Sorry that posting hasn't been up to scratch as of late.  I've been out of town and summers in CQ are generally slow, but here's something that caught our attention:

One of CQSCENE's better friends, the Kalakuta Kid will be DJing in Shanghai this weekend, and prior to his two performances(alongside Spin Doctor) Shanghai DJ/promoter HEATWOLVES interviewed him for Shanghai247.com.  The full interview can be found here, and gives some good insights into life in Chongqing, and also features a download of a new mix by HEATWOLVES. Check it out!  and if you're in Shanghai, show your support for one of CQ's finest.

Technically she's just a mammal, but any 6 year old little girl that can swim across the Yangtze river in less than 28 minutes, might as well have gills.  
And thats just what Tan Jiajia, a Chongqing first grader did, as she "easily" swam a 1,500 meter stretch of the river in a time of 27 minutes, 24 seconds.  

via: [dailychilli]

Wang Lijun, a Chongqing police chief who was given the nickname "Robocop," after playing a massive role in Bo Xilai's 2009 mob crackdown, was elected vice Mayor in a unanimous vote.  

In related news, prices of the futuristic street drug "Nuke" have sky-rocketed in Chongqing and the surrounding areas. 

via: [chinadaily]

 

This week's selection of free musical goodness comes from Arms and Sleepers, a chilled-out, almost melancholy, post-rock/electro band from the U.S., with a sound evocative of Animal Collective and Sigur Ros, while at the same time maintaining its own identity.  The duo of Max Lewis and Mirza Ramic with regular appearances by guitarist Ben Shepard, formed back in 2006, and since then have put out 13 releases while extensively touring North America and Europe.  Their first ever tour of Asia brings them to Chongqing tonight(Tues. 6/14), in a show that promises to bring a breath of fresh air to the Nuts Club stage.  

The first track Architekt, from their most recent release Matador, is a male/female vocal duet, sounds like it could have been produced by Massive Attack, and would not be out of place on the soundtrack of any number of movies.  Listening to a selection of Arms and Sleepers' work gives evidence of a strong cinematic influence, made ever so clear in this song.  

The next song, The Catcher Elsewhere,  dates back to the band's 2009 release From the Inland Sea.  A more ethereal, dare I say up-lifting track, that starts minimally with nothing more than a piano and bass, builds into a fuller, yet no less soothing piece, when the piano gives way to a xylophone, synth, and drums.  

Arms And Sleepers play Nuts Club Tuesday, June 14, 20:30. Below is a cool promotional video that the band put together, and their music videos, which you can view here, are worth checking out.  

This week's musical selections come from a couple DJ/Beatmakers, who will be rocking the dance-floor at the Nuts, this Saturday night, as S.T.D., one of Shanghai's premiere independent party promoters, make their first Chongqing appearance with S.T.DJs R3, Linfeng, and Max.  

Having become synonymous with not only herpees, S.T.D.( Sonically Transmitted Disease), has also become mean PARTY!  For several years now, S.T.D. has thrown some of China's best parties, often including performances by both live musicians and DJs.  This weekend's party will feature the later, as some of the country's finest DJs and producers take a break from rocking Shanghai's clubs, to bring their dance inducing tunes to our fair city.  

The first two tracks come from R3 and Linfeng.  Both, are remixes of the Beijing garage/dance rock band Queen Sea Big Shark.  The third, 'Remember to Forget,' is an original production from R3. 

It appears that the Japanese may have left something other than hatred, behind in Chongqing. 

Reported here, on May 25, a reported emergence of the ancient Japanese tradition of the Samurai, a woman in Chongqing municipality failed in an attempt at Sepuku, literally "stomach cutting," a ritual suicide, by way of disembowelment, that served as a sacrificial, and therefore honorable way of dyeing.  

Clearly shamed by the failure of her attempt, the woman claimed, she cut open her stomach, while trying to remove a painful build-ip of fluids, because she couldn't afford the surgery to do so.  However, imaginary 'sources,' tell me that the family is in-fact wealthy, and merely fears the secret of their samurai clan will be exposed to the authorities.  

 This week's huMP3s come from Chengdu psychedelic rock outfit Proximity Butterfly, who take to the Nuts Club stage once more this Saturday as they embark on the second leg of their national "Pillars of Creation" tour, fresh off of a main stage, festival opening performance at the third annual Zebra Music Festival.  This time around they're promoting their latest album and first release(out 5/31) on the lauded Maybe Mars imprint, "The Reprieve."  The self-produced album, and subsequent tour, is drawn from the band's personal encounters with the "devastation that reshaped Chengdu's community," just over 3 years ago.  The multitude of emotions evoked by the disastrous 2008 Sichuan earthquake, or "5.12," guide the album's ethereal, imaginative sound, and though born of a cold, dark place, warmly welcome listeners to the "unmistakeable sound of Proximity Butterfly."  

The two tracks below are from a previous album, as I've yet to get a hold of any of their new material, but give a good indication of what to expect from Saturday's show.

As one person(and one person only) responded to my call for comments in last weeks MP3-centric post, I figured I'd keep it going for at least another week. 

 As usual, this week's selections come from artists who's talents will be on display here in Chongqing sometime in the near future, beginning with a band that will be performing tonight(5/19) at Nuts Club.  Hailing from Beijing, but originally from Hebei, Rustic, have been making waves in the Chinese music scene for the past couple of years, most notably winning the 2009 Global Battle of the Bands.  Having since signed with pioneering Chinese indie record label Maybe Mars, Rustic are amidst their first full-scale tour of China promoting their first album 'City of Heartbreak'N Horror.'  Though having been described as "all flash, and no smash," the band continues to pick up steam, and as head of Maybe Mars' creative team Nevin Domer says, they "fill a spot that is lacking in the Chinese scene. That is a place for highly charismatic performers [and] rock stars.”
Below is the track "Rock & Roll for Money and Sex," a fitting title for a band who if not in sound, than certainly look, have been heavily inspired by the 80's Los Angeles glam-metal scene.

Our second selection comes courtesy of dJP aka Ya Boy, who will be DJing a 'power-hour'(60 songs, 1 hour) set at "Hot as Balls: a Summer Party," this Friday night at Chongqing's newest dive bar Da Rasta, in Shapingba.  Below is a sample, or 'teaser' of what you might expect to hear  from Ya Boy at the aptly named Hot as Balls, which kicks off at 21:00.  20 RMB gets you in the door and includes a beer.