Cantonese rock metal band 逆流 NiLiu have released a new 5 track EP Desire which you can listen to on most major streaming sites.
Formed in 2011 Ni Liu have become popular stalwarts of the local music scene playing at multiple festivals and releasing several singles and EPs.
The band’s ability to write catchy melodies and moving chorus incorporating a wide range of musical elements make them well worth checking out, even if metal isn’t your thing.
Punk band Delay Our Misery, who only formed in January 2021, have released their debut single The After Party.
Amit Gurung (Bass/Vocals), Aaron Mordeno (Guitar/Vocals) and Justin Orcino (Drums) who make-up Delay Our Misery have a passion for pop-punk and list their influences as Blink-182, Ramones, The Beatles, Neck Deep and Belmont.
To quote the band “Amidst the pandemic and current events going on in the world, we wanted to make music that was more on the fun side to take our (and the listeners’) minds off the stressful and serious side of life. We all need to lighten up from time to time!”
New hardcore band Regret have released an eponymous 7-track debut EP on cassette and through bandcamp.
A veteran of the local music scene singer Riz also plays guitar in Dagger, fronted the massively popular King Ly Chee and runs the popular Unite Asia hardcore music website.
Commenting on his new band and their debut EP Riz said “We were just looking to play something that was more straight-ahead hardcore punk whose simplicity and directness is better suited to capture the intense emotions we all have as HongKongers living through the tumultuous past couple of years.”
Regret‘s seven tracks, including We Exist, the band’s debut single released in March, are about political turmoil, minority rights, police brutality and censorship.
“The past couple of years have been heavy on the people of Hong Kong, but then you’re seeing similar issues pop up in Myanmar, Thailand, Chile, USA, and everywhere else,” commented Riz in an interview.
“Though you may find your own situation so utterly hopeless, seeing others fighting the same causes brings a sense of camaraderie. So instead of letting all of these dark, chaotic, uncertain emotions eat us up inside, we’re getting it out through this music.”
Regret: Riz, Kuro, Egas
Originally know as Thud, the band have changed its name to Lucid Express and released a debut track Wellwave.
Lucid Express’s eponymous debut album will be out on 16 July. You can pre-order the 7 track release on vinyl, cassette and CD from http://smarturl.it/lucidexpress
Hong Kong-based heavy metal band OzMium released a debut 3 track EP this month, The Lion Rises, on bandcamp.
OzMium – Vincent Ratcliffe, Conrad Chow, Tadeo Don Ashish, Jerry Justin and Gregory Bell – self-recorded and produced debut “looks to capture the band’s creative efforts during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic lockdown”. Or as they put it “We aim to revive the 70s/80s classic and thrash metal revolution with a hint of modern flavor”.
Amadeus (a cyberpunk dream) is a short film, available on youtube, created by the Hong Kong Ballet and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra which depicts Mozart’s journey from the classical era to a psychedelic urbanscape in frenetic Hong Kong.
Director and production designer Ahong Cheung combines Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik performed by the HK Phil and choreography from HKB’s Artistic Director Septime Webre to transform the streets of Hong Kong into a vibrant Blade Runner style cyber-verse.
A disoriented Mozart finds himself in retro-futuristic SoHo pursued by ominous authority figures. While cyber-goth gangsters, mahjong players, street musicians, construction workers, and pedestrians mill about on the bustling streets.
images: hk ballet
Alt-rock band Hybrid Stereo have released a new music video featuring their third single Enigma.
Enigma is available on 20 April on all music platforms. The band describes the new release this way “This is the third track that we’ve released from our upcoming EP. The track itself showcases more of our heavier side with the lyrics dedicated to those who can’t help but beat themselves up with their own thoughts. This song hopes to remind everyone to take any chance that comes, capture any glimpse of light, and embrace it, letting it set within. It is good to be kind to oneself (and others around).”
Hybrid Stereo are Andrea Curtis (vocals), Zerron Qym (guitar), Shaun Apellido (guitar), Bryan Mendoza (bass) and Jm Inot (drums) and you can listen to their previous singles Into the Light and Broken Shards on youtube.
The music video was filmed and edited by Hans Martin and Renell Santiago.
Local band Chimeras performed a wonderful acoustic set at Infree Records Mongkok store on the 9 April, 2021. Usually a 5 piece symphonic doom metal outfit, band members Friase and Andy rearranged the group’s songs for a piano and vocals acoustic set.
As you can hear on the video which was live-streamed on Youtube, the result is quite stunning.
Set List
Mind Deception
Winged Psyche
Devoidness
Untitled
For my beloved one
Check out more usual Chimeras gig here
Infree Records
Room B, 2/F, 26-28 Mong Kok Road
Mong Kok
