London Chinese Radio’s New Sounds of China music podcast has reached the end of its second season, hosted by music journalist and musicologist Paul Kendall and guitarist, vocalist and Beijing opera performer Hu Pan.
Each of our five episodes tackles a particular theme, illustrated with music examples and informed commentary, as well as interviews with band members, industry experts, academics and journalists. Beginning with the history of alternative Chinese music (episode one), we then explore the contemporary Beijing music scene (episodes two and three), before uncovering the little known sounds of Chengdu (episode four), and finishing with an exploration of ethnicity and music in the People’s Republic of China (episode five).
We tackle music ranging across the genres of rock, electronica, folk, hip-hop, and ska. Standout musicians include Cui Jian, the dissident godfather of Chinese rock; Car Sick Cars, China’s answer to Sonic Youth; and Hanggai, an internationally-acclaimed throat-singing band inspired by the traditions of Inner Mongolia.
The first two instalments can also be found at London Chinese Radio and on MySpace. The London Chinese Radio site also includes Season 1, plus a special episode: A History of Chinese Rock: Post-Punk, Post-Politics and Post-Putonghua.
