THE PUSH SHOVE

CHINA OUTLOOK
Chinas Underground Music Scene / Small Cities with Big Culture / Skateboardings Blowing Up / The Virtual - Actual Network / Bikes are Back

@NICKPEDEN

THE PUSH SHOVE

CHINA OUTLOOK
WORDS, PHOTOS, EVERYTHING BY NICK PEDEN

Shanghai 2010. Thanks to being perpetually broke, some of us China-types regularly lingered outside our favorite dives and venues, throwing back corner-store beers and talking Asian youth culture til the morning hours. Our unifying interest perhaps obsession was the future of alternative and street cultures in China. With mixed backgrounds in underground music scenes, action sports, graffiti, and all that good stuff, wed ponder their roles in China, and scheme ways to encourage their prevalence. Fast forward a couple months, a couple more beers, and voila: THE PUSH SHOVE was born. Its brand-spanking new and remains an evolving concept, but the goal is simple: rep China. This very moment, kids all over are starting to take spray paint to walls, skateparks are being built in cities youve never heard of, and hardcore bands are starting up their own crews. Admittedly, most scenes are still in their early stages, but thats the fun part. As these cultures

are assimilated by local youths, theyre going through a localization process. Thats what turns us on: Chinas assimilation and reinterpretation of international youth culture. In this, TPSs very first publication, we offer some insights and forecasts as to what the world can expect from Chinas alternative youth in 2011. Keep in mind this represents a smaller segment of youth, but that segment is growing fast. Also included, are stories from recent travels that have allowed yours truly to spend several months with youth all over the Mainland and Hong Kong. Its been good times for us in China.

Keep Up, Nick Peden

Rooftop hopping with SACK; Chengdu

i. BEYOND SHANGHAI & BEIJING

...Tier two and three youth are going to be major contributors to Chinas greater youth culture. When I talked to REN (the featured graffiti writer from Changsha), he gave a simple explanation for this trend. According to him, it boils down to the relative economic and social freedom enjoyed by mid-to-upper class youth in these cities. Various filial...
Last year, brands, research agencies, and creative agencies were all salivating over tier 2 and 3 Chinese cities. Products and advertising are now being conceived specifically for these demographics. Wise. This will continue. But what were really interested in isnt necessarily whats being pumped into these cities, but rather whats coming out of em. If youre not new to China, chances are youve kept up with or at least heard of developments in the more popular tier 2 cities like Changsha, Wuhan, and Chengdu. Wuhan, for instance, has earned a reputation for its music scene. Its got one of the richest underground scenes in China, with most of Chinas original punks still drinking at Wu Weis local Prison Bar. And dont forget Wuhans biggest name in music: AV Okubo. Already big in China, theyve been garnering international recognition following their 2010 US tour including performances at SXSW. These cities will continue to contribute massively to Chinas youth culture, but get ready for cities most of us have never heard of to start to become more familiar. Quanzhou is home to some of Chinas best graffiti writers. Skateboarding is blowing up in Yantai. Chaoshan just played host to a freestyle fixed gear event, and has appeared in skate videos on the Legion of Sorts blog. When I talked to REN (the featured graffiti writer from Changsha), he gave a simple explanation for this trend. According to him, it boils down to the relative economic and social freedom enjoyed by mid-to-upper class youth in these cities. Various filial and social factors have come together to produce an environment that is relatively lax when it comes to careers and financial success. Freer from such pressures pressures that are overwhelmingly strong in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou second and thrid tier youth have the time to explore personal interests or ambitions. Combine that with increased access to international youth culture through the net and media, and youve got a prime bastion for action sports, graffiti, bands, you name it. Dont limit your vision of forward-thinking Chinese youth to the big eastern cities. SO WHAT? The assumption that tier 2 and 3 youth are merely emulating their Shanghai and Beijing role-models is outdated and fundamentally wrong. Each of these cities have their own scenes with their own characteristics. Furthermore, certain scenes are even more developed in these cities than they are in the first tier. Just look at the photos of graffiti that follow. Its crucial for brands to realize these youth have their own voice one that will be increasingly powerful in Chinas youth culture. So rather than simply localizing your messages, campaigns, and products, why not allow yourself to be their microphone. Empowering tier two and three youth will earn you the loyalty of a massive demographic. One that trumps Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou. How to do this? First and foremost, its essential to understand regional particularities. For instance, youth in Wuhan have fundamentally different experiences and aspirations than those in Hangzhou or Changsha. Whereas youll find an underriding natural themes (almost bohemian) in Hangzhou and Changshas youth because of their proximity to nature; Wuhans youth come to age in an endless industrialized complex, making those ties to nature near impossible. The straw hats and flowing dresses with floral prints worn by girls in Hangzhou and Changsha are totally irrelevant to their Wuhan counterparts. After understanding those regional differences, the next step is to pinpoint the upcoming generation of trendsetters coming out of these cities, and finding meaningful ways to collaborate with them. Another yet unexplored option is pop-up shops, studios, and galleries. One of the unfortunate realities in many of these cities, is the lack of places for youth to hang out, and events bringing them together. If theyre lucky, theres a couple coffee shops and a music venue or two. To be among the first brands to physically interact with local youth by offering a place to hangout, create, vibe with fellow youth, and interact with your brand would be both original and memorable. Such an idea should be tested and hyped in Shanghai and Beijing, then immediately pushed into select tier two and three cities.

B Boy; Changsha

REN BT4 Crew; Changsha

Bombing Changsha, July 2010 Before I left Wuhan, RAY (Hubest Crew) put me in touch with Changshas top vandal: REN. Shortly after getting to Changsha, it was clear the city belonged to him. His tags and throwies ran along most main avenues and claimed countless alleyways. We first met-up on Changshas commercial walking-street, Buxing Jie. It was jam-packed with people. I had no idea what he looked like, but picking out the confused white guy was easy enough for him. An hour later, REN, the rest of BT4 CREW and myself were slipping and sliding our way under a bridge so they could scope out, then paint some spots. Satisfied with a couple fillins and pieces, most of RENs friends called it a night. But REN was just getting warmed up. A quick cab-ride later and we were once again walking around Changshas downtown. I accompanied REN as he hit the streets for hours, while offering his take on the differences between big-city youth and tier 2 and 3 youth. Hed occasionally interrupt himself, running to a wall while pulling out spray paint to catch a new spot. Sorry, theres usually a security guard stationed there. I had to hit it. About 2am. Out of paint and happy with the nights work, we headed over to the Xiang River which dissects Changsha in two east and west. Its a primo spot to lounge on wooden beach-chairs with a pack of smokes and Bai Sha beers. Ahead of us, a lit-up, 100-foot bust of a youthful Mao Zedong near his childhood school. To our backs, a wall completely bombed with graffiti. Despite my years in Shanghai and extensive time in Beijing, I have no such tales of reckless late-night vandalism from these cities. However, I do have similar accounts from other second tier cities like Wuhan and Chengdu. Much can be deduced from such experiences, not least of which is the uncompromising approach second tier youth have to life.

REN BT4 Crew; Changsha

W2ODS & SEV; Wuhan

RAY HUBEST Crew; Wuhan

ii. UNDERGROUND ON THE UP

...it can no longer be lumped into one overarching Alternative Music category. Its been fragmenting into smaller niches and local variants. On the super-niche end youll find an experimental Noise scene spreading roots in Changsha and Tianjin. Youll also find a dedicated network of metalheads with...
Chinas underground music scene is maturing. First and foremost, it can no longer be lumped into one overarching Alternative Music category. Its been fragmenting into smaller niches and local variants. On the super-niche end youll find an experimental Noise scene spreading roots in Changsha and Tianjin. Youll also find a dedicated network of metalheads with new bands popping up regularly. Even Beijings indie scene is switching up with more diversity of sound as Shoe Gaze, Post Punk, and NYCs 60s underground elements enter the equation. At this point, what needs to happen is improved organizational structures for the various scenes and for different cities. Beijings indie scene has that going on, but were eager to see more sounds get exposure. Fortunately, its starting to happen. Weve been paying attention to the efforts of Pangbianr. Besides keeping up a small farm northwest of Beijing and advocating organic, local food cultures, they also work closely with Beijings avant garde musicians and artists to ensure plenty of events and collaboration. But what were really keeping our eye on is the hardcore scene. Why hardcore? Well for one, its in our blood. But more importantly, CUA has caught our attention. CUA (Chinese Unit Action) is Chinas first hardcore crew. It was started in 2008 by a group of friends led by by Beijings first real hardcore band, Unregenerate Blood. Its since gone from Beijings back-allies to nationwide. Among the bands that now rep CUA are Return The Truth and XX (aka It Never Happened) from Beijing, Loudspeaker from Shanghai, CQ2 and Laofoye from Guangzhou, Pohuai from Dalian, and the biggest name in Chinese hardcore, King Lychee out of Hong Kong. All the bands who claim CUA push it hard. Theyre not throwing down in the tradition of DMS or FSU where stomping people out is prerequisite. CUAs attitude is way more posi, the goal being to create a community of likeminded people, while furthering the hardcore scene in China. Its open to everyone, and becomes a support system once youre down. This support system means bands have places to stay, and people coming to shows when touring other cities. As a
Loudspeaker at Yuyintang; Shanghai

loose organization, it facilitates the dissemination of hardcore music and lifestyle further into China. As an open and fraternal crew, it offers a huge draw for kids to belong by forming bands or being fans. Return The Truth and King Lychee are letting us know to expect big things. RTT kicked-off the new year with a new EP, Loyalty to the Hope Refuse to Regret (give a listen at facebook.com/returnthetruth). And in Hong Kong, King Lychee are working on an album due to drop in April, which hopefully means a fresh line-up of shows throughout the Mainland. As CUAs growing roster continues to release albums, play shows, hit Chinas increasing yearly festivals, and spread their music online and offline, the scene will grow incrementally. SO WHAT? The foundations for alternative music scenes in China are strengthening. Apart from the Beijing Indie scene, most of it is happening on a DIY level. This is spectacular. This surge in activity implies a dedicated class of creators and enthusiasts. CUA embodies this spirit. Yet, the fundamental problem with these smaller scenes is their reach. The music and lifestyle rarely make it beyond the existing community, leaving countless potential prescribers in the dark. These scenes get no mention in mainstream medias, nor is there a proper distribution channel for recorded material. But, youth all over are hungry for content. When backpacking through central and southwestern China, a main talking point was music. Youth were eager to copy every album from my iPod, hip hop, hardcore and dubstep included. To my astonishment, Bad Brains was really well received. Who knew? The point is, the interest is there, but the content isnt. Which in turn means, theres room for brands and medias to bridge the gap between music (+ its surrounding lifestyle) and countless potential fans. By pledging loyalty to up-and-coming scenes, and being proactive in their rise, not only can you attain loyalty from existing fans, but from future ones as well. You can make yourself intrinsic to a community. The hard part is doing it well.

Moonless Acheron at Nuts Club; Chongqing

Chaos CS at 4698 Livehouse; Changsha

iii. ACTION SPORTS

...In the meantime, skate shops and parks are popping up in cities nationwide; not to mention the urban spots that skaters are claiming as cities continue to sprawl. Sure to go down in Chinese skate history is Shanghais Love Park a patchwork...
SKATEBOARDINGS BIG PUSH Hot off a good 2010, Chinas Action Sports are slated to blow-up in 2011, with skateboarding to be the big one as unprecedented corporate and grassroots support propel it to the forefront of Chinas alternative youth culture. Skateboarding is certainly not new to China, but its never received this much attention. On the corporate side, youve got Woodward who opened up their Beijing camp last year. The X Games continue to do their thing to bigger audiences. Nike SB has been on it since the first days of skating in China. Vans has been pumping out low-cost videos on the regular and engaging skaters through events. And more recently, Converse hopped on the bandwagon with : their China skate-flick for which they rallied a team to tour around China for 20 days and filmed the antics. Prior to (pronounced ni and meaning something like go against the grain), skateboardings exposure remained niche rarely making it beyond the already initiated. But with Converses cache among Chinas greater class of edgier and trends-inspired youth, is broadcasting the sport/ lifestyle to this much larger audience. Brands aside, you cant talk skateboarding in China without mentioning Jeff Han: the former milk factory employeeturned skater-entrepreneur. Much is owed to his efforts launching FLY Streetwear shops, his collabs with Nike SB, and launching skatings online home in China (skatehere. com). Jeff aside, some of the most dedicated scene-drivers right now are Andrew Guan in Beijing (of kickerclub.com fame), Charles Lanceplaine, and the others behind Legion of Sorts. Charles shed light on Shanghais skate scene with the insightful and well-shot documentary, Shanghai 5. Now the rest of the people at Legion of Sorts continue to throw it down hard, and keep the world updated through their blog (legionofsorts.wordpress.com). In the meantime, skate shops and parks are popping up in cities nationwide; not to mention the urban spots skaters are claiming as cities continue their sprawl. Sure to go down in Chinese skate history is Shanghais Love Park a patchwork of smooth tiles, rails, waxed ledges, and stairs beside the Shanghai Concert Hall. Its ground-zero for foreign and local skaters to meet, skate, and drink. Look out for more such spots in other cities as more kids get turned on to skating.
Young skater; Shenzhen

BIKES ARE BACK China in the 90s and early 00s saw most people abandoning their bikes in favor of something motorized, preferably cars, but scooters and motorcycles would do. Whereas it was once an aspirational item a ubiquitous cultural icon even the modern deluge of luxury brands, automobiles, and western lifestyle knocked the bicycle clear off its pedestal. If you were on a bike, it meant you couldnt afford anything else. It was a last resort. A notch more sophisticated than walking. Fortunately, that notion is on the out. Cycling is big once again, and only getting bigger. Youll now find every breed of Chinese cyclist: mountain bikers, downhillers, roadies, fixie enthusiasts, BMX riders, and probably a couple unicyclists. Generally speaking, the mountain bikers, downhillers, and roadies are more mature in age. Sure, youve got kids who get down with the extreme forms of cycling, but generally speaking, younger guys are opting for fixed gears, single speeds, and some are starting to test-out BMX bikes. Nowadays, all the big cities have a fixie culture. Powerful ambassadors have played a big part. Shanghai, for instance, owes its scene to the organizational efforts of Tyler Bowa and Karl Ke, the power-duo behind PeoplesBike. com. They host weekly rides, occasional bike-polo sessions, and put on two of Chinas most successful Alleycat Races, with more on the way. Website and events aside, theyre putting the finishing touches on their shop, Factory 5; soon to be the new spot for Shanghais fixie crowd. This community is growing beyond the big cities. During my travels through China last summer, most of the people I rubbed elbows with in Wuhan, Changsha, and Chengdu were completely oblivious to fixed gears. Now, most of them have either bought one, or plan to. But, as more people hop on the trend, others are starting to differentiate themselves and their bikes. Watch for a growth in high-end parts and accessories. Just a couple months ago they were impossible to find, now Taobao.com (Chinas eBay) is inundated with pricey parts. Some are even forsaking the idea of buying a car, instead looking to drop some serious bank on their bikes. Cinelli, Aerospoke, and Campagnolo should all be looking to China with flashing dollars in their eyes and a diabolical grin.

Another trend in Chinas fixie scene is riders getting into freestyle riding, where busting out technical tricks is the modus operandi. In Shenzhen and Guangzhou especially, kids are getting into this more extreme variety. Competitions are being held, and riders from Greater Asia are making their way to China to compete. A BMX scene is still further off, but with the efforts of the Kapok team, and increased exposure through the X Games and Woodward, it may yet happen. SO WHAT? For action sports brands or those looking to align themselves with action sports, theres one key thing to consider: accessibility. If aligning your brand with an action sport in China where its still relatively new you have to contribute to its accessibility to the greater public. In other words, grow the niche. Simply prescribing to a lifestyle is not enough if that lifestyle has little context to youth and remains out of their reach. In many respects, the challenge and advantage to youth-branding in China is the unique need to build the context rather than conform to the context. Converse and W+K understand that. Hence their aforementioned skate-flick, , which broadcasts skating (+ associations of individualism and freedom) to the brands massive audience, whilst positioning Converse as its vessel and arbiter of culture. But thats just a beginning. Theres still tons to be done in breaking down barriers, promoting action sports culture, and associating brands with it. The barriers for youth? On a personal level, many are intimidated. Thats understandable. Parents might not approve. They might lack friends who share their interest. The notion of action sports may seem entirely too foreign. Recent generations can be especially self conscious, so embarrassment of trying something different could be a strong detractor. Others may yet be totally oblivious to the existence of action sports. And there are many who want to get involved, but simply cant afford the necessary gear. The solutions? Right now, theres a strong need for brands to contribute at a grassroots level. Much has been happen-

ing on the mass marketing level to spread awareness and popularity. Now, more needs to be done to actually get kids to participate. One way is to empower local ambassadors through innovative sponsorships. The folks behind Peoples Bike and Legions of Sorts have rallied communities with little-to-no sponsorship, but others need help. Hooking people up with shoes and skateboards is good, but they need greater tools to attract participation from larger numbers. Something as simple as branded ramps, rails, and kickers would be an inexpensive extra step. Teaming up with action sport retailers to promote local culture is another necessary step, which in turn, can earn brands the loyalty of entire communities. Jeff Hans FLY shops have put Nike and Vans on the map throughout China, but these shops can be turned into a base for so much more. Not to mention all the smaller independent stores that are popping up. These can be the basis for events and seminars in tier 2 and 3 cities. Beyond grassroots, theres endless opportunity to integrate action sports into Chinas growing list of yearly music festivals. With rising competition between numerous festivals, theyll need to vamp up their offerings to attendees. Action sports would be a desired addition. Localized, branded viral content is also key. was great and ambitious start, but it remains an open field. Youll find tons of local athletes and creatives willing to work on far lower budget content. And thats just the tip of the iceberg.
Skatepark; Changsha

Andy Hao; Chongming Island Ride

Karl Ke; Chongming Island Ride

Karl Ke; Chongming Island Ride

Shenzhen Alleyway, May 2010 My frequent, and much-dreaded, visa runs meant frequent 20-hour hard-seat trains to merely walk in and out of Hong Kong. The return train was always the following day, which meant a long day and night to kill. Without the funds for a proper hotel, motel, or bath house stay, my last over-nighter in Shenzhen turned into a nocturnal exploration of the city. Camera in hand, I trekked for miles; feasting on local snake soup, meeting groups of weekend revelers, getting dragged into a KTV, and at about 3am, on my way back to sleep one off at the train station, I heard sounds of skateboards coming from an alleyway. It wasnt a hallucination. There were, in fact, four teenage kids on skateboards. Three of them knew what they were doing, the other was working on simple ollies. After my wiping-out trying a Backside Pop-Shove-It, they all became comfortable enough to let me take photos and tell me their stories. All four were fresh out of high school, but already working full-time jobs at local tech factories. They mentioned their parents refused to buy them skateboards, so they had to get those jobs to afford the parts and the Nike SB sneakers they all wore. They had an extra skateboard, so they took me on a late night tour of downtown Shenzhens skate spots, which ended two hours later by a construction site near the train station. Within moments of our getting there, we were surrounded by police and fire trucks. Just as we thought all the commotion was for us, we looked up to find a disgruntled migrant worker climbing the bamboo scaffolding, shouting out drunken, Cantonese obscenities to Johnny Law below. Time to bail, we headed over to the train station for one last session before they headed off to their respective jobs, and me to my train back to Shanghai. Moral of the story? Maybe theres none, but Id like to think youth culture has the amazing ability to thrive anywhere. Even a Shenzhen alleyway.

Young Skater; Shenzhen alleyway

iiii. THE VIRTUAL - ACTUAL NETWORK

...These subcultures are developing at a time of unprecedented connectivity. Even if youre the only kid in town whos an avid punk fan, chances are you share your interest with a couple hundred online buddies between a Douban profile, a Sina Weibo (Chinas twitter) account, and...

Hardcore bands and fans have come together to form CUA. Graffiti writers throughout central and southwestern China have kicked-up Okiz crew. And while they dont roll under a name, Chinas fixed gear community stays in touch through online forums and regular events. Youth are organizing; communities are forming. Kids with shared interests are finding each other and consolidating into groups and crews both online and offline. ONLINE COMMUNITIES These subcultures are developing at a time of unprecedented connectivity. Even if youre the only kid in town whos an avid punk fan, chances are you share your interest with a couple hundred online buddies between a Douban profile, a Sina Weibo (Chinas twitter) account, and fellow forum subscribers. Almost every graffiti writer has a blog on 163.com, which has an integrated community platform, and very active commenting. Every time someone posts their latest tag or piece, dozens of fellow artists and admirers have something to say. Wuhan writer, RAYs most recent post (027ray. blog.163.com) has 72 comments, plus countless references on Weibo. Its a giant conversation taking place on a national scale. And its certainly not limited to graffiti. On Douban, fans of alternative music scenes are starting groups with thousands of members. The conversation leaders scour the internet for relevant videos, albums, cover art, anything related to the scene, then post it on Douban for all to share. Youll even find groups dedicated to knitting, cartoon characters, sustainable living, anything you can imagine. As the modern-day campfire, these cross-platform online communities are crucial to the development of Chinas youth culture. Its where everyone feels comfortable enough to explore interests, meet others, and share. OFFLINE Fortunately, the activity is not limited to the internet. Its just one part of the equation; the other being an increase in offline activity. Interestingly though, the internet is generating some of this offline activity. Many are first meeting online, then organizing offline meets. This can be as simple as boy-meets-girl online then dates offline. Or, it can be larger scale. Graffiti writers who initially meet on 163.com are organizing trips to other cities to paint collaborative murals. Cyclists reach out to fellow forum-members to organize events that bring people from all over China. The examples go on as Chinas young netizens are using the online space as a hybrid plat-

form for virtual / actual communities. Another huge driving force behind communities are events.. On a national level, youve got infinite music festivals popping up. Youve got X Games, Snowboard comps, Alleycat Races, and Wall Lords. These are bringing together youth from all corners of China, making their world much smaller. Theres also a sharp rise in smaller, local events. Cities with fixed gears have weekly rides or trick sessions. Skateboarders have spots they regularly meet at. Most universities have a near-by venue with weekly shows. Creatives regularly meet at coffee shops. Friends gather at each others homes for weekly hotpots. DJs host regular parties attended by patrons who all know each other. As more opportunities arise for these youth to connect with their counterparts on a local, national, or virtual level, it reinforces a sense of community, strengthens subcultures, and grows their influence on the Chinas greater youth population. These online/offline communities encourage a sense of belonging to something bigger, to something revolutionary. SO WHAT? This spells out an opportunity to engage on a large scale. Rather than targeting individuals, build relationships with communities. Many of these groups are still young, and in their developmental stages, making it possible for brands or institutions to become integral players in the communities. But to do so, youth groups must be engaged on their terms. A couple first steps would be to pin-point influencers in up-and-coming communities and build ties with them. Properly executed events are the obvious way to achieve this. And if you dont want to put the resources into organizing your own events, doing innovative outreach at Chinas growing list of festivals is a cost-effective alternative. Next up is to get-in on the online/offline conversation again, doing it on their terms. Just getting on Sina Weibo, Douban, and RenRen to preach about your brand is obnoxious. Youll find those efforts fall on deaf ears. The Chinese netizen is bombarded with advertisements, and has subsequently become very discerning. Consider first joining a communitys conversation; only then can you aspire to lead the conversation by providing relevant and desired content. Join first, lead second. Unfortunately for most, thats the road less traveled.

Xihu Music Festival; Hangzhou

Whos Nick Peden? Ive spent a cumulative four years in China as a student, traveler, and most recently, a youth-market researcher for Enovate (a Shanghai-based insights and design agency) where I earned my stripes and got sent around China to research various youth cultures. In early 2011, I founded THE PUSH SHOVE as a resource to offer-up some much-needed insight into a growing segment of Chinese youth: those that share my affinity for subcultures. Currently back in New York, Im always considering employment or projects that land me back in China. If any of the ideas put forward in this publication piques an interest, Im an email or tweet away. Contact me by email: Nicolaspeden@gmail.com Or on twitter: @NickPeden

Yours truly on a Hong Kong night ride

WWW.THEPUSHSHOVE.COM