The best music to come out of Shanghai in 2017

33EMYBW - Medusa

A few weeks after partner HanHan's solo record on D Force (see below), the other half of the power couple at the heart of Duck Fight Goose unveiled her own debut release on the same label. 33's Medusa is three tracks of weird (and we mean that in a good way), alternative electronic music that cement her burgeoning reputation as a solo producer, having long been a leading figure in China's experimental rock scene. It's an engrossing listen, but it also works as a great soundtrack to scrolling through her brilliantly bizarre Instagram images.

Conrank - 4 Letter Future

British-born bass producer Conrank has come a long way since his days going viral for cooking up egg-fried rice on the streets of Shanghai. His 4 Letter Future EP was joined by The Big Smoke Beat Tape, plus a slew of tour dates and festival slots across the US to make for a massive 2017 for a DJ and beatmaker who still calls Shanghai home – well, some of the time anyway. Despite spending an increasing amount of time Stateside as his career goes from strength-to-strength over there, Conrank continues to help promote Shanghai artists, for example by featuring long-term ally Zean (see below) on The Big Smoke.

Dirty Fingers - How'd I Turn So Bad?

Bad boy Shanghai quartet Dirty Fingers' debut on Maybe Mars is a 12-track blast of attitude-laden not-give-a-fuckery, with whirlwind punk instrumentation smashed together with wry, sometimes vindictive lyrics on songs such as ‘Fake Rock Star’ and ‘Arkham Who?’. There's little subtlety on display, but as frontman Guan Xiaotian puts it, the LP is 'not flawless but the right expression of our natural gift.'

Faded Ghost - Moon Mad

Five years on from her debut EP under her Faded Ghost moniker, ChaCha finally treated us to a full-length from her absorbing, experimental, abstract electronic music project. Released as a specially-designed art book and digital album in collaboration with artist Nini Sum, Moon Mad mixes murky bass and echo-y vocals with field recordings and reverb-laced samples to hypnotic effect. 'The aim was never to make people dance,' says ChaCha. 'The aim is to make people enter the world that I create, to open their imaginations.' Mission accomplished.

Foster Parents - Grim

Formed by guitarist Gregor Fair and drummer Jon Wood in 2015, Shanghai-based instrumental rock duo Foster Parents released their first album at the beginning of April. The 12-track record is entitled Grim, yet it's anything but to listen to. Instead, it's just over half an hour of layered, melodic, infectious math-rock sprinkled with snatches of dialogue from your favourite '80s films (Flight of the Navigator, Weird Science and more). Released in the spring, this is a record we've returned to time and again over the course of the year, finding it a consistently enjoyable listen.

Gooooose - They

Together with partner 33 (see above), Han Han has long been at the creative core of Shanghai future-rock quartet Duck Fight Goose and as such has been responsible for transforming their sound from math-rock to complex electronic music. He's also been fiddling with various gadgets and computer programmes under his solo moniker for several years now, but this album – which emerged in late 2017 on D-Force Records – is the first full release of his own work. On it, Han Han creates 11 absorbing, often delicate, spacey electronic tracks that draw the listener in and mesmerise them.

Hai Qing - The Flesh

Self-released online with minimal fanfare at the end of February before being picked up and redistributed by Douban's D Force label later in the year, Mongolian musician Hai Qing's The Flesh melds together experimental guitar-work and jubilant brass sections, incorporating elements of jazz, psychedelia, art-rock and folk along the way. There are echoes of King Crimson and Captain Beefheart, Xiao He and Wild Children (sometimes in the space of just one track) – all while maintaining a strong sense of originality.

Hyph11e - Vanishing Cinema

One of Shanghai's most exciting young producers – and a key member of the Genome crew – Tess Sun, aka Hyph11e, released her debut record in November: the Vanishing Cinema EP. The release features four intriguing field recording- and vintage noise-infused tracks, plus remixes from Tzusing (see below), M.E.S.H and Kid Antoine. It's a bold and highly accomplished debut.

Laughing Ears - Illusory Time

Laughing Ears journeys into space on her debut EP, entitled Illusory Time. Not literally of course, that'd be a bit over the top for an underground Chinese producer, but her in sounds from way out are inspired by the fictional planet of Solaris, which appears in Stansilaw Lem's famous science-fiction novel of the same name, later made into a film by Andrei Tarkovsky.

To this end, Laughing Ears blends at times haunting, spacey melodies with beats that slide effortlessly from low-key to rousing, and sprinkles a little traditional Chinese instrumentation on top in places too. Every time we've seen this Shanghai-based producer perform live in 2017 we've come away with a smile on our face, and similarly, her first EP is an absolute delight.

Mirrors - Separate Reality

Billed as an 'attempt to rip through to another dimension', this debut EP from exciting Shanghai psych/Kraut-rock band Mirrors is four tracks of pulsating rock music. Having repeatedly impressed with their live performances since forming in late 2016, the trio's first recorded release doesn't disappoint. Driven by Daniel Nagel's drumming and Da Bai's infectious bass riffs (which together previously propelled Nonplus of Color), and garnished with psych-ish guitar work from experimentalist Aming, Separate Reality is fast-paced, dizzying – and ultimately highly satisfying.

Round Eye - Monstervision

In 2017 self-declared ‘experimental freak punk outfit’ Round Eye released their second album, this time via Sudden Death Records – the renowned long-running punk label led by DOA’s Joey Shithead – a noteworthy achievement for a Shanghai-based band. Entitled Monstervision, the LP features the single ‘Billy’ (which you might remember from its politically-charged video) and also contains the final recordings of Stooges saxophonist Steve Mackay.

Shu Ying - Girl's Girl's World

Following 2016's PJ Harvey and Courtney Barnett-channelling Are You Still a Teenager? local musician Shu Ying – who you may know from her work with Undress for Success among numerous other projects here over the years – returned with a new full-length that was the result of a one month recording session in the Netherlands. As with her previous release, the record blends catchy hooks and carefully deployed vocals with some punchy rock guitar backing for a well-rounded and highly listenable album. Now we're just hoping that 2018 brings some live performances to go with her two impressive records.

Spill Your Guts - Hungry Crows

Spill Your Guts have been at the forefront of Shanghai's heavy music scene for some time now and have put out three EPs since forming in 2012, but Hungry Crows represents the band's first full length album – a release almost a year in the making. They've been through a number of personnel changes over the years, but now have their most settled line-up in some time, and this latest recording showcases their tightness as a unit. If you've listened to their previous records or witnessed their explosive live show, you'll know what to expect: a take-no-prisoners approach to fast-paced, heart-on-the-sleeve hardcore. Be sure to turn this one right up, full blast.

Swimful - Pearls

Released in the spring on Shanghai's SVBKVLT label, Pearls lives up to its name with a deep dive into Swimful's 'sound of nostalgic sino melodies and melancholic atmospheres'. It's a bit like a weird and wonderful soundtrack to a retro-futurist Chinese animated film with a playful mix of odd and uplifting sounds. But above all, it's just really good fun to listen to. The 'read more' link here goes to our archive profile of the artist - a worthwhile read where he talks about 'lucid dreaming' and his connection to Shanghai - but if you're just looking for the EP, hit the link above for the Bandcamp page. 

Tzusing - 東方不敗

Yep, another left-field electronic release makes the list. If you haven't noticed already, Shanghai's alternative electronic music scene is an extremely exciting one right now. On this L.I.E.S released album, Shanghai-based Malaysian-Chinese producer Tzusing unleashed a volley of industrial, EBM (electronic body music) and techno that spliced dark, off-kilter rhythms and melodies together with a varied arsenal of beats that constantly sneak up on and startle the listener. Little wonder the record brought him considerable international attention.

Tzusing then followed it up with an equally absorbing EP (which is linked to here) before 2017 was out. Fair to say it's been a strong year for him.

Ugly Girls - Welcome to the Suck

Welcome to the Suck is 12 tracks of in your face, unapologetic riot grrrl punk. Recorded mostly in one take at Yuyintang's newish studio, the album features tracks such as 'Yes Homo', 'Fuck Boss' and 'Butch Barbie', which give you a fairly heavy hint as to what to expect attitude-wise. Don't expect Ugly Girls to be booked for Storm Festival any time soon, but do put this record on your headphones when you're feeling some in-office rage.

Zhang Xiongguan - Struggles

This second album from Nanjing-born, Shanghai-based Zhang Xiongguan saw the New England Conservatory-trained guitarist confirm his position as one of the most exciting young Chinese jazz musicians around. Fusing classic, golden age jazz vibes with contemporary stylings and influences, Zhang manages to create music that feels at once retro and modern (his last album nodded to this with the title New Sound from the Past). Stick this on on a sunny Sunday afternoon and let it wash over you as you sink into the sofa.