A recent piece my esteemed colleague wrote about music in Hong Kong has ruffled feathers with some in the music scene. As a former long time music exec, he is the voice of experience, and I value what he has to say. On the flip side, my opinions on Hong Kong music come from a very different perspective.
As someone who’s been involved and has kept a close eye on the burgeoning music scene in Hong Kong – yes, it is still burgeoning – it has most definitely come on in leaps and bounds.
The questions music fans had ten years ago – Where are the venues? Where are the promoters? Why don’t international acts come to Hong Kong?- these questions have been answered.
Venues like Grappas Cellar, Backstage and Hidden Agenda are giving bands a much-needed outlet to play, while promotions like Songs For Children, Untitled Entertainment, and The Bauhinian Collective are keeping gigs plentiful.
The Clockenflap festival is, hopefully, the first step in building a festival culture in our city. If Singapore can do it, why can’t we? We could of course get more support from our government like they do in Singapore, but that’s another argument for another time.
And of course there’s the ever-reliable Wanch that has only got better over the years since being taken over by John Prymer – an all-round nice guy that’s in it for the love of the music.
But while this is all well and good, I still find myself asking this: What’s the end game for Hong Kong artists? How far can they really go?
Even in the big ponds of the US and UK markets, the music powers-that-be don’t really get it when a so called ‘indie’ band gains a bit of recognition and success. Even there, there’s still a very much ‘Us versus ‘Them’ attitude. Music business versus music artistry, if you will.
Case in point: Tthe reaction to the Canadian band Arcade Fire winning ‘Album of the Year’ at this year’s Grammys. The masses of Lady Gaga and Katy Perry fans were outraged. Even half-wit celebrities chimed in with their two cents.
Fuck you Rosie O’Donnell!
The Grammy win even prompted a letter from music exec Steve Stoute to take a full page ad in the New York Times claiming the Grammys had lost touch with contemporary pop culture by snubbing the likes of Eminem and Justin Bieber.
Fuck you Steve Stout!
To anyone who doesn’t simply lap up Top 40 music, and actually has a discerning ear when it comes to the music they like, the Arcade Fire win was a big ‘fuck you’ to an industry that seemed to have given up on band music. It was a breath of fresh air!
Back here in Hong Kong, major label signings are more often than not, strictly reserved for Canto and Mando pop. I get it! With the state of the music industry, those guys have to get paid somehow, and in Hong Kong, Canto pop sells.
But then there’s 24 Herbs – proof in the pudding that in a business-focused city like Hong Kong, money can buy you exposure, but not necessarily quality. Despite not being signed to a major and not exactly top of mind to the local music industry, they’ve had the reach- though to that niche ABC and CBC market. Their merchandising lines the shelves of HMV, and they’ve managed to barrage my periphery through appearances on TV and in magazines. They’re good at marketing themselves, I’ll give them that.
At first I thought it could be okay having two members of the infamous hip hop collective LMF – a group that was uniquely Hong Kong and represented a big departure from anything that was being pushed in the music industry in the late nineties- and when signed to Warners when the majors at least had had some balls and not constantly looking at a P&L sheet.
I was wrong! It seemed to be nothing more than a feeble attempt at cashing in on the hip-hop market that thrives ever so much in the US and UK.
When I first saw the video for their song ‘Hu Ge’, I literally burst out in laughter.
Is this what the music industry in Hong Kong is really pushing? Is this the music that they really believe in?
Why a song with a hook that plays on the phrase ‘huge cleavage’ has a video featuring cookie cutter A-cup Dragon-i models is beyond me. Don’t even get me started on the promo they did for Star Movies/Chinese Movies. So cringe-worthy!
It’s even more of a frustration when genuinely talented guys like Ghost Style – from 24 Herbs – succumbs to this when he’s clearly far better and more interesting when he keeps things bare boned and just does his own thing without the trappings of the industry imposed glitz and glamour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq2j4H9q_XI
Why doesn’t MC Gold Mountain have an album? I met him at a party a while back and he just started free styling on the spot, and it was impressive. Why he doesn’t have an album or a mix tape is something I’ve questioned for a while. I’d gladly listen to it. I’m sure he has his reasons.
Sure, some Hong Kong artists do have a sound that is far more niche, and I can see why A&R guys would be more reluctant to pick up on them. Hell, some of them even just plain suck. But I feel that some, if given just that little push and reach which a record label could potentially give them, it could just surprise us as to how far they could fly. They’d never know unless they tried, right?
I’m generally not one for acoustic music, and often like something a bit louder that I can tap my foot to. But when I watched the band 9 Maps and heard the pleasantly haunting vocal harmonies, the musicianship, the craft. It was all there. I was sold. They’re definitely one band to watch out for.
I’m a fan of Hungry Ghosts. Their music is reminiscent of bands I grew up listening to. They’re tight when they play, and have a good work ethic when it comes to promoting themselves. With a second EP on the way, I hope these guys start getting the recognition they deserve.
And then there’s Chochukmo – in my eyes, easily one of THE BEST bands in Hong Kong right now, and after breaking up briefly last year, the news of their recent reforming had me jumping on a couch like Tom Cruise. The first time I saw them play a couple of years ago, I was simply blown away. They were a true testament to how far the quality of music from local acts had come. I can’t sing their praises enough.
They had it all – the cool clothes, the swagger, the musical talent, and one hell of a vocalist.
So how can the supposed authorities of music in Hong Kong not see what I see? I guess that’s why I’m not a music exec.
So with a local industry that fails to acknowledge, or even attempts to nurture the pool of local talent, where can Hong Kong bands turn to? Singapore? Philippines? Malaysia? Japan? It seems like a catch 22 and I really don’t know the solution.
Or maybe there doesn’t need to be a solution. Maybe struggling musicians all over the world and the industry that snubs them should just agree to disagree.
It’s business as usual for the major record labels – and artists know this. Many artists I know in Hong Kong have no delusions of supporting themselves through music, let alone become full-fledged rock stars. They do the best they can to get their name out there, and appreciate the love their fans give them.
Some may see this as counter productive, while others just see this as the reality of the music business right now. I leave such judgments to you.
What I’m getting at is that the music industry is a totally different beast than it was ten or fifteen years ago. And musicians here and around the world are aware of it. If the industry won’t support them, then they’ll do their own stuff. It’s easy to do that in this digital age.
Bands and artists all quantify their success differently. With a major music industry that seems to have a different agenda from artists around Hong Kong – and other parts of the world – the artists are moving to the beat of their own drum, and many are quite happy and content to do that.
Ultimately, for some artists it’s all about the score. For others – they just want to play!
by Ian Cruz
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