Live China Music Podcast — Discover China's Indie & Underground Music Scene
English-language weekly/biweekly podcast exploring new music from China's vibrant indie, alternative, rock, electronic, punk, experimental, hip-hop, and post-punk scenes.

Today's episode discusses a very exciting batch of new releases all along the spectrum of post-rock, including many acts that have been influential over decades or in recent years. Dive in!

Tracks:

1. 痛苦的故事 (Painful Story) - Shanghai Qiutian from Shanghai

Website: www.shqt.live

1. 午夜来客 (Midnight's Cosmic Guest) - Spring Hill Post Tide from Wuhan

Bandcamp: https://springhillposttide.bandcamp.com

1. 篝火日 （Bonfire Day) - 旧日的派珀（Aza's Piper) from Hangzhou

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/39dNcaW0g6xUyJQH9BvD3E?si=v3fHklwjTX-5z4Q8Dpkj9Q

1. 在河边找甘草 - Railway Suicide Train from Hangzhou & Beijing

Previous album on Bandcamp since this new one isn't available yet! https://woguidehuoche.bandcamp.com/album/continent

5 . Crossing The Boundaries of Reality 跨过现实的边界 - PK14 from Beijing

Bandcamp: https://storecords.bandcamp.com/album/appearances

About us:

Every episode, hosts Elie Rosenberg and Will Griffith review the latest tracks from bands and artists living in China, spotlighting underground and emerging talent rarely heard outside Asia. Expect 4–6 freshly released songs, artist context, genre highlights, and short audio clips in each ~30-minute show.

Whether you're into Chinese indie rock, avant-pop, experimental electronic, punk, underground hip-hop, post-punk, jazz-inspired sounds, or cross-genre alt music, this is your guide to what's new and compelling in Mainland China's music world.

We systematically sign waivers with the artists or their label to ensure we do not infringe their copyright.

Hope you'll enjoy and please support by sharing around, don't hesitate to reach out by finding us on instagram (livechinamusic or zefrenchvillain) or writing to livechinamusic@gmail.com

Credits:

Producer: Elie Rosenberg

Co-producer: William Griffith

Hosts: Elie Rosenberg & Will Griffith

Editor: Elie Rosenberg

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:20 SHQT (post-rock from Shanghai)

09:19 Spring Hill Post Tide (Psychedelic music from Wuhan)

16:17 Aza's Piper (Lovecraftian dream-pop from Hangzhou)

23:36 Railway Suicide Train (Psychedelic Folk from Hangzhou & Beijing)

30:28 PK14 (post-punk from Beijing)

36:25 Outro

Elie and Will break down the past year. Best bands, best albums, what's been trending and what's impacted the Chinese music scene in 2025, as well as some thoughts and hopes for 2026.

For more detailed lists in the written form, check out the following links:

Beehype: https://beehy.pe/best-albums-of-2025/

Live China Music Wechat: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/GznN61SlozcrSIzvXQsStQ

See below links to listen to the albums mentioned, in no particular order of our top picks:

Riot In School - Punk Rock Blasphemy

https://riotinschool.bandcamp.com/album/punk-rock-blasphemy

The Beneficial Society - The Beneficial Society

https://open.spotify.com/album/6G27ZALN3N5wE8UtoKT7pz

Linfeng - Sad But Beautiful

https://open.spotify.com/album/3BdHmNjVippCYm4uLQ7OK2

Wasted Laika - Red Dragonfly, Green Peacock

https://open.spotify.com/album/7KfjHxQBja1UWmF6LlNhlz

鸡毛大 - I Only Sing In Winter

https://open.spotify.com/album/0B96F31OU1L0VlbcCVvSk3?si=llm5CWyrQguPtoO_YupGng

施鑫文月 Gray Gray Sun

https://open.spotify.com/album/3HeO54HGPMW10gcQbllZIz?si=dYR4kvRrRSiUXJHHbqsMvw

Smiqra - Rɡyaɡ̇dźé!

https://hoplites.bandcamp.com/album/r-ya-dz-e

Cola Ren - Mekong Ballad

https://colaren.bandcamp.com/album/mekong-ballad

Khunati - Misty Mountain Pagoda

https://wvsorcerer.bandcamp.com/album/misty-mountain-pagoda

About us:

The mission of the Live China Music Podcast is to shed light on Chinese music, providing listeners with insights and information on the Chinese music scene that they would not be able to obtain elsewhere.

Every episode, hosts Elie Rosenberg and Will Griffith review the latest tracks from bands and artists living in China, spotlighting underground and emerging talent rarely heard outside Asia. Expect 4–6 freshly released songs, artist context, genre highlights, and short audio clips in each ~30-minute show.

Whether you're into Chinese indie rock, avant-pop, experimental electronic, punk, underground hip-hop, post-punk, jazz-inspired sounds, or cross-genre alt music, this is your guide to what's new and compelling in Mainland China's music world.

We systematically sign waivers with the artists or their label to ensure we do not infringe their copyright.

Hope you'll enjoy and please support by sharing around, don't hesitate to reach out by finding us on instagram (livechinamusic or zefrenchvillain) or writing to livechinamusic@gmail.com

We systematically sign waivers with the artists or their label to ensure we do not infringe their copyright.

Hope you'll enjoy and please support by sharing around, don't hesitate to reach out by finding us on instagram (livechinamusic or zefrenchvillain) or writing to livechinamusic@gmail.com

Credits:

Producer: Elie Rosenberg

Co-producer: William Griffith

Hosts: Elie Rosenberg & Will Griffith

Editor: Elie Rosenberg

We cover the last (well, almost last) releases of 2025 from hardcore to a lovely indie pop jam perfectly suited to the holiday season! Don't miss out on new music coming out of China with our latest episode - and keep your eyes peeled for our 2025 recap this week!

Tracks:

1. PPT / What is SSD Anyway

Bandcamp: https://pptviolence.bandcamp.com/track/what-is-ssd-anyway

1. 饮马池 / 向前

Artist Spotify (track not available yet): https://open.spotify.com/artist/2QkClfOJ8NEoiG7uXTjGm0

1. 河馬難受 / 扮鬼

Bandcamp: https://hemananshou.bandcamp.com/track/-

1. 巧克力工厂 / Run, Ade, Run!

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3tZYaqami2DVaFNDMUQPKa?si=a72c540a75174e97

1. Cheers Cheers & Chestnut Bakery / Flickers

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/030yKKuFaWpuR2ukBi3vKB?si=a8272b8661074337

About us:

The mission of the Live China Music Podcast is to shed light on Chinese music, providing listeners with insights and information on the Chinese music scene that they would not be able to obtain elsewhere.

Every episode, hosts Elie Rosenberg and Will Griffith review the latest tracks from bands and artists living in China, spotlighting underground and emerging talent rarely heard outside Asia. Expect 4–6 freshly released songs, artist context, genre highlights, and short audio clips in each ~30-minute show.

Whether you're into Chinese indie rock, avant-pop, experimental electronic, punk, underground hip-hop, post-punk, jazz-inspired sounds, or cross-genre alt music, this is your guide to what's new and compelling in Mainland China's music world.

We systematically sign waivers with the artists or their label to ensure we do not infringe their copyright.

Hope you'll enjoy and please support by sharing around, don't hesitate to reach out by finding us on instagram (livechinamusic or zefrenchvillain) or writing to livechinamusic@gmail.com

We systematically sign waivers with the artists or their label to ensure we do not infringe their copyright.

Hope you'll enjoy and please support by sharing around, don't hesitate to reach out by finding us on instagram (livechinamusic or zefrenchvillain) or writing to livechinamusic@gmail.com

Credits:

Producer: Elie Rosenberg

Co-producer: William Griffith

Hosts: Elie Rosenberg & Will Griffith

Editor: Elie Rosenberg

Elie heads over to Shanghai and gets a crash course of the Shanghai music scene for a special edition of the LiveChinaMusic podcast. We'll take listeners on a gonzo tour of the city's various music venues and hotspots, indulging in everything from experimental sets in homey living rooms to underground bomb shelters. We'll get into the nitty gritty of what makes this city tick!

Venues visited:

• Ming Room: https://rateyourmusic.com/venue/ming-room/2025
• Trigger: https://www.smartshanghai.com/venue/29800/trigger
• Yuyin Town: https://www.smartshanghai.com/venue/34209/yuyintown_cube
• Specter's: https://www.smartshanghai.com/venue/16191/specters_yuyuan_lu
• Ok Ok: https://www.smartshanghai.com/venue/27969/ok_ok_bar
• C's : https://www.smartshanghai.com/venue/210/Cs_shanghai
• Tang: https://rachelgouk.com/3-underground-bars-in-shanghai-tang-cave-hole-in-the-wall/

Tracks:

1 - Dizang / 土星

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/283Dqk89wtFXfBS9yJCidD?si=2c0ef8aabb2a4330

2 - Torturing Nurse & John Duncan / Glass Mind

Bandcamp: https://wvsorcerer.bandcamp.com/track/glass-mind

3 - Diels Alder / Dying For

Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/track/0PMToGL3ToPM9VEqcBk0D9?si=b48a8f0f79824797

4 - FYB / Skyscraper

Bandcamp: https://fuckyourbirthday.bandcamp.com/album/skyscraper

About us:

The mission of the Live China Music Podcast is to shed light on Chinese music, providing listeners with insights and information on the Chinese music scene that they would not be able to obtain elsewhere.

Every episode, hosts Elie Rosenberg and Will Griffith review the latest tracks from bands and artists living in China, spotlighting underground and emerging talent rarely heard outside Asia. Expect 4–6 freshly released songs, artist context, genre highlights, and short audio clips in each ~30-minute show.

Whether you're into Chinese indie rock, avant-pop, experimental electronic, punk, underground hip-hop, post-punk, jazz-inspired sounds, or cross-genre alt music, this is your guide to what's new and compelling in Mainland China's music world.

We systematically sign waivers with the artists or their label to ensure we do not infringe their copyright.

Hope you'll enjoy and please support by sharing around, don't hesitate to reach out by finding us on instagram (livechinamusic or zefrenchvillain) or writing to livechinamusic@gmail.com

We systematically sign waivers with the artists or their label to ensure we do not infringe their copyright.

Hope you'll enjoy and please support by sharing around, don't hesitate to reach out by finding us on instagram (livechinamusic or zefrenchvillain) or writing to livechinamusic@gmail.com

Credits:

Producer: Elie Rosenberg

Co-producer: William Griffith

Hosts: Elie Rosenberg & Will Griffith

Editor: Elie Rosenberg

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

02:49 First venue: Ming Room

08:41 Dizang (psychedelic jazz-rock)

10:15 Cedar Kitchen

15:05 2nd venue: Trigger

24:44 Torturing Nurse & John Duncan (noise)

28:45 3rd venue: Yuyin Town

32:57 Diels Alder (emo)

35:24 4th venue: Ok Ok

38:46 FYB (math grunge rock)

41:37 5th venue: C's Bar

45:55 6th venue: Tang

We're digging deep this week with a collection of offbeat electronic tracks from some of the scene's most unique new producers. The other half of our episode were gets nice and rugged with some retro garage rock and blue collar punk rock. Plus, the latest from the aptly named Berlin Psycho Nurses - soundtracking a UFC documentary? All that and more in our latest LiveChinaMusic Podcast episode!

Tracks

Berlin Psycho Nurses - Thistles
Song on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/1vDgOzt2wVboWEmgjfhziU?si=221af9e83b574095
Artist bandcamp: https://berlinpsychonurses.bandcamp.com/album/berlin-psycho-nurses-2

The Farmers - Summertime Blues
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/1B8jnGiaNE34sCJt1j61sb?si=d8cc49c12cf5464f

REV - Mind Game
https://planetmu.bandcamp.com/track/rev-mind-game

xx/Postmodernhippie - GURU GURU
https://postmodernhippie.bandcamp.com/

UNTECHCIRCLES - Not Just Chaos
https://untechcircle.bandcamp.com/album/dying-light-2

东南不锈钢 (South-Eastern Stainless Steel)- 当工厂倒闭，我们该怎么办？
Artist bandcamp: https://orientalstainlesssteel.bandcamp.com/

About us:
The mission of the Live China Music Podcast is to shed light on Chinese music, providing listeners with insights and information on the Chinese music scene that they would not be able to obtain elsewhere.

Every episode, hosts Elie Rosenberg and Will Griffith review the latest tracks from bands and artists living in China, spotlighting underground and emerging talent rarely heard outside Asia. Expect 4–6 freshly released songs, artist context, genre highlights, and short audio clips in each ~30-minute show.

Whether you're into Chinese indie rock, avant-pop, experimental electronic, punk, underground hip-hop, post-punk, jazz-inspired sounds, or cross-genre alt music, this is your guide to what's new and compelling in Mainland China's music world.

We systematically sign waivers with the artists or their label to ensure we do not infringe their copyright.

Hope you'll enjoy and please support by sharing around, don't hesitate to reach out by finding us on instagram (livechinamusic or zefrenchvillain) or writing to livechinamusic@gmail.com

We systematically sign waivers with the artists or their label to ensure we do not infringe their copyright.
Hope you'll enjoy and please support by sharing around, don't hesitate to reach out by finding us on instagram (livechinamusic or zefrenchvillain) or writing to livechinamusic@gmail.com

Credits:
Producer: Elie Rosenberg
Co-producer: William Griffith
Hosts: Elie Rosenberg & Will Griffith
Editor: Elie Rosenberg

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro
02:13 Berlin Psycho Nurses (post-punk)
08:08 The Farmers (garage rock)
13:12 REV (electro)
19:04 postmodernhippie (breakcore)
23:57 UNTECHCIRCLES (electro)
29:18 South-Eastern Stainless Steel (punk)
35:07 Outro

Back on the mic and loving it! This week Elie and Will offer up a hearty spread of bubbly math rock, riotous ska rock, and whatever the heck Handycam has cooked up. We also highlight one of our favorite songs to drop this year. With tracks from Hangzhou, Beijing, Guangzhou, and all the way to Gansu in the Northwest - it's an eclectic flavorsome batch - so sit back and enjoy!

Tracks list:

1. Halo / Jimaoda

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/1QZu1tHn76RsoMpneEDRDy?si=aa1bf0e8adc04791

1. 哑巴说/ 恍神儿 Huang Shen'er

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/1NXsGb6thOeVkgLGfcYNkw?si=b61f1f3676a54ac1

1. My father is not an official / 张尕怂 Zhang Gasong

Artist page on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2PBpwW0Cy9qC0qfEZyhUsF?si=_PkN3HRTQyaxnvE96wEINg

1. Outsider / Handycam

Bandcamp: https://handycam.bandcamp.com/track/wakuwaku-outsider

1. 英歌 / 右侧合流 (Right-side Confluence)

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/48S0qdUPOtTXwQYHq00UEa?si=e5a46793602c4550

Artist page on Bandcamp: https://youceheliu.bandcamp.com/album/-

1. 对与错 / Underdog

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/0fUSX8upJTlk5YksBFW6Zc?si=cc047c2befa74099

About us:

The mission of the Live China Music Podcast is to shed light on Chinese music, providing listeners with insights and information on the Chinese music scene that they would not be able to obtain elsewhere.

Every episode, hosts Elie Rosenberg and Will Griffith review the latest tracks from bands and artists living in China, spotlighting underground and emerging talent rarely heard outside Asia. Expect 4–6 freshly released songs, artist context, genre highlights, and short audio clips in each ~30-minute show.

Whether you're into Chinese indie rock, avant-pop, experimental electronic, punk, underground hip-hop, post-punk, jazz-inspired sounds, or cross-genre alt music, this is your guide to what's new and compelling in Mainland China's music world.

We systematically sign waivers with the artists or their label to ensure we do not infringe their copyright.

Hope you'll enjoy and please support by sharing around, don't hesitate to reach out by finding us on instagram (livechinamusic or zefrenchvillain) or writing to livechinamusic@gmail.com

Credits:

Producer: Elie Rosenberg

Co-producer: William Griffith

Hosts: Elie Rosenberg & Will Griffith

Editor: Elie Rosenberg

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:52 Halo (folk)

07:48 The mute says (post-punk)

12:51 My Father Is Not An Official (pop-folk)

19:12 WakuWaku/Outsider 噗嗵噗嗵/局外人 (experimental hardcore)

23:29 英歌 (math rock)

28:12 Right And Wrong (ska-punk)

31:53 Outro

Take a deep dive into the "ephemeral" and occasionally "incestuous" Shanghai music scene with a special episode where we bring in guest host Sishen (Jason), the curator of the yearly compilation of Shanghai bands "We Are Shanghai", on its 10th edition! Just shy of 50 tracks, this compilation is a time capsule of the scene in Shanghai in 2025. Besides introducing a small selection of the wonderful tracks in there, Jason and Will also chat about the Shanghai scene itself, the history of the project and how he goes about compiling all those tracks.

You can find out more about the project on weareshanghai.com or you can jump straight to the full compilation on Bandcamp here: https://weareshanghai.bandcamp.com/album/we-are-shanghai-vol-10

Tracks:

1. Line In / Obcur

https://weareshanghai.bandcamp.com/track/obcur

1. Sleepingsheep / Typhoon Day Folk Song

https://weareshanghai.bandcamp.com/track/typhoon-days-folk-song

1. Invisible Stent / Swan Reflection

https://weareshanghai.bandcamp.com/track/swan-reflection

1. Surging Waves / French Class

https://weareshanghai.bandcamp.com/track/french-class

1. Guji / Cereus

https://weareshanghai.bandcamp.com/track/cereus

About us:

The mission of the Live China Music Podcast is to shed light on Chinese music, providing listeners with insights and information on the Chinese music scene that they would not be able to obtain elsewhere.

The show follows a similar structure to inspiring podcasts such as NPR's New Music Friday.

During more or less 30-minutes episodes, Will and I review and discuss 4 to 6 tracks per episode, featuring audio clips of the reviewed songs. The songs discussed have been released less than a month prior. There is no musical genre excluded, but the editorial focus will be on emerging artists, even though on occasion established or legacy acts can be featured if the track is particularly noteworthy. Only artists living in China are reviewed in this program.

We systematically sign waivers with the artists or their label to ensure we do not infringe their copyright.

Hope you'll enjoy and please support by sharing around, don't hesitate to reach out by finding us on instagram (livechinamusic or zefrenchvillain) or writing to livechinamusic@gmail.com

Credits:

Producers: Elie Rosenberg & William Griffith

Hosts: Will Griffith & Sishen

Editor: Elie Rosenberg

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

05:34 Line In (dream pop)

11:37 Sleepingsheep (jangle pop)

15:05 Invisible Stent (experimental IDM)

17:55 A little background on the We Are Shanghai project

25:55 Surging Waves (alt rock)

31:27 Guji (retro new wave)

35:39 Shout outs to the lovely people in the scene

39:19 Outro

Some electronic-heavy music this time around but also some experimental jazz and an interesting collaboration between two wonderful artists in today's episode. Enjoy!

Tracks

1. Guzz / 漫长暑假

https://guzz.bandcamp.com/track/--8

1. Hex in Sparkle / 自我革命Self Revolution

https://open.spotify.com/track/5cizwurufk6aMGeIweOGJx?si=b590911a3904413f

1. Fishdoll x 周士爵 / 我的幼儿园园友

https://open.spotify.com/track/7E7QV0mAYdMuW4q6VznF5h?si=5fd5ee16cf9a4230

1. 白百Endless White / 拧不干

https://endlesswhite.bandcamp.com/track/humid-summer

1. Alone Together / 花园墙外

1. Flufafen / Turkish Coffee (Feat. Shawn Moore)

https://fluflafen.bandcamp.com/track/turkish-coffee-feat-shawn-moore

About us:

The mission of the Live China Music Podcast is to shed light on Chinese music, providing listeners with insights and information on the Chinese music scene that they would not be able to obtain elsewhere.

The show follows a similar structure to inspiring podcasts such as NPR's New Music Friday.

During more or less 30-minutes episodes, Will and I review and discuss 4 to 6 tracks per episode, featuring audio clips of the reviewed songs. The songs discussed have been released less than a month prior. There is no musical genre excluded, but the editorial focus will be on emerging artists, even though on occasion established or legacy acts can be featured if the track is particularly noteworthy. Only artists living in China are reviewed in this program.

We systematically sign waivers with the artists or their label to ensure we do not infringe their copyright.

Hope you'll enjoy and please support by sharing around, don't hesitate to reach out by finding us on instagram (livechinamusic or zefrenchvillain) or writing to livechinamusic@gmail.com

Credits:

Producers: Elie Rosenberg & William Griffith

Hosts: Will Griffith & Elie Rosenberg

Editor: Elie Rosenberg

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:24 Guzz (electronic)

14:14 Fishdoll x Zhou Shijue （experimental hip-hop)

21:15 Endless White (dreampop)

28:15 Alone Together (jangle pop)

33:08 Fluflafen (free jazz)

38:06 Outro