“From the start, the intent was all the time to construct a platform, construct a house the place we’re celebrating Asian creativity” explains Ollie Zhang, 88rising’s present Chief-of-Employees, and an instrumental determine within the group since its earliest days — “that mission has all the time stayed the identical.” And no occasion represents that mission higher than 88rising’s personal pageant, Head within the Clouds: now on its third U.S. installment, the occasion sees the roster and pals take to California’s Brookside on the Rose Bowl this Nov. 6 and seven.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ATB1wZxe1g
Increasing this 12 months from a single-day occasion to a two-day extravaganza, this 12 months’s pageant is not solely the group’s largest occasion thus far, however its most various. Headlining the occasion are, after all, 88’s flagship artists Joji, NIKI, and Wealthy Brian, however this 12 months they’ve firm — straight-talking Californian MC Saweetie and South Korean rap sensation CL add a rap-heavy contact to this 12 months’s headlining slots. Followers of this rap-laden strategy will probably be happy to see underground skills like Audrey Nuna and Guapdad 4000 take the stage, alongside Korean rap legend Tiger JK, who is planning a daring efficiency alongside his FeelGhoodMusic collective.
On the poppier aspect,attendees have a lot to look ahead to: indie-pop lovers are handled to appearances from Beabadoobee, REI AMI, and Keshi, whereas followers of the Korean pop trade can count on nice issues from DPR’s IAN and LIVE, in addition to Seori and eaJ,who collaborated final month on the euphoric “Dive with You.” On the fringes, there’s floor-filling EDM from particular visitor Illenium,a thrashing set from punk four-piece The Linda Lindas, and a much-anticipated slot from indie outfit Japanese Breakfast, who just lately received critics over with their third studio album Jubilee. Current signees to the label, together with explosive J-Pop outfit ATARASHII GAKKO!, Indonesian singer/songwriter Stephanie Poetri, and melodic singer/rapper Warren Hue, make their major-stage debut, including additional credence to 88rising’s place as a platform for new Asian voices.
To Zhang, this represents a pure, but thrilling progress. “We’re massively elevating the expertise… I take a look at the line-up and couldn’t have wished for a higher roster of artists.” It is a development that not solely marks a momentous occasion for the corporate, however one deeply entrenched in its core mission. “It simply permits us to, once more, be a greater platform,” Zhang describes, “to showcase extra artists, from extra locations world wide.
“To the artists themselves, Head within the Clouds proves to be nothing in need of a landmark occasion. Chatting with Warren Hue, a 19-year-old signee who debuted on 88rising with March’s “omomopunk,” I get the sense that the pageant extends far past the sum of its components. “It represents a group of younger proficient Asian artists who can create one thing particular and break boundaries” the musician tells me, explaining the pageant’s function in constructing the label’s id. However for the abilities already established on the worldwide stage, the pageant holds simply as a lot import — Indonesian singer/songwriter NIKI appears to have cinematic ambitions within the works, hinting at her designs for “probably the most iconic insane set ever” by way of Twitter final month. “NIKI, I do know, is intent on placing on the efficiency of a lifetime” – says Zhang, “It’ll be a right away response when you truly see what she’s planning.”
To make this all doable, 88rising is making 2021’s Head In The Clouds their most collaborative effort but. With the rising pains of a double-sized line-up, the group has partnered with worldwide occasion organizers Goldenvoice, the workforce accountable for festivals like Camp Flog Gnaw and Coachella. In Zhang’s phrases, “they do festivals like no person else.” The return of the workforce at 626 NIGHT MARKET, who curated meals for the pageant in earlier years, ensures that crowds will probably be handled to a entire host of native delicacies, whereas a minimal donation to Interior Metropolis Arts ensures the pageant continues to help the 88’s historical past of charitable work.
This give attention to genuine collaboration stays not solely on the core of the pageant, however 88rising as a entire. Only recently, the group partnered with Marvel Studios on the soundtrack to their newest blockbuster, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings, crafting a wide-ranging mission based mostly across the Asian-American narratives on the coronary heart of the movie. Hue, behind 4 of the album’s cuts, acknowledges it as a highly effective anomaly: “It’s positively a gem within the music world” he explains — “everybody showcased their tradition on this album.” On each degree, it is a soundtrack not created by company necessity, or one chasing for one other “Sunflower”-type hit, however as an alternative one formed by an genuine want to easily do issues proper. “I feel the attractive factor in regards to the Marvel collaboration is that there was a lot of belief, and a lot of care, in placing the inventive first” Zhang confirms – “That was of paramount significance.”
This is however one second in a current collaborative streak for the group: a 2020 take care of Samsung and R/GA gave NIKI, BIBI, and Ylona Garcia the possibility to debut new materials by way of the brand new Galaxy S21 handset, whereas flagship artist Wealthy Brian has been filming for his debut function movie, the Justin Chon-directed Jamojaya. As I am chatting with Zhang, there’s the sense that every one of those collaborations are a part of a larger give attention to brand-to-artist authenticity, a collaborative course of that continues to be genuine regardless of the plain company origin. It is a distinctive strategy to advertising artists — with a powerful steadiness between individuality and recognition — however for a firm the place the artist’s imaginative and prescient has all the time been prime precedence, it appears solely pure.
So, what subsequent? Very like its current, 88rising’s future appears outlined towards a backdrop of collaboration. The label’s Philippines-based imprint, Paradise Rising, is recent off the again of second compilation Semilucent 2, and appears to proceed to develop its character with key signings like Ylona Garcia and Steven Peregrina. Plans for comparable offshoots in Vietnam and Thailand are already in consideration, because the group appears to be like to seek out methods to include native expertise into a international discourse. Internally, 88rising’s roster is busy at work on their long-awaited third compilation, Head within the Clouds 3, which Zhang assures me will make for “one other particular second” for the group come 2022. With new signees like Warren, there’s a lot within the pipeline, too – ” I need to create new concepts, new music movies, songs and piece an album collectively” the musician explains, ” I would like it to be a second when my album comes out.”
For the pageant itself, the long run appears equally shiny. 2020’s Jakarta version of the pageant was meant as the primary in a sequence of worldwide expansions – and with the COVID-19 restrictions starting to raise worldwide, plainly worldwide offshoots are within the playing cards. Here is hoping we’ll see a few extra of these within the years to return — however for now, we’ll have to depart it to the Californians to reap the advantages of 88rising’s most vibrant occasion thus far.