SPOT Festival, Aarhus, Denmark, May 2011

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- Michael Ohlsson on talent exchange and export of Chinese artists

I manage and work with a Chinese music producer named “B6″.  We’ve been on tour together around Asia and Europe a few times now.  Our most recent trip was to Denmark for a new talent showcase festival called SPOT.

As one of the few non-European talents to get invited to SPOT, B6 did a collaborative project and performance with a local Danish act called “Akiri”, who we worked with in China last year.

B6 at Volt Festival, Sweden

Last year, 2010, Shanghai hosted the World Expo, with over a hundred countries participating.  Most of the national pavilions held music events, flying out some of their country’s music talents to perform. One of the most active and frankly, high quality, was the Denmark pavilion.   Scandinavian governments have been active for years in China, actively participating in music festivals, and funding chosen acts to send over to China. Until recently, it was quite rare for Chinese audiences to see foreign live music acts — a large percentage of those that have come out over the past decade are Scandinavian. Danish act “Reptile & Retard” have toured China with over 20 gigs, probably the most of any foreign act here.  We also regularly see Finnish metal bands and Swedish experimental pop, as the only “foreign acts” on the major festival bills.

So it was nice to see, finally, some love back — a Danish festival flying out a Chinese talent.  B6 and Akiri met and rehearsed together in a basement in Aarhus, just days before the festival, and worked out a collaborative live set, performed at two different stages/days at Spot Festival.

Spot is exactly the kind of festival we’d like to see happen in Asia — a focus on new talents, a solid variety of music, an urban festival that works with and promotes the city it’s held in, and a fair mix of networking/industry functions along with great parties.  Not to mention the excellent production values and organization we so need in China.

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  • FakeMusicMedia

    It is true that the Scandinavian countries are especially active in the music exchange with China. But France, Germany  and Canadians are also supporting quite a lot, too. 
    Since I´m german and also somehow get a lot of invitations from the french I can only say that there are COUNTLESS artists from these countries touring in China. But actually most of them don´t make a dent in China because they tour on their own without the help of people like Michael.

    Therefore it´s cool that people like e.g. Michael help a bands like R&R extensive touring but obviously R&R is not the foreign band that has toured China most.  Apart from german indie wunderkind Maximilian Hecker who for some reason got pretty famous in China years ago and plays 20 city tours nearly every time he comes to China (which is not seldom), we (BEWARE OUR SELFPROMOTION – FAKE MUSIC MEDIA http://www.fakemusicmedia.com) have brought Berlin-electro bands PITCHTUNER and JEANS TEAM already three times to China and they both made more than 20 gigs each.  And I wouldn´t be surprised if there are obscure or not so obscure american or european post-rock bands out there who did the same… Similiarly, most headliners are actually not Swedish or Finnish but from other countries (and I don´t count the guys from Greater China). Take Midi Festival: Mr Big (US), British Sea Power (UK)  Pinggu Festival: Avril Lavigne (CA), Ladytron (UK), Little Boots (UK) etc.  Zebra Festival:  Curry & Coco (French), Puppet Mastaz (Ger), Rodion (IT) (the latter two are our bookings, oops – we did it again) ; Modern Sky: well, mostly chinese Modern Sky bands but also e.g. Mono (JP), Radio 4 (US).  INTRO: Robag Wruhme, Chris Liebing (both Ger)

    Regarding “exporting” chinese bands there have been quite a few of them touring Europe and the States as well: E.g SUBS, which China´s ex-pat-in-exile Jon Campbell toured extensively in Finland (sure you can soon read stories in his new book). Or a couple of bands Modern Sky brought to the States (with the help of Converse), or recently Demerit on the Warped tour (I believe Split selfpromoted this on their site here?), or Hanggai in Europe etc. etc. 

    Actually the first chinese bands I know of that played in Europe were Tang Dynasty, Cobra and Wang Yong (ca 1993 and we had nothing to do with this;). But  of course we have some more time for self promotion and like to add that we toured  HELEN FENG´s old project PET CONSPIRACY three times quite succesfully in Europe (the last two tours with 5 countries and 13 gigs that actually were pretty well attended) and will bring her new project NOVA HEART to Zurich Street Parade in August.

    So China´s hardworking-music-lovers out there, selfpromote, and tell us where you toured who. Only like this we get the complete picture. Thanks Michael for initiating this! Viva la propaganda!!

    PS: May I add that there are probably more than a dozen promoters out here in China – in no particular order and probably not complete: Split, Aldi, LiveNation, IconPromotions, Modern Sky, Midi, Skream, FakeMusicMedia, StreetHustlePromotions, Acupuncture, Yen, STD, Nibing, Antidote, The Icecream Truck, Jane Siesta, The M, Pangbianr, MaybeMars, Ben Huang, etc.. 2011 in China – It´s getting crowded. Philipp