In San Diego, California, of all places, Philipp Grefer became enthusiastic about China and at some point he packed his bags. The Rhineland native lived there for over ten years and met the former MTV China presenter Helen Feng, whom Spiegel described as a “figurehead of the Chinese indie scene”.
With her he founded the agency FakeMusicMedia, manages artists, ensures cultural exchange between Europe and Asia and brought acts such as Die Toten Hosen, Hot Chip and Röyksopp to China.
After organizing the NEU Festival in 2016, it will become WISE – The Future Festival & Think Tank in 2018. In the Redfield Podcast with Alexander Schröder, Grefer reports on his impressions of the Chinese subculture, the music scene and the enormous importance of the many different streaming services and social media platforms, all of which should be actively processed.
Exciting insights into a country that could be on its way to becoming the largest music market in the world despite, or perhaps because of, massive government control.
www.wisenotwise.com
(Photo: Matjaz Tancic)