1724 Records

People often ask us why international bands still look at China.

The answer isn't simple.

The audiences can be much bigger than many musicians expect. During Summer Fades Away's recent European tour, we were reminded again that the same band can draw very different crowds in different places.

China also comes with challenges: higher venue costs, complicated logistics and an independent music scene that is still recovering from difficult years.

And yet, something interesting is happening.

As old patterns disappear, new opportunities emerge.

Some of those opportunities belong to local bands. Others belong to artists from outside China who are willing to explore unfamiliar places and new audiences.

For us, the most exciting part isn't only the shows.

It's the collaborations that come afterward.

New records. Shared projects. Friendships. Unexpected ideas.

We'll talk more about that in our next post.

Until then, we'd love to hear your thoughts:

What's the biggest surprise you've experienced while touring abroad?

Some of the best conversations happen after the show.

During our European tour with Summer Fades Away, especially around Dunk! Festival, people kept asking us what touring China is really like.

It made us smile.

Back home, we've spent almost twenty years organizing independent concerts.

But here in Europe, we were the visitors.

Every smooth day on the road depended on local friends who knew their cities, their venues and their audiences far better than we ever could.

That's how touring should work.

So we'd like to return the favour.

Over the next few months we'll share stories, practical advice and lessons from twenty years of organizing tours in China.

Hopefully they'll be useful.

And hopefully you'll share your own stories too.

After 16 Years, Hupo Chose to Become a Different Band

After 16 years, Hupo chose not to become a better version of themselves.

They chose to become a different band.

Their new album A Few Sparks leaves behind expectations and embraces exploration — combining post-rock, krautrock, ambient textures, folk influences, and free-flowing instrumental passages into their most adventurous work to date.

Featured by Apple Music across Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, A Few Sparks is now available worldwide.

Join Hupo on the 2026 release tour and experience the new album live.

CD and limited double-colored vinyl editions will be available at the shows.

Upcoming Tour Dates June 14 — Xi'an — VeinLab Future Club June 18 — Wuhan — The Feedback June 19 — Guangzhou — OMNI SPACE Hall 2 June 20 — Shenzhen — MAO Livehouse (Sea World) June 21 — Xiamen — RealLive And Books June 24 — Yiwu — Gebi Bar June 25 — Hangzhou — 9 Club June 26 — Nanjing — 1701 Livehouse June 27 — Shanghai — New Song Space June 28 — Beijing — Fullof LIVEHOUSE

Completed June 6 — Yinchuan — CiChang June 7 — Lanzhou — Daybreak Art Center June 13 — Chengdu — Jah Bar

The image remains vivid in my memory. It felt like a door opening—someone stepping through it and slowly drifting into a dream.

With the release of A Few Sparks, each member of Hupo has chosen a favorite track from the album and shared a personal note on its creation.

The first entry comes from drummer Li Guanyu, who selected "Soulstep Highland." Scroll down to read. Which songs will the other four members choose?

Soulstep Highland Notes from Li Guanyu

The initial spark for "Soulstep Highland" came from a relaxed arpeggiated guitar progression written by Yan Shuai. It immediately brought me back to my university days, when my roommate would sit in the dormitory playing simple acoustic guitar patterns. The image remains vivid in my memory. It felt like a door opening—someone stepping through it and slowly drifting into a dream.

So many years have passed since then. People change, circumstances change. I feel fortunate that I still have a band, and grateful for everyone who has ever shared a stage, a rehearsal room, or a piece of music with us. Life is a long road, and each person can only walk part of it together.

The song developed naturally. None of the additional parts were carefully plotted, and there was no deliberate attempt to create dramatic twists or climaxes. During the live studio recording sessions, we remained in a semi-improvised state. I experimented with different brushes, rods, and sticks on the drum kit, playing as quietly as possible, listening closely to every sound crossing paths with another—sometimes moving together, sometimes drifting apart.

While recording, I could already hear other voices taking shape in my mind. It quickly became clear who should join the piece. I suggested inviting Yaofan to record flute, while Haide recommended vocalist Zhang Wanyi. Both musicians approached the session with the same relaxed, semi-improvised spirit, adding new perspectives and painterly textures to the soundscape of "Soulstep Highland."

People often say that music can preserve the atmosphere of a particular moment, capturing a fragment of time. When you listen again years later, it can take you back somewhere—or perhaps lead you toward a new hope. Find a quiet place, sit on a patch of grass, and spend some time with this piece. It might be one of the gentlest ways to be alone with yourself.

As for the title, it was suggested by our former bassist Huo Zhuozhi. It refers to the vast plateau north of the Wei River and beside the Jing River, known historically as Wulingyuan near present-day Xianyang.

Of the eleven emperors of the Western Han dynasty, nine were buried there. Five of their mausoleums—those of Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Hui, Emperor Jing, Emperor Wu, and Emperor Zhao—formed the famous "Five Mausoleums," a name that has echoed through Chinese history for more than two thousand years.

Perhaps it is simply our connection to the land we come from. Coincidentally, there were five members in the band at the time. The idea resonated naturally. We replaced the character for "five" with one meaning "dance." We cannot travel back through time, nor return to the past. So perhaps the best thing we can do is cherish the present moment—and dance within the music.

I hope you can spend some time with this song.

Maybe "Soulstep Highland" will help you let go of something. Maybe it will bring you back to a memory without the weight that once accompanied it. Or perhaps it will simply give you a little more strength to keep moving forward.

Hupo's new album A Few Sparks is now available on major streaming platforms worldwide.

The physical edition will be released on CD and double-colored vinyl. CDs are available beginning this week, while the vinyl edition arrives next week. Both formats will be available first at the band's ongoing release tour.

Upcoming Tour Dates

June 13 — Chengdu — Jah Bar June 14 — Xi'an — VeinLab Future Club June 18 — Wuhan — The Feedback June 19 — Guangzhou — OMNI SPACE Hall 2 June 20 — Shenzhen — MAO Livehouse (Sea World) June 21 — Xiamen — RealLive And Books June 24 — Yiwu — Gebi Bar June 25 — Hangzhou — 9 Club June 26 — Nanjing — 1701 Livehouse June 27 — Shanghai — New Song Space June 28 — Beijing — Fullof LIVEHOUSE

Completed

June 6 — Yinchuan — CiChang June 7 — Lanzhou — Daybreak Art Center

For over two decades, 1724 Records has been quietly dedicated to instrumental and post-rock music from China, working with artists whose music grows outside the mainstream yet resonates deeply with listeners over time. Among these artists, Summer Fades Away has gradually emerged as one of the label’s most internationally visible acts.

According to recent annual data, Summer Fades Away reached 10,000 listeners on Spotify, with 83,000 total streams and 6,200 new playlist additions, while their fan base grew to 3,600 followers. Within the global post-rock landscape—where the gap between canonical acts and emerging bands is vast—these numbers place the band firmly in the active mid-tier of discoverable post-rock artists, a space shared by many touring and playlist-driven acts worldwide.

In China, the response has been even more pronounced. On NetEase Cloud Music, Summer Fades Away accumulated 4.3 million listeners and 30.6 million plays, marking a 78% year-on-year increase. Their audience now spans 730 cities, with 120 new cities reached in the past year alone. The track “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day” surpassed 1 million plays and received over 15,000 user favorites, while the band was recognized among the platform’s Top 10,200 Artists of the Year.

For 1724 Records, these figures are not endpoints but indicators: proof that Chinese post-rock can sustain long-term growth without sacrificing its inward, patient nature. Summer Fades Away’s trajectory reflects a broader shift—where post-rock from China is no longer defined solely by locality, but by its ability to connect with listeners across languages, regions, and listening habits.

As Summer Fades Away continues developing new material and preparing for future live appearances, 1724 Records remains committed to supporting artists whose work unfolds slowly, accumulates meaning, and finds its audience through time rather than trend.

We have re-listed three CDs by SAISA on Bandcamp, all originally released by 1724 Records. SAISA is a cinematic post-rock band from Japan that joined 1724 Records in 2013, beginning a long-term collaboration shaped by shared values and trust.

After completing three tours in China, the band entered a period of silence, but time never weakened their commitment to sound. Upon their return, SAISA were invited to perform at Offside Festival 2025, one of Asia’s most important post-rock festivals. Within a limited set time, they answered long-waiting listeners with a live performance that was both powerful and inward-looking.

This restock was also prompted by a message from a listener in the UK, a familiar name among overseas followers of 1724 releases. That meaningful music continues to travel across distance and time is a joy shared by both the band and the label.

SAISA are currently working on new material and look forward to meeting more cities and audiences ahead.

Chinese post-rock band Summer Fades Away have released Endless, their first full-length album in thirteen years, in 2025. The album has received widespread critical praise from international independent music media across Europe and the United States, positioning it as one of the most notable Chinese post-rock releases of the year.

Portugal-based independent music platform Music For All described Endless as “an album capable of reaching the listener’s deepest sensory layer,” highlighting its emotional depth and its balance between darkness and fragile hope.

In France, Scholomance Webzine, a publication focused on experimental, metal, and post-rock music, noted that the album maintains the band’s “signature blend of Eastern heritage and contemporary textures,” while presenting a work shaped by growth, transformation, and restraint following a long hiatus.

Italian cultural and review outlet Distopic emphasized the album’s subtle and intimate qualities, comparing it to a lullaby or an old photograph, and identifying Endless as “a wonderful discovery from China,” underscoring the global nature of the post-rock genre.

From Germany, veteran post-rock reviewer 4NDREAS offered a strong endorsement, calling Endless “a truly great album” and praising its continuous flow and emotional elegance. The review highlighted the album’s dynamic structure, noting that it remains engaging throughout and culminates in what was described as a “heart-warming masterpiece.”

In the United States, A Closer Listen, one of the most influential international platforms dedicated to instrumental and post-rock music, framed the album as a mature and confident return. The publication described Endless as “triumphant and wise,” stating that the band return after thirteen years “without losing a step.” The album was also recognized as “one of the most evocative post-rock albums of the year,” praised for its expansive sound and its ability to shift between power and tenderness.

Collectively, these reviews reflect a strong international response to Endless, marking the album as a significant 2025 release in Chinese post-rock. The record demonstrates both continuity and evolution in Summer Fades Away’s sound, and further confirms the growing global recognition of Chinese independent and instrumental music.

The Midi Awards is the most important independent music award in China—and one of the most significant in Asia. This year marks its 16th edition. In the recently announced nomination list, 1724 Records is honored to receive three nominations:

Album of the Year: The Ballade Without Lyrics — Summer Fades Away

Best Instrumental Music: The Ballade Without Lyrics — Summer Fades Away

Best Music Event/Label: 1724 Records

This is not the first time 1724 has been nominated for the Midi Awards. Earlier, at the prestigious Abilu Music Awards, 1724 Records was awarded Label of the Year alongside Maybe Mars and Dying Art.

Of course, regardless of the final results, receiving recognition from an award dedicated to independent music is already deeply encouraging—especially for a label focused on instrumental, post-rock, and ambient music, operating independently without the backing of capital or mainstream traffic.

1724 will continue, as always, with full commitment and unwavering dedication.

Muggle is a solo music project based in Zhangjiajie, creating extremely niche minimal ambient works. The project is signed to 1724 Records, an independent label based in Beijing.

1724 recently released Muggle’s new album Forest Walk and shared the workflow and key steps behind promoting a small-scale ambient release.

Below is the full story.

**In the world of music, what 1724 does is undoubtedly niche.

And within 1724’s roster, Muggle is even more niche.**

Quiet, miniature, understated — yet unmistakably his own frequency.

This is Muggle’s state of being, and also the state of most independent music.

For the new album Forest Walk, 1724 carried out three phases of online promotion, totaling ten rounds. Here is a simple breakdown, hoping to share and exchange ideas with those on the same wavelength. :)

01 / Warm-up Phase

We built the warm-up around three elements: the album title, the physical formats, and a small giveaway. For the physical edition, we used a previous 1724 tape release as a raffle item to help spread the word.

02 / Pre-order

Four rounds of communication made up the pre-order phase:

announcement of pre-orders

a demo video and notes about the special ocarina gift

reminders before the pre-order closed

an unboxing video of the physical album

Posts included text, photos, and video.

Minimal ambient. Cassette format. A creator with no public profile. Yet people still buy the physical album. These listeners deserve repeated reminders — and they deserve a lower pre-order price. That is the meaning of pre-orders.

As a thank-you, Muggle also handmade a small ocarina gift exclusively for pre-order buyers.

03 / Closing Phase

We are grateful to Muggle, who never cared about traffic, income, or “performance.” This gave 1724 the room to craft three more rounds of promotion after the album release:

around another new single released afterwards

around the 14 standalone tracks he created beyond his 11 releases under 1724

around merch such as ocarinas, woodcut-print posters, and mugs

All of these were highlighted in the post-release press materials.

And importantly: both the music and the merch are genuinely unique.

The campaign concluded with global digital distribution, and we secured editorial playlist placement for the album.

04 / Social Media Sync

All ten rounds were synchronized across 1724’s main social platforms. On Weibo we also held a giveaway. More channels and more suitable formats help increase the chance of reaching people who resonate with the music — even within fragmented timelines and algorithmic feeds.

05 / Third-Party Posts

If you search for Muggle’s Forest Walk, you’ll find text posts, photos, and videos across various platforms. 1724 adjusted titles and content for each platform to hit more relevant keywords.

Intentional searching is rare—but third-party presence completes what social media alone cannot achieve.

06 / Official Website

Many labels and musicians have abandoned their websites because the impact is limited. However, maintaining one is inexpensive, and it remains one of the few fully controllable information channels for independent artists. So 1724 continues to keep and update ours from time to time.

Everything above reflects 1724’s experience and capacity.

It is not our first time.

1724 has existed for 19 years and has released over 80 titles.

Why haven’t you heard of us? Why no “viral hits”?

Because being able to keep the dream alive is already our greatest pride.

The album will soon receive some overseas promotion as well.

Next year, marking 1724’s 20th anniversary, we will release even more new records than this year.

“Thank You” is an original single by the post-rock band Summer Fades Away, included on their 2011 album Time Is Cruel Yet Memories Are Beautiful. Hirono Ono is one of POP MART’s IP characters, first introduced in 2021.

Through this newly granted license, both Hirono Ono and POP MART are authorized to use the song “Thank You,” which has already been featured in the recent Hirono Ono public art exhibition “Time After Time.”

The video is the theme film for Hirono Ono’s recent “Time After Time” public art exhibition. The background music featured in the film is an excerpt from the single “Thank You.”

Though they come from different creative fields, it is their shared aesthetic resonance that brings them together—something every creator hopes to see.

As a band that has remained active for 17 years, this is not the first time Summer Fades Away’s work has been licensed. Their music has previously appeared in art films and theatrical releases in Germany and Italy, and they composed the full score for director Lu Chuan’s first television drama.

In 2025, the band released their third album, Endless, featuring seven new instrumental tracks. Through their subsequent China tour and performances at multiple festivals, they further strengthened their presence within China’s post-rock scene.

Blending Eastern heritage with modern nuance,Summer Fades Away,as one of China's top post-rock bands,their instrumental artistry comes alive in their third album, endless. After a 13-year hiatus, the renowned Chinese post-rock band returns with a collection that explores personal growth, the passage of time, urban transformation, and the storms of a changing nation.

endless captures the band’s signature sound—melodic, intense, raw, and defiant—while venturing into fresh sonic territories. Meticulously recorded over two years, the album features seven new tracks, available digitally and in limited-edition CD and vinyl formats, each with unique mastering and subtle track variations. Released by 1724 Records, endless marks a bold new chapter.

Accompanying the release, Summer Fades Away embarks on a 2025 nationwide tour, spanning 21 cities across China. With sweeping melodies and explosive climaxes, this post-rock journey is not to be missed.

Chinese Post-Rock band Summer Fades Away will release their third album.Endless,album's title,未完 in Chinese.The new album will collecting 7 tracks that created since 2013 to 2025.Endless mean,it's not time to say goodbye yet,the past can't change. More information coming soon. Four tracks been uploaded already,taste it https://open.spotify.com/playlist/42ftvMeDQqXXHyYqtWGwqJ

About Summer Fades Away

Special enough.This month,in forthcoming show,Post-Rock band Summer Fades Away will join Black Metal band Deep Mountain,Post-Rock's expansive,monolithic epics are densely textured,dynamic journeys through extremes of sound,and metal's knack for sculpting adrenalized,distorted juggernauts takes this explosive relationship to bone-rattling intensity.Together,they combine to build gripping,gut-punching odysseys.

Feb.14 / Changsha,JJ Live Feb.15 / Jinan,ModernSky LAB

Have a taste by this playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7795dHb2k3H6y8kSgUZp6B

Hollow Mountain,Minimal Ambient created by Muggle,Hunan,China

The mountain is hollow because there are dreams inside. The voice gradually sounded, and the misty picture unfolded. Muggle's latest original works, whether equipment or rules, have matured enough to transcend style boundaries; just like the atmosphere and performance room, it presents you with a self-contained dream space, with legends or memories in it. The world is complicated, so,let it be. Zhangjiajie, where Muggle is located, has many karst landforms and karst caves. The local people call it Empty Mountain. Muggle has visited it many times, and its surroundings are surrounded by the scenery and the simple way, which is included in the "Hollow Mountain" sounds. The participation of old friend Deng Hao added a warm color to these voices. "Hollow Mountain" is made of 12 inches and 180 grams of colored vinyl, grey with black smoke, limited to 200 copies, each with an independent number. Song Shiyong wrote an inscription, and three works by photographer Xiao Ta were made as posters, packaged in vinyl and given randomly. Releas by 1724 Record catalog is 1724085LP.

They finished piano recording today(foto by Xiao Gu).

The former release by this Changsha based Post-Rock band was 13 years ago.It's really long enough. Good mix of traditional Chinese instruments with modern post rock elements. Atmospheric, epic, and well, if you like post rock, you know what you’re getting into. This is Summer Fades Away.The band has built a diehard fan base since their humble beginnings in 2008 and have two albums released by 1724 Records.

try to stream their former releases

Believe the power with rock music,1724 created in 2006 and found in Beijing,China.Focus on Post-Rock,Ambient music,1724 released about one hundred albums,houses their roster of worldly musicians from Japan(SAISA),Iran(Crows in the Rain),Ukraine(The Best Pessimist),US(In Lights).Of course,mainland of China(48V,oNEwAY,kayak,Summer Fades Away,Amber,Deng Yongpeng,Muggle).

Respect the creators,1724 Records prides itself on providing an independent, artist-led home.Supporting signed bands to release,tour,promotion in China professional. Post-Rock GO! is one side project of 1724.

General contack info(at)1724records.com

Doggy Daydream - highlights from 2 Post Rock bands Summer Fades Away + Amber with dogs:)