SmartShanghai | MP3 Monday: Mochipet

MP3 Monday: Mochipet

By Morgan Short, Aug 10th, 2009 | In Nightlife

MP3 Monday is a weekly SmartShanghai.com 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.

"You have your fear, which might become reality; and you have Godzilla, which IS reality."
-Ogata from Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956)

Today's MP3s are from Mochipet, this dude from California that dresses up like a terrible, destructive monster from the deep, awoken from his ancient slumber (time and time again) by ill-conceived nuclear testing and things like that.

Did you know in the original planning stages of Godzilla back in the mid 1950s, he was described as a cross between a "gorilla" and a "whale"? And that's where his name comes from? "Gojira (��) is a combination of two Japanese words: gorira (�� lit. "gorilla"), and kujira (�L (��) lit. "whale")."

That's just a taste of the interesting cocktail party items that are at your fingertips with Wikipedia.org. Thanks, Wikipedia.org.

Wasn't there anyone on the set that said, "Wait a second, more so that a cross between a gorilla and a whale, he's basically a giant T. Rex. Let's rethink our shit here."

Anyways, there have been several variations on Godzilla over the years -- Godzillasaurus, Super Godzilla, Godzilla 2000, Heisei Era Godzilla, Zilla, MechaGodzilla, King Ghidorah -- but this current Godzilla, Mochipet, shoots freaky hip hop beats from his mouth and electro hot fire from his claws. Here's some MP3s. These ones are off his 2009 record, Master P On Atari, a provocative concept indeed:

Mochipet - Godzilla New Year

Mochipet - Master P On Atari

Mochipet, nee David Wang, cites the following early influences in his press bio: "metal guitar, Avant-Garde Jazz, and mainstream hip-hop." Promotional material qualifies his current output as "left-field electrofied hip-hop", and among illustrious collaborations to numerous to mention herein are Kid 606, Daedelus, and Ellen Allien. Remixes, major festival appearances, accolades from contemporaries and music media -- you know the score.

His show at The Shelter is but one stop on a big Asian tour which will see Mochipet lay righteous waste to numerous Asian metropolises along the Chinese Pacific. Click on his MySpace here for those dates and more free downloads. Click here for Daly City Records.

Mochipet decimates The Shelter this Saturday, August 15 at Antidote. Supporting horrible monsters are B6, Trix, Blaise, Ozone, R3. Cover: 50 yen.

Tagged: MP3 Monday Event Previews