B-Side China Podcast

Louis Luk is founder and CEO of LAVA MUSIC, which was founded in 2013 by Louis in the campus of Musicians Institute Hollywood. It builds instruments and education services with the integration of software, hardware and humanity. LAVA released the world’s first unibody carbon fiber guitar LAVA ME in 2017, and reinvented it as the world’s first smart guitar in 2021. Now, LAVA is the world’s largest carbon fiber guitar manufacture. It has obtained over 100 patents, won 7 international design awards, and served musicians in 90+ countries. Show notes: 4:00 Why there hasn’t been any innovation in guitar design for so long. 7:00 How redesigning the tools impact creativity 9:00 Louis’ background story and how the company began 10:20 Original aspirations in music 13:45 How the concept to redesign the guitar came about 14:15 Stories of trail and error, and how material science brought LAVA to the next level 19:30 Future potential of new material ‘Air Sonic’ 21:20 Thoughts on the term ’Made in China’ 26:00 The difficulties of incorporating touchscreen and software into newest design 34:00 Thoughts on how technology will change the future of music

Kev Nish and James Roh are members of Far East Movement, one of the earliest Asian American hip hop groups and the first Asian American group to earn a #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2010 with their hit ‘Like a G6’ and now work with artists in Asia and the West through their own agency Transparent Arts. Show notes: 3:00 The differences for a hip hop group trying to make it now vs back in the early 2000s 5:00 Some of the biggest challenges and keys to their success 8:45 Negative stereotypes in hip hop and how they approached their music differently. 11:00 The double edged sword of being labelled as the ‘Asian’ rap group 14:00 Whether at the time they had any idea that their 2010 hit “Like a G6” would be a global success 16:00 The motivation behind working with more international artists 19:30 The surprising success of K-pop in the West 25:40 How important is it for Asian artist to gain recognition in Western or English speaking countries 31:20 Thoughts on the narrative in the US about how China’s influence is in some way negatively impacting some of the American entertainment industry, be it Hollywood, the NBA, or even music. 33:00 Working with more artists from China and other parts of Asia in the future

Frank Yao is CEO of Zrou, which is owned by YouKuai Group International of which Yao is also founder and CEO. Founded in Shanghai in 2019, Zrou is a plant-based protein company that aims to create a holistic plant-based food and beverage ecosystem in China. The brand often collaborates with famous chefs to create versions of traditional Chinese dishes made without animal meat. Show notes: 3:00 Thoughts on Joe Rogan and many other Western medias reflection of China5:15 On Frank’s family background and upbringing in Hong Kong and Canada13:00 University life at Yale and how many Chinese American kids choose their major with direction from their parents16:45 How meditation and buddhism led to the idea to start Zrou23:10 The realization that China has the talent to build its own brands to serve its people and the world25:15 How while living his best life, seeing his Toronto Raptors win the NBA title and feeling the highs and lows of competing in the World Series of Poker, brought him to the realization it was time to start something new29:00 On buddhism, vegetarianism and flexitarianism35:00 Health, ethical, and environmental reasons of consuming less meat and thoughts on hierarchy of consciousness39:00 How offering better choices as a company is the way to get closer to a solution41:40 China’s history of poverty and how scarcity of the past influences on a modern Chinese society that now consumes more meat than any other country.49:20 Thoughts on lab grown meat56:40 Further possibilities with plant based meat61:40 Zrou as an international food brand

Born in Hong Kong and based in Shanghai, Tom Bray (better known as Tom Yeti) has been a pivotal figure within Asia’s music landscape for the past decade. Joining the dots within all aspects of the industry from artist management, music event promotions, booking agent, radio host to DJ, he’s the co-founder of YETI OUT collective and subsidiary record label Silk Road Sounds. Holding residencies in Shanghai, Seoul, Bangkok to Singapore, YETI OUT’s been bridging the gap between East & West Being the few Asian music collectives that hold residencies on Rinse F.M to NTS Radio, their ‘Silk Road Sounds’ show promotes a sonic exchange between cultures from both sides of the Atlantic with consistent label releases that blur the line around Grime, Garage, House, 4×4 frequencies to new found global sounds. His sound design portfolio covers curation projects alongside the likes of Louis Vuitton, Dior, Bottega Venetta, Soho House to NikeLab while cementing his career as a multidisciplinary in Asia’s creative circles. Thomas started a music blog that mushroomed into an all-out creative collective, Yeti Out, involved in party promotion, art show production and fashion collaborations, and with its own record label Silk Road Sounds and creative agency TEN5. Show notes: 2:40 Lockdown life 4:55 Hong Kong upbringing, college educated in the UK and how he got to Shanghai 9:42 How creative collective Yeti Out originally started as a music blog in the UK 11:45 How UK music scene influenced him and the meaning behind the name Yeti Out 15:10 On identifying more with being Chinese and the potential of developing in Asia vs the West 17:00 How club scenes differ from in West and East 20:30 The idea behind the label Silk Road Sounds 25:00 How Asian artist are received by Western audiences 32:20 Different approaches of fashion brands entering China 34:30 Local Chinese brands and the differences in international appeal of fashion vs music 38:40 Discovering new parts of China during the past two years of pandemic 40:40 How the inability of foreign acts to enter China during the past two years has affected the local scene 46:45 The recent flip of lockdown situations of East and West

Brian Wong is an entrepreneur and innovator whose career has spanned e-commerce, education, and digital media. He was the first American and 52nd employee to join Alibaba Group in 1999; today, he is the founder and chairman of RADII (www.radiichina.com), a leading digital media company dedicated to bridging understanding between youth in the East and West. Show notes: 3:30 Third-generation American-born Chinese, whose family was among the earliest group of Chinese immigrants5:10 The different periods and different types of Chinese people who immigrated to America7:40 How policy and war shaped the future of immigrants9:50 The experience of Chinese immigrants searching for their cultural roots12:11 First impressions of the motherland16:10 Different immigrant experiences and influences on identity22:30 Early aspiration to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people possible30:00 The first time meeting Jack Ma and Joe Tsai33:00 How Alibaba started and became what it is today41:54 Requirements of being special assistant to Jack Ma45:20 Upcoming book ‘The Tao of Alibaba’47:200 Reasons for creating a media platform that covers China51:50 The state of American media and the China threat narrative

Former US marine, seven summits climber, writer, actor, film producer, and fitness guru Ruben Payan Jr. talks with us about spending more than 10 years in China developing fitness programs and being a first-hand witness to the growth of MMA as a new sport in the region. He also speaks about eventually becoming the strength and conditioning coach for world champion UFC fighter Zhang Weili.Additionally, we touch on his novel-turned-film “We Are War” and his experiences as a former US marine while living in China during the podcast. Show notes: 1:45 Upbringing in America in a large Mexican American household5:50 Motivation for joining the Marine Corp9:40 How he was somehow destined to come to China12:50 Eastern philosophies with Western practice in fitness15:30 Working with Chinese MMA fighters20:00 Chinese athletes vs. Western athletes23:05 Chinese market for MMA26:30 MMA rise vs. boxing27:35 Passion behind writing book “We Are War”35:45 How he was received as former a US Marine living in China38:15 Language or culture differences in training

Zheng Chongbin fuses Western abstraction with the Chinese calligraphic tradition in works of ink- and acrylic-on-paper, finding contemporary relevance in antiquated forms of Asian ink art. Having studied and split his time in both China and the U.S., Zheng reveals the influences of both places and artistic traditions in his work. He was educated as a classical Chinese figurative painter at the elite China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, where he taught for four years after graduation in 1984. Acclaimed as one of China’s preeminent young experimental ink painters in the 1980's, he mounted his first solo exhibition at the Shanghai Museum of Art in 1988. In 1989, he received a fellowship from the San Francisco Art Institute to study installation, performance, and conceptual art, receiving his MFA in 1991. A resident of the San Francisco Bay Area for over three decades, Zheng is inspired by the region's distinctive atmospheric and environmental effects and rich ecologies, as well as by the California light and space movement. For more on him and his works go to www.zhengchongbin.com Show notes: 2:35 What growing up in Shanghai during the 1960s was like 8:20 Vague childhood memories of the Cultural revolution 12:45 How the influx of western culture and philosophy into China in the 80s influenced him as both an art student and teacher 30:00 How foreign students in at the China Academy of Arts at the time played a role in cultural exchange 34:30 Motivation factors which let him to go study in America 36:40 First impressions of arriving to SF in 1989 and how learning English was first priority over art practice at the time 43:00 How permanently living in America was never a plan, but rather the result of constantly exploring and adapting 45:40 The question of identifying with ethnicity or nationality 53:30 How art can bridge culture 100:00 Thoughts on NFTs

Qiuzi, also known as Qz, is managing editor of i-D China and a true Third Culture Kid who has an amusing and bitter sense of humor. Being in the fashion world, she is not what you’d imagine her to be, and she has a lot to say about that. Show notes: 3:20 The concept of third culture kids 4:30 How having been educated early on in China, but then spending adolescence in America and embracing different cultures shaped her. 9:30 Facing discrimination in school from not only other students, but from teachers as well 17:00 How Asians are often still considered other in American society 21:30 How experiences with diversity in Europe and South Africa differed from life in America 28:00 The struggle for immigrant families to integrate into western society while holding on to ethnic tradition 31:00 The question of whether one’s identity leans toward their nationality or their ethnicity 36:00 How her career ended up in fashion media 50:00 The importance of equal representation in media 57:00 Incidents of brands, designers or even photographers who have received backlash in China for certain campaigns

Michele Aboro is a living legend in the history of Boxing & Kickboxing, Super Bantamweight Michele Aboro retired as undefeated world champion in Boxing with 21 wins (12 KO) & Kickboxing with 32 winning fights (23 KO). Michele was also voted Pound-for-Pound Best Female Boxer of the Year for four consecutive years. She is a two-time undefeated World Boxing Champion, five-time Kickboxing World Champion and two-time K1 Champion; having pioneered boxing and kickboxing in England when it was illegal for women to be trained in boxing by coaches and compete. She currently resides in Shanghai and is co-founder and head coach at Aboro Academy. You can learn more about her academy and foundation at www.aboroacademy.com. Show notes: 2:20 Upbringing in Peckham, London as one of 7 children in a one parent biracial family . 5:17 Boxing culture in the UK 7:25 Thoughts on current heavyweight champion Tyson Fury 8:25 Being turned down at a boxing gym as a child for being a girl 12:10 How it was illegal to train female boxers in the UK while it was legal in other European countries 14:00 How women’s is boxing is received in China 19:00 History of women’s boxing and how it was not introduced into the olympics until 2012 but had a boom in the US in the 90s 22:50 First depiction of female boxing in Hollywood ‘Million dollar baby’ 24:20 The life of an up and coming professional female boxer 27:30 Thoughts on the recent attention given to celebrity boxing 32:50 Using sport as a platform to spread a greater message 37:10 The decision to open a gym in China 45:30 How positivity and motivation created a mindset to get through cancer 49:00 Giving back to the community through Aboro foundation 55:10 How training differs in different countries and cultures 57:50 Incorporation of a ranking system in boxing training 59:30 The use of meditation yoga and Buddhist philosophy in training 1:01:40 The early years of MMA 1:03:00 Thoughts on Zhang Weili

Graeme Kennedy is a Canadian photographer and videographer based in Shanghai, focusing on documenting the extraordinary everyday life of people across China and the economies that bring them together. You can check out some of his photo essays and a new video series he made for RADII in partnership with Peddler’s Gin for Chinese New Year at www.radiichina.com. Show notes: 3:00 Leaving his home country of Canada at the age of 18 9:00 First impressions of China 11:40 The solution to pollution 13:30 Breaking away from the expat community and transitioning into photography 17:30 Making gin in China 25:20 The concept or made in China 28:00 Western products like whiskey wine and beer produced locally 35:35 Differences in Chinese baijiu and its potential internationally 41:40 Travelling to more remote areas of China 54:00 How growing up in nature keeps him focused on environmental issues in his travel and photography 59:00 Sustainability in city life in China 1:08:00 Learning about locally grown Chinese chocolate

CHINA FROM ALL ANGLES - Straight Fire Gang In this podcast we invite guests from different backgrounds, in various industries, each who have their own story, in hope to challenge some of our own perspectives by seeing things through a different angle. Straight Fire Gang 直火帮 is a Hip Hop group based in Shanghai whose three members XZT, Feezy and Chuck ZIgga, attended university in the US and after graduating returned to China to pursue their love for music. This episode was recorded in the fall of 2021. Show notes: 1:35 Group members share their background and influences 4:45 Learning English and American culture through music 6:30 Lyrical content about being Chinese in America 7:35 The culture shock and the reception of Chinese students in America before and after COVID 14:30 Food references in their music 17:40 Cultural appropriation 21:40 The importance of understanding and respecting others culture 27:30 Difference between writing lyrics in English and Chinese. CHINA FROM ALL ANGLES is brought to you by RADII, for more content like this check out www.radiichina.com. Don't forget to rate, review, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app. This podcast was produced with support from East West Bank, the premier financial bridge between the U.S. and China. For more info, visit www.eastwestbank.com.

Straight Fire Gang 直火帮 is a Hip Hop group based in Shanghai whose three members XZT, Feezy and Chuck ZIgga, attended university in the US and after graduating returned to China to pursue their love for music. This episode was recorded in the fall of 2021. Show notes: 1:35 Group members share their background and influences 4:45 Learning English and American culture through music 6:30 Lyrical content about being Chinese in America 7:35 The culture shock and the reception of Chinese students in America before and after COVID 14:30 Food references in their music 17:40 Cultural appropriation 21:40 The importance of understanding and respecting others culture 27:30 Difference between writing lyrics in English and Chinese. CHINA FROM ALL ANGLES is brought to you by RADII, for more content like this check out www.radiichina.com. Don't forget to rate, review, and listen on Apple Podcasts, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app. This podcast was produced with support from East West Bank, the premier financial bridge between the U.S. and China. For more info, visit www.eastwestbank.com.

Wang Changcun (aka ayrtbh) and Benjamin Bacon (aka SoundSpade), two Shanghai-based artists whose practices bend the line between coding and composition, discuss with host Josh Feola the impact of Artificial Intelligence on creativity. Is AI a tool? A separate consciousness that can be collaborated with? Both? Neither? Full info: http://radiichina.com/b-side-china-ep-13/

On this episode of the podcast I take stock of overseas milestones achieved by Chinese artists operating at both the mainstream and underground levels in 2018. The audio was recorded from a talk on the subject I gave at Shanghai space Subland, which was followed by a debate with German music critic Fabian Peltsch, who asks important questions such as: Why should it matter to Chinese artists to "go global"? When we say "global," how do we distinguish between "the West" and other parts of the world, such as Southeast Asia and Africa, where China is actively seeking to build influence through large-scale projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative? Most importantly, are we stuck with Kris Wu as the go-to artist to represent Chinese music on international charts? Full info: radiichina.com/b-side-china-ep-12/

Three co-founders of the one-of-a-kind Nightlife Residency discuss their pilot program in 2018, overlaps and fissures between the gallery & club worlds in Shanghai and Beijing, and how these different subaltern cultural spheres intersect in China's major cities today. Full info: https://radiichina.com/b-side-china-ep-11/

Host Josh Feola talks to photojouranlist Cong Yan, video producer Emma Sun, and music promoter/comic book artist Krish Raghav about stereotypes shaping the different “China narratives” that dominate Western news media, corporate branded content, and music journalism. Full info: radiichina.com/b-side-china-ep-10/

“The way we consume culture is actually determining the content of the culture itself” — visual artist, writer, and one half of Shanghai Restoration Project Sun Yunfan discusses the impact of tech on art Full info: https://radiichina.com/b-side-china-ep-09/

On this episode, we discuss the paradoxical process by which the infrastructure for creative industries in Beijing has grown at roughly the same speed at which the roughness that gave art being made there its edge has receded Full info: https://radiichina.com/b-side-china-ep-08/

ChaCha and Kayla Briët talk about the delicate balance between cultural preservation and innovation, how new media can tell old stories, and how a return to cultural roots is pointing out new creative directions Full info: https://radiichina.com/b-side-china-ep-07/

We catch up with some participants in the inaugural Found Sound China cultural exchange program, which created bilateral creative flows between 3 American and 3 Chinese musicians this past summer Full info: https://radiichina.com/b-side-china-podcast-found-sound-china/

Josh Feola sits down with Krish Raghav, an organizer of the annual Concrete & Grass music festival, and Becky Davis, a Beijing-based reporter for French paper AFP, to discuss music, art, and culture within the context of China's "radical uncertainty" full info: http://radiichina.com/b-side-china-podcast-underground-music-and-social-ritual

Selecting some tunes from the back catalog of Beijing-based vinyl label Genjing Records, and talking about the unique hybrids that have come out of China in the 12 years that label founder Nevin Domer has been organizing here Full info: https://radiichina.com/b-side-china-podcast-genjing-jukebox-w-nevin-domer/

A seasoned observer of tech-mediated "social ritual" in China discusses internet worlds, "systems of mutual influence," and how accessing China at the level of underground culture can feel like "skating along a parallel dimension" Full info: http://radiichina.com/b-side-china-ep3

NYC rapper Bohan Phoenix talks about cultural exchange through hip hop with tour-mates DJ TOY and Its Ralph Tho Full info: http://radiichina.com/b-side-china-podcast-rap-in-china-with-bohan-phoenix-dj-toy-itsralphtho Photo by William Griffith/Live Beijing Music for Radii

Kiwi/Chinese cultural maven Kristen Ng describes the underground flows that she helps to facilitate in Chengdu Full info: http://radiichina.com/b-side-china-podcast-chengdu-underground-with-kristen-ng Cover photo by Colin四四