D-22: The Mother of Beijing - and China's - Indie Music Scene

By Eric de Fontenay

UNiXX rocks out D-22 on the final leg of their 7 Deadly Sins tour

Website: http://china.musicdish.com
A prime objective on my recent trip to Beijing was to connect with the leading force behind the city's burgeoning independent music scene: D-22. Anyone who is anyone... and many no-ones... have played Beijing's version of CBGB, and in the process, China's most pioneering and vibrant indie music scene was born.

I was running late to meet Nevin Domer, who manages daily operations at D-22, in no small part due to Beijing cabbies' utter ignorance of the city they are meant to drive you around. In my experience, it doesn't matter whether you have that slip of paper with the address in chinese characters or not as they will get lost anyway.

I finally arrive at a relatively modest doorfront that belies the club's influence. D-22 is a warm mix of dark red walls, wood and brick which fits well with its low-key, easy-going style. No flash or pretense here. And all along the balcony are pictures of the bands that have become household names in China's indie scene thanks to D-22: Hedgehog, Carsick Cars, White, PK-14,...

Up-and-coming rock trio Ourselves Beside Me

Your eyes quickly catch sight of 'Mike', the owner of D-22. You can't miss him with his exuberant NY personality and downright love for the music and young bands that play it. He not only is the father of Beijing indie rock, he acts the part, hugging and encouraging musicians throughout the club as if they were the prodigal children returned. He proceeds to point out a 16 year old kid whose band he predicts will shake Beijing's scene and tells me to keep an eye out for all-girl band Ourselves Beside Me. But my treat would be that night's headliner UNiXX, a Hong Kong-based band on Lona Records I've been following since I launched MusicDish*China (more on both of them in an upcoming article).

Actually, it's more likely that they were at D-22 no more than a few days ago. You see, D-22 is not just a club, it is the heart of Beijing's indie community. Bands performing that night often come during the day to practice - D-22's doors are always open. And half those people attending that night were themselves members of various bands, supporting and learning from each other. So much so that I got the rare pleasure to catch a veteran of the scene who was there from the beginning: Hedgehog guitarist and vocalist ZO(子健).

"At D-22, we are tied to each other and grow together," he explained of the late 2006 series of gigs at the club that propelled the band out of obscurity. "Many creative artists and new bands played there every week and we released our album "Noise Hit World" in 2007. That year, the Beijing scene bubbled to the surface." On a personal note, I think Hedgehog is one of the most exciting acts in China and has become part of my daily musical diet.

At the center of that community is Mike (Michael Pettis), a NY finance banker expat who opened the club on May 1, 2006. As Matthew Niederhauser writes in the preface of his photographic anthology of Beijing's indie scene "Sound Capital":

"The new club's foremost priority was finding and developing new talent, regardless of its musical style and commercial appeal. It demanded originality from musicians and was willing to go to great lengths to indulge them."

And that they did, literally reshaping Beijing's musical landscape. Michael went on to launch the Maybe Mars label with PK-14's Yang Haisong as an natural extension of D-22 to support the scene it had created. Nevin Domer, who had given me a tour of the club and introduced that night's performing acts, is a member himself of Fanzui Xiangfa (who we first featured in MusicDish*China Sounds Pod#2) and works at both the club and label. And all the bands on the label's roster developed and grew in D-22's embrace.

It's ironic that I would have to fly halfway across the world to China to find such a rare pearl as D-22. The analogy to New York's CBGB's is striking. Just as CBGB's did in the 80's, D-22 has given birth to China's hardcore and punk rock scene. Like CBGB's, D-22 is more than a club: it is like a mother, feeding, caring and educating each individual band in this movement. Ironically, many of the t-shirts in the crowd paid homage to NY bands of that CBGB's era like The Cramps and Souxie and The Banshees.

Now don't get me wrong, D-22 ain't perfect. They definitely need to work on the sound. And while this is a serious though correctable flaw, what Michael has done to find and nurture the incredible talent that might otherwise opt to go C-Pop or just not pick up an instrument is immeasurable. None of it would have been possible without his personal and financial commitment to the cause. So, speaking for myself - who would otherwise not have much to write about or play in my podcasts - a big thank you to the entire D-22 crew and bands who went along for the party.

Mac Dividinz Gets Set Up With Sunset Urban With Their Debut International Release Of Hypersonic!

Website: http://www.macdividinz.sunseturban.com/

Mac Dividinz gets set up with Sunset Urban with their debut international release of Hypersonic!

Hypersonic is the debut CD by Mac Dividinz being released at Sunset Urban.

Some veteran rap and hip-hop aficionados have articulated many concerns over the direction of hardcore rap in the recent years and dating back to the early 90's. Their argument is that hardcore rap told a story with a heavy conscience in the '80s, and then rap segued to talking about their own bling while they dove in sports cars pitting east coast and west coast rappers proudly referring to their own selves as, a "thug" while smoking blunts surrounded by "bitches, hoes, and hotties shaking big booties." However, in today's world, rap can be very positive and uplifting with MCs and popular rap bands like the Roots, Too $hort, Public Enemy, Common, Eminem, Ice T, Blackalicious as well as other rappers that sing with that hardcore and style that is very much in your face. Mac Dividinz's debut album, Hypersonic, is no doubt hardcore and no doubt in your face from beginning to end of this CD. The Oklahoma-based rapper was a teen when he initially started rapping music while today; his songs have grown to be very accessible to any audience that loves rap music. He speaks about socio concerns in a very severe way.

For instance with the initial single being worked to the urban radio format to stations all over the world, "I Got This" communicates an accessible story geared to grab anyone from any socio environment. Hypersonic is not an album filled with songs with words that are making an attempt to save the world, "but he is no doubt sending a huge message to the world," says Don Lichterman, the head of Sunset Urban. (Don) Lichterman goes on to say that it's a "tribute to his (Mac Dividinz) talent and that he loves what he does with rapping his music" and that Sunset Urban is releasing a "serious rap album that is an unprecedented 67 minutes long CD." The Mac Dividinz debut album a quintessential down and dirty rap album that will overwhelm rap music lovers with the "in your face" style and "in your face" music theme. "(Mac) Dividinz is not reinventing the wheel so to speak," says (Don Lichterman from Sunset, "it is one the best rap albums from beginning to end in a very long time and I mean every song on Hypersonic is a top level." The overall beat coupled with his rap, is contagious, deep and is very strong music. (Mac) Dividinz has great melodies with catchy hooks on every song. The sixteen (16) songs on the Hypersonic CD is an entertaining example of down home hardcore rap music.

Born David Jones and raised in Oklahoma, USA, (Mac) Dividinz grew up with an eye on his artist career. As a teen, he followed the lead of his influences growing up by writing and performing on his own, until he eventually sent in the "raps" to (Don) Lichterman at Sunset Urban. Bothe Sunset and Dividinz feel this is the perfect fit considering the career of Mac (Dividinz) and with Sunset Urban, the hip hop and rap label at Sunset. "I was so impressed with his rap, it took me days to close that deal," says Lichterman whom signed the up and coming rap artist to his Sunset Urban Record label. The label had initially hope to get it out this year but considering the length of the full length CD and its sixteen (16) songs; it was worth waiting until the street day in 2010 on January 26th.

Sunset Urban Records
Sunset is a privately owned Don Lichterman Company. Sunset is one of the leading independent record labels and entertainment companies in the world. The Sunset Group of Entertainment Companies, and its global operation, acquire, develop, and distribute major music recording artists, home visual entertainment products, online-digital entertainment technologies and music and filmed entertainment worldwide. Sunset's four major divisions are the Sunset Distributed Label Group, the Sunset Strategic Marketing and Licensing Division, the Radio Sunset Network and the Sunset Filmed Entertainment Division.