#maybemars

[theworldunderground]

Last month, I went to #Beijing for a well needed solid week of noise. Here's a belated recap of photos and words.

[psitrend]

Interview with 'White Elephant": Ruyi Lane

New Post has been published on https://china-underground.com/2020/02/17/interview-with-white-elephant-music-for-adults/

Interview with 'White Elephant": Ruyi Lane

White Elephant was formed in the summer of 2014 by Kalieninge and Li Wen in Nanjing, and was originally called “8 Eye Spy”.

In the beginning, the band was a drum & bass duo with the addition of violin and guitar, but over the years the sound has evolved and become more sophisticated. In 2016 the band reached its current form, with the arrival of Wang Fei on guitar, Yu Diwen on bass and synthesizer and Xie Ning on violin.

Their debut album, ‘Ruyi Lane’ was released in 2019 and is a sort of anthology of short musical stories characterized by black humor, surreal elements, realism, and frustrations, somehow retracing the footsteps of the Velvet Underground with ‘The Gift’ with some post-rock elements.

What’s the story behind the name of the band? What is the ‘White Elephant’?

The band name is from a short story called 《Hills Like White Elephants》 written by Ernest Miller Hemingway，which is one of the Kaliening’s favorite short novel。

Ruyi Lane by White Elephant

How did you meet each other? How did you start to create music together?

Liwen（Drummer） and Kaliening（Vocal）were the members of another band “8 Eye Spy”.After “8 Eye Spy” came to the end，they began to play together。A few months later，Liwen invited Wangfei（Guitarist）and Xiening（Violinist） and Kaliening invited Yudiwen（Bassist）to to join the band。

Your songs are characterized by a surreal and theatrical atmosphere, staging real musical tales. How did you come to develop these musical structures?

Normally，we got an idea first，which could be several sentences、bass loops、guitar riffs，etc。Then we developed the basic idea，until it’s sound like something，something we thought is good。

What were the main challenges in making your sound and your ideas come true?

Balance our abilities and desires。

The record stands out for its sophisticated production and sound research. Who is your audience?

Actually，We didn’t think about this before，maybe the people who understand alternative music and have a sense of humor。

Can you share with us a story from backstage?

Sometimes Yudiwen（bassist，he is an Automotive Engineer）went on a business trip to Chongqing，and the trip would be last for months，and we needed to rehearse for a gig。Then Yudiwen made the movement：he flight back to Nanjing at Friday night，rehearse with us at Saturday night，and flight to Chongqing at Sunday night。We had to conclude that，he really loves music，or he is really rich and happy to show us：）

Can you tell us something about your next projects?

We are going to move on and do something else，maybe music，maybe in the form of this band，maybe not。Thanks for your appreciation，hope you enjoy our music。

Ruyi Lane

#AlternativeMusic, #MaybeMars, #PsychedelicMusic

[babyawacs]

@spotify @netfix @deezer @youtubemusic #outcast s thewholeworld iscearly anintel lullaby bythe old arts intensified inthe80s musictv For whodidtheysing Theymayhavebeen showhorse contract maybemars related?

@spotify @netfix @deezer @youtubemusic #outcast s thewholeworld iscearly anintel lullaby bythe old arts intensified inthe80s musictv For whodidtheysing Theymayhavebeen showhorse contract maybemars related?

@spotify @netfix @deezer @youtubemusic #outcast s thewholeworld iscearly anintel lullaby bythe old arts intensified inthe80s musictv For whodidtheysing Theymayhavebeen showhorse contract maybemars related? I am Christian KISS BabyAWACS – Raw Independent Sophistication #THINKTANK + #INTEL #HELLHOLE #BLOG https://www.BabyAWACS.com/ Inquiry@BabyAWACS.com PHONE / FAX +493212 611 34 64 Helpful? Pay.…

[jamesrgibson]

#nowspinning Snapline | Phenomena #snapline #maybemars I have been listening to this a lot lately. Dark post-punk/electronic/kraut from China

[cqscene]

http://downloads.maybemars.org/album/maybe-mars-vol-1-2007-2009

[shawtytakeadrank]

Say Hello to the Debut from Hiperson

It's almost time for the second Maybe Mars release of the year, following Proximity Butterfly's Medusae. This time it's the debut from Hiperson, a five-piece from Chengdu, also like PB. It's called No Need for Another History and it's out on April 20, 2015 (420, Y'ALL). Here, have a preview:

Hiperson have been around for a minute now, making demos and playing a few choice shows. Can't say I've ever seen them live, unfortunately, but I enjoyed their demos, some of which get a re-working for this upcoming release. For whatever reason, not the least of which is that they're pretty good, they have been praised more than any new band I can think of. Here's an example, from their press release and Douban Music: "Though the band members have just entered their 20s, they have, in the wake of a steady string of successful live shows, unexpectedly garnered a wealth of sincere critical praise. As early as a year and a half ago, Douban Music said of the band: "Hiperson's songs have rich song structure, full-throated vocal presence, and an especially poetic lyrical spirit. In this increasingly methodical, fast-food generation, Hiperson emerges as a rare manifestation of the genuine spirit of rock'n'roll." What do you think?

No Need For Another History by Hiperson

That song, the album's first single, will have a music video released this week. Check it out on Youku here. Starting in the end of May, the band will also embark on one of those massive month-long China tours. So watch out for that. That's about all I can tell you right now about Hiperson's No Need for Another History. I like the first single, but I haven't heard the rest of the album. It was produced by Yang Haisong so it's probably in good shape structurally and sonically. That's something. 

 When I know more, you'll know more. Until then, tide yourself over with the band's appearance on The Sound Stage, in which they show off the song "He made up his mind to be a tourist" and submit a hilarious interview performance in which guitarist Ji Yinan states that he and lead singer Chen Sijiang are, "Falling in love." And then Chen makes this ambiguous facial expression while the camera lingers for a loooong time and the rest of the band laugh uproariously. 

Oh, to be young, in a rock band, and in love.

[lord-babe]

fav band from when i was in studying abroad in beijing... damn. i forgot all about em! music is ok / good / restorative sometimes. plus look how cute they are! ughh

[floatonight]

#snapline#carsickcars#duckfightgoose#maybemars# yeah this party is over and will never come back again.Say goodbye to a generation.已经从兵马司毕业。

[wewanttoeatyourfoetus-blog]

A vital encounter, the backbone of a scene #monstercatband #monstercatinchina #beijing #maybemars #小萍 # (at XP 小萍)

[theworldunderground]

See you in the pit. 

[psitrend]

Interview with Xiao Dou: the psychedelic sound of Run Run Run

New Post has been published on https://china-underground.com/2019/10/18/interview-with-xiao-dou-the-psychedelic-sound-of-run-run-run/

Interview with Xiao Dou: the psychedelic sound of Run Run Run

Run Run Run Interview

Xiao Dou, a student of the erhu, 二胡, a two-stringed bowed musical instrument known in the West as the Chinese violin, started his career in the music industry working as a sound engineer for bands and clubs across the capital.

A few years later Xiao Dou started his first band DICE, accompanied by talented musicians.

Xiao Dou soon found himself moving back to Guiyang in 2014 to start  Run Run Run. All four members of the band were different ethnic minorities. After few gigs in 2015, the band signed to Maybe Mars. In 2017 Xiao Dou moved back to Beijing.

Related: Interview with Michael Pettis, founder of Maybe Mars

What does your band name mean?

It is the same song name as The Velvet Underground, also our favorite song. So we use it, don’t have any special meanings.

是 The velvet underground 的一首歌名，也是我们非常喜欢的一首歌，所以就用了，没有特殊的意思

How and when did you start your career in the music industry?

I formed the band “DICE” in 2010 Beijing, then started Run Run Run in Guiyang in 2014 until now.

在2010年我在北京组建了DICE，之后到2014年末在贵阳组建了RunRunRun一直到现在.

How long have you all known each other?

Now our band has 3 members, me, keyboard and bass Xiao Wen, and the drummer Moter. Xiao Wen and I have known each other for 8 years, Moter for 3 years.

目前乐队的阵容是键盘小文，鼓手毛特和我，我和小文认识8年了，认识毛特也有3年了

How did you meet?

By watching gigs and friends’ parties.

都是看演出和朋友聚会认识的.

Hoon (2019) is the first album of Run Run Run.

What are the major influences on your music?

Earlier 60/70s impromptu bands like The Velvet Underground and Can. Besides, there are some influences from movies about the Second World War and Vietnam War.

主要影响我们音乐的还是早期六七十年代偏即兴的一些乐队，比如The velvet underground 和Can 这样的乐队，除此之外有一些电影影响，比如关于越战和二战的一些电影.

What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs?

Most of the topics are about the environment，some reactions towards people and the environment. Also from movies.

大多数主题都是关于环境，通过声音人和环境产生的一些反应，也有被看过电影的影响。

How did the China tour go?

The tour was a refreshing feeling, the audience was beyond our imagination. We jammed a new song in every place. It was really fun.

巡演感觉很新鲜，来的观众比想象的多，每一站都会去即兴一首新的曲子，很有趣。

What’s your songwriting process?

There are some motivations that come from my mind at first, and then rehearse to express those ideas, record those materials, and then there is a selection of the material.

通常是有一些动机在脑子里面，排练基本上都是靠即兴的方式尽可能把平时想到的动机表达出来，然后通过记录的素材来挑选出作品。

Can you share with us a story from backstage?

One time, we performed at Old Heaven Bookstore in Shenzhen, because of our busy tour schedule, when the guest band Sulianying was performing, I and our keyboard Xiao Wen fell asleep in the corner of the stage. (The bookstore didn’t have a backstage for rest, and the chairs were not enough, so we could only rest on stage.)

记得一次深圳的旧天堂书店演出，由于赶行程都太累，在嘉宾苏莲英演出的时候，（由于旧天堂书店没有专门休息的地方，加上座椅不够，我们只能坐在舞台上的角落休息，）我和键盘手小文在舞台角落卷着睡着了，睡眠体验非常好

Will you tour Europe or the United States in the next future?

We are very much looking forward to Europe or the US for a tour because there are vivid music scenes and our favorite musicians. We hope we can have a chance to go on a tour.

欧洲和美国我们都非常期待去，因为那儿都有很多我们喜欢的音乐场景和音乐家，希望有机会能去

What is your next project?

We are preparing for our new album. We gave up our ideas from the last album. Now we prefer to make an album that is more Groove. Just like our band’s name. We hope we can produce it at the end of this year.

我们现在在准备新专辑，放弃上一张专辑的理念，现在想做一张更加偏运动的专辑，就像我们乐队的名字，期待今年年底能制作出来.

Thanks to Maybe Mars for the collaboration

#AlternativeMusic, #MaybeMars, #PsychedelicMusic

[fyeahcindie]

First single from Carsick Cars third album "3".

This song rocks!  Black Water, sung in English

[neuronfodder-blog]

30/9: @carsickcars #encore playing at School. 🚙... #Beijing #maybemars (at School)

[rebelcapnreylo]

Snapline @ Yugong Yishan #beijing #live #music #experimental #maybemars (at 愚公移山 Yugong Yishan)

[shawtytakeadrank]

Got this album way early this summer when I was moving and super crazy. I liked it at the time and then it got shoved to the wayside in the rush out of China, but it's being officially released this week in Beijing shoutout to Josh Feola for reminding me) and it's awesome. So I'm going to listen to it some more. Maybe you should, too. Listen to: TEENAGARTEN by The Yours

[theworldunderground]

Late night flight to Beijing tonight.  Saturday to Saturday. Been a while.  Stoked.  See you at all the things. <3