Hometown: Chicago IL US

When musician, producer and Invisible Records label owner Martin Atkins visited Beijing in the fall of 2006, he had no idea what to expect. What he found was a thriving underground culture of rock bands that reminded him of his time in London in the late 70's, and of the downtown scene in NYC in late 70's and early 80's. Punk, avant-guard experimentation, Brit-pop, new wave, scratch DJs and more. He signed several bands while he was there, shot 80 hours of video footage, and rented out High End Sound Studios, where he recorded tracks from well over a dozen bands. He recorded live shows at the D-22 club - a venue that embodies the spirit that CBGBs had when Martin arrived in NYC over 25 years ago.

Absorbing all of this, Atkins set out to create an album that reflected what he was seeing and hearing in Beijing. Pushing the envelope and risking the easy camaraderie with the avant-guard, he chose to bring in traditional Chinese musicians and instruments and Tibetan singers for a fuller picture. The feel of some of these tracks, combined with dub and beat manipulations, scratch DJs, and a who's who of the Beijing art scene, comes close at points to Martin's time drumming with Public Image, LTD, during the Flowers of Romance era. The results are two very different collections of contemporary Chinese music.

Bloodshot is pleased to be a partner in such an endeavor.

Invisible Records Official Site