^{The Digital Divide: China’s Separate Internet Ecosystem}

^{Understanding the Great Firewall’s Impact on Music}

^{One of the most significant barriers to the visibility and understanding of the Chinese music scene outside the country is the nature of its internet. To say that China operates on a separate internet is not an exaggeration.}

^{Instead of Facebook, they use WeChat. Instead of Twitter, they use Weibo. YouTube is Youku. Spotify is Tencent.}

^{For someone in China, accessing the “forbidden version” of the internet is not impossible; they just need a VPN and a bit of “know-how.” However, this has created an environment where very few Chinese converse with people outside their country, and very few of us converse with them. This digital separation is a crucial factor that hinders the discovery and dissemination of Chinese underground music globally.}

^{Operating Under Pressure: Censorship and Venue Challenges}

^{The Precarious World of Live Houses}

^{Although the music scene was growing and maturing, it’s important to note that it remained quite niche, at least relative to the country’s size. In Beijing, the capital and center of the indie scene, at the time of the source there were perhaps four or five very small café-like venues to play, three or four medium-sized venues, and one large venue. This infrastructure of live music venues, called “live houses” in China, changes rapidly. Every five years, some venues close and new ones open.}

^{The main reason for venue closures is “something from the government.” The government “doesn’t support much” and sometimes venues, located on small streets, generate complaints from neighbors about noise. However, even without complaints, bands and venues can become victims of their own success. Rock venues are often unceremoniously shut down due to zoning changes or the presence of plainclothes officers who harass patrons if there are rumors of drug use.}

^{The Censorship Process: Navigating Unclear Guidelines}

^{Censorship is not limited to venues. All record labels have to go through an “esoteric” censorship process. This process involves submitting lyrics, recordings, and band members’ identification cards to a publishing house partly owned by the government. There is no clear list of what is allowed and what is not. If an album is rejected, it is resubmitted to a different publishing house until someone approves it.}

^{The Sound Spectrum: Genres in China’s Underground}

^{Post-Punk and Psychedelic Dominance}

^{Contrary to the perception that Chinese music might be monolithic or lack diversity, the underground scene is a breeding ground for a surprising variety of genres. Trying to summarize the “sound of China” with a simple label is difficult.}

^{The scene is also rich in styles with more Western roots but with a distinctive interpretation. Post-punk is prominent, represented by bands like Retros, PK14, and Backspace. Psychedelic music is found in bands like Backspace and Dream Camp. Indie is the general term encompassing many of these bands, including pioneers like PK14 and Carsick Cars, as well as more recent acts like From Chengdu, Fazi, Rubber, and Backspace.}

^{Declining and Emerging Trends}

^{Metal, for example, is not as popular, and its popularity is declining. Shoegaze was popular but is also in decline. There is a “very rare” genre called city pop, described as “relaxing, love, beach, summer,” which has roots in Japan.}

^{The Reality TV Revolution: “The Big Band” Changes Everything}

^{From Underground to Mainstream}

^{On the other hand, indie rock has become more popular than ever, thanks in large part to the successful reality show “The Big Band.” The reality TV show “The Big Band” changed the lives of many bands. Before the show, a band’s income per concert could be only about 2000 RMB (approximately 300 USD). After the show, their income improved significantly.}

^{This program, available to watch online with English subtitles, is “surreal.” It has all the elements of an American Idol-type show: witty judges, dramatic personal stories, on-camera confessionals, and, of course, a dominant beverage sponsor. But the surprising thing is that the music is “pretty good.” Retros, the industrial post-punk band heard at the beginning of the video, won last year’s competition! This is described as “almost like Death Grips winning America’s Got Talent.”}

^{The Positive Impact of Commercialization}

^{The show’s success has a very positive side. Bands became popular, have a better life, and more people know their music. The best aspect is that “most live houses were full of people, and some bands wanted to book the venue but couldn’t because it was too popular.” While there is concern that a “subversive” indie scene could be “diluted” or “watered down” by becoming more mainstream, the narrator considers it, overall, a “good problem” to have. Having a debate about “sell-outs” and “authenticity” seems like a rite of passage for an emerging music scene.}

^{Current State: Resilience and Innovation}

^{Recent Musical Developments}

^{In addition to the impact of the reality show, the scene continues to produce notable music. Some of the best records the narrator heard had come out in the last two years, such as “Persephone’s Seasons” by the Shanghai band RUBUR, or “almost anything” by the band Backspace. Backspace, a personal favorite from the list, hails from a small town in southern China. They relocated to Beijing, the capital of the indie scene, where they signed with Maybe Mars. Their most recent release, 2022’s “Face of the Night,” includes the epic “Face Mask Tragedy.”}

^{Adapting to Modern Challenges}

^{From this perspective, it seems that the Chinese indie scene continues to do its own thing. It remains subversive, strange, and fun. It adapts in the face of lockdowns and restrictions and remains creative. For those of us observing from abroad, regardless of what we think about politics and current events, the hope is that the indie scene remains this way for many more years. Its resilience, creativity, and the way it navigates restrictions, finding new ways to express itself and reach audiences, is a testament to the avant-garde spirit of this new Chinese underground culture.}