A Guide To Discovering China's Underground Electronic Music Scene
In this primer to China's electronic music scene, we spotlight seven artists who are defining the sound of the Chinese underground.
Check out Tzusing for his bold and unyielding brand of techno.
Like Singapore, China’s music scene – more accurately, its diverse scenes, including voguing – is driven by a dynamic and ever-evolving underground where emerging talents are eager to push the boundaries of sound.
Electronic music is at the forefront of this movement. Over the past decade, the scene has experienced exciting growth, with vibrant record labels and nightclubs emerging, and DJs and producers gaining global recognition through international tours.
There's something monastic about the sound of Beijing-based producer and DJ Howie Lee.
Cities like Chengdu and Chongqing have become epicentres of this rising club culture, home to venues like the renowned TAG, which made waves at Singapore’s Pleasures of Anomaly party in April, curated by the multidisciplinary music collective Bassis Asia.
Given the vastness of China, it’s clear we’re just beginning to uncover what this scene has to offer. Ahead, we’ve curated a list of names you need to know.
YU SU
Yu Su is arguably one of the most prominent figures in Chinese electronic music. Though now based in Vancouver, the Kaifeng-born DJ and producer has been a steadfast advocate for emerging artists across China.
This October, she will launch OUHE Festival 2024, a passion project she’s developed in collaboration with other veterans of China’s electronic music scene. The three-day event will spotlight Chinese talent, serving as the culmination of Yu Su’s journey as a globe-trotting DJ committed to bringing the inventive sounds of her homeland to the world stage.
When it comes to her own music, highlights include her new single Avanvera and the 2021 album Yellow River Blue. Avanvera is like hyperpop slowed to a dreamlike pace, with squiggly synths and shoegaze guitars, while Yellow River Blue pulses with minimal house rhythms, deep dub basslines, and flashes of digi-funk brilliance. For a perfect introduction to her eclectic style, though, her DJ sets are where the magic truly happens.
KNOPHA
Since his breakout 2018 EP Nothing Nil, Knopha has been crafting silky smooth sounds that captivate listeners. From the glistening new-age textures of that debut to the fluid beats of last year’s Kwong, the Xiamen-based producer has a talent for creating dance music that feels like a full-throttle immersion – especially when listened to through headphones.
But Knopha hasn’t left the dancefloor behind. Take Gym A, for example, where deep house grooves are supremely infectious and psychedelic, like a faded memory of a forest rave that lingers in your mind long after the dancing ends.
As a stalwart of the electronic music scene, Knopha’s influence extends even further through his online radio platform, BAIHUI. This daily live rotation captures fresh sounds from Shanghai and Chengdu to Osaka and Berlin, offering a continuous stream of thrilling music discoveries.
HYPH11E
Tess Sun, the Shanghai-based producer and DJ known as Hyph11E, creates vibrant and jittery music that reflects her unique perspective. In an interview with Electronic Beats, she shares that her 2020 album Aperture, released under the prolific label SVBKVLT, was described by friends as generating “an aggressive and anxious atmosphere.”
For Sun, the claustrophobia of that album could only emerge from Shanghai, where the relentless pace of life and work often hinders moments of stillness. While her music captures these inner frustrations, her DJ sets offer an adrenaline rush filled with percussive and industrial sounds infused with acid.
Currently, you can find her commanding the dancefloors of Chinese clubs. However, her brilliant 2019 Boiler Room set at Uganda’s Nyege Nyege Festival remains a testament to her deep connection to global sounds.
HOWIE LEE
The Beijing-based producer and DJ has made significant strides since the early 2010s. Known for his experimental approach, his latest album, At the Drolma Wesel-Ling Monastery, recorded in a Tibetan monastery, delves deeper into Buddhism, blending religious chants with contemporary club sounds like footwork, hip-hop, and IDM.
He also enjoys incorporating traditional Chinese instrumentation into his music. For a visceral experience, check out his 2020 EP 7 Weapons Series, which features subwoofer-rattling trap beats inspired by wuxia themes. Additionally, his outstanding soundtrack for the 2020 martial arts video game Sifu showcases his unique sound.
VOISION XI
Originally starting out as a jazz singer influenced by Nina Simone and Chet Baker, Voision Xi has recently expanded her artistic vision beyond tradition to explore ambient soundscapes. By delving into electronic music production, she now uses her voice as a tool for texture.
Her latest singles are truly captivating: Birdling offers an exquisite slice of digital neo-soul, replacing a traditional band setup with a palette of intoxicating synth pads, while the sounds of nature gently infuse the tranquility of Southern Shanghai. In contrast, her 2022 EP 5 Loops in Her Way is a lush, downtempo exploration of vocal looping, evoking the comforting feel of a weekend sunrise.
TZUSING
Originally from Malaysia and currently based in Taipei, Tzusing has undeniably made his mark on Chinese electronic music with his fierce and unyielding brand of techno.
In the 2010s, he co-founded the short-lived yet influential club showcase Stockholm Syndrome alongside DJ Illsee, hosted at the now-defunct and legendary venue, The Shelter. During this time, he released a series of militant bangers that resonated worldwide. His breakout album, 東方不敗 (Invincible East), released in 2017, filled sweaty warehouse dancefloors with the echoes of Chinese folklore.
His most recent effort, Green Hat, released in 2023, showcases an even broader range of global sounds, blending the distinctly European style of EBM (electronic body music) with the South African rhythms of gqom.
33EMYBW
At first listen, 33EMYBW's music may seem difficult to grasp, characterised by her jagged, unpredictable skeletal beats and the eerie, supernatural quality of her acoustic sounds. This relatively new style of deconstructed club music is evident throughout her work, serving as both an exploration of dance music boundaries and a defiance of traditional norms.
While the genre has paved the way for influential artists like Amnesia Scanner, Arca, and the late SOPHIE, 33EMYBW adds a layer of archaeological lore to her dancefloor tracks, infusing them with an air of mystery that invites listeners to explore further. What remains immediately accessible, however, is music that feels both ritualistic and exhilarating.