As you’re probably/definitely aware, Clockenflap is swiftly approaching. You might say that the clock is ticking (if you like dad jokes). While we hesitate to say that it’s bigger and better (everything is subjective!), this year’s lineup looks to be an absolute corker. Besides the crowd-pleasers, Secret Walls and b-boys are due to tear it up at the Robot stage, and loads of local acts will be reppin’ Hong Kong’s own burgeoning indie scene.
However, an abundance of choice can be overwhelming, so scroll down to read Coconuts HK’s guide to Clockenflap 2015:
Friday
Damien Rice, 7.30 – 8.30pm, Harbourflap Stage
ICYMI, Damien Rice is back with a vengeance. His first album in eight years, “My Favourite Faded Fantasy”, won critics over with its brooding, often heartbreaking lyrics and delicately nuanced instrumentals.
Ride, 9.30pm – 11.00pm, Harbourflap Stage
Legendary shoegaze band Ride recently reunited after their 1996 breakup. What with Slowdive‘s HK concert last summer and Ride this year, we’re half expecting My Bloody Valentine to complete the shoegaze trifecta next year. We can hope, right?
Go Dancing
Clean Bandit, 6.45pm – 7.30pm, Atum Stage
Remember how nuts everyone went for Rather Be when it came out in 2013? Well, here’s your chance to dance along to the real thing instead of while shame-watching The Only Way is Essex. Coming from self-confessed curmudgeons, even we have to admit that the Cambridge four-piece’s live act is undeniably fun.
Bicep, 9.30pm – 11.00pm, Electriq Stage
The mass revival of house and trance music over the last few years has seen Bicep’s star rise at the speed of light, and it feels like the blogger-turned-DJ team have been bloody ubiquitous this year (with good reason).
Uptown Rockers, 9.30pm – 10.30pm, Robot Stage
Dubbed a “bonafide Clockenflap institution” by Clockenflap director Justin Sweeting, the Hong Kong based DJs are back to spin their unique blend of rock, 80s new wave and electro.
Love Psychedelico, 10.00pm – 11.00pm, Atum Stage
Japanese rockers Love Psychedelico’s music plays like an ode to their favourite genres, including, but not limited to, British Invasion and American folk and blues. Fingers crossed they’ll play their 2000 smash hit “Last Smile”!
Jacques Greene, 8.00pm – 9.30pm, Electriq Stage
Montreal house producer Jacques Greene first caught our attention with his remix of Radiohead’s “Lotus Flower” in 2011 before blowing every-effin-body away with his sparkling solo track, “Quicksand”. Definitely one to watch.
Flying Lotus, 8.30pm – 9.30pm, Atum Stage
Truly a giant within the music industry, Flying Lotus is hard to pin down within any given genre. His most recent album, “You’re Dead!” saw FlyLo experiment with a more obvious jazz influence to such effect that rapper Kendrick Lamar reportedly tried to keep the track he guested on for his own album.
ANWIYCTI, 5.30pm – 6.15pm, Atum Stage
We love ANWIYCTI (short for A New World, if You Can Take It). Their weird shoegaze/space-rock sound is achieved by their unique lineup (three bassists and a drummer called Pie), and their lead singer’s voice kind of reminds us of Placebo’s Brian Molko.
The Anello, 5.30pm – 6.15pm, YourMum Stage
Local darlings The Anello are relative newbies, having only formed sometime in 2014. They must be doing something right with their brand of “indie, electronic and hip hop”, as they were recently named Hong Kong’s Best Band by HKELD. Check out their new (and first!) music video here.
Saturday
The Libertines, 9.45pm – 11.00pm, Harbourflap Stage
The Libertines love Hong Kong, and we love them. Since their last minute gig in Kennedy Town’s BeatingHeart Studios, the English rockers have released their third album, “Anthems for Doomed Youth” and played multiple high-profile concerts.
A$AP Rocky, 10.00pm – 11.00pm, Atum Stage
A$AP Rocky has taken the world by storm through his collective A$AP Mob’s and his own individual ventures. The rapper is particularly noted as a popular “cloud rap” artist, a surreal, dreamlike subgenre of hip hop that is also known as trillwave.
Go Dancing
UNKLE Sounds, 5.00pm – 6.30pm, Electriq Stage
UNKLE Sounds (also known as UNKLE) has been around in various incarnations since 1994, and their musical style reflects that – it’s at times trip hop, big beat or downtempo, depending on the set.
Ratatat, 8.15 – 9.15pm, Atum Stage
Brooklyn “rocktronica” duo Ratatat have been behind a lot of earworms since 2001, with the most famous probably being the Kid Cudi and MGMT track “Pursuit of Happiness”. Hongkongers may recognise their song “Loud Pipes” as the sample used in local rapper Skibs’ infamous single, “Hong Kong Kids” (no comment).
Go Vintage
Al McKay leads his 13-piece band (made up mostly, if not completely, of former EWF members) in playing some of the legendary band’s songs, which span the genres of jazz, funk, soul and R&B, amongst many others.
Broods, 5.45pm – 6.30pm, Atum Stage
Kiwi brother-sister duo Broods offers a shimmery, indie pop sound punctuated with electronic influences. The sound of the zeitgeist, if there is one.
HINDS, 6.15pm – 7.00pm, YourMum Stage
Hailing from Madrid, this four piece outfit’s fuzzy, lo-fi garage rock sound has been compared to The Strokes (duh), but the all-female band reminds us more of Dum Dum Girls, Vivian Girls and Best Coast. #girlsgirlsgirls
Angel Haze, 8.45 – 9.30pm, YourMum Stage
Don’t be deceived by this rapper’s youth. Their (yes, correct pronoun) alternative hip-hop career has already produced hits like 2011’s “Werkin Girls”, and most recently “Battle Cry”, featuring Australian artist Sia.
The Weathering, 12.45pm – 1.30pm, Atum Stage
Clockenflap 2014 attendees may have been disappointed when a family emergency caused Jeff and Leora Caylor to pull out of last year’s festival. However, the couple is sure to make Hong Kong proud with their charming indie folk pop tunes this year.
XXX Bass Showcase, 9.00pm – 10.30pm, Robot Stage
Local underground heavyweights XXX are going to show us how it’s done with some “bass music fire” – that means hip-hop, bassline and grime.
Sunday
Nouvelle Vague, 5.30pm – 6.30pm, Harbourflap Stage
This French band is known for their lounge-y, bossa nova covers of famous songs (typically punk rock, post-punk, or new wave songs). They’re perhaps most famous for their cover of Tuxedomoon’s “In A Manner of Speaking”.
Chic ft. Nile Rodgers, 7.30pm – 8.45pm, Harbourflap Stage
Aaaah, freak out! Chic ft. Nile Rodgers is one of the most anticipated acts this year, and will hopefully perform international hits like “Dance, Dance, Dance” and “I Want Your Love”.
New Order, 9.30 – 11.00pm, Harbourflap Stage
Anyone who says New Order is just Joy Division without the talent can go do one. We cannot wait to see them get their synthy post-punk vibes on.
Neon Indian, 7.15pm – 8.00pm, Atum Stage
Neon Indian’s Alan Palomo is rumoured to have inspired the term “chillwave” when he was championed/satirised by alt-blog Hipster Runoff. In the years since, their indietronica/80s synth sound has matured to the point where they’ve received actual, serious critical acclaim.
Yuksek (DJ set), 3.30pm – 5.00pm, Electriq Stage
French DJ Yuksek is an indie dance extraordinaire. While he has created a lot of original tracks both independently and with a number of collaborators, his remixes are so popular that Lana del Rey specifically requested for him to remix her recent track, “Brooklyn Baby“.
Mr Scruff, 8.00pm – 11.00pm, Electriq Stage
This British producer is most famous for his 1999 track, “Get A Move On”, but don’t think he’s just a one-hit wonder resting on his laurels. Dude works super hard (three-hour set!) and always draws huge crowds with his downtempo and at times nu jazz-y electronica.
Blackalicious, 10.00pm – 11.00pm, Atum Stage
This veteran hip-hop duo is well known for rapper Gift of Gab’s ability to spit complex, tongue-twisting rhymes at a frankly incomprehensible speed, set to producer Chief Xcel’s “classic”, old school beats. We particularly enjoy this video of their music set to Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox.
SOAK, 4.15pm – 5.00pm, Harbourflap Stage
Irish singer-songwriter SOAK is only 19, but has already made the BBC Sounds of 2015 long list. Her music reminds us of both Tegan and Sara and Joanna Newsom, and it is raw and delicately lovely at just the right parts.
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, 6.00pm – 6.45pm, Atum Stage
This American indie pop band burst onto the scene in 2009 with their single “Young Adult Friction”. Their third album, “Days of Abandon”, has drawn comparisons to The Cure, The Smiths and New Order.
Battles, 8.30pm – 9.30pm, Atum Stage
Experimental rock band Battles is known for its boundary pushing sound, which is at times rhythmically complicated like prog rock and math rock, while occasionally playing with hallmarks of subgenres like electronic rock and post rock.
Prune Deer, 1.15pm – 2.00pm, YourMum Stage
Local post rockers Prune Deer have managed to make a name for themselves in the Hong Kong math and post rock scenes (not an easy feat, considering the genre’s popularity), and recently featured in Underground HK’s second Songs Without Words showcase.
Magnetic Soul, 7.30pm – 8.30pm, Robot Stage
Hong Kong based DJ collective has been organising drum and bass events in the city for nearly a decade, and recently represented Hong Kong at Shenzhen’s One Love Festival.
Check out the full Clockenflap schedule here.
Phase Three tickets are still available via Ticketflap, and 7-11 convenience stores.
Reader Interactions