CityU Band Soc-SONIC BLOOM!!!!


In this annual show of City University Hong Kong at The Hangout we had a crazy evening of reggae, postrock, mathrock and the highly indefinable sweet sounds of Chochukmo.
Crazy Lion opened the show @ The Hangout with their reggae beat which soon had heads nodding and bodies moving to their infectious dub-heavy sounds.

Crazy Lion @ Sonic Bloom


Vocalist Mouse was more like a friendly lion as the band recreated the infectious, melodic sounds of a musical genre that originated in DJ sound systems and ska influenced interpretations of R & B and was popularised in the west by legends like Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff and by record labels like Trojan and Island.The packed hall was soon grooving to their sweet Jamaican-flavoured rhythms.
Wangwen live @ Sonic Bloom in Hong Kong

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Wangwen took us to a more introspective, post-rock space with beautiful, soaring melodies reminiscent of Explosions in the Sky and Mono.This is the band's 3rd visit to Hong Kong recently and for anyone who doesn't believe that post rock bands can rock hard, you must see this band.

                                   



Chochukmo can turn any show into a party and with seemingly effortless ease they charmed the mainly student audience with songs from their recently released 'The King Has Lost His Pink'. They played a jazzy, latin-tinged indie rock set full of leftfield melodies, jangly guitars and Jan's delicate yet passionate vocals on songs like the slightly retro 'Tell Her (Laura I Love Her) the infectious-and-should-be-released-as-a-single' Head to Toe 'and the darkly humorous' Something Special 'and' Number One '.
Te live @ Sonic Bloom


I think something may have been lost in translation in the facebook description stating that Te would make our 'blood boil'. I guess they meant something like 'induce euphoria, ecstasy and warm waves of love between band and audience.' Those of us who only knew about the band by listening to their albums and read descriptions like 'celebral band' may have been expecting an outfit in the style of Japanese bands like Mono or Toe who seem to ooze music from their every nerve cell and  almost discorporate into the music.
Te are consummate musicians too but also had the greatest audience interaction of any band in the show.I was just annoyed that I missed the bassist's stage jump especially as he landed right in front of me !(OK I was too busy changing batteries for my camera but I did  help him back on stage).
Te live @ The Hangout Hong Kong


If That Is What Is Being