Beijing’s KyoYoko has emerged as one of China’s most distinctive and forward-thinking underground bands, blending post-punk urgency with industrial grit and electronic experimentation … and they’re currently in Australia and playing one of our fave venues, Shotkickers in Thornbury this Sunday October 19.
Formed in 2020, the quartet, fronted by vocalist, guitarist and drum machine operator Ci, alongside bassist A Zhi, keyboardist Sui, and visual artist Nicole, operates at the intersection of raw emotion, conceptual art, and sonic innovation. Their sound draws equally from cold-wave textures, jagged post-punk rhythms, and the mechanical pulse of industrial rock, yet remains deeply human and instinctive.
From their debut album Gorrrre! in 2022 to their 2025 follow-up Mirror Chamber, KyoYoko has built a reputation for crafting music that is both visceral and cerebral. Where Gorrrre! looked outward, observing the world through a critical, almost cinematic lens, Mirror Chamber turns inward. The new record explores introspection and imperfection, embracing the idea of keeping “unpolished” moments, forgotten lyrics, blurred visuals, micro-expressions, as a reflection of authenticity and vulnerability. The band sees imperfection not as a flaw but as evidence of life, movement, and real emotion.
KyoYoko’s aesthetic resists romanticism and nostalgia. Their music and visuals reject the glorification of any particular era or ideology, opting instead for a stripped, tactile immediacy. On stage, they deliver intense, immersive performances where music, light, and image coalesce into a unified sensory experience. Nicole’s VJ projections and lighting design give their shows a cinematic edge, while Ci’s commanding presence and the band’s tight, machine-driven grooves anchor the chaos in precision. It’s this blend of control and spontaneity, of synthetic and human, that defines the KyoYoko experience.
Having performed across China’s major alternative festivals and shared bills in cities such as Seoul and Tokyo, and coming to Melbourne direct from SXSW Sydney, KyoYoko continues to expand their reach without diluting their underground spirit. Their second album Mirror Chamber cements their evolution from a promising experimental act into one of the most conceptually rich bands in Beijing’s contemporary scene – a group using sound and performance not just to entertain, but to question what it means to be seen, to reflect, and to exist in a world that’s always watching back.
Also playing are Frankfurt Helmet (Shanghai) and Claire Birchall (Melbourne).
Frankfurt Helmet (Shanghai) – One of China’s most acclaimed indie electronic and new media art collectives. Blending modular synth atmospheres, glitch textures and striking visual artistry, they’ve performed at major festivals worldwide and collaborated with fashion, film, and contemporary dance.
Claire Birchall (Melbourne) – A prolific multi-instrumentalist and songwriter whose career spans surf rock, indie fuzz, acoustic folk, Casio pop, and darkwave synth. With releases on Melbourne’s It Records and performances alongside Kim Salmon and Fancy Weapon, Birchall’s music is raw, inventive and unflinchingly personal.
An evening that moves from raw post-punk intensity to immersive electronic soundscapes and intimate songwriting.
Ticket link for Shotkickers: https://moshtix.com.au/v2/event/kyoyoko-frankfurt-helmet-claire-birchall-shotkickers/186732?skin=SK_skin
