(Modern Sky Entertainment/Valve)

Indie/electronica from Beijing, China

Since forming as teenagers in the mid ‘90s, Beijing’s New Pants have gone on to master their blend of indie pop and kitschy electronica. Opening with the almost Eastern Kraftwerk of Peking Monster, the record also takes in dreamy fuzz pop (Split), manic electro-punk (Mr Director), as well as ‘80s synth stabs and robotic vocoder effects (Double Happiness). Delivered in a blend of English and Mandarin, the record includes translated lyrics, portraying many of the lyrical obsessions shared by their western indie pop counterparts – girls, teen angst, sci-fi etc. However, New Pants also infuse their music with a retro-futurist vision of their own country as synths burble Asian melodies over fuzz-drenched guitars. Not every track is a masterpiece, but the album ultimately succeeds with its upbeat charm and unforced blending of genres. This edition of Equal Love also features a DVD compiling Golden Idol, Grand Panda, Being Together, Equal Love and 2 Girlfriends, so for a snapshot of current Chinese indie pop, this makes for an interesting and entertaining collection.

***½

MATT THROWER

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