Within the next 24 hours, I will be on a plane departing for the people's republic of China, also known as the land of internet censorship and lack of free will. In other words, I will be unable to write for you for the remainder of the month. Nevertheless, this country is home to a great human civilization. China has shaped the global economic frontier, and redefined the mental and physical limitations of our species. Furthermore, along with any old civilization, there is amazing culinary knowledge of great individuality, curated through centuries of isolation and lack of outside influence.

     For obvious reasons mentioned above, I thought it to be smart if I did all my research beforehand. For starters, I was thrilled to see that their drinking age is identical to ours. Consequently, when the sun sets on the east coast of China, I will be ingesting sake bombs at an ever alarming rate worthy of the so-called "Shanghai Nights". Also, I discovered to what extent China is a capitalism mecca, despite their communistic affiliations. It turns out that Hong Kong has the most expensive retail rental costs in the world, surpassing those of New York.

     More importantly, I was inhabited with curiosity pertaining to their music scene; with such a large population, one would expect much diversity from this oriental country. Although it is hard to delve into the scene without stepping foot in it, some digging has led me to believe there is hope. Much like Montreal, most of the clubs would prefer to blast top 40 crowd pleasers, blind to the slightest trace of quality and talent. Not only that, but in the entirety of the country, there is only one EDM record label, Acupuncture records. I thought I was doomed until I was led to an organization called Void. Void hosts shows from the likes of Rrose and what have you not. After listening to the RA podcast he put on, I was quite impressed to know that dark/ambient house has a spot in Shanghai's musical palette.


     A few hours away, and the situation is completely different. While China prefers a traditional take on modern culture, Japan lives as though they were years ahead of their western neighbours, exploring the frontiers of music, art, style and design alike. German based producers Kyodai immediately come to mind, which take inspiration from the culture through not only through their moniker, but through the progressive nature of their sound as well. Only short months ago, they released their second 2-track EP entitled 'Moving'. While one song is the continuation of the much loved 'Breaking' from their first EP, 'Moving' opens with a standard piano riff which sees much repeat throughout, along with a vocal samples, that although redundant, seem to fill out the song appropriately. Listen to the song below.


     A brief canoe ride across the Pacific brings us full circle back to the Americas, where the scene is abundant and, quite frankly, over saturated. Straight out of Flatbush, the homie Joey Bada$$ has released yet another mix tape to his name, entitled 'Summer Knights'. Cyphering over beats from Kirk Knight, DJ Premier, The Alchemist, and many others, this young prodigy does not seem to be stopping anytime soon. He has quite a knack for filling musical pockets, and does so effortlessly. The only complaint people seem to have towards his delivery is that it is monotonous, and subsequently boring. Although I would disagree, you be the judge.


     In the same genre, El-P and Killer Mike have always intended on making an album at the very end of the previous year as a victory lap of a celebratory 365 days of musicality. This was never intended on becoming a commercial release, and was deemed as "cool-down" production and a fun project. As it turns out, Run The Jewels was a triumphant success, soaring over any musical achievement that came their way the previous year. Critically acclaimed by many to be one of the best LPs (in the genre) released in 2013, this is definitely worth a listen. It is important to note, however, that this delves into the experimental fringe of rap, and might not be for everyone.


     Our video of the week comes from Blondes, a Brooklyn based duo that have recently released an album entitled 'Swisher' through RVNG. This album contains everything a new-wave house album should contain, all while displaying their prowess through the ever evolving and complex melodies that seem ubiquitous. Blondes displays their ability to convey emotion through music, for this album is capable of uplifting even the most sorrowed individuals. Take a trip through the lens of 'Elise', the final song off their album.