London-based saxophonist, poet and composer Alabaster DePlume performs at Singer Space on the Shanghai stop of his 2026 China tour. Alabaster DePlume is a London-based saxophonist, poet and composer whose work brings together jazz improvisation, folk melody and spoken word. With performances described as hypnotic, rich with layers of illustrious harmonies underneath, DePlume’s sound is truly captivating - theatrical and ‘hovering somewhere between a Victorian apothecary and a surrealist stage act, evoking both artifice and incantation’. Highly recommend.

Indie pop that packs a wallop - Sleep Leaps from Chengdu manages to strike gold again on their sophomore LP, Summer Outside - named after the collection of short stories on loss from Korean author Kim Ae-ran. Digging deeper into its shoegaze elements that dominated late '80s and early '90s British indie, as walls of jangly guitar noise rotate around singer Kyuu’s impassioned vocals, it’s hard not to get swept up in the oftentimes ear-catching melodies. It often moves at such a clip that there is no time to sit back and contemplate - its engulfing alt-rock intensity and instrumentation pair perfectly with its spry power pop aplomb. A powder keg of a band, Sleep Leaps will be swinging through Yuyintown as part of their nationwide tour- with support in the form of Shanghai shoegaze stalwarts Pale Air.

Hyper Slash - known for their frantic, fanciful, and elated swirl of metalcore, electronica, and manga-inspired pop - often referred to as Otakucore - return to stir up some Technicolor chaos at ENCORE. One dopamine hit after another - it’s a high-wire act of dazzling musicality, sincere yet explosive lyricism, and ACG commitment - which the band has in spades. While certainly not for everyone, it’s hard to deny the depth and craft on hand, and their live shows are one of a kind.

Emerging off the beaten trail, electronic music promoters Mycelium present their latest offering of experimental, stimulating, and very much ‘live’ electronic music performances over at Heim. A series of live sets built around modular synthesis, IDM intricacy, circuits crossing cutting with ethereal trip-hop vocals, ambient music built up from traditional sounds, and hard-edged techno - the acts include French modular synthesizer producer Odyssée (returning for the massive Modular Commune event in Beijing), sound artist Wuinboo, dark wave singer-songwriter Ma Lu (of ABYSM) with musician Xiang Qian, and hard techno producer Punx; plus DJ sets from SITU and D3M3NTOR. My kind of club night.

While Halloween is unofficially banned in Shanghai (a grim sentiment) this riotous, gnarly, and decadent lineup of metal, punk, thrash, and hardcore is probably the best substitute one could ask for - a hard-hitting evening of rock and roll that’s not afraid to bare its teeth. On the docket, you’ve got legendary Beijing thrash metal Tractor bringing the pain alongside fellow Beijing (and Tianjin) hardcore imports May I Be I. SxxkingBall - from Cangzhou - meanwhile, make down and grimy hardcore music with plenty of metal grooves and just a lick of grindcore bile. Last but not least, you’ve got local hardcore acts. HEADIVE and NoMoreHarm - complete with raw, somber hardcore riffs and throat-throttling vocals that cut deep.

Formed during the demise of Kaixuan’s Yuyintang — young, evocative indie rockers falling nana have carried the weight and bittersweet nature of farewells and goodbyes in their music over the past two years - crafting a wispy, wistful, and sincere sound that packs a punch. Leaning into dreamy noise rock-adjacent instrumentation with conviction and elevated by apsoftsai’s impassioned vocals, there’s wide-eyed earnestness that sneaks up on you. The band is fresh off their debut release and is hitting the road. Support comes in the form of spry noise-pop hitmakers Autistic Radio and math-rock pop smiths Abstract Abstract.

Agoraphobia, who got their start in a dingy bomb shelter in Lishuiqiao, Beijing, ten years ago, shake off the dust and gather some of their most cherished songs for their debut full-length, NEVERLAND, earlier this summer. And while the band may not have the same verve or raw magnetism as their younger selves, there’s something inherently endearing in their bleeding-heart emo-rock aesthetics and their undeniably catchy melodies - a mix of noise rock jangle and indie pop breeze that hits all the right notes. It doesn’t just revel in the nostalgia of the indie underground of Beijing circa the 2010s but instead finds a new way to frame it - allowing its afterglow to light the way. They’ll be posting up at Modernsky Lab alongside Hefei-based synth-waving indie pop outfit Peace Hotel - a bubbly disco-laced blend of surf rock, noisy alt rock, and woozy new wave - that knows exactly how to get the folks moving.