Rock Music in China Flashcards
Rise of Rock Music in China
Beijing: cradle of Chinese rock
- Emerged in mid-1980s
- Marginalized; lack of state funding
- Belonged mainly to university students and a few underground amateurs at the beginning
- Became part of the popular culture after the June Fourth Incident in 1989.
- Cui Jian: the father of Chinese rock
Background of the June 4th Incident
Major causes:
- Death of Hu Yaobang
- Economic inflation
- Political corruption
The June 4th Incident is also known as…
Tiananmen Square Protests
Advocating for June 4th incident
- A Party without corruption
- Social Equality
- Speech/press freedom
- Escalated in mid May and gradually lost control
Results of June 4th Incident
- After failed conversation, the government:
- Sent troops
- Declared Martial Law
- Opened fire to civilians
Consequences of June 4th incident
- Many died (figure unkown)
- Restricted news coverage
- Some protest leaders got purged
- Protesters arrested
- Setback in society
Cui Jian
- Started his music career as a trumpet player in the Beijing Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Gained massive popularity when he performed “Nothing to My Name” at the Tiananmen Square in May 1989.
- The song became an unofficial anthem for the student protestors.
- Cui and other rock musicians went hiding
- Banned for a short period
How did the Independent describe Cui Jian?
“A cross between Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Kurt Cobain.”
Cui Jian’s Musical Style
- Inspired by John Denver, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Talking Heads.
- Chinese folk (Northwest Wind) + Rock , punk & jazz(e.g. “Nothing to My Name”)
Earliest Chinese Punk Bands
Underbaby, New Pants, Brain Failure
Underbaby
- Widely considered as the first Chinese punk band (1991-present)
- Style: punk rock
- Inspired by the Sex Pistols, The Clash & Ramones
- The band’s first single: “All the Same” (1996)
New Pants
(1996-present)
- Style: pop-punk + disco
- Inspired by Ramones
- “Bye Bye Disco” (200?)
Brain Failure
(1997-present)
- Style: Ska punk+ hard rock
- Influenced by The Clash, Ramones and Dropkick Murphys
- “Give Me a Shot” (2012)
Punk in China
- pop-punk/electro punk: in the open
- hardcore punk/anarcho punk: underground
Chinese Punk vs. American Punk
- More reserved, less explicit appearances
- Avoidance of blood and Violence
- Cautious about anarchism
- Musicians’ awareness of healthy public images (no drugs, charity, etc.)
Heavy Metal in China: Tang Dynasty
- Their emergence in 1988 marks the beginning of Chinese heavy metal
- Named after the culturally prosperous era of Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD)
- Spirit: celebration of the past and despair of the present
Musical style of Tang Dynasty
- British heavy metal + traditional Chinese elements (e.g. vocal technique from Beijing Opera)
- “Nine Rhythm” (1992):
- from their first album: A Dream Return to Tang Dynasty
- Beijing Opera vocal technique
Nu Metal
- After the mid 1990s, Chinese heavy metal started to develop into subgenres (NU metal, death metal, etc.)
- Yaksa (Nu metal; Metalcore)
- released the first Chinese Nu Metal album: Freedom (1999)
“You are not the loser” (2010)
Chinese Nu Metal vs. American Nu Metal
- Less use of swear words
- Less exploitation of feminine sexuality
- More focused on the representation of street culture
- More subtlety in approach to lyrical content
Death Metal
- Chinese & American death metal bands: similar levels of aggressiveness
- Albums only available in independent record stores.
- These extreme metal bands rely on independent record labels, some of these companies have signed European metal bands as well.
Lighter Censorship
Compared to the Chinese film industry, when it comes to music, the country is becoming remarkably open-minded towards the so-called “underground” musicians.
Major Chinese Rock Music Festivals
- Midi Music Festival (from 1997)
- Beijing Pop Festival
- Modern Sky Festival
- Strawberry Music Festival
Chinese Rock Magazines
- Xmusick
- Painkiller
