Last night at Joyce is Not Here’s regular Saturday night gig, I had the pleasure of seeing another of our city’s great talents Aileen Alonzo. With a really captivating voice, she tells beautiful stories about life and love (and caterpillars in the shower!) The titles of her songs such as Icarus and Alice, are often inspired by mythological stories and fairytales. She mentioned that she likes the idea that these tales relate so closely to real life. I personally enjoyed her set a lot and was impressed by her mastery of vocals, guitar and keyboard. Her passion for her craft really showed through the performance.

During the break, Aileen and her friends Darren and Lei Au (who are also musicians) gave me some insight into the music scene in Hong Kong as they see it. Aileen has been playing for about five years now, doing solo sows, playing in the band Dark Himaya (who’ve just launched a new album), and busking HKs streets. Her next venture is a new band called CLEEN which will play “acoustic glitch” – (Seriously, check this out!) I was impressed by the way she seems to be going for exactly what she loves. She’s just quit her job in a bank after 10 years to focus on music. According to Aileen, the independent music scene in the city has definitely been getting better and better.

Darren who played guitar and sang with Aileen for some of the songs during the gig, is also optimistic about the growing independent scene. He told me about how there used not to be so many indie music venues, except for the Wanch but now there are some great newer venues coming up. In his opinion, the person that has done most for the HK music scene is Chris Bo of the Underground (Something I can’t beleive I haven’t written about yet! Sidenote: watch out for a post). When I asked about his favourite Hong Kong musicians, he mentioned The Bollands, a New Zealand couple who’ve played for months in Hong Kong, and who will soon be moving back to live and play here. They sound like a duo to watch out for.

Lei Au told me a bit about busking in the streets of Hong Kong. She plays mainly percussions and it seems like something she really enjoys. I’ve always wondered about what the experience of busking this city is like. When I asked her, she told me that can be very nerve-wracking at first, but once you get into it and passersby start responding, it’s a great feeling.

I really enjoyed both the performance and having the chance to chat with these musicians. It was inspiring to get the perspective of people who are active in and optimistic about the music scene in the city.

Some links to keep you updated:
I found this gem of a tune from Aileen’s new band, CLEEN (live performance debut in April!)
[bandcamp track=3604555012  bgcol=FFFFFF linkcol=4285BB size=venti]

And of course, the Facebook pages for two of her projects Here’s CLEEN, and here’s Dark Himaya

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

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!