Born and raised in the high-rising materialistic cyber city that is Hong Kong, and immersed in the Japanese idols and animation culture since childhood, QQBBG is an authentic E-GIRL in every aspect – from appearance and attire to voice and manner. Her authenticity has even garnered her the title of “sub-culture princess” among her netizen fans.
QQBBG’s recently released EP “MAGIC LEGACY” is flushed with hit singles such as “Ring! Ring! Ring! Aishiteru”, “Summer E Water” and “Hentai Babe 変 State ベビ”. These heavily anime-influenced song titles and lyrics recount various love stories – not just giving listeners the rush of sweet romance, but also revealing the darkness beneath the relentless high-speed gabber rhythm and manic emotions swirling within. We’ve been lucky enough, with the help of the London label Eastern Margins, to talk to QQBBG about her career and the quirky ideas that stem from her mind.
QQBBG’s EP “Magic Legacy” was published by Eastern Margins. Eastern Margins is a music label established in London, UK. It aims to spread East Asian and Southeast Asian club culture and youth subcultures. QQBBG also has repeatedly cooperated with Genome 6.66 MBP, Yeti Out, and various other renown labels.
Soundcloud: Eastern Margins
Instagram: @easternmargins
Twitter: @easternmargins
Subtropical Asia: First, please introduce yourself!
QQBBG:Name: Chocola aka QQBBG
Age: 23
City of Birth and Life: Hong Kong
Occupation: None
Q: Can you tell us briefly about your growth as a musician? For example, what was the first opportunity when you decided to start making music? We’ve seen that you have also had a live band in HKCR, which is very different from your current electronic style. What evolutions have you gone through in terms of style?
A: In the beginning, I wanted to record the things that were hard for me to tell. I had a group of friends start a band called Cooking Bitches. I was deeply attracted to them! Discovered that telling a story through music might be a good way. Then I met my producer, Mixjointings, who’s very serious about making music, so we started to make music together. HKCR was my first experience as a member of a band. It felt like I could present my music in a unique way. In the beginning, I mainly made cute and sweet electronic music, then I also tried to make more stylish and fierce music such as dubstep. But in the end, I felt like those were not very ideal, so I didn’t release them. In fact, I am a very casual person, I can do whatever type of music I want depending on my feelings within the moment.
Q: Your EP Magic Legacy is a combination of the Japanese idol “Kawaii” culture and the fierce beats of Gabber and Hardcore. Is this kind of conflict and contrast a deliberate arrangement? What kind of concepts and emotions do you want to convey with this EP?
A: These contrasts are arranged deliberately. I wanted to compare and contrast my sweet, cute appearance with those aggressive musical styles and lyrics so that the audience can have two different feelings and be able to express my two distinct sides. This EP “ Magic Legacy” follows and recalls many love stories. I gathered my desire for love from the inside out – soft to hard. I really want the audience to feel both the pink puppy love and dark violent mad love.
Q: How did the city of Hong Kong influence your creation? What is the current scene of underground music in Hong Kong? Are there many indie musicians like you?
A: There are friends who I like very much in Hong Kong. We share the music we appreciate with each other, inspire and create together. My friends also have a lot to learn from. There are many young people in Hong Kong making music now – a lot of trap and hip hop. There are also many different producers, some of which I like very much, such as DJ Magic Ramen, who males very cute girly future funk music.
Q: I saw this sentence in Press Release “Her sound trades in the commercial slickness that the city thrives on, but doesn’t shy away from confronting the darker side. ” What does this so-called “darker side” mean? Can you tell us more specifically?
A: Darker side should mean inner darkness. For example, a line in “Ring Ring Ring Aishiteru”, “I’m ready to die for you” expresses the ultimate response to people and desires. In fact, many of my songs express my inner darkness.
Q: What does it mean to you to make music? Apart from music, do you have other forms of artistic creation? For example, is your MV made by yourself?
A: Music is like a fantasy world created by myself. Anything can happen here – there is no right or wrong – it’s a world where you can commit crimes. Music can help me escape from reality. The MV was conceived by the director and me together, and the post-production was all with the help of friends.
Q: What is your daily life like? Is it really the same as what we see on your IG posts? What do you think is the relationship between yourself and reality? Do you like the real world?
A: My life in the past was very good, but recently it’s been sucking. I’m like a super lazy bug. I haven’t worked for a year. I spend my whole day at home and make some music sometimes. Except for the glamorous appearance, I am just a piece of rotten meat. Frankly speaking, now I am really bored and annoyed by the reality. I wake up every day and find that I still have a heartbeat and I really want to die.
Q: In the past year, Hong Kong has experienced relatively large social turmoil. I wonder if your creation, life, and future career will be affected? Do you still have confidence in the city of Hong Kong?
A: Of course it has a huge impact. Bars and entertainment venues cannot be opened, so it is difficult to party and it’s terribly boring. There are almost no concerts. So the EP was released during this time.
Q: How did you get online with Eastern Margins? What qualities do you think attracted Eastern Margins? Conversely, what about the Eastern Margins label attracted you the most?
A: The reason for contacting Eastern Margins is that I saw that they shared Hentai Baby in the early days. Originally, I came up with Hentai Baby Remix, so I contacted them, but they said it’s better to directly come up with a personal EP. Magic Legacy is the second release of Eastern Margins. I think my sweet style is in contrast with their first album “III”.
Learn more about QQBBG, follow her on soundcloud and Instagram
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