*** Is this real life? Is this the real world? Can we escape our tight geo-political strictures with a little live music escapism every weekend? Certainly didn't feel that way in March, but things are looking up, my friends. The planets are aligning, and one imaginary planet is even spitting its best prog band Earth-wards for one Endless Tour that will manifest in our own terrestrial realm this very weekend. Here's a diverse mix of music from Greater China, Greater Asia, and Greater Kobaïa coming through Beijing this weekend, prepare your inner eyes & ears: *** First up, on Friday night at Dada, veteran progressive dance music bookers Antidote launch a new franchise "bringing the best electronic music talents from around Asia." It's called Antidote Asia, naturally, and it's starting off with Malaysian producer + vocalist duo Bass Sekolah. Sekolah is Malay for "School" and Bass is English for "Bass". Bass Sekolah is comprised of Darren Ashley & CEE, two refugees from Modern Society posted up deep in the Malayan jungle. While it's still technically Earth, it's sort of like a version of Earth that is just barely contemporarily extant. It's actually closer to "Past Earth" or "Future Endor". Here's how Bass Sekolah lives: The two minds behind Bass Sekolah have been involved with a wide array of production aliases over the years, and from their Luddite forest outpost aim to curate a more eclectic view of the pan-South/East-Asian electro scene, eschewing the strobe-club EDM that dominates there, as it does in most cities in China, and goddamn everywhere in the known universe I suppose. Bass Sekolah will play a live set on Friday, followed by a DJ set from CEE. You can brief yourself on what corners of the global bass underground he'll most likely be digging by clicking through to Bass Sekolah's RBMA "Train Wreck" mix. Friday, May 29 @ Dada, 60rmb *** Next up, the highlight of this week, this month, probably this whole year: MAGMA on Saturday at Yugong. I've been beyond psyched for this one since it was announced, right around the time I was getting crushed by all the other heavy/psychedelic bands I love getting banned in Beijing. (Heard Boris sucked in Shanghai though.) MAGMA, holy shit. Before this show was announced, I thought that the legendary French prog-psych band, which formed in 1969, had then disappeared into a wormhole around 1984, never to return. But no, they've just been biding time on their home planet of Kobaïa, aka band founder Christian Vander's "vision of humanity's spiritual and ecological future." I think topographically it kind of resembles the part of the Malayan jungle with Bass Sekolah's studio, but adding on about 20 more dudes to play all those extra guitars. I think there's one guy in MAGMA whose only job is to invent new time signatures. It's really more of a self-contained, musically transcendent alien race than a "band." A few months ago I asked the organizers of this gig, Kaiguan Culture, who they were thinking about for openers, and they were like, "I don't even think all of MAGMA's gear can fit on the stage, so nobody." Look at this fucking drum set: Vander rebuilt MAGMA from contemporary components for one more spin around the globe, happening now, which he's dubbed THE ENDLESS TOUR. That hits Beijing this Saturday, May 30 @ Yugong Yishan. Recommended for fans of: free jazz, blues, prog, psych, pop, symphonic rock, bonkers shit, that Swans gig in February, just total sonic overload. Tickets are 300rmb at the door, but this one might sell out. Pre-sale stubs are still available for 240rmb through Friday; grip one right here. *** One more gig recommendation, this one resolutely more planet-based. This weekend, we'll get a quick visit from a few "Greater China" acts, jumping various straits to visit the Imperial capital's two best rock'n'roll dives. Taiwanese DIY rock promoters TCRC (The Checkered Record Club), staunch defenders of the island's freakiest underground sounds, are bringing a showcase of off-Mainland acts to Beijing on Saturday at XP + Sunday at School Bar. On the docket are Mr. Dirty and Da Haiguai from Tainan, along with Hong Kong's OWK. OWK's the only group out of the three that I've seen: they blew me away when they dropped into now defunct, still beloved Wudaokou club D-22 a few years back. They've gone through some personnel shifts but have just dropped a new video to give a sense of their current status: Some killer post-punk with Mongkok characteristics right there. Should feel right at home at XP. I haven't heard either of the Taiwanese bands but TCRC sold me on both immediately with their press release descriptions. (Mr. Dirty = "noisy and befuddled punk/garage", Da Haiguai = "Post Punk / Very Loud / Noise / Space / 90s Kids"). Here's a sample of each to play us out: (Lyrical sample: "I don't know who you are / Maybe you are me / You can't shit (fight) to me / Because you are me / Kill me (kill you) kill me (kill you)" ... fuck yes.) So these three are playing on Saturday, May 30 @ XP, then again on Sunday, May 31 @ School Bar. If you're flipping a coin between the two I'd say check them at XP. That night they're supported by local shoegazers Color of Delusion, the best new band I've seen in 2015. *** RECAP: Antidote Asia pres. Bass Sekolah = FRI May 29 @ Dada MAGMA = SAT May 30 @ Yugong Yishan TCRC Taiwan x HK showcase = SAT May 30 @ XP + SUN May 31 @ School