The power of youth!
With the Modern Sky Festival‘s U.S. debut coming up in a matter of weeks, we’ve decided to do some pre-festival coverage by getting up close and personal with the Chinese bands playing the festival. This is FarEastVibes’ first time interviewing bands from China, and as passionate fans of the scene over there these interviews are something we’re really proud to be able to give you guys. Next up is Omnipotent Youth Society, a band that’s been rocking out since ’06.
Congrats on playing Modern Sky! Please introduce yourselves.
We are Omnipotent Youth Society. Our band was formed in 1996 by Dong Yaqian, the guitarist, and Ji Geng, the bassist. With the joining of the drummer Yang Yougeng and trumpet player Shi Li in 2006, our band became stable and started frequent public performances.
FarEastVibes.com enjoys providing insight into Chinese bands and the Chinese indie scene. Can the members each share something interesting about themselves so our readers can get to know you?
Music may be the best way for the audiences to get to know us. Our free MP3 can be easily downloaded from some Chinese websites.
Where does the band get their musical inspiration?
The ideas of our songs derive from improvisation in our rehearsal. We love jazz, blues, alternative rock and progressive rock, and we’re highly influenced by these types of music.
I know it can be hard for Chinese bands to get the opportunity to perform in America. Do you plan on touring the States in the future? Do you have any shows planned after the festival?
We hope to have the chance to tour the States. We don’t have any other performances planed for the time being.
What are your thoughts on China’s indie scene and making music in China? What are the pros and cons?
It’s a big question but as far as we are concerned the situation is improving and we enjoy increasing popularity. Rock bands benefit from commercialization, but at the same time over-commercialization might do harm to the purity of music.
What was it that made people start to notice Omnipotent Youth Society? When did you all begin to really get popular?
We released our first song on the internet in 2006, and it drew the attention of some fans immediately. It was our debut album that established our reputation.
Besides performing and making new fans, are there any other things you’re looking forward to doing while in New York? Any places you guys wanna see?
We are planning to visit museums as well as some famous jazz clubs.
What are some of the band’s future plans?
We are preparing for our second album.
I hope you all have a sick time! Anything special you want to say to international fans and new listeners before the festival? Where can new fans learn more about you?
We hope they will like our music. Our songs are available on several Chinese websites, like：http://weibo.com/wannengqingnian，http://site.douban.com/omnipotent/
