Back in May Danish Techno-soul duo rocked not only Chongqing, but a handful of cities throughout China.  Prior to their show at Nuts club we asked them a few questions via email, and as life on the road was a bit hectic at the time they were unable to answer my questions. They've since returned to Denmark and the "soul" half of the duo Retard, took the time to respond to our questionable questions...



CQSCENE:  Which of the pictured reptiles best relates to
 Reptile? Why?

REPTILE: Lately I have felt a lot like a snake in a bottle of booze. But I
think thats often how you feel when you are on tour. Apart from that I
would say that Gecko from Turtles is a pretty suitable character when
I comes to which reptiles I relate to. Gecko is exactly like me an
Urban Reptile born in the 80's. I would not fight alongside Shredder
though. Despite my looks I am probably more a splinter kind of guy.


  
 CQS:  and all political correctness aside, which of the 'retards'
does Retard most relate to? Why?

R:  The Reptile will answer for the Retard in this case. I think that a
combination between Forrest Gump and Rain Man is what the Retard
reminds me of the most. He has Forrest Gumps optimistic spirit and
blue eyed believe in oneself that normal people seldom seem to posses.
Just like Rain Man my Retard has obvious autistic sides. He can sit in
front of a computer without noticing me talking to him. And like a
child he keeps on working until he almost pisses his pants. You can
see his legs moving more and more until he suddenly has to run to the
bathroom. Apart from that my Retard looks like a retard. But indeed a
beautiful one...

CQS:   Last week you opened for, and according to some, out-performed
  Peaches in her highly anticipated Shanghai performance, what is it
  about 2 dudes on stage that seems to work better than just 1 chick?

R:  We got balls.. But actually I think that there is a chance PEACHES has
balls as well so I guess thats not the critical factor. I think
PEACHES put up a good show. I think the biggest difference between our
shows is that hers is planned from start to end. We just get drunk and
go on stage... Maybe thats why we got the nickname Beasts with Beats.

CQS:  In a lot of the press thats been going around about you, a lot of
 the emphasis has been put into your live show.  What is about the live
setting that you seem to thrive upon?

R: We put a lot of emphasis on our liveshows. It is extremely important
for us do deliver and give people an experience that they haven't had
before. Show them something original and freash. But most of all it is
important for us to give it all we got on stage. So many electronic
acts are horrible live and we want to show that it doesn't have to be
that way.

CQS:  a lot of the time in China, the rock crowd and electronic crowd
 don't tend to mix, but its been said that your show appeals to both,
 why do you think that is?

R:  That is actually what we are. We er both rockers. And a lot of the
music we make is rockmusic played on computers. Electronic music can
some things rock can't and the other way around. We try to take the
best from those to genres and put it together. Thats also why we call
it Technosoul. We want to mix german techno with rock and soul music
from the 70ties. But we want to appeal to more than just the rockcrowd
and the electronic crowd. I for instance think that most of the
punkers would like our shit as well.

CQS:  Its been reported that Chongqing is the city you're most looking
  forward to playing in while on tour in China, why exactly is that?

R:  We heard that Chongqing is where all the beautiful ladies come. And we
love beautiful ladies. Apart from that we heard a lot of good things
about NUTS and the venues are always important for the show. Finally
Chongqing is quite a legendary city. It is one of the absolute biggest
cities in the world if not the biggest one, and still so few people
has heard about it. That makes the city quite mysterious and I really
like that.


 CQS:  Anything else we should know about Reptile Retard?

R:  We will be back. If not before we will for sure be back next spring.
And probably with a fresh album out, new and harder songs, better
productions, even more energy and a whole lotta love.

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Wanzhou scene? . . .  


Nestled into the mountains a little way north up the Yangtse sits Wanzhou; Chongqing’s second city.  Seeing as Chongqing itself only has a handful of decent bars, I had no expectations and was surprised: Wanzhou has a lot to offer.  The city itself is how I imagine Chongqing before 1997, a lot smaller and less built up – it’s buildings and mountain/river location are similar – however the lesser degree of pollution means the mountains are actually visible most days.  Nevertheless the drone of development resounds across the city.   


The small central park has an array of local musicians and a small orchestra performing folk music and red songs in the day and a surprising number of relaxed coffee bars are also dotted around the town.  Wanzhou also has a Lazer Quest operating in an abandoned warehouse just by the docks – unfortunately they open periodically and were closed when we visited.  But if you’re luckier for 50¥ you can spend the evening running around, shooting lazers at your friends.

For more usual entertainment, Wanzhou’s BaiYan Lu (white rock road)– leading off the main square has a handful of typical Chinese clubs – small KTV bars like the tropical QQ Bar and the trippy Mirror bar, playing decent enough techno in the usual tinselly neon surroundings (both halfway up Bai Yun Lu Yi Xiang).   


However the highlight is undoubtedly Seed Bar.   Somewhere between a jazz bar and a yuppie 1980s apartment this wood clad bar is crowded with eccentric decoration but somehow manages to pull it off. They also have an impressive collection of sketch books in which to explore your inner artist or just leaf through.  At night they open their stage – acts alternating between local musicians and ambitious punters.  Half the staff are musicians themselves and they welcome everyone to come and play.  Seed is open to anything and if you bring along an MP3 or computer their sound system is equally open to the more musically challenged. (LaoShu KaiFei JiuGuan 3rd floor, Bai Yan Lu) 


For a typical provincial town Wanzhou is far more than its port location with a young and enthusiastic music scene that looks set to develop along with the town.

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tomorrow sees to of China's best bands come to Chongqing, for anyone still undecided as to whether or not to head down to Nuts to check them out we're giving you a taste of each...[continue]

Over the past few months Chongqing has played host to some of the biggest names in the Chinese indie-music scene, and the Month of May promises to be no different as heralded acts, both foreign and domestic get set to rock the once dubbed 'cultural desert.' 
Fresh off of their Chongqing debut back in March, Shanghai live music and party brand 'The Antidote' make their return to Nuts Club, this time with Danish electro-soul/rock duo Reptile and Retard.  If March's 'Antidote,' and the press Reptile and Retard have garnered is anything to go by, Saturday the 8th of May promises to be a good one, as the consensus seems to be that their live show is a spectacle not to be missed. The charisma and showmanship of the band's singer 'Reptile,' who while touring China last year, became known for his stage antics including jumping off of speakers, crowd-surfing, and a great deal of crowd interaction, all while  the other half of the duo 'Retard,' provides the musical backdrop to Reptile's gospelesque voice, creating bass-heavy electronic music with a laptop, effects pedals and a custom key-tar, as given the Danes praise as one of the must see bands in China this year.  Antidote's mission of creating a party, as opposed to just a concert is always bolstered by DJs to keep the night going, and this time around will feature Shanghai via America DJ Ozone, as well as 1 or 2 more yet to be determined.

Later in the month the live-party atmosphere continues on Thursday the 20th, when French electro-rockers P.U.S.S.(and acronym for Party Under Sexy Skirt), also make their Chongqing return.  After the success of last November's appearance at Nuts Club, when they had the near capacity crowd dancing and singing all night, Alliance Francaise and local promoters Fresh World Promotions(FWP), have teamed up once again to bring the high-energy out-fit back to the Shapingba live-house.  Recently signed to Chinese indie label Modern Sky Records, P.U.S.S. has been building steam in China with tours the past few years, and the partnering with Modern Sky can only bode well for their presence within the middle kingdom, and we should expect to be seeing more of the Frenchmen in the years to come.

The following day, Friday the 21st, the highly regarded Maybe Mars, record company out of Beijing, bring their Independent China in Stereo series to Chongqing for the first time.  Having recently returned from a stint at the prestegious South by South-West(SXSW) in Austin Texas, and a tour of America's North-east, Maybe Mars began a push to further the brand's reach domestically with Independent China in Stereo, a series of concerts showcasing 2 or more of the label's best bands.  Volumes 1-4 were contained to China's east, venturing into Hangzhou and Shanghai, but the company are now making their way out west, in ironically, China's Southwest with Vols. 4 and 5 in Chongqing and Chengdu respectively, this time bringing along label heavyweights Carsick Cars, and relative newcomers 24 Hours.  Carsick Cars, having garnered press from the likes of The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, The Newyorker, and The New York Times, to name a few, are one of the best and brightest acts in the Chinese music scene.  Drawing comparisons to The Sonic Youth(whom they've toured and collaborated with) and Nirvana, Carsick Cars are guaranteed to bring out a good sized crowd of locals to see the progressive noise-rock trio.  And with 24 Hours' "hard primal beat" dance-rock, also in-tow, Maybe Mars' first-ever Chongqing showcase will be nothing short of a rock & roll riot!

[originally published in Chongqing Currents magazine]

Zombies, as a general rule of thumb aren't known for there personality, let alone their sense of humor.  That didn't stop Dead Elvis from thinking it was a practical joke when the people from Split Works contacted him about bringing his one man band, or shall I say 'One Man Grave' to China.  In fact it took 3 messages on the myspace before the cryptic king of rock took the notion seriously.  Last night we received a call from Dead Elvis himself while he was on a train from what I can only assume was the underworld, to Chongqing.  As I answered the phone, clouds rolled in overhead, rain began to fall, and a chill ran through my bones, but none the less I was able to get out a few questions with the undead rocker before my body became paralyzed with fear.

CQ SCENE:  What can the people of Chongqing expect from to see from Dead Elvis and His One Man Grave?

Dead Elvis:  Monster Rock and Roll! B movie style, like from the 60's.  Songs from out of the grave, singing about past life, death, heaven and Hell.  I'm a one man band so I play the drums with my feet, guitar with my hands, and sing.

CQS:  You've played a few shows in China already, how has the reaction been?

DE:  I'm a one man band, and I wear a mask, so people were amazed, laughing and giggling. 

CQS:  And what has been your favorite thing about China so far?

DE:  Everyone is so nice.  Its so amazing!  Vox in Wuhan is very cool.  We hung out with the guys from the store next door, the Wuhan Prison, and they were really cool punks.  Its good to see real punks in China.

Dead Elvis and His One man Grave plays tonight, Tuesday the 16th, 20:30 at Nuts Club in Shapingba.

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last week when we spoke with founder of The Antidote(Shanghai) Michael Ohlsson, we could tell that he was very enthusiastic, excited even, to be bringing Shanghai (via. Guizhou singer/MC ChaCha), and The Antidote party to Wuhan and for the first time, Chongqing.  Now that my first Antidote experience is over and done with, I understand why.

Local producer/DJs X76 and Red Apple, started the night off, warming one of the largest crowds Nuts Club has seen in its current incarnation.  Antidote's DJ Ozone took to the decks at about the same time most of the crowd usually leaves a show at Nuts, and was limited to an extremely short, but good eclectic set of the type of tunes lacking in Chongqing's nightlife/party scene.  Feeling Ozone's grooves I was a bit let down when his set was finished, but this disappointment was shortly overtaken by extreme joy once headliner Cha Cha took the stage backed by DJ Drunk Munk. 

Their largely reggae inspired set,with doses of hip-hop and dub-step had the crowd dancing and smiling from front to back well into the night.   Cha Cha's skills as an MC, and voice as a songstress were captivating ,and before the first song was over, it was evident why, according Ohlsson, 
"She's been recording in the studio with -- no exaggeration -- some of the world's top producers of reggae, dub, dubstep -- absolute legends.  her releases are getting excellent   critical reviews in UK, Europe, etc., so this is quite special to have her come to Chongqing..". 

Special indeed.  As a newcomer to the live house setting Cha Cha had the poise and confidence of a seasoned vet., putting on a memorable performance.

 The night rolled on as Cha Cha left the stage for DJ and owner of Shanghai night club staple Shelter Gaz Williams, aka Drunk Munk to continue the irie vibe.  Unfortunately, as is typical at Nuts,  the crowd began to thin out as soon as he was just getting going, missing out on what of China's best imported DJs.

Though Chongqing has a while before it can catch up to the scene's in Beijing and Shanghai, it is definitely on its way there as  westablished brands such as The Antidote and Split Works* making their way to Chongqing with increased frequency, can only bode well for the Chongqing scene.  And with the success of the past weekends Antidote, we can only expect better the next time around when they bring Reptile and Retard to Nuts, May 8.

-sidewalkspew

*Split Works made their Chongqing debut last winter with Hollerado, and return tomorrow, Tuesday the 16th with Dead Elvis.

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We had a chat with Michael(DJ)Ozone, co-founder of The Antidote(Shanghai) as they get set to make their Chongqing debut, Saturday March 13 @ Nuts Club.

CQSCENE: First off, can you tell me what The Antidote is all about? beginnings, etc..

Michael Ozone: Well we started in 2005 in shanghai, me and B6 we just wanted a way to bring new, innovative music to china... give new producers a platform to play out and get the right audience to discover them so, although we do bring a lot of acts from around the world, to china for the first time, our heart is in pushing up the mainland Chinese music scene.  so, the act we're bringing to Chongqing this weekend -- ChaCha -- we feel is a massive new talent in China and we're excited to work with her and let new people discover her music

CQS: Can you let the people here n CQ know what to expect from ChaCha, and an Antidote party in general?

MO: Well Antidote parties  -- we always do eclectic music on the night, so we might play everything from punk rock to minimal techno to reggae, in one night. So also, we bring mostly live electronic acts sometimes rock bands but mostly electronic. We also have DJs that play before and after these live acts so it's a *party,* not just a show where you watch and leave.  we want people to have a good night out, relax, meet new people, and have silly fun. we like to have a mix of people and music from rock to hip  hop to techno.

This time we're bringing Chacha, a singer who's originally from Guizhou, but lives in Shanghai now.  She's been recording in the studio with -- no exaggeration -- some of the world's top producers of reggae, dub, dubstep -- absolute legends.  her releases are getting excellent critical reviews in UK, Europe, etc., so this is quite special to have her come to Chongqing.  Next time will be May 8 , we bring Reptile Retard from Denmark, to Chongqing.  We did a tour with them last year, 10 shows in china, and they were incredible!

CQS: Finally, what are you most looking forward to during your first time to Chongqing

MO: Well the party of course! But, I'm also really excited to check out the food and explore the city('ill be staying for a few days after the gig).  I also write about food, so I'm eager to check out the food there. I love Sichuan food, but it's hard to find good stuff here in Shanghai.

 CQS: As I'm sure you know, CQ is famous for its hot-pot, will you be giving that try?

MO: For sure! but also want to find some weird eats, for my blog  www.weirdmeat.com.

CQS: Anything else you'd like to add?

MO: Anyone who dresses like a cartoon character gets a free beer from me.  Or a kitten, we like kittens.




DJ Ozone and ChaCha, and The Antidote will be throwing it down Saturday March 13th, 21:00 - LATE!  With specilal local guests DJs X76 ans Red Apple.

"Anyone interested in reading about China's indie music scene should, among other things, go to www.kungfuology.com... It is there(on Jake's blog) that I found this.  The China Mix Tape.  Featuring some of the best and most 'renowned' Chinese artists as well as some of the most promising up-and comers..." [read on]

Rumors have been circulating about a fully developed CiCi Square district that can offer Chongqing a full underground scene.  On Sunday, these rumors became closer to reality.  SVIP club has opened down the way from CiCi Park, offering a higher-class alternative to CiCi’s electro-scene...
[read on]

Every Thursday @ Nuts Club
21:00 - 1:00
10 rmb Tequila shots
15rmb Gin & Tonics
15 rmb Rum & Coke