Some Chinese indie music worth checking out - part.8
I’ve been digging into Chinese indie lately and wanted to share a few songs from emerging bands that I am really enjoying. A lot of these feel like hidden gems that don’t get much visibility, so I figured I’d put them out here instead of letting them stay buried.
眼涡 - 草吠声
Eye Vortex (“眼涡,” literally “eyes like a whirlpool”) is a somewhat different track from the band’s new album Cocooned(“被茧”). The song is described as a kind of transitional breath connecting the new record to the band’s previous work.
The track reflects on the countless voices constantly demanding people take positions on society and current events. These pressures can come both from the outside world and from within ourselves, often leaving people trapped in confusion or contradiction between competing perspectives.
For the band, however, what matters is not simply making declarations or taking sides, but continuing to observe, think, and remember, refusing to avoid or ignore reality, while constantly reflecting and questioning.
Sad Song II — 环岛行驶Roundabout
As the second chapter in the band’s Sad Song series, Sad Song II was created as a bridge between the past and what comes next.
Unlike the more playful atmosphere of the first chapter, the song focuses on those moments in life that once felt impossible to move beyond. Yet with time, life itself reminds us that nothing is truly insurmountable, even if we still want to hold onto the fragile process of surviving it.
放火烧掉的诗Burning the Poems — 鲸鱼飞向天空
Burning the Poems (“放火烧掉的诗”) by 鲸鱼飞向天空Whale Flying Toward the Sky was inspired by the experience of having a private diary exposed during school years, an incident that left the songwriter with a lasting sense of shame and eventually led them to stop writing altogether.
The song transforms that memory into a quiet reflection on privacy, emotional vulnerability, and the desire to destroy parts of oneself before they can be misunderstood by others. Images of burning poems beneath a crimson sunset, dim streetlights, evening haze, and approaching storms run throughout the lyrics, creating a dreamlike atmosphere suspended between loneliness and comfort.
I’ve also been collecting these Chinese indie songs into a playlist, all from newer bands that emerged in the 2020s. If anyone wants to find something new: The Dragon Roars! | Chinese Indie Hits