I’ve been living and working in Beijing since ’99 and have seen and undergone some pretty crazy changes here, but one thing that has remained constant is my lifelong obsession with music. Growing up in Houston in the 70s and 80s, I had a walkman glued to my head and went through all the requisite musical phases – starting from Top 40 to classic rock and metal, to punk and new wave, on into industrial (and even grindcore), indie and post-rock (whatever that means), noise and beyond.
But throughout my life – even when I was a hormonal high school freshman singing The Cure and Morrissey songs in the shower – I’ve always been most addicted to hip hop. More than any other genre, hip hop’s sounds, aesthetic, lyrics and beats have always grabbed me on a deeper level and I find myself going back to it again no matter where my wandering musical tastes take me. Continue reading
Beats from Beijing 