Zoomin’ Night Gets Real DIY @ D22, 5 October 2010

By , 2010年 10月 7日

<a href="http://radio.pangbianr.com/album/sovietski">Sovietski by pangbianr radio</a>

Soviet Pop kicked off this week’s Zoomin’ Night. My understanding and appreciation of this band have come full circle. The first time I saw them, I was put off by their minimal approach to dual-synth composition. Now having seen them several more times, including in combination with the drummer and guitarist of Golden Driver (together performing as “Sovietski”), I realize the method behind their sound. Their music is meticulously rehearsed and impeccably timed. The fact that Li Qing and Li Wei Si play drums and bass translates to the shared bass-lines and percussive approach both have to their instruments, which can include keyboards, bass, or 1/4″ input jacks, depending on the night. Soviet Pop is on hiatus for the rest of the year, working on new material, but keep an eye out for them in 2011.

<a href="http://pairs.bandcamp.com/album/pairs">Pairs by Pairs</a>

Last time Pairs came to Beijing I saw them at What Bar and Raying Temple, so I was excited to see them at D22. As Maya noted during Soviet Pop’s set, D22 is unique in offering an upstairs viewing platform ideal for watching the more experimental bands that play there. In Pairs’s case, watching them is also watching the crowd: it is more of a participatory event than a performance to be passively consumed. This point was driven home when Rhys placed a hi-hat in the crowd and invited everyone to take part in the fun. The crowd was again engaged when the band handed out copies of their new free cd, complete with DIY envelope+stamp packaging. I’ve been following the lead-up to this release (coordinated by Shanghai’s QU Records) and am happy to see it come to fruition. Now I anxiously await the Little Punk debut…

<a href="http://lowbow.bandcamp.com/album/the-wildness">the wildness by low bow</a>

Last was Lowbow, a one-man band that pumps out top-shelf electric blues stompers. This is the second time I’ve seen Lowbow, and he seemed more in his element, also distributing a free, self-produced cd. You can download the tunes on his douban or bandcamp site.

Lowbow is also playing a show we booked at What Bar on October 29 along with Birdstriking, Chuiwan, and Skip Skip Ben Ben. More info on that to come.

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