11 Acts You Need to See at Douban's Wetware Festival
By Oscar Holland and Dominique Wong
Recent years have been difficult for traditional stand-in-a-field-style festivals. Those that weren’t canceled
were relocated miles outside the city. So music networking site Douban
is taking a safer route with its Wetware Festival, which is being held
indoors at two local venues – Tango and School Bar. You can check the
whole four-day lineup by clicking "Read more" at the bottom of the page, but below is our pick of the best artists coming through.
Cold Cave
Cold
Cave isn’t a hidden venue for Wetware Festival, but rather a gothwave,
synth-pop, Joy Division-inspired one-man act founded by former Give Up
the Ghost frontman Wesley Eisold. Considering Cold Cave’s intense yet
oddly exultant sound, the live show should be a good’un.
Sun May 21, 10.40-11.40pm; Main Stage.
Duck Fight Goose
We
hardly need to tell you that Shanghai band Duck Fight Goose is ‘a bit
out there’ – just look at that band photo. The critically acclaimed
quartet plays a wide gamut from indie rock (on debut album Sports) to a
more futuristic and electronics-heavy sound, as heard on sophomore album Club Zvkvnft.
Sat May 20, 5-6pm; Main Stage.
Howie Lee
We’ve been calling Howie Lee the most exciting thing in Chinese electronic music for years. And with the release of 2016 album Mù Chè Shān Chū, he’s lived up to the promise. Sure, he’s a regular at Dada, but let’s see what he can do on the big stage.
Thu May 18, 9-9.40pm; Main Stage.
Tim Hecker
Musician
and ‘sound artist’ Tim Hecker is one of the most important names in
ambient music. His live show is, like his recorded work, a mesmerizing
wall of sound that takes audiences to deep places. Get ready for some
intense swaying.
Sun May 21, 4-5pm; Main Stage.
RP Boo
RP
Boo is a former footwork dancer who helped create a genre. He’s
considered by many to have created the first tunes to be labeled as
‘Chicago Juke.’ But enough with the genres. All you need to know is that
he’ll be dropping fast, syncopated beats with as many nods to hip-hop
as house.
Sun May 21, 10-11pm; Second Stage.
Cass McCombs Band
The
titular Cass McCombs’ bio merely states he is “an American musician,
best known for releasing a number of albums since 2002.” This is
categorically true, though we’d hasten to add that McCombs spins
reflective folk rock melodies with such sincerity that comparisons to
Elliott Smith are common.
Thu May 18, 9-9.40pm; Main Stage.
Stolen
From
playing student punk covers to opening for Beijing indie institutions
P.K. 14, Chengdu rock band Stolen have come a long way. The band’s debut
album Loop was released amid intense buzz in 2015. Combining sinister
vocals and frenetic instrumentation, Stolen have a darkly intriguing
sound – for rock and electronic dance lovers alike.
Sat May 20, 9.20-10pm; Main Stage.
Kode9
Kode9
seems to have a fondness for China, having named a track ‘Xingfu Lu’
(after a Shanghai street) and played here multiple times in recent
years. If you caught any of those shows, you’ll know to expect
back-to-back genre-skipping bass stonkers from the man behind pioneering
label Hyperdub.
Sun May 21, 8.20-9.10pm; Main Stage.
Actress
British
electronic musician Darren Cunningham, better known as Actress, arrives
in Beijing just weeks after the release of his fifth studio album AZD
(pronounced ‘Azid,’ btw). It’s both clubbier and more experimental than
his recent work, so get ready to either dance or rock around looking
pensive.
Sat May 20, 8.10-9pm; Main Stage.
Low
True
to name, Low specialize in slow tempos and bare arrangements. Known for
their outstanding live performances, the indie-rock band have been
performing for more than 20 years – which seems crazy until you realize
that frontman Alan Sparhawk has two children with wife Mimi Parker, who
is Low’s drummer and second vocalist.
Thu May 18, 10-11pm; Main Stage.
Nightmares on Wax
Despite having a name that sounds like a bad sleepover at Madame Tussauds, Nightmares on Wax (the stage name of DJ George Evelyn) makes laid-back hip-hop-inspired instrumentals. Get ready for feel-good vibes, reggae-inspired jams, lazy bass lines and more from Evelyn’s expansive record collection.
May 19, 9.15-10.15pm; Second Stage.
Thurs-Sun
May 18-21, Times vary; RMB239-389. Tango (79 He Ping Li Xi Jie, by
South Gate of Di Tan Park 东城区和平里西街79号 (近地坛公园南门) 6428 2288) and School
Bar (53 Wudaoying Hutong 东城区五道营胡同53号 6402 8881)
For full festival lineup and tickets, click "Read more" at the bottom of the page.
For full festival lineup and tickets, click "Read more" below.