MP3 Monday is a weekly SmartShanghai column, serving up mp3s from bands living and making music in China (or coming to China, or thinking about coming to China, or whatever). Right click on the links and choose "Save Link As..." to download 'em. Click play to rock 'em.
This weeks MP3s are IDH, a band that played in Shanghai a couple weeks ago. A two-piece from Inner Mongolia, IDH (Illusion Division by the Hand), relocated to Beijing in 2007 because it's the place to go if you want to be in a band. Since then they've picked up a third member, who plays piano on a few tracks.
They were in Shanghai for two shows, one at
Live Bar and one at
Yuyintang, as part of a massive China tour which sees the band playing just about everywhere. Click
here for their MySpace and tour dates.
I saw them on the Sunday night show a few weeks back at Yuyintang and really liked them. Even though there wasn't too many people there, the band still gave an emotionally intense performance, which is always a sign of being For Real. Musically, it's suitably depressing post punk a la Bauhaus, Re-TROS -- just the thing for a sunny, rainy Monday afternoon.
Feel the burn. Brooding. Atmospheric. Really good, I think. These songs are off their self-titled demo/EP thing. Sound quality is alright and I hope someone with some cash and contacts (cough* cough* Maybe Mars cough* cough*) picks them up and gives them some dough for some more recordings.
IDH ¨C Final Trial
IDH ¨C Wanna Find a Way
And here's some bonus Bauhaus. Get sad.
Bauhaus ¨C Crowds
Here's IDH on the web:
Myspace;
Douban.
***
For some more timely MP3s, check out the links below. Miniless records is doing a record label showcase at Yuyintang this Saturday. Miniless is run by Hans, singer/guitarist of LOS (and Duck Fight Goose), and now that he's relocated to Shanghai and kinda working at Yuyintang, expect to see more of these showcase shows.
This Saturday it's Lava Ox Sea, Self Party, Duck Right Goose, Fading Horizon, and Boojii.
Here's some links to older MP3 Monday articles with MP3s of a few of those bands:
Fading Horizon;
LOS;
Miniless Recs
Check out their main page
here.