On The Scene: School 13-07-2013

I haven\’t given School its due this year – no real reason why. Suppose I got caught up in a lot of the \’big\’ shows this year, or more likely being a jolly ol\’ cheapstake at Temple. Whatever the case – School deserves all the love it can get as they\’re really picked up the slack this year – the shows keep coming, and they\’re mixing it up with glee – hardcore, punk, hip hop, no genre is safe here. So when I heard of their electronica night with \’insane in the membrane\’ white + , post punk discoteers The Big Wave, and visiting Shanghai live electronic music makers √2 (pronounced 2\’s) – well it was all too good to turn down.

A headtrip was in order I suppose. And when did someone want to tell me School has a giant rooftop – place just jumped up two stars in my book. Check below for more greatness from The Big Wave, white +, and √2.

BAM! It took me literal seconds to realize that The Big Wave were my kind of bag. Really these videos don\’t do these three justice, cause they\’re the real deal.

A band fully committed to their sound, to their aesthetic, aware of what they\’re riffing but completely repackaging in ways that made me what to hit up prom night circa 1987. Heck, these guys even had music videos to accompany each of their shows. When was the last time you say that? Again, commitment – it goes a long way.

Just great hooks all around – Fill In, Rough Sea (which sounds like someone watched Heat one too many times) – I\’ve been kicking it back on their douban page all week now.

New Order may have perfected this sound years ago, and New Pants may have been the first chinese band to make it their own, but I\’m saying it now – The Big Wave have got what it takes. I\’ll be keeping a close eye on them.

white + is a coke binge gone off the rails. A acid jazz band a psychedelic mushroom too far. There\’s no other way to explain the mayhem which comes out of those speakers – or explain how well it all meshes together, even as hard as it tries to tear it\’s own structure to pieces.

Love the kick at minute three – it\’s shocking how easily Shouwang can add melodic depth to a otherwise batshit crazy electronic freakout. A lot of his reverb vocals seem to have found their way into some of their newer material and I couldn\’t be happier.

Again, adds a whole new layer to their already the cake and it\’s a tasty one. But really, white+ is all about going off the rails with manic glee, following tracks that only the conductor can see.

And no one does it better. Here\’s to looking very much forward to what white+ cooks up in the near future.

I love soundtrack music, and √2(2\’s) make soundtrack music that\’s worthy of a movie trailer for Breaking Bad. Tight, badass, sensual, bonafide – the duo which consists of J Lee and Robin Hua on play guitar and keyboard, as well as their mixers and samplers, take a basic beat and build upon it with layers of guitar, effects, and straight up swagger, making for some seriously intoxicating pieces.

I use the word piece as other than their last song – a remix of Da Bang\’s 爱变成你身后的鬼 – these are epic seven minute plus opuses with a urban mentality and slick production. It really does sound like the soundtrack to the big ass climax to some high-tech thriller. Oh the possibilities – for a band to activate that part of mine brain – I gotta say, props. Props.

All around. And thanks to Anita Zhang who snapped a few pics during the show for me.