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On this edition of EXD, we are super excited to bring you the first episode of our Punk in China series done by Nevin Domer. The episode is titled “The Pre-History of Chinese Punk” where Nevin introudces us to 69, Cu Jian, He Yong, and Dou Wei – the pioneers that laid the foundation for punk to exist in China. Also on tonight’s show we look at the Best of for Asian releases in 2023 (Angel Face, Tamaki, Blow Your Brains Out, No Excuse, Hollow Suns, Rect, Mini Myth, Soul Vice, Stilleto, and Concealers). There are two features segments on new releases (Fleshhorn, O-D-Ex, Tenaz, Dogmen, Skalp, Suspex, Vahakyro Drive By). There is a two power violence tag team to help you study (Bodybag, Mescaline Maniacs, Healer, Behavioural Issues, 25 Dollar Massacre, PS You’re Dead, Snake Charmer, Vile Intent, Recension). There is an oldies set (Steakknife, Moskwa, Scarps, Refuse, Personality Crisis). And our demo feature will be a chain punk band out of Montreal called Glowing Orb. All that and a ska rendition of a Stranglers song.
STREET CODE - Predator (Longshot Music / Try and Stop Me)
Punk in China - Episode 1 - Episode 1 - The Pre-History of Chinese Punk (Nevin Domer)
That was 69’s “朋克万岁 (Long Live Punk or alternatively translated 10,000 Years Punk)” off of the 1997 compilation 7” from Tiananmen 89 Records’ “10,000 Years Punk” - considered first punk release. Transform revolutionary classics into Oi! Inflected punk
When and where did punk start in China?
Turbulent Mao years - 1949 to 1978
* ‘78 - western products began entering the country. Canto-pop from Hong Kong and Taiwan
* Xibeifeng
* Cui Jian - China’s first rock song.
Anthem of pro-Democracy protesters in 1989. Televised music gala in 1986
He Yong
* Considered successor to Cui Jian
* Father member of the Central Conservatory
* Dropped out to play rock, ‘87 joined the band May Day
* Starting a show by punching his bass player and then spitting beer all over the audience
* ‘89 joined Cui Jian in performing for the protestors
* Wrote most famous song
“the world we live in, is just like a garbage dump.. we eat our conscience and shit out our ideology.” “Is there hope? / No! / Tear it down!”
The summer of 1989 was a high point for rock music in China. The government had allowed the young scene to grow, and students all over the country could sing the new rock anthems by heart. Immediately after the protests in Tiananmen, however, the central government suppressed and banned all rock music performances. Beijing security forces were ordered to locate and imprison prominent rock musicians.
May Day broke up after the Tiananmen Square crackdown, and Chinese rock musicians laid low for a few months, but the tough stance only lasted a few months, though, and then the government allowed rock to tentatively reemerge, resurrected by small private venues catering to the tourist and foreign student crowd.
While tentatively experimenting with pop, state-owned music companies shied away from rock, forcing local musicians to rely on contracts with offshore Hong Kong and Taiwanese record labels. In the early 90s, the Taiwanese label Rock Records set up a sub-label on the mainland called Magic Stone. They signed and promoted the harder-edged acts that had emerged at the end of the 80s, including heavy metal bands such as Zhang Ju’s Tang Dynasty and Dou Wei’s Bon Joviesque Black Panther. By ‘92 (check this), these bands were selling hundreds of thousands of CDs and touring across the country, performing in stadiums. They introduced Chinese audiences to heavy metal, and the sound of rock in China got harder.
In 1994, Magic Stone released He Yong’s album together with records by Black Panther’s singer Dou Wei and folk-rocker Zhang Chu. These three artists became known as the Magic Stone Three, and their albums were widely popular across the country.
Unfortunately, He Yong disappeared again in 1995 after the death of his best friend, Zhang Ju, bassist for the heavy metal band Tang Dynasty. While Zhang Ju played metal, he lived as a rebel and was revered by many of the early punks as the first among them. His death in a horrific motorcycle accident sent He Yong into a spiral of alcoholism and depression which eventually led him to smash his piano on stage during a live performance. That incident got him kicked off of his record label and banned from public performance for a number of years.
This is a recording of Zhang Ju playing with his heavy metal band Tang Dynasty (or Dou Wei’s “Black Dream”).
Best of Asia 2023 (Andre)
ANGEL FACE - Big City (Slovenly)
TAMAKI - Blast (Self-Released)
BLOW YOUR BRAINS OUT - Reveal Your Rotten Minds (Quality Control)
NO EXCUSE - Excruciating Smile (Set The Fire)
HOLLOW SUNS - All You Got (Sunday Drive)
RECT - Pyro (Self-Released)
MINI MYTH - Forgive (Self-Released)
SOUL VICE - Soul Vice (Self-Released)
STILETTO - Control (4490)
CONCEALERS - Throw Hands (Self-released)
Rob
FLESHHORN - Sex Ray (Self-released)
O-D-EX - S Drive (Dirtnap)
SATANIC TOGAS - Your Choice (Sweet Time)
FLESH RAG - Can’t Turn Back (Self-released)
IRON WARNING - There Lies Oblivion (Neon Taste)
New Releases (Chris)
TENAZ - Normal? (Self-released)
DÖGMËN - Restricted (Dirty Slap)
SKALP - Il Prossimo Sei Tu (Sentiero Futuro / Sistema Mortal)
SUSPEX - Grit (Self-released)
VÄHÄKYRÖ DRIVE-BY - Miksi (Self-released)
Study Music
(Nicky)
BODYBAG - Mudcrawler - O (Awesome Mosh Power)
MESCALINE MANIACS - Sactown Beatdown (Thrash Tapes)
HEALER - Mom is Drunk and Talking Shit (Self-released)
BEHAVIOURAL ISSUES - Song 2 (Crush Death)
25 DOLLAR MASSACRE - Cancer (BeenThereSceneThat)
P.S. YOU’RE DEAD - this looks like a great place to lay my eggs (Graveyard Disturbance)
Power violence set
SNAKE CHARMER - Peat Moss - High Times On The Khyber Pass - Codex (Schizophrenic)
VILE INTENT - Leech (Self-Released)
RECENSION - Sexism 0, You -3 (Sounds of Revolution)
GUNS LIQUOR AND WHORES - Scene Killer (Putrid Filth Conspiracy)
UNCLE RAY - Miserable (Self-Released)
STARVATION - Humanity's Final Breath (Slow Death)
NEOS - They'll destroy themselves (Supreme Echo)
KOSZMAR - Zmuszony Do Życia (Self-Released)
Oldies (Stephen)
STEAKKNIFE - Finger In My Butt (Rookie)
PERSONALITY CRISIS - People in Glass (Self-Released)
MOSKWA - Co Dzien (Warsaw Pact)
REFUSE - Refuse (Refuse)
I came across this review on the MRR site for GLOWING ORB. The reviewer described them as wicked chain punk and referred to an early demo from last year. They just released a new cassess called “Subterranean Prison” and that’s what we are going to feature tonight.
GLOWING ORB - Line Goes Up (Self-Released)
GLOWING ORB - Innerworld (Self-Released)
GLOWING ORB - Web (Self-Released)
GLOWING ORB - Labyrinth (Self-Released)
INOKASHIRA RANGERS - Go Buddy Go (KiliKiliVilla)