Throughthe1980s,thevastmajorityofpeopleinChinahadneverheardwesternmusic,saveforJohnDenver,theCarpenters,andafewotherartistsincludedonthehand-pickedlistofsongssanctionedbytheCommunistParty.Butinthelate90s,amysteriousmannamedProfessorYemadeadiscoveryataplasticrecyclingcenterinHeping.Inepisode1ofMixtape,wetalktoChinesehistorians,musiccritics,andthemusicianswhotookthedamagedplasticscrapsofwesternmusic,changedthe musicallandscapeofChina,andreimaginedrockandrollinwayswenevercould’veimagined.

Mixtapeisreported,produced,scoredandsounddesignedbySimonAdlerwithoriginalmusicthroughoutbySimon.InvaluablereportingandproductionassistancewasprovidedbyEliCohen. Additional reportingbyNorikoIshigaki,RebeccaKanthorandouramazinganonymousChinesereporter. 

Specialthanks to:PauldeGay,JulietteKristensen,RebeccaTuhus-Dubrow,NickLyons,MichaelBull,JiroIshikawa,HayleyZhao,MeganSmalleyandDeanneTotto.

Thisepisodewouldnothavehappenedwithouteachandeveryoneofthem.

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