Beijing Calling: Recent Episodes
China Plus
Four veterans from China's millennial nu-metal scene recently formed a new band called F.U.N. Joining us today is Jazzine, manager of F.U.N and also co-producer of F.U.N's upcoming album. Wanna know how their latest single sounds? Let's check out.
Warm, charming and retro tones of Changsha's native ETA band, is what you need right now.
Beijing-based indie outfit Biuya finally presented their EP since we last heard them three years ago. Let's check out what they've got!
A new band from Beijing named themselves after the Renaissance artist Titian. Let's check out what they have behind this name.
Beijing-based indie-rock outfit Elenore just celebrated their 10 year anniversary, together with a brand new album Shine A Light. Take a listen!
It’s already winter time, can’t believe we’re saying goodbye to 21 century’s first decade! In this time of year, we absolutely need some good music to chill out during our end-of-the-year hustle, don’t we? So today let me introduce you a rising star from south-western China, her name is Mia Aim, and her soulful voice is not the kind you could easily wipe out of your mind. I’m Li Yuan, let’s check out what she’s got in her pocket.
Beijing-based independent act Mimikbanka is ready to play you some delicate and romanctic melodies. Taste the urban vibe of contemporary China, here with Beijing Calling.
From unknown to supporting BADBADNOTGOOD's performance in Beijing, Bowaswell has impressed the crowd with their warm, relaxed, and a little bit mysterious sound. This time, we have the band's new single, and hear what the founder Yichi says.
Using full 100% analogue synths and drum machines to create authentic sound to the dancefloor, Beijing-based electronic act Hielektromen has released a new EP called Melancholy. Let's hear what their keyboard player JRG says about themselves and their new stuff.
Starting his career as a drummer, Liu Wei has been exploring his boundary of musical expression, and gradually evolves into a composer and producer under the stage name Mico. This autumn, his band Junglemico Project has brought to us a brand new album The World.
Today let’s listen to a selection of songs from singer songwriter Cheng Bi’s latest album Then I Embrace You. Taste the urban vibe of contemporary China, here with Beijing Calling.
Being good at making instrumental beats doesn't satisfy Dizkar yet, in this October, he returned as an R&B singer-songwriter with a brand new album called Search for Nothing. Taste the urban vibe of contemporary China, here with Beijing Calling.
This week's Beijing Calling features young and very prolific electronic music producer Night Swimmer, who is very good at weaving nostalgic dreams that everybody has a soft spot for.
Beijing-based electronic music visionary Howie Lee visits our studio and brings with him the latest full-length album. Take a listen.
This week's Beijing Calling features young composer/pianist Xiao Ying and his new single Large Seaport, which illustrates the beautiful scenery of a seaport with color-rich musical language.
Founded in 2015, Beijing-based alternative rock band INXU has finally published their debut full album 300,000. In this episode of Beijing Calling, we’ll find ourselves in a space odyssey fantasized by INXU. I’m Li Yuan, bringing you the the latest from China's independent music scene.
Over the past 3 years, we have been witnessing a strong revival of City-pop, a pop music style originated from Japan in the late 1970s, and was strongly influenced by soft-rock, soul and jazz. Young people in China are much attracted by its taste of nostalgia, despite that most of the millennials have never experienced city-pop era. In today’s Beijing Calling, we have MarsGoku from Beijing-based band Metropolis, to introduce their EP City Coast. I’m Li Yuan, bringing you the coolest new sound of China.
Having gained great popularity and also controversy in this summer, thanks to the TV show Big Band, Beijing-based rock outfit Penicillin is coming back with their second LP album Moments of Glory. I’m Li Yuan, bringing you the best from China’s independent music scene.
Today we have electronic music producer Shen, who is also the member of Beijing-based groove collective called Flash Beats Bone, whose music revolves around heavy grooves of all kinds, ranging from Afro-beat, funk, hip hop to experimental electronics. Recently over the month, Flash Beats Bone has released 3 singles, marking the upcoming new full album. Beijing Calling brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene.
Introducing Shanghai-based funk group HOWHY, get ready and get funky! Beijing Calling brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene.
Newly released compilation album Summer Hotel vol.2 nicely reflects the urban vibe in today’s China.
Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we listen to Qingdao based indie-pop band Orange Ocean, giving you the cozy summer breeze. Take a listen!
Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we listen to some newcomers selected from comps Modern Sky #9. Take a listen!
Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we listen to future-oriented electronic duo TrueTrue presenting their freshly published debut album. Take a listen!
Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we listen to a new band Cotton Range with their freshly pulished debut album, taking you back to 90s dream-pop era. Take a listen!
Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we listen to Hulu Boyz presenting their freshly published love songs. Take a listen!
Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we listen to a bittersweet single just released by Xi'an-based indie band Young and Dumb, perfect for a summer night! Take a listen!
Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we listen to new single just released by Wuhan-based electronic singer/producer Shii. Take a listen!
Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we listen to new single just released by Shanghai-based jazz singer Xi Chenchen, bringing you her first taste of city-pop style. Take a listen!
Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we listen to new single just released by young pianist Yue Xuan, who frequently crosses the border of music genres. Take a listen!
"Welcome to the season finale of Beijing Calling and we're taking you somewhere really special! If you were to bring one stuffed animal for a young friend back home from China, what would it be? Let me take a wild guess and say: a panda? There is no better place to get that toy than from the Giant Panda Breeding Center in Chengdu city of Southwest China and that's where we're heading today. Will they let you bring home a real baby panda? Well...let's see what Shenting and Mohan have to say about that!"
Mirror Mirror on the Wall Who is the wisest one of all? Is it the King? Is it the Queen? Is it the fair lady who is writing this thing? Close, but no! For a lot of Chinese people, the answer is very likely to be: my Grandmother! Grandmas are packed with decades with wisdom and bosoms full of love! What are the words of wisdom that Chinese Grandmas try to pass down to their much-pampered grandchildren? Join us and have a listen!
Mirror Mirror on the Wall Who is the wisest one of all? Is it the King? Is it the Queen? Is it the fair lady who is writing this thing? Close, but no! For a lot of Chinese people, the answer is very likely to be: my Grandmother! Grandmas are packed with decades with wisdom and bosoms full of love! What are the words of wisdom that Chinese Grandmas try to pass down to their much-pampered grandchildren? Join us and have a listen!
Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we listen to two new singles just released by alternative band FAZI from the historic city Xi'An, and hear the band's lead vocalist Liu Peng introducing their latest work. Let's take a listen!
Just two decades ago, pets were still rather rare in China when people were busy just managing their children, but nowadays, more and more people, even young adults who have just learned to take care of themselves, are becoming pet owners. The pet industry has been growing rapidly, with dogs and cats being the most popular choices. What other animals are favored by the Chinese people? Lizards’? Turtles? Snails? (Whisper: A panda would be nice, but only in my dreams...) Mohan and Shen Ting will tell you more!
People from China have quite different standards than people from the West when it comes to defining beauty. A recent advertisement from Zara featuring a Chinese model with freckles triggered rage from some people on social media, who saw it as an affront to Chinese women.
Many single young men and women were facing challenge going home during the Spring Festival holidays, for their pushy parents may keep asking when they're going to get married. Now the holiday is over, are they out of this kind of trouble? Apparently not. Marriage markets will once again be active.
"There are many symbols of good luck around the world. Some are very well known, such as four-leaf clovers in Ireland; dream catchers in Native American culture; the North Star for sailors and a pot of gold for...well say, you and me? What are considered lucky in the Chinese culture? Will people's eyes light up if you give them, let's say, a live turtle for present? What fruit is the most appropriate for birthdays for the elderly? Click ""Play"" and find out!"
"There are many symbols of good luck around the world. Some are very well known, such as four-leaf clovers in Ireland; dream catchers in Native American culture; the North Star for sailors and a pot of gold for...well say, you and me? What are considered lucky in the Chinese culture? Will people's eyes light up if you give them, let's say, a live turtle for present? What fruit is the most appropriate for birthdays for the elderly? Click ""Play"" and find out!"
Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we have a romantic duo by Li Quan and Dutch jazz singer Laura Fygi, specially released on ST. Valentine's Day. Let's take a listen!
If there a time NOT suitable for traveling to China? Yes, there sure is! No one wants you here during the month-long Spring Festival celebration, no matter how handsome, beautiful and nice you are. Just stay away! We don't want to find you crushed, crumpled, flattened, or squashed, trying to find your footing among the millions, wait, maybe billions of travelers on the move at the train stations, airports, bus stops... Oh wait! We shouldn't worry. You won't be able to get tickets to go anywhere anyways, ha! Is it that serious? Yep! Believe you me! Find out more in this episode!
China is in the midst of the post-Spring Festival travel rush.While people planning to catch public transport home battle to find a ticket, people who are driving are facing a struggle of their own: trying to fit all their gifts from their families into their trunk!
When you've finally taken down your holiday lights and put away your Christmas tree, the Chinese people are getting ready to roll up their sleeves to prepare for the most important festival of the year-the Chinese Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year. But it's not as simple as putting out some milk and cookies for Santa and wrapping up presents to put under the tree, there is a series of activities that lead to the last night of the winter and the first day of the spring. And by then you've only got to the middle of it. If you don't believe me just click "Play" and have a listen!
Li Yuan brings you the latest from China's contemporary music scene. In this week's show, we meet Haowei Guo, record producer and film composer who just finished the score composing of the animation White Snake. He talked about the creation of the the film's original music, and shared his understanding of music. Let's take a listen!
With the Chinese Zodiac Year of the Pig fast approaching, Peppa Pig has once again captured the public's attention in China, thanks to a video released online to promote the new Peppa Pig film that will hit the screens in China during the Spring Festival holiday. The video, called "What Is Peppa?", tells the story of a grandfather living in a small rural village trying to work out what "Peppa" means, so he can give his grandson a New Year gift to remember.
When jazz music meets Chinese traditions, what do we expect to hear? In this episode of Beijing Calling, we have pianist Jiang shan presenting her latest 2 singles that blend two different cultural roots together.
Seriously, are you a Pig? You are if you were born in 2007, 1995, 1983, 1959, 1947, 1935, 1923, 1911 or 1899 (and what's your secret for longevity?) Don't be sad if you are, I'm only talking about the Zodiac sign and the Chinese consider the sign of the Pig to be prosperous and lucky. I mean, a lifetime of rolling in the mud and basking in the sun without ever worrying about where the next meal will come from sounds mighty desirable for the toiling masses. The Zodiac signs have a ubiquitous presence in Chinese people's lives. The signs are checked before marriage proposals are made (most likely in secret by the parents and the grandparents). And couples skip certain years to avoid having babies of a sign they don't like. Speaking of which, many couples have been saving up their eggs and sperms to make a Golden Pig baby, how precious! Don't believe in the power of the Zodiac signs? Why don't you click on "Play" and let us win you over.
"Today we are going to talk about some words that you will hear from nowhere else. These are slang, phrases, buzzwords that have emerged in the past year from online and offline. They have become part of everyday talk, popular especially among the younger generations in China. The first five we're sharing in this episode are: soul gaze, Buddha-like, official announcement, cheesy pick-up lines, and prankish. Do they mean what you think they mean? Tune in and find out!"
Three Moms and three kids make a video that gets millions of hits! Yeah, that rhymes! Four generations living under one roof might sound two to three generations too much to you, but for centuries in China, it's been a symbol of heavenly bliss. Though no longer common in today's China it's still looked upon with fondness and warmth. Recently, a series of videos with this theme have been garnering the hits overseas. One child, her parents, then the grandparents and then the great grandparents come into the scene one by one and call the other """"Mom"""", simple as that. But’s that’s enough to get the tears flowing. Click “Play” and let the story melt your heart too!
"Today we are going to talk about some words that you will hear from nowhere else. These are slang, phrases, buzzwords that have emerged in the past year from online and offline. They have become part of everyday talk, popular especially among the younger generations in China. The first five we're sharing in this episode are: soul gaze, Buddha-like, official announcement, cheesy pick-up lines, and prankish. Do they mean what you think they mean? Tune in and find out!"
"Hello and it's Li Yuan here, bringing you the latest from China's contemporary music scene! In this week's show, we meet Xu Wei, a nationally renowned pop-rock musician here in China. He just released his seventh album and in today's show, he reveals the creation of the new songs and his philosophy on life and music. Join me and take a listen!"
For us Chinese people, no matter where we live, be it the North Pole or smack on the Equator, there are certain things that we simply must have, maybe not right away if they are not readily available, but these items will slowly creep back into our lives.
What are they and why are they so essential?
Here is a sneaky peek:
Plastic basins. As ugly as they look, these are part of our lives. You will find them in our bathrooms, not just one or two, but a whole stack of various appalling colors. The butcher knives with a flat cutting edge. Yep, don't mess with a Chinese cook, our knives can hack anything to pieces, slice right through the bone like feathers. The electrical heating blankets. When winter comes around, most people living in Southern China will choose these babies over their spouses in bed, not joking at all.
Click "Play" and let us show you the rest!
For us Chinese people, no matter where we live, be it the North Pole or smack on the Equator, there are certain things that we simply must have, maybe not right away if they are not readily available, but these items will slowly creep back into our lives.
What are they and why are they so essential?
Here is a sneaky peek:
Plastic basins. As ugly as they look, these are part of our lives. You will find them in our bathrooms, not just one or two, but a whole stack of various appalling colors. The butcher knives with a flat cutting edge. Yep, don't mess with a Chinese cook, our knives can hack anything to pieces, slice right through the bone like feathers. The electrical heating blankets. When winter comes around, most people living in Southern China will choose these babies over their spouses in bed, not joking at all.
Click "Play" and let us show you the rest!
For most of us, red is red, the color of passion and blood. But when women and beauty are involved, matters are never as simple as "just red".
There are diva, chili, retro, berry and burgundy, to name just a few from thousands of varieties of lipstick shades worldwide.
Yes, thousands!
And even that is not fine enough for a nation with a history of over 5,000 years.
New colors have burst onto the scene straight from the Palace Museum, inside the City that was once Forbidden.
These "reds" for lipsticks are named after traditional Chinese porcelain and embroideries especially designed for Asian beauties.
Have I piqued your interest?
Well, too bad! These hot items have already been sold out.
Click "Play" and find out more!
Li Yuan brings us the latest from China's independent music scene. In this week's show, we meet Chang Jing, a prolific Gu Zheng player and composer. She talked with Li about her work, and shared her thoughts on music. Let's take a listen!
Haiyang worked in the sports industry for 5 years. He is currently on the organizing committee for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games. Listen to the discussion between Haiyang and Mohan to find out how participation in sports has changed in China over the years.
Li Yuan brings us the latest from China's independent music scene. In this week's show we meet Punx, a techno musician who co-founded the Beijing-based indie label Prajnasonic. He will share with us some of China's cutting-edge electronic music. Let's take a listen!
If you ever come to China and get to stay a while among the locals, there are things you are bound to hear. Spirit of ancient ancestors lingering in the attic? The benefits of eating thousand-year eggs? Glorifying introductions of not-yet-married daughters and sons? Yes, maybe, but not really. It's "Shang Huo", "Up" and "Heat". Grannies say it to show their love. Moms say it to assert their control. Coworkers say it to show their concern. It floats everywhere in the Chinese atmosphere. So what's this omnipotent and ubiquitous "Shang Huo" business? Listen and find out, wink wink~
If you ever come to China and get to stay a while among the locals, there are things you are bound to hear. Spirit of ancient ancestors lingering in the attic? The benefits of eating thousand-year eggs? Glorifying introductions of not-yet-married daughters and sons? Yes, maybe, but not really. It's "Shang Huo", "Up" and "Heat". Grannies say it to show their love. Moms say it to assert their control. Coworkers say it to show their concern. It floats everywhere in the Chinese atmosphere. So what's this omnipotent and ubiquitous "Shang Huo" business? Listen and find out, wink wink~
Christmas might be more of a commercial event than a spiritual one in China, but it's still a time when people gather with friends and exchange presents. In this episode, Mohan and Shenting talk about how Chinese youngsters celebrate Western festivals like Christmas, Valentines' Day, and Thanksgiving.
Li Yuan presents the latest cool sounds from China's independent music scene. This week's show features JCC, presenting you her newly-established bass music label RAN RAD, and their debut release. Take a listen!
Li Yuan presents the latest cool sounds from China's independent music scene. This week's show features Cui Jian, who is often referred to as the godfather of Chinese rock music. He recently participated in a jazz project. Take a listen!
How attractive could a university selective course be? Climbing trees, dating skills, and even Harry Potter studies? Recently, some students have been happy completing a weight loss class to gain up to two university credits.
How long can you stay at home without going out? A day? A week? A month? It seems to be quite common for many younger Chinese people to "go for the record" as they can do almost anything at home without stepping outside the house. Whether you like it or not, this is what's happening today in China and beyond. What's the reason behind this phenomenon? Check it out in this new episode of Beijing Calling.
What do you say when someone wins a big prize? You probably say he or she hit the jackpot, or struck gold. We may interpret this as he or she wins a koi fish. Yes, a kind of fish! Shirley will explain it by starting with Fengshui, and digs into the phenomenon of Chinese netizens busily reposting koi fish-related tweets.
Martial arts enthusiasts from abroad are likely familiar with stars such as Jackie Chan and the late-Bruce Lee, who are renowned for their Kung Fu skills. But ask someone in China who the REAL master in the Kung Fu world is, many are likely to point to novelist Jin Yong. Just like the recently-passed Stan Lee, who created the Marvel Universe, Jin Yong created his own fantasy world of heroes. His particular genre combines martial arts, fantasy and romance, which is known in China as Wuxia.
Li Yuan presents the latest cool sounds from China's independent music scene. This week's show features Eli Levi, the bass player of the band Spice, who will talk about the making of their album Möbius Omega. Take a listen!
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What are these? These are staff-less stores in which you are followed by store cameras but not helped by any clerks because there are none.
They are new. They are cool. But are they the right fit for cities in China, where strangers gather to dance together on public squares; where people grew up huddled by parents, grandparents, relatives and neighbors, and where people are suspicious of stores and restaurants with few or non headcounts?
What if fancy new technology and the chase for efficiency turned out to be nothing than creepy in a culture of "the more the merrier"?
Will you invest in this?
Li Yuan presents to you the latest cool sounds from Chinese musicians. This week's show features Chenchenchen, a multi-talented producer, introducing his new album One Man Poker and his ideas on music creation. Take a listen!
A stereotypical view of Chinese parents is that they usually put more value on academic accomplishments, and are more demanding than Western parents. But nowadays things have changed. What kinds of education are popular among young parents? Listen to the discussion between Mohan and her guest Xinyu.
Many times, husbands are criticized by their wives for not being helpful with chores or raising children in the household. That has given rise to the phrase: yún pèi ǒu in Chinese pinyin, aka spouse in the clouds. The term is derived from that of cloud computing, meaning spouses are virtualized in a remote interactive mode, they are usually stored in the cloud - they cannot be synchronized, seen, or relied on in an emergency. They must be manually downloaded to the local in advance when needed. This time Shirley is glad she is not falling into the "spouse in the clouds" trap.
Li Yuan presents to you the latest cool sound from Chinese musicians. This week's show features Yuhan Su, a talented young jazz vibraphone player, introducing her new album City Animals, and her understanding of jazz music. Take a listen!
As non-native English speakers, we've got our own impression of what British and American people are like. Sure, they all speak English, but they have such different ways of talking, and they have their own unique national characters. But let's not be too serious about it, because sometimes we might get the wrong impression!
An imperial palace drama is a popular historical period television genre in China. The Game of Thrones-like series, The Story of Yanxi Palace, has taken the audiences by storm this year. What made it so successful? In addition to scheming and backstabbing concubines, dramatic plotlines, detailed set designs, the character development of the heroin Wei Yingluo seems encouraging to young women nowadays when independence and self-empowerment are greatly valued.
One, one, one, one. What is that? It's November 11th! The Single Dogs' Day in China! Yep! You heard that right. And how do Chinese people celebrate this day? With a carnival of course! China is not really a nation of carnivals. Floats and marching bands are not really our thing, but we sure can shop, especially online! The Double 11 Carnival is waving right at you. Find out all about it on this episode.
Watching clips on Chinese video-streaming sites can be confusing — words in different colors suddenly appear out of nowhere and fly across the screen. This is called "dan'mu" - "Bullet screen" in English. This function is wildly popular among young netizens. It allows real-time comments from viewers to fly across the screen like bullets. The dan'mu messages include jokes and snarky remarks, but also informative explanations. It all serves to help netizens socialize online.
After years of lurking underground, hip-hop fashion and streetwear culture have finally made their way into the mainstream market. Wei Xiang, our guest in this episode, says he's lucky to witness the change. He talks about his love for hip-hop music since high school, and how he learns to produce songs with his American friends.
Li Yuan presents the latest cool sounds from Chinese musicians. This week's show features electronic prodigy Howie Lee and jazz nova Xi Chenchen. Take a listen!
Clearly, Shirley is confused and embarassed by the mysterious acronyms that are popular among young Chinese netizens. Check out this episode and see if you are in or out.
The Chinese idiom "Yuan Jiao Jin Gong" which means "collaborating with distant allies and attacking nearby enemies", taken from “Thirty-Six Stratagems”, has taken up a new meaning, describing the degree of tension between parents and their school age children when it comes to homework supervision. Is it an exaggeration to say one is dying from helping his or her child with homework? It turns out these Chinese parents aren't joking! To help or not to help? Listen and tell us what you think!
Internationally renowned electronic musician Howie Lee had a chill talk with our host Li Yuan. Take a listen to him introducing his recent works and his philosophy of music production.
China's national day holiday, or "Golden week", is the longest public holiday in China. It's a peak time for people to travel and to participate in various celebrations across the country. As Shen Ting and Mohan discover, the week long holiday could be the best or the worst time for you to travel in the middle kingdom.