Ear Up Incubation offers Hong Kong independent musicians industry mentoring

Since launching in 2016 via the Renaissance Foundation Hong Kong, Ear Up Music has made it a mission to embrace the growth of independent music in the city, with the hopes of ousting Cantopop as Hong Kong’s dominant music genre.

Only recently launched as a fresh initiative this year, Ear Up Incubation takes a step further by offering prospective talent the opportunity of mentorship from local industry leaders, with performance based workshops and internationally-based seminars for young musicians to increase their skills as well as opportunities. Up to eighteen groups of musicians have gotten involved, covering a range of alternative, rock and electronic music — two notable outfits that we took a liking to are Polypumpkins, a synthesiser-addicted duo, and TAOTAO, a singer-songwriter who craftily broods the line of r’n’b and electronic-pop.

Hong Kong is often overshadowed as an incubator or hub for creativity, where official support for creative sectors like music is often lacking. However, the Hong Kong SAR Government has recently backed up Ear Up Music, a music platform with a record label structure, through it’s CreateHK incentive that was established to nurture start-ups and creative talent.

Ear Up Incubation rounds up its campaign in January 2021 with a live show of the finalists, with four awards up for grabs including the Ear Up Grand Prize.

For more information about Ear Up Music, click here, and you can also immerse yourself in their live stream events held at local art spaces around Hong Kong here.