MV Monday: Askar, JUE, Mosaic

Xinjiang rock of the highest order, Split Works doling out the promotional goods, and another tour video to get the juices flowing – it’s time for the latest videos to gorge your eyes out to including new cuts from Askar Grey Wolf, Mosaic, and JUE Festival.

The band Askar Grey Wolf, though they’ve been around for decades now, only popped up on my radar a couple years back when they performed at Yugong Yishan. The Xinjiang band, one of the first to bear the ‘world music’ tag in China, are epic in every sense. Made up of eight musicians, both Uighur and Han, the band was earned quite the reputation. And sadly enough, amidst almost zero promotion, the band, now under Modern Sky released their latest album last night at Yugong Yishan. And while I’m sure it was packed with die-hard fans, there’s still apart of me wondering why the show wasn’t even promoted on douban till a couple days back. Whatever the case, the band has released two jam-packed music videos, giving a sense to the band’s roots, and their robust layered sound. Don\’t let the sometimes shoddy filming fool you (seriously, they kept in a shoe of Askar tying his shoes). Like I said, true rock stars these cats.

The folks at Split Works have finally put together their 2015 compilation video for this year’s JUE Festival, which will hopefully help the promotion/booking team snatch up some even better talent come next year. There’s even some footage in there that I shot (which reminds me – I need to pick up some cash from someone). Good times, good times. And from the looks of it, Split Work’s rebranded Black Rabbit Festival will going under the name Echo Park Music Festival and will take place in a rugby club in Shanghai in mid-September. Pretty stoked for that one – tickets are already starting to disappear.

Chengdu dance no wave rockers Mosaic and about halfway through their nationwide tour — in fact, they’ll be in Hong Kong tomorrow night. Nevertheless, I figured it’d be nice to give their ‘short and sweet’ tour promo video a plug. Infectious synth-pop, some good ol’ fashion knee sliding, and of course, it wouldn’t be an indie pop band without an old school sailor cap. Looks like good fun in all honesty and dig the song. Hope they make it back to Beijing some time soon.