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Second Hand Rose
Being drawn into the legacy of Mao Tse-tung is a daunting task we have never dared to get used to. But following the footsteps of the biggest murderer in the history of mankind, his little red book, his clandestine killings, and his guerilla persona in conjunction with China’s two-plus Millenium history has created an odd and artistically distant collage of contradictions. Everything in Mao’s dangerous and bloody universe serves only one purpose: asphalting the path to revolution. And that includes music and art in general.
[Our purpose is] to ensure that literature and art fit well into the whole revolutionary machine as a component part, that they operate as powerful weapons for uniting and educating the people and for attacking and destroying the enemy, and that they help the people fight the enemy with one heart and one mind.
A great exhibition of this mixture is the underground noise and experimental scene of cities like Beijing.
It is true that freedom of speech and democratic space nurtures creativity and breeds art. But weirdly enough, confinement and social claustrophobia can bring out the best of your inner wrath in surprising forms. In tonight’s selected tune, a sufficient inspiration of ’70s prog has blended into traditional Chinese instruments in…
