New Releases: Zhi 16, Noise Arcade, thruoutin, Djang San, Life Line

Future electronic music with a jazzy afterglow, a 8-bit soundtrack to your favorite Nintendo game that never was, a no frills stoner rock glory hole, and a live release from two of Beijing’s busiest electronic artists, it’s this week’s latest batch of new music from around China. Here’s the newest releases from Zhi 16, Djang San, Life Line, thruoutin, and Noise Arcade.

Beijing electronic music collective Do Hits, after having a stellar 2015, are ready to tear up in the New Year with their first official EP. Putting the spotlight on Zhi 16, the group’s youngest producer, Can’t Stay Here No More is a lush, sonically pleasing piece of electronica that goes down like a glass of champagne. Full of intoxicating flourishes, from chamber music to jazzy percussion, it’s a smooth journey that allows the artist to fully establish himself from the rest of the crew and at the same time establishes Do Hits as a label to keep an eye for in the future. Bandcamp it up.

Long-standing Beijing electronic artists Noise Arcade and thruoutin go live on their latest release, we brought this upon ourselves, a recording of the artists’ show at Moroccan eatery and venue Caravan last year. As stated in the footnotes, it was a ‘Rum & Coke fueled event that lead to every wonderful note or fuck up, depending on how you look at it.’ Very modest. Surprised at how fluid and full it sounds, adding a warmth that would, particularly for Noise Arcade, otherwise be lost in the layers upon layers of pedals and drones. The faint sounds of bar patrons on thruoutin’s track only adds to the atmosphere and aesthetic. The third collaborative release from the two, and a fine one at that. Bandcamp it up here.

Shanghai gets in on the stoner rock craze with Life Line, one of the latest bands to emerge from the constantly evolving scene down there. Straight up stoner rock in the vein of Queens of the Stone Age and Mastadon, The Opener EP, features killer vocals and meaty guitar hooks worthy of a fist pump. And while it’s not as abrasive or hard edged as I may have hoped but there’s something genuine and refreshing about how the band leans on the melody and lyrics to do the heavy lifting. Potential there is in these lads. Bandcamp it up you will.

Djang San is a sucker for concepts. The Beijing based self-proclaimed ‘re-inventor of Chinese classical instrument zhongruan, philosopher, poet, composer, guitar hero, DJ, one man orchestra, music pioneer and explorer of new sounds’, Djang San likes to keep busy. His latest release is a heap of fun once again proving the artist is always down to try something new. 8 Bit Boy, is ‘built on the idea of a fictional video game with 8 Bit Boy, the hero of the game, being at the center of it. Imagine a game close to the idea of Super Mario, a platform game from the 80\’s, this is its sound track.’ Love ideas like this going to full fruition. Now let’s get 8-Bit Boy made! Bandcamp it up.