On The Scene: Yugong Yishan 22-02-2013

Well this certainly was a learning experience for me. After so many days of lugging my single prosumer camera around, I finally, with the insistence of a few fine gentlemen, gave in and decided to get some more hands on the scene – with a whopping three to four cameras in the crowd, and if that wasn’t enough, another one on photography. Bit off more than ya can chew? Perhaps – but what the hell, the more the merrier. Of course there will be some wrinkles to iron out in the future, but hey, it was a blast – and something I’ll definitely be messing around with more. Our ‘trail run’ commenced at Yugong Yishan for Nova Heart’s first show of 2013 – as the dark electro disco rockers, now a quartet, are looking to capitalize this year, with new songs, a new album, a nation-wide tour, and a new direction. It’s a bold decision, one that I think will pay off if the band hones in on what they got – like this.

Like a sexed up version of a Grim Fairy Tale, Nova Heart kept audiences wanting more. Read below for more on the show, as well as Jia Huizhen’s emotionally raw opening act.

What started as a grassroots electro pop project, it’s clear Jia Huizhen is slowly being propelled into the upper ranks as Yugong Yishan quietly filled with fans eager to hear her.

The duo has cultivated a nifty little collection of catchy singles – slick, melodic, relatable tunes with enough electronic and lyrical edge to stand out above the rest. And while I have only seen them in smaller venues prior, they sounded even better on the big stage – with a degree of professionalism that’s been lacking thus far.

Now if someone only taught our lead singer a few moves other than the ‘wave’ then we’d be golden, as Jia Huizhen seems to be have hit a nerve with local audiences – and seriously peeps, grab her album, Ladder, online and don’t be surprised when you start listening to that baby on repeat.

Nova Heart has been busy busy these past months – adding new members, hitting the European circuit, and most importantly taking their sound even further.

And while I’m become mightily familiar with most of their work, I’ve definitely noticed how much more they are able to squeeze out of their songs. They\’re jam packed with solos, chrome-induced beats, and a super size serving of percussion.

And with Atom on the drums, the team does indeed feel complete – it feels more organic, more ‘in-the-moment’ instead of behind the scenes in the producers chair. This mentality is more noticeable in each of their songs, from “Lackluster No.” to even one of their fresher (and already stuck in my head) ones, “You’re Right I’m Wrong”

A gloomy little number about getting ‘buried in the argument’ with your significant other. Like a lot of their music, it’s tainted in a self-aware inevitable malevolence that’s both attractive and looming, vulnerable and on the prowl all at once. It’s a fine balancing act – one that’s make the band so much fun to watch.

Here’s to hoping their tour does them well and we get some friggin’ new music already. And thanks to the team – Oli and Jonas on videos, Katie on photos (check out her work here), and LeTV for trading some videos (and sexy slick videos they were) for audio. Hot damn 2013 is looking steamy.