China doesn't just make C-pop. The Chinese alternative scene Italy doesn't know yet.
- Valentina Bonin
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Su Spotify hanno pochi ascolti. In Europa quasi nessuno sa chi sono. Ma in Cina riempiono i locali, vendono i tour in poche ore e costruiscono un'identità visiva e sonora che non ha niente a che fare con gli idol, i talent show o il C-pop da classifica.
C'è una scena alternativa cinese che esiste da anni, cresce sotterranea, e nel 2025 ha cominciato a muoversi verso il resto del mondo.
Questi sono quattro nomi da sapere adesso.
Lil Ghost (小鬼)
rap / dark alternative / Shandong
Wang Linkai, known as Lil Ghost (小鬼, "little ghost"), was born in 1999 in Yantai, Shandong Province. He participated in The Rap of China in 2017 and joined boy group Nine Percent through Idol Producer in 2018. The group disbanded in 2019 and Wang Linkai took a completely different path.
From that point his trajectory became darker and more personal. In 2021 "Don't Call Me Da Vinci (Punk Version)" marked the point of no return.
In 2026, the Ghost The Ascendant Tour: Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Berlin, London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco. China is coming to Europe, and almost no one has noticed.
Listen to Don't Call Me Da Vinci (Punk Version), DEADLINE Instagram: @6____ghost
Riot In School (返校日)
post-hardcore / noise rock / Chengdu
Riot In School formed in Chengdu in September 2019. Raw sound: grunge, noise rock.
In 2022 they signed with Maybe Mars, Beijing's leading independent label, and released their debut album Ceremony for Corruption.
Their second album changes everything. //Punk Rock Blasphemy (March 2025) was built over two and a half years. Mixed by Will Yip (Turnstile, Circa Survive). Post-hardcore, trip-hop, bedroom electronics. It sounds like nothing else in the Chinese scene.
The cover photos show rural Sichuan children left behind by families who moved to cities. Riot In School organized a charity tour to fund their education. Listen to: 亵渎朋克摇滚, SonicBaby, The Other Side of The Bridge Instagram: @riotinschool_band
Naja Naja
post-punk / art rock / Beijing
Naja Naja formed in Beijing in 2020. Two members: Yuhao on guitar, Gougou on bass and vocals. Art-punk filtered through urban fantasy: saturated synths, hypnotic basslines, surreal and ironic Beijing.
Debut album Sheep Out of the Box out August 26, 2025 on bié Records, recorded between Beijing and San Francisco. A modern urban fairy tale for grown-ups. On Spotify: 659 monthly listeners. On China's NetEase Cloud Music: a very different story.
Da ascoltare: 3000 Ways to Die, Laser Gun, Taiji Park
Instagram: @najanaja_band
XiAOWANG (小王)
kawaii-core / punk / feminist DIY / Beijing
Beijing's Gulou district, 2017: punk, kawaii-core, born as a reaction to the machismo of the Chinese punk scene Vocalist Yue Tu cites Bikini Kill, Afrirampo, Rage Against the Machine. Debut album KACHAKACHA recorded at a Daoist temple, reissued by London's Damnably Records June 2024.
On Spotify: 161 monthly listeners. On any Beijing stage: sold out.
Listen to : SonicBaby, Steal, Four Abracadabra
Four names, four cities, four ways of making noise. China has an alternative scene you didn't expect. And it will probably reach you before you get around to looking for it.
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