We here at Midwest Action love music, and while our scope might seem limited to the Midwest (I mean, it’s in the name) we can’t help but keep our eyes and ears open to what’s happening around the world. That’s where The World Underground comes in.
The hour long internet TV show brings viewers documentary footage from all around the world with the focus on underground music.
In 2013, I ran a fundraiser for a new documentary series. Drop into foreign territory, capture a moment in time in underground music scenes around the world, release it online, archive everything, connect the global community. It worked.
With Episode 1 premiering soon, The passion project of Wisconsin native turned Chicagoan, John Yingling, is shaping up to be one of the best places on the web to get a glimpse into the world’s best music scenes. Episode 1 of this on-going series focuses on China, and its massive music scene that ranges from shoegaze to punk and everything in between. Check out the official trailer below.
Now a year later, John has been invited back to Asia with the help of AWEH.tv, a South Korea based online music, art, fashion, & culture site that is dedicated to sharing creative work from all over the world. This time around he’ll be touring alongside Beijing one-man-bands GUIGUISUISUI and Noise Arcade as they tour China, South Korea and Japan. But he won’t just be documenting the bands on tour, he’ll be documentary DIY culture all across Southeast Asia.
The best part, is that you can have a role in the project. In order to cover the costs of bringing John to Asia all the way from the U.S, and to prevent him from starving on the road, AWEH is running a fundraiser on Indiegogo. You can check it out here:
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/aweh-x-the-world-underground-east-asia-tour-documentary
In case the sheer satisfaction of supporting an ambitious and culturally relevant documentary project wasn’t enough for you, there are some amazing perks that come along with your donation to the project. John will collect vinyl, CDs, zines, tapes, and more from the road and send it your way in exchange for your support. These will all come from the bands themselves and the more you give, the more you get. Pick a Record Pack that is right for you or just give what you can, even a dollar goes a long way.
Don’t wait too long though, the fundraiser ends on June 22nd, that’s less than one week left! Give now, and expect some amazing music in return. On top of that, you’ll be supporting an amazing documentary filmmaker with an incredible talent for capturing amazing musical moments. If you’re a music lover, it’s a no-brainer.
The World Underground Official | Facebook | Indiegogo
AWEHtv Official | Facebook | Twitter