Our live music picks for this weekend, picked by Will of LiveMusicChina.com
Machine Girl (USA)
An evening of chaotic ecstasy awaits you at Bandai Namco as Antigen hosts the one and only Machine Girl - the raw, loud, and unapologetic electronic punk outfit from New York that's been setting off mosh pits left and right with their deluge of breakcore bangers and headbang-worthy descents into madness. Evolving from a solo project into a collective of like-minded punk enthusiasts, the band's explosive fusion of breakcore, punk, hardcore, drum n bass, and rave influences defies genre as they tackle 'mental health, anti-authoritarianism, and gender identity' over uproarious, high-octane, and unpredictable live performances. Expect a riotous audience.
An Corporation, Solid Liqui
A hell of a double-bill over at Craem Club in Pudong. Shanghai post punk outfit Solid Liquid ain't your average post punk band - a psych-laced trip down the rabbit hole that plays out like a Chinese opera gone off the rails, it's amazing how many musical intricacies they're able to pack in - turning each track into a Jenja tower of sharp guitar lines, hypnotic backing vocals, punchy bass grooves and almost indifferent musings sung via wailings. Meanwhile, Shanghai instrumental rock outfit An Corporation - known for their grandiose, exploratory, and almost apocalyptic sound - makes post-rock on a grand scale. Hefty and potent experimental instrumental rock that's not afraid to infuse grandiose sound with an apocalyptic edge.
J-Fever, feezy, Voision Xi
Renowned rapper j-fever - known for his idiosyncratic style, stream-of-conscious musings, warm-hued cadence, and impeccable flow has been having a hell of a year, first with his conceptual ADHD brainteaser and more recently with his latest sublime collaboration with producer maverick Soulspeak. The top-notch talent will be giving a special performance at Singer Space - revisiting old classics and new sensations. Special guests include Shanghai jazz songstress Voision Xi and Feezy, a member and producer of rap outfit Straight Fire Gang.
Cryptic Shift (UK), Slimelord (UK), Reverence to Paroxysm (MEX), Castleumbra (MEX)
England and Mexico team up for a blistering evening of thrash, death metal, and doom at Cave Art Venue. One of the highest regarded cosmic death metal acts in the UK, Cryptic Shift - a gnarly fusion of sci-fi themes and intergalactic death-thrash riffs. Yorkshire's Slimelord employs a twisty, sticky kind of death metal, fusing a hallucinogenic swampiness with a colder, more surgical brutality that packs a punch. And courtesy of Mexico, death-doom for the real freaks - death metal quartet Reverence to Paroxysm, who hail from Mexico City. And finally, occult death metal act Castleumbra, whose Lovecraftian themes are most welcome.
Oddisee & Good Company (US)
Washington D.C. rapper-producer Oddisee, with his sophisticated blend of conscious lyricism and jazz-infused production, which encompasses retro-soul, go-go, and gospel influences, is back at the Blue Note with his band Good Company, celebrating the tenth anniversary of his career-defining release The Good Fight. The 2015 album showcased his virtuosic musicality and thoughtful storytelling, establishing him as one of hip-hop's most underrated talents.
Lonely Leary
Beijing post punk outfit Lonely Leary - one of the scene's most enduring acts - return to Shanghai for their stint in their ‘Forced Exposure' tour series. The band has continued to expand their sonic palette whilst refining their poetic lyricism. Tapping into the existential unrest of today's youth with lyrical resonance and potent jagged musicality, the band infuses their sound with surf rock undertones, blue-collar grit, and rugged defiance. One of the best.
