Hong Kong Music

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.

“Asia’s New Media Art Collective since 1986″

Videotage is an organization in HK focusing on new media and art. They run several different artistic projects all year round and create a great space for learning and experimentation.

In terms of music, it hosts Open Jams, sound installations, and live events for musicians and music-lovers in the city. (Which I’ll talk about more in later posts!). It’s important for our city to have an organization that wants ”To promote a free and open DIY culture,”. It gives creative people a place to explore and learn from one another. If this is your scene, this is definitely one to check out! It’s musical and artistic education in a down to earth way.

Not to mention, many of their events are held at Cattle Depot Artist Village: a space with a great atmosphere. Check out the next post to find out more about it.

And of course, here’s a link to the Videotage website.

Joyce is Not Here is a great little venue on Peel Street, with and incredibly inviting and laid back vibe. As a bar for artists, it hosts themed regular events from photography nights to poetry nights and open jam nights. On the weekends they have intimate shows from local performers. Unlike  the venues in nearby Lan Kwai Fong, this is can be a very relaxed way to spend your evenings, enjoying the sounds of HK talent.

Last thursday I stumbled upon a Jazz night at Joyce is Not Here. I didn’t catch the singers name, but her voice was phenomenal, and she carried out some strong notes through the performance. The atmosphere was one to experience.

Personally, I haven’t really gone in search of Jazz music in the city but this was an awesome discovery.

As a bonus, while there we saw Joyce’s neighbor, Peel Fresco (apparently run by the same people)..it’s under renovation for now but they should be open in a week! It looks like it’s a great place to come for live music so I’ll definitely be back soon. Keep an eye out for a Peel Fresco post coming soon!

CLOCKENFLAP 2012

For the past five or so years, Clockenflap has been livening up our city’s music atmosphere. Founded and organized by Jay Forester and Mike Hill of HK’s Robot collective, the flagship festival ran in Cyberport on 12th January 2008 for a single day. After some fluctuations with location and duration due to space and government restrictions, it now looks like the festival is set to continue to be one of Hong Kong’s annual treasures. Since 2011, they seem to have found the perfect location on the West Kowloon Waterfront Promenade and has been a two day festival, for two years running.

It’s a mix of international and local acts, brightening up the city’s scene for a weekend.

After being out of the city for two years, Clockenflap 2012 was the first one I attended. I’m a huge fan of music festivals, big and small. I was sad to have missed acts like Santigold in the previous year, but I, like most I would imagine, were looking forward to the year’s headlines: Azealia Banks and Alt-J from the US and UK respectively. But like many will notice, sometimes it’s even best not to expect anything, so that when you stumble across a new talented band, they really blow you away.

What I love about Clockenflap is that it generates a giant buzz through the musical community in the city. The energy level is so high and is similar only to the late March hype of the Rugby sevens. While the Sevens focuses on sports and playful patriotism, Clockenflap is more about discovering international and local bands. At the same time, the sense of pride we develop for having our own big music festival creates a kind of solidarity for Hong-Kongers.

On a more city personal level, the festival gives our local musicians a incentive to prepare and rehearse in the months leading up to the big show, and then expose the outcome of their hard work to thousands of people. Clockenflap 2012 showcased diverse local talent from the Hong Kong Welsh Male Choir, to XXX DJs Enso and Yao, to crowd-pleaser Jun Kung.

No doubt, many people are convinced buy tickets because of the big-name international acts, but the best thing is that in venturing out, they are able to discover local gold. Overall the sense of excitement and the relaxed vibe of the festival is a great asset to our city. It’s awesome to see that the music has the power to coax us busy Hong-Kongers away from our school and office work to spend some time appreciating our city and each other.

In the next couple of years, I for one am looking forward to more local bands playing and even headlining Clockenflap.

Here’s a video from local band My Little Airport

The lyrics translated by a commenter:
You are a backpacker. Do not get settled, Though her smile is sweet. It is the best to reminisce. Who would appreciate that if you get settled? You are a backpacker. Do not get settled. Most people feel it’s hard to refuse, To fall in the trap of love. But you are the only hope. When I see lovers hug and stare at each other, I feel hopeless. “Marriage is the chief cause of divorce” is not a myth, which has been said in the West a century ago. 

more on their Facebook page.

These lyrics ring true to the transient nature of our city, people always coming and going. What do you think?

Life Was All Silence is an experimental instrumental band from Hong Kong formed in 2010. They make captivating soundscapes by blending electronics, live instruments and improvised home recordings.

The band plays regularly around Hong Kong and they have a very unique sound. The fact that they are not following any particular predisposed genre and are playing work that is solely original, makes Life Was All Silence a great example of true musical art coming out of the city.

Listen to them on Soundcloud or follow them on Facebook

Hidden Agenda Live House is a testament to the demand for a good, authentic place to enjoy live music from local and international acts. Tucked away in an industrial building in Kwun Tong, the government had tried to close down the venue in 2011 and fans of the space held protests to try keep it running. Though Hidden Agenda was eventually driven out of their original location, they were able to find a new space and continue in their goal to give “audiences and artists…the best possible indie experience”

I think that places like this are vital to the Hong Kong music scene. It’s a personal music space delivering a sense of grittiness and authenticity

Click here for their website, and here to read more about the ultimatum they were given by the government in 2011

Upcoming shows:
FEB 23 – Thee Oh Sees + Shiva Unit & Tigerbombers

Hong Kong is a city on the rise. It’s becoming more and more diverse and international, it’s a centre of business and finance, and new possibilities are opening up all around. Hong Kong has long sought to emulate world cities like London and New York, and while it is certainly on it’s way there, it is lacking in what truly gives these big cities their identities. An emphasis on and support of independent creativity within the various art forms.

Through independent art, the inhabitants of the city are able to collaborate and inspire one another, open up dialogues on pertinent topics, keep the energy of the city thriving, and express the true soul of the city while bringing people together and creating a strong sense of identity within the community. This is what makes creative expression so important.

Music is undoubtedly the most relatable and accesible art form within any community and that’s what this blog will focus on. When it comes to independent contemporary music, Hong Kong has been notoriously criticized for having little homegrown talent and few opportunities to experience the music. The government has also played a repressive role by disallowing several music events due to space issues and noise levels. It has also given little support and encouragement to the local scene.

However in recent years, the local music scene has been making a big move. While many more international acts have been making their way to the city, the number and quality of local bands is rising, as well as music venues, labels, events and festivals, such as the now annual Clockenflap, and several new supportive ventures.

It’s important to pay attention to what’s being created in today’s Hong Kong and get involved when it sparks your interest. This blog aims to shed some light on interesting, past, recent and upcoming developments in the local music scene.