city, that they continue to build. Billed as a sort of oasis, I see plugs for them even in Harbin. A particularly dark advertisement currently up in one of my buildings elevators touts one of their builds as “a new city, outside the dust.” Bleak. We get settled in the back stage area, and go out to the open grass to sit with the regular festival attendees. A security guard walks up and starts speaking to the band. Suddenly, all hell breaks loose, and they begin screaming back and forth. Apparently, the security guard told the band they can't watch the acts perform, and can only sit backstage. The entire band rip off their lanyards and throw them at the poor bastard, rightly ultra pissed. They go back and grab their gear, as if to leave, and the whole crew comes up and trying to calm the situation. Heated, it takes a good hour for it all to calm down. Eventually, they perform as the sun sets, and all is well. I notice there's a small cluster of girls screaming as each song begins, and they know all the words. Later, I'm told my Formol that they have a small group of people who show up to every single show they put on in the area, regardless of how far outside Chengdu proper it may be. Superfans! Stolen have really come into their own. In 2014, I was extremely impressed hearing a few new songs that would be released on a record at some point. They were intensely refreshing. The release of their first LP, “Loop”, puts all those new burners on a thing you can own, and I highly suggest you consider supporting them.

Hot Pot (火鍋) - Spectacular

The next day Shi Hong brings me to an extremely packed Jinli Street and the I-Box art area, where cool kids were taking selfies, skateboarding, and getting pro photo shoots done around rusty art pieces. Our plan was to basically mull around and soak in as much of the city as we could, before heading to what is supposedly the best Hot Pot (火鍋) Chengdu has to offer.

Turns out they weren't kidding. Honestly, I never even bother with the thing outside Sichuan. This may be a mistake, but for me, it makes the trip south all the more special. As with many debates between the neighboring Chongqing and Chengdu, like who has the hottest girls, they each prefer their own. I think it's just preference. Either way, this shit is the nectar of the Gods. We rolled into everyone's favorite spot, 青年火锅, which is ran by first-generation Chengdu musician who was in bands 20 years ago. If you go into the bathroom, a decades old photo of him screaming into a microphone sits besides the toilet. He's still into music, and still involved with it all. Super nice guy. The wait was 90 minutes, a bit of which could have been National Day crowd, but it's definitely popular on any given night. Totally worth the wait. Hot Pot, logistically, is a simple concept. Dip your meat, veggies, innards, or whatever you have, into the insane broth. Cool it down in the other self-made mixture of oil, sauce, garlic, and tidbits of your choice. Continue. The best, but man...as others have echoed in articles on what NOT to do... Definitely hold off from partaking in this if you're about to play a gig, or do anything super important in a public space. You never know how your body will react to it. I was happy to find myself having no issue whatsoever the next day, but I'll never forget the hellish morning after of my first deep dive into the chili pool. Your mileage may vary. You are warned.

Xiang and Su of Atmen with SHAO (middle)

My final day had me wholly excited. We jump back onto Formol's motorbike one last time, and meet up with Xiang and Su of atmen. The ladies of atmen run a label, perform, run electronic event promotion. Host partied. Form a vision “looking for strongly contrasting elements” for a “mental and physical experience.” It began in 2015, and has been gaining speed ever since. I try to keep my eye on Chengdu, and Atment first caught it from an interview with who else but Josh Feola, which you can read here. We headed over to the infamous Poly Center, which houses underground venues TAG and Here We Go, near the top floors of a high-rise. Tonight, the atmen party closed out with SHAO. Another tip from Feola, who's been pushing him as the forefront of electronic artists in China, alongside IIMMUNE. That said, I was quite pleased to be able to catch all of this in one short week. Shao puts on a hell of a show. I won't pretend to be particularly well-versed in electronic music, but it's always been something I've found myself deeply curious about. This was certainly refreshing, and it reminded me of dark warehouses in Chicago, simply getting lost in the waves. I'll also note that, whoever the hell is bartending at their small, separate off-shoot bar...I forget the name. The guy spent a lot of time in Japan bartending, learning how to do things, and came back to Chengdu to make good drinks. It shows. He was extremely nice, and made the best goddamn cocktails I've had in China, outside of Xiao Hai's “Bar Trochilus” in Changchun. Really something. The staff at TAG were really nice, and the whole damn thing wrapped up one of the best weeks in China that I can remember.

SHAO

If you find yourself coming to the PRC, you need to make this city, and seeking out these people and places, a priority.  I guarantee you it'll bring you a sense of warmth in a foreign land that you've never quite experienced. Chengdu always has a knack for making you remember why you fell in love with this country in the first place. To that, I'll forever tip my hat.

Making : An evening in Harbin, Northeast China...

Time is very unforgiving.  I've been in Harbin, Heilongjiang for one year.  Overall, it's been an extremely positive experience.  It has forced me to seek solace in strange and unusual circumstances.  Get out of my comfort zone.  Hit ramen shops with Russian girls.  Take my bank teller out for beers.  Skulk around the extremely dirty streets, shooting whatever's around.  There is no music scene here to speak of, outside of some classical concerts, which believe me, I've gone to just to maintain a sense of normalcy.

It would be easy to sit back and pickle your liver.  Stay inside when the temperature drops to around -30 degrees, where it stays for weeks.  Many do this.  Dongbei...what a trip.

Since coming here, I've wanted to set up a show.  There's some things happening in Dalian, of course, with Wang Wen and Doc Talk Shock (now just DOC).  Chanchun has a very small scene, with Meizhiyong recently releasing the excellently crazy "China's Steel".  Harbin, though...nothing.  There are a few metal bands, but they never play.  They're on some label, God knows who or what they do, and we've had conversations with them.  They just don't really understand the whole "just do the thing" outlook that we have.  I do not blame them.  China as a whole is not set up in this way, outside of a handful of cities.  

I met Shaun Handlen, who offered me the position that would bring me to Harbin.  Technically, we met over 15 years ago, in Green Bay, Wisconsin.  This was either at Concert Cafe, or a DIY space called "The ______ house", where I met Andy Junk of Holy Shit! and began a lifetime addiction of going to rock and roll shows in dark, dirty spaces.  It's a long story I won't flesh out now.  Obviously, Shaun gets it, because we grew up in literally the exact same environment.   For the entire year I've been here, I've poked and prodded, trying to make something happen.  Nobody really wants to come, and I don't blame them, because there's nothing in it for them aside from just doing a thing, and a high probability of losing money on either, or both ends.  I just got back from a spectacular week in Chengdu, which I'm finishing up a piece about in the next week or two.  I hit Beijing, though simply to interview Michael Cupoli in Noise Arcade.

To my surprise, Michael contacted me recently.  His girlfriend has family in Harbin, and he was coming to visit.  Perfect situation for a rock and roll show.

Shaun's band is always up to play.  So, with and answer to "with who", we began a search for a place that would actually allow us to do it.  This proved an interesting feat, with a spread of outright denials, a couple indifferent parties, and many simply with a response of "it's too loud."  Harbin loves their guitar and medium volume microphone cover-band schlock, but a drum set?  Heavens forbid.  Finally, we found not just one, but two places on Qiao Nan Jie, Harbin's main bar street.  One was pretty large, they seemed into it, and agreed.  However, for the local crowds here, the vibe was definitely a bit out there, for our purposes.  We decided to see if we could find another space.  I contacted a guy who had his hands in a few different things here, including an old, shuttered venue that has just opened up once again.  He suggested a small place he co-owned called "The Door".  A tiny stage in the corner.  Not much room to move around.  A perfect place for our first real run at something in this city for quite some time.  The type of place that looks full with 20 people.  Everyone was on board.  So, we firmed it up, and I made my first posted in well over a decade.

We began spreading the word.  I figured with it starting early, and ending at a reasonable time, that turnout could be alright.  In the end, we really had no idea.  We would have been happy with 20 people.  To our surprise, a shitload of people showed up.  Even at nine on the dot, the place was nearly full.  By the time Cut Frenzy left the stage and Noise Arcade began setting up, you could barely move.  Russians mixed with American expats and Dongbei locals.  College kids turned up, and stuck around because the whole damn thing was over by 10:45.  Sure, it was a free show, in a city starved for events of this nature, but that surely doesn't mean what you put on is going to be successful.  This is a city where most are in bed by 9PM, and college kids have curfews ranging mostly from 10PM, with some around midnight.  Expats, per Shaun, could give a shit less, and "won't pay for shows."   For the university curfew crowd, after speaking with dozens of them, the whole "hopping the gate" thing isn't really something that's really on their radar.

Cut Frenzy

That said...the show went perfectly.  We threw Noise Arcade dough from our own pockets.  The bar's manager and sound guy were extremely into the whole thing, and want to do it again.  "We need to charge money next time!", he told Shaun.  Yeah., we do.  It left me impressed, and honestly, I'm quite proud of this city at the moment.  Hell, even my banker friend showed up.  That's a pretty big deal. 

Recently, I met a kid who does freestyle hip-hop, mostly outside of a sandwich shop right down from where this show went on, spitting over beats from a dirty speaker.  I asked him about performing when we put on another thing, and he said he's nervous, but entertained the idea.  Anqi from Changchun is into coming.  We're cooking something up for December.  P.K.14 said "it's been ages" since they've been up here (the last time was on their 2013 tour, when I did the film.) and I think if I bother them enough, they'll make the trek, likely tacking on Dalian or something else on the way.

I thought I'd put some words up here, while this moment was still fresh in my head.  One gig per year, it's better than zero, I'd say, and I'm extremely happy to be able to do it.  We'll keep rolling up here.  There's some really exciting shit in the works for 2017.  Episode 2 is forming, and will get released.  It's taken longer than expected, but I'm really excited about it, and this second film isn't something I can force out of me.  I'm juggling quite a few things,.  Trying to set up a long-term life, for a more long-form avenue to document things, and next year is really going to be something.  It will begin in late January, when I head back to Indonesia, and Malaysia.

More to come on all this.  In the mean-time, here's an unmixed, drum heavy live recording of Cut Frenzy for your listening pleasure. 

C-ranking's for all.

Cheers,

-JY

A new interview from the U.K. courtesy of Overblown...

Hey.  There's a new interview from U.K. based Overblown Magazine.  Really kind words.  This is the current state of things.  I discuss people, places, and process.   A few tracks that have been sticking with me lately.

If you're reading this...thanks so much, again, for following along.  It means a lot, to inspire anyone, and it means the world to me.

You can read the full pieces right here.

 Still kicking.  24 hours to Chengdu.

Cheers,

JY

Incoming report : NU ART Festival - Chengdu!

Hey!  I'm finally getting the hell out of the frozen Northeast of Dongbei, and heading into some serious art and noise.  This is one of a few major trips planned to keep everything rolling, while you await Episode 2 of the project.  It's coming along, by the way, and should definitely be worth the wait.

This weekend, I'll head to Chengdu, one of my favorite cities.  There's, a, uh... "NU SPACE" in Chengdu, and they're holding a massive three day art and music festival!  This just so happens to align with our week trip!  How's that for cosmic?

There's a literal TON happening, including art, street shenanigans, and performances by artists across the globe.  Personally, I'm quite excited to see Wuhan's CHINESE FOOTBALL, but there's dozens of others I'm just looking into for the first time.  

If you're around Sichuan province, or have friends in the vicinity, I'd highly recommend heading over to the massive spread of information done by local writer KIWESE!  All the information you need is notated nice and tidy for you.

I'll have a report for you when we get back to Harbin.

See you this weekend, Chengdu!

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.

Tokyo's Junichi Usui : A thirst for knowledge and noise.

I met Junichi Usui in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.  He's from Tokyo.  He smiled a lot, told wonderful stories, and was an extremely nice fellow.  He seemed endlessly interested in Indonesia, and soaked in all the knowledge he could.  We became fast friends, and that has continued since I moved to Harbin, China in October.

Since then, I've been following everything the man has said.  He constantly messages me on Facebook about things he's found, things he's currently listening to.  He once messaged me about the atrocities of "Unit 731", and told me he wanted to come to Harbin because of it.  If you don't know what this is, look it up.  The point is that the man has a lust for knowledge that is really inspiring.  He's began making lists of things, music, and good things to check out, and posting them on his website.

His current undertaking is a random playlist of music around the world.  His lists are always exhaustive, and worth checking out. This particular one includes music from Lebanon, Palestine, the U.K., Italy, France, all around Europe...the U.S.A., Indonesia, Nepal.  I don't even know where he finds half of this shit.  I'll probably ask him about his methods after I hit the publish button.  You should go here and dive into this.  Knowing Junichi, you'll find something new that you like.  

Be well out there.

- JY

Shanghai's ROUND EYE capture the U.S.A's sorry state.

I'm from United States of America.  If we should even call them that anymore is debatable.  It's weird to cringe when bringing it up.  I never used to.  Not until recently.  Despite all of the terrible shit we have done over the years, I've always taken an approach that it was never in my control.  My stupidity and naivety let me glide along with an "it's not me!" attitude that's totally unwarranted.  

As the years passed, I found myself increasingly uncomfortable there.  Constantly unsafe.  Regularly shaken by the mere presence of a police officer behind me, even when not doing anything wrong.  I don't think that this should be a thing, but it is...and it will be for a long time, at least for me.  

As I traveled Indonesia, Donald Trump was just beginning his reign of terrible fucking behavior in the presidential run.  I spoke with, hugged, played noise with, embedded myself with the Muslim communities in SE Asia, and asked them what they thought people outside of Indonesia should know.  The overwhelming response, was that they are peaceful.  It's not what you see on TV.  Shortly after I left, that asshole Trump starting saying he was going to build walls to keep people out, saying that we should ban Muslim immigration, and all the other things I don't even think should get the time of the day on this particular website.  Shootings continued.  American hatred continued.  I'd slip up and allow myself to read the comments on articles about any of these things, and immediately regret it.

It's a shitty thing, to have to be nearly embarrassed about where you're from.  I moved to China for many reasons.  To get out of debt.  To have the resources, free time, and lifestyle to tackle the insane amount of footage, sound, and time it will take to finish the next few episodes of this project.  It's taking longer than expected, but it will happen, and it will be worth the wait.  I'm excited about the things to come.  However, being away nearly 8 months, it's interesting to see much the anxiety vanish from my life.  I know that I'm privileged, that it's not the same, at all, and that things are very cushy as just another asshole expatriate making 5 times the money a local makes, with free housing to boot.  Yet, I'll never discount or forget just how much fear came with a life in the U.S.A.  Lowering my head as kids in Indonesia brought up Donald Trump being a realistic option for the President of the fucking United States of America...and this was BEFORE all the Muslim banning talk!  What a shit-show.

One could say "Not all North Americans!", and this is surely true.  I'm not trying to discount any of the hard working, inspiring things many people are doing there.  Those are plentiful.  There are really great things about the place.  Some amazing innovators, artists.  Some of the best music scenes in the world.  Some of the brightest minds, curators, and hugest amount of love for craft.  Respect to food culture, and people who call out the assholes when they see them.  Many who redeem some of the utmost embarrassment we have on display.  I'm not saying it's hopeless.  I'm just saying it's a fucking mess, and I hope we wake up soon.  Surely, I'll return.  You see, I have that privilege.  Speaking of privilege, this is written by a young-ish, white, male.  You can likely take any of these feelings and multiply them by forty thousand if you're anyone else.  However, when I do return, I hope I feel less shitty about it all, a lot less anxious, and a lot less scared.

I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, so I'll stop blabbering.

Here's a video that sums things up nicely for you.

Shanghai based ROUND EYE.  Watch it.  Share it.

BILLY

Watch : P.K.14 live in Chengdu, China.

In 2013, I was lucky enough to follow the amazing P.K.14 on tour, through Guangdong, Sichuan, and Hunan provinces.  This story was told in the first edition of "The World Underground", which you can view, and find many other things, right here Episode 1.

This particular show was in Chengdu, Sichuan province.  A small livehouse, aptly named Little Bar.  I left Sichuan with some amazing stories, and I've been wanting to share the whole of this footage for quite some time.  I'd like to again thank P.K.14 for allowing me to come and spend this time with them.   It's something I'll never forget.

Anyways, I know a lot of you love P.K.14 as much as I do, so I thought I would match the entire live recording to this footage, and give people a glimpse of what it's really like to see this band. They're absolutely stunning in a live setting.  My Mandarin is still dreadful, and it just doesn't matter, the emotions come anyway and you find yourself singing along somehow.   Some day I would love to make a 7 show supercut of everything I have, but that's going to take a really long time.  For now, have fun with this one.  This is my favorite set of the 7 I saw.  Rowdy and in top form.

I'm hard at work in Northeast China, editing Episode 2, which I'm excited about.  Japanese and Korean translation is done.  This project is fueled by donations, so if you want to help it keep moving, you can throw in a buck right here, if you so choose.

Thanks again for all the support.  Also, Thanks so much to Michael Cupoli for mixing the audio so well.

Enjoy.

Filmed by John Yingling for The World Underground.  2013.

Say Sue Me : Live in Busan

The excellent Say Sue Me played Basement, in Busan, South Korea.  We were there.  We filmed it for Episode 2, and took recordings.  Originally, this band was supposed to play when we captured the GUIGUISUISUI / Noise Arcade tour, so that's why we're putting this in there.

The crucial human Philip Brett took audio from the soundboard.  We mixed it all together, to create this.  It's unmixed, professionally speaking, and we'll probably do that and update it later.  However, I think this sounds pretty stellar, so here you go.

If you didn't know, there's a lot more of these in the LISTEN section of the site.  Dig in.

Incoming : The World Underground - Episode 2

Hello from Northeast China.  Things are going well.  I'm keeping my head in the sand for a while, editing Episode 2.  Here's how it should look.  I'm excited, and hope to release it by summer.  New live recordings will start going up on the "LISTEN" page.  Thanks for following along.  Much to come.

All the best,

John Yingling

"The Astounding Underground of Indonesia"

Hey all,

I've finally published a staggeringly long article on Impose Magazine, about our trip to Indonesia.

There's a lot to explore here.  Head over and settle in.

Lost Scenes From Treefort Fest 2014

 

This is a compilation of unreleased scenes from Treefort Music Festival 2014.  The festival is held March of each year in Boise, Idaho.

In anticipation of the fifth installment, here are some unreleased scenes from Idaho, 2014.  After finally digging this footage up once more, I just could not let two of these scenes go unwatched.  Having less than stellar recordings, and no real way to make something wholly cohesive, I've decided to stitch it together as best I can, keeping a back-shot of Dan Deacon and crowd, some really beautiful story-telling, as a few clips roll on.  Took it as far as I think this one will go.  Hope it gives you a smile.

Snippets and wisdom from : 
Killer Mike (Run The Jewels)
Dan Deacon
TEENS
The Funs
THEESatisfaction
Ditch Tiger
BOYS
Mount Eerie
Built To Spill
Chastity Belt

Head to TREEFORT.

An interview with Broke In Korea...

Interview in issue #22 of "Broke in Korea" alongside a mess of other great people, artists, bands, and things I had no idea about. Thanks to Kyle Decker, Jon Dunbar, and all who make this thing.  It's never easy, but always, mostly, sometimes worth it.  

Click HERE to read the whole deal, which I recommend you do.

Seahoarse : Live in Yogyakarta, Indonesia

While we were in Jogja, Indonesia, I came across something to sooth my rattled nerves caused by all those motorbike rides, harsh noise, and brutal punk rock.  They're called Seahoarse.  The band brings in chilled out, poppy songs that'll stick in your head for days.  Particularly the slow-burning "Submarine", which we'll likely use to the footage of for Episode 4 of the film project.  Seahoarse is a relatively new band, and this recording is only their 2nd show ever, so I'm interested to see where they go from here.  They're also ridiculously nice people, who came out to almost every gig I saw while spending a month in Java.  Perfect stuff to soak up all that coffee and sun if you're ever in Central Java. 

You can head to the band's Soundcloud page above, or cruise over to the bandcamp and listen to a live recording of their set at Suave Bar.

Junichi Usui : Live in Jogja

Hi everyone,

There's a new live recording up on the "LISTEN" page.  Junichi Usui from Tokyo, Japan.   

Junichi Usui is a musician from Tokyo, Japan. His experimental style incorporates a range of instruments, from violion, a Chinese shō (笙), vocal manipulation, chimes, and more. This set was part of an experimental day called "Kombo", in Jogja, Indonesia. This was Kombo #7. 

You can check out more from Junichi right here.