For the past few wednesdays, some friends and I have been checking out Hong Kong’s poetry nights. It’s not directly musical, but to myself and many, lyrics are poetry. So for you songwriters out there, here’s a post for you!

Every first wednesday of the month, the poetry nights are held at the Fringe Club in a more formal setting. Every other wednesday, poets and poetry lovers get together at Joyce is Not Here for a more intimate evening of poetry reading. As with music, the poetry brings a whole range of people from different walks of life together. Students, young teachers, professors, writers, musicians and city hoppers.

The fringe club is a great setting to experience some great poetry. On the first wednesday of February, a tribute was held for the late Hong Kong poet and professor P.K. Leung. Some of his close friends and students read out poems he had made in his lifetime, evoking captivating visuals and sensations about past Hong Kong. His powerful use of words was really amazing to hear.

Later on in the evening several poets of the city, got up to share parts of themselves through  their writing. In a city of millions where we literally brush past one another with zero acknowledgement of anyone’s presence, I loved the idea of strangers opening themselves up to strangers, and being able to connect with experiences so similar to my own. I was especially blown away by a sixteen-year-old friend of a friend, who recited a Spoken Word poem she had written about a girl’s ‘first time’. The atmosphere was truly amazing.

The other wednesdays at Joyce, we had a couple of beers and read out our personal poems and the works of poets that inspired us.

Isn’t this what music, writing, and sharing work is about? connecting to strangers who we all share at least one thing in common with? Whether it be the city we live in, the experiences we’ve had, or this simple fact that we’re all human. It’s great to have this communication of artists and their personal work, who will tell legitimate stories about our human experience in our very own city!

Make it fun.

Hong Kong is a city where people are always busy busy busy. It’s basically our trademark. But with so much hometown music brewing right under our noses, how can we lure people out of…to smell the roses, feel the sunlight (or fog, whichever) and listen to the sounds and stories of our city’s musicians? Whether it be travelling to Kwun Tong or paying an extra $50 than they would at a club what can we do to give people that push?

We asked, you answered!

Here are some suggestions and reminders you gave to the HK public:

- “Remind them that they’ll be creating memories” – Marine
- “If money seems to be an issue, just tell yourself that you can’t put a price on good times” -Sharon
- “be adventurous, outgoing, experience the city in which you live” – Ming
- “It’s part of enjoying life” –  Josh
- “It’s about being well balanced, instead of a workaholic – you need to be social too” – Katrina
- “You wont regret it once you’re there” – Hong

DADA BABA is an awesome local Hong Kong band I found online. They play fun lo-fi music, often mixing in some chinglish humor. Listing their influences as “IKEA sale, Urban-dictionary and Indian Cuisines”, their music and style is definitely out of the ordinary. They’ve been playing since 2010 and in In September 2012, they released their debut EP entitled “一半 GREASY 一半 JUICY”

It contains some quality tunes like “If on a summers night, fucked up in China” and “YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYA”, my personal favorites off the album. What I find most appealing is the uniqueness of the band and the music they play. It’s very tied in to Hong Kong pop culture, and reflects the linguistic and cultural duality of the city by mixing Cantonese and English in their lyrics and videos.

Listen to their song “中國炒飯 – Chinese Fried Rice” and learn how to make it in their 2010 video:

If you like what you hear, make sure to listen to their album here and support the band by buying it for just HK$40!
Also check their website for news. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for their next live show. See you there!

Artefracture describes itself as “High class culture with a lo-fi aesthetic. A punk rock heart with impeccable DIY ethics.”

 It’s a sort of anti-record-label record label, focused on exposing the unsung heroes of the Hong Kong music scene. In their own words, they want to “give a home to the bastards and runts in the music community who are actually profound visionaries – the unique gems that are playing the street corners and the toilet circuit or slaving over a hot computer at home to produce the best songs you’ve never heard.”

Releasing albums on a pay-what-you-like basis, it removes the focus away from money and directly onto the pure appreciation of good music. It’s just the kind of attitude towards music that Hong Kong needs. No cookie-cutter packaging and no restrictions.

Though some of the label’s music is not my personal taste, that is besides the point. The main idea is that it allows everyone to discover this great variety of music coming out of out city. It gives us instant access to the gritty, untamed and authentic sounds that our musicians have to offer. I’m hoping to see more genuine music being created and promoted because of the unapologetic efforts of labels like Artefracture.

Discover new bands on Artefracture’s bandcamp and follow them on Faceboook.

BeatingHeart is a music space located in and industrial building in Shek Tong Tsui. They serve the music community in Hong Kong by offering high quality rehearsal and audio facilities, and providing a cool space for live performance. It’s a perfect place to experience and support some of Hong Kong’s growing talent. HKXO7 took place here and shortly after, they held a free event where members of the famous Libertines gave HK some love.

It’s a great place with a great location (between Sheung Wan and Kennedy Town) to check out!
Find out what’s happening next at BeatingHeart.

On 12th Jan, Forgotten Dreams Carnival took place at the Kwun Tong Promenade. The carnival was another Feel Music Experimental Lab event by Wikitopia/Videoatge with the mission of connecting experimenting and exploring through music.

“we wish to widen Hong Kong’s music scene, build up unique music style and find new music directions/ideas.”

With a line up of local bands, along with a mini flea market, some visual installations, and face painting, this was one of those events that aimed to bring the diverse people of Hong Kong together to have fun and relax while witnessing homegrown talent on a hazy Saturday afternoon.

Something I’ve noticed about events in HK however, is that people aren’t willing to travel a little further than they normally would despite the fact that this city is so tiny! For the HK islanders, Kwun Tong is too far. Either that or many people intend to go (Facebook RSVP), but don’t show up because of last minute engagements. There’s always something getting in the way. Though this event felt a little disjointed and lacking in numbers, the organizers still did a great job in terms of the quality and the willingness to bring something personal and fun to the Hong Kong community.

But this still begs the question. What should we do to get more people out of their homes and into the city to experience the up and coming music HK has to offer? More promotional efforts to get people excited? Perhaps things like this just take time, but kudos to the organizers for building up momentum.

Tell us what you think!

HKXO has an awesome vision:
“HKXO is a crossover. In a city famed for its blend of west and east, there unfortunately remains a divide between two parallel music communities. Whilst, the musical landscape of HK has never looked as bright as it has coming into 2012; HKXO aims to further close the rapidly narrowing gap between musicians in the territory; exposing as many people to as much beautiful, local, independent and genuine music as possible along the way. 

1 show. 4 bands. 2 east, 2 west. Every month.”

Noticing the divide between western and local musicians in the city, HKXO wants to do what music does best, and bring people together. Leaving behind any notion of prejudice or unfamiliarity, HKXO creates a space and sets the stage for a fusion of the city’s diverse musicians and the creative live experiences they deliver.

I had the chance to go to HKXO 7 in late 2012, and I must say I was truly impressed by the talent! Not only does HKXO organize the shows, but they give you access to the bands’ music (usually available for free download), and help you discover talent you may not yet have known about. They also let musicians and music lovers know about opportunities (venues, recording studios, promoters etc.) in the area. It’s another great step forward in the development of Hong Kong’s independent music scene.

Keep up to date with the latest HKXO events and news by visiting their blog!

Back in December, I went to the 7th [FMEL] Open Jam Session (pictured below). [FMEL] under Wikitopia, a division of Videotage, runs these open jams from time to time, and they are a great way to connect with others through music.

Musicians of any skill level are invited to take part in these events. As a vocalist, I wasn’t sure how well I could improvise and blend with other improvised instruments, but it was a great pleasure to see that everyone was there for the same reasons: Curiousity and a willingness to experiment.

There was a good vibe and a real mix of people: students; fathers; established musicians; amateurs; locals; foreigners, etc.We discussed music and what it meant to experiment and speak through music. There was also a range of different instruments in the group which we definitely noticed after some rusty starts. However, we eventually began to play as a somewhat unified ensemble despite complete improvisation. We learned to follow the same rhythm and listen for the nuances in what we were each playing. There were some moments of chaos and some moments when there was a surreal sense of conversation without words.

These open jams are a great asset. They give room for a meeting of musicians, where creative  musical minds can talk about music, make connections, educate themselves and be free to experiement. My only criticism is that they should be more frequent!

Those of you interested in making music should definitely be on the lookout for the next session! Take a look at the Wikitopia and Videotage pages.

Located in Ma Tau Kok, Kowloon, this place used to be a slaughterhouse back in the day. In 2001 it was renovated into a village for artists (musicians, photographers, fine artists, etc). It’s home to several art groups (Videotage being one of them) but is not necessarily open to the public unless there’s an event going on.

In my opinion, it would be interesting to see how a work space like this could evolve creatively if open to the public with less restrictions. Perhaps there would be issues with overcrowding, but a more inclusive creative environment would ring more true when considering the notion of unity through art.

This is not to say that the people at Cattle Depot are uninviting! If you do get a chance to go, it’s got a lovely and laid back atmosphere, you’ll find like-minded individuals, and you might just find yourself sitting on the ground and playing guitar with the people you’ve just met.

For info on the next time you can pay a visit, check out the Videotage Website.