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Shibuya246: Japanese Ramen: Nothing like a good bowl of hot ramen in the middle of a winter matsuri. Lots of con... http://twurl.nl/ch4exy

Win a ticket to see this guy!

That's right, not only did you already learn about the chance to win a ticket to Free The Wax earlier today, now you can also be one of two readers that gets to go to Le Castlevania, playing at Not Me, for the nice price of 0 RMB. Who is Le Castlevania - only an amazing indie-electro act who's played alongside Justice, MSTRKRFT and The Presets. Listen to his music here and we've even got a link to a free MP3. He's at the top of our playlists.

And if you think you want him to be at the top of yours, all you have to do is email "I Love Le Castlevania" to contest.giveaway (@) shanghaiist (.) com. The first two readers to email us there will get the tickets, which will be held for you at the door. Only one ticket per email though, guys - otherwise it'd be pretty unfair, eh?

The rest of our music picks below! For other non-music related things to do this week, check out our Pencil This In (out every Monday!)

WEDNESDAY

Take this uncrowded Wednesday as a chance to check out The Shelter's Swap Meet, a weekly night devoted to chill. Enjoy cheap drinks and sets by fave local DJs, art installations, and video games on the club projector. Get your Street Fighter on.

9 PM- 3 AM. The Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Lu (永福路5号 近复兴路)

THURSDAY

On the Thursday night before the DJ Vadim show at the Shelter (Friday, 12th March), FREE the WAX and Source will hold a free workshop and performance. This is a rare opportunity for fans to get an up-close and personal experience with one of the hardest working DJs on the planet. The Source will be supplying free Absolute vodka and signed posters will be given away throughout the workshop. Find out more about the DJs in our interview with them.

7PM - 9PM, Source, 158 Xinle Lu near Donghu Lu, 新乐路158号

FRIDAY

So while there is no JUE Festival opening celebration here in Shanghai (the only one they're having on Thursday is in Beijing... booooo), there will be an awesome live act. Hanggai, the Mongolian four-piece throat singing rock band will be doing their thing at Yu Yin Tang. You can party there like IT is the start of JUE. 50RMB cover.

9PM, Yuyintang, 1731 Yan'an Xi Lu (entrance on Kaixuan Lu), 延安西路1731号 (入口在凯旋路)

Liked the workshop? Now attend the live act. DJ VADIM stands as THE skillful master of mood shifting, riding universal sounds throughout the world like a bad-ass pioneer on a mission. Partner in love & crime, YARAH BRAVO, on the other hand, is nothing but the goddess of streetwise defiant intelligence ripping MCs, soundsystems and soulful hipsters’ hearts apart in between every gorgeous breath she takes. Both will be playing at Shelter on Friday. 50RMB cover.

9PM, The Shelter, 5 Yongfu Lu near Fuxing Xi Lu, 永福路5号

Local King 三 heads to Mao Livehouse again. Come to check out some of Shanghai's best indie bands. Featuring Candy Shop, Pinkberry, Sonnet, Boys Climbing Ropes and Bomb Shelter. Free entry and some sort of free whiskey deal too.

9PM, Mao Livehouse, 570 Huaihai Lu Near Hong Qiao Lu 淮海西路570号32幢

Atlanta-based Le Castle Vania, commonly known as Dylan Eiland, quickly escaped the local trappings of his hometown in Georgia to play music around the world. Since the summer of 2006, Le Castle Vania has toured nonstop, taking his catchy electro dance beats on the road, DJing with the likes of Justice, MSTRKRFT, Justice, Busy P, Uffie & Feadz, Kavinski, Soulwax, The Presets, Steve Aoki and Crystal Castles. Supporting Le Castlevania will be R3, Adept, Mr Clumsy + friends. Tickets are 60RMB at the door.

10PM, Not Me, 21 Dong Ping Lu near Hengshan Lu, 东平路21号近衡山路

Jehosaphat Blow & The Blah Blah Blahs play trash rockin' garage/punk to make you shake your hips, along with a bunch of Chinese university student bands: Heise Xiuzhi, September, and PANK. OH YA! OH YA! Cover is 30RMB.

9PM, Live Bar, 721 Kunming Lu @ Tongbei Lu, Yangpu District

SATURDAY

Hell United is a heavy metal exchange between bands in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. After the last year of touring tirelessly, they are back here to rock out at Mao Livehouse. Featuring Chaos Mind, Six Shot, 十月摩羯，红色蔓延. Support by Forget and Forgive. 40RMB cover

8:30PM, Mao Livehouse, 570 Huaihai Lu Near Hong Qiao Lu 淮海西路570号32幢

St. Vincent aka Annie Clark will be delivering her hauntingly weird music to audiences at Yuyintang for the second day of the JUE Festival. She's kind of an indie darling back in America, so you really ought to catch her while she's here. 120RMB at the door.

9PM, Yuyintang, 1731 Yan'an Xi Lu (entrance on Kaixuan Lu), 延安西路1731号 (入口在凯旋路)

SATURDAY

The Backstreet Boys are... back? Surprising the entire music listening world by staying together all these years, they're now on their world tour. And you can check them out in Shanghai at the Shanghai International Gymnastic Center. Tickets are RMB480-RMB1600 and can be bought here.

7:30PM, Shanghai International Gymnastic Center, 777 Wuyi Lu, Zhongshan Park near Zunyi Lu, 武夷路777号近遵义路

Akihabara News: Pioneer new 4 Channel Mixer DJM-2000 will rock your world: Let’s says that you are a professio... http://twurl.nl/drvelz

Follow the basketball wonder LeBron James and the St. Vincent-St. Mary High School basketball team as they rise to (the) stars in More Than a Game, the documentary that has now reached Shanghai movie theaters.

It's a classic success story with a "larger-than-life" theme and a soundtrack fueled with megastar hip hop and RnB. With such a recipe, could anything possibly go wrong? The maker of the film, Kristopher Belman, was a newbie in film making who, according to a BDL-interview, "barely knew how to use a camera" when he took on the project. He had enrolled in an "Introduction to Documentary" film class, and the assignment was to make a 10-minute short film.

Belman decided to devote his 10 minutes to this "amazing group of basketball players" at St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School that he had heard about. What especially caught his attention was that some of them had played together for five years already before entering high school, a fact that made him realize that "there was serious potential for some amazing off-the-court relationships." And so the 10-minute short film grew into 105 minutes, and is now reaching out to cinemas around the world.

The film plot goes like this:

They may be the best high school basketball team ever. From humble beginnings, future NBA superstar LeBron James, along with boyhood friends Dru Joyce, Sian Cotton and Willie McGee, began a journey that would take them from local fame to national acclaim. Joined by Romeo Travis in high school, the five fused their talents and, with the help of a dedicated coach, rewrote Ohio basketball history. Now, experience their trials, tribulations and triumphs in this inspirational film about five young men who became more than a team.

Yes, they became the"Fab Five". Sure, most of us know that this is an epithet used by many celebs and wonders throughout history, everything from Broadway musicals, Disney characters, band members and sports idols - there are even several "Fab Fives" within basket ball already - but what the heck, why not reuse something that sounds epic.

Music-wise, the film features the single Stronger by Mary J. Blige, which she released in support of the film. On the soundtrack you can also hear Jay Z, Soulja Boy, Chris Brown, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Toni Braxton, JoJo, Jordin Sparks, Ya Boy, Omarion, and Faith Evans. La crème de la crème, that is. To add on to the epic effect, More Than a Game also features some rare home videos from way back when the five ballers were pre-teens.

So how is this movie really? Well, all we can do is give some different voices from the net, and then leave it up to you to decide on your own. Some netizens are...somewhat cynical:

Some documentaries tell stories that are so suspenseful and crowd-pleasing that one would swear they were written by Hollywood screenwriters. The extraordinary series of events chronicled in "More Than a Game" has a trajectory and formula straight out of a classic "rags to riches" sports picture. Let´s hope Sandra Bullock doesn´t star in the remake.

While others are a bit more excited:

What a stroke of luck to undertake a basketball documentary about a grade school team that includes the undiscovered future NBA star LeBron James! Using film and game video footage interspersed with computer effect enhanced photographs, excellent editing and well-mixed music we get a compelling revealed story about four boys turning into men under increasingly intense public scrutiny.

Then there are those who are somewhere in between, like in this lengthy review.

Crowd pleasing or not, compelling or not, whatever description serves your liking, More Than a Game might still be interesting and educating as a document of sports history. See for yourself - here's where you can catch the movie in Shanghai.

Check out what other movies are showing in Shanghai this coming week. Links lead to info about times and venues.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE MOVIES

• Secret Garden: Vienna Café screening this coming Thursday. Helmed by Polish director Agnieszka Holland, this BAFTA-nominated family drama is based on Frances Hodgson Burnett’s 1909 novel of the same name. Check out British actress Kate Maberly’s outstanding performance as a young girl who was born and raised in India but has to start her life anew in Britain after her parents die in an earthquake. In English with Chinese subtitles. RSVP required. Free. 7:30pm.
• Sherlock Holmes (大侦探福尔摩斯): Sherlock Holmes, the creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who first appeared in publication in 1887 has made it to movie theatres in many different versions. This time under the direction of Guy Ritchie and starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England.
• Avatar: (阿凡达): James Cameron is back with this super expensive sci-fi thriller in 3D. Follow ex-marine Jack (Sam Worthington) as he explores planet Pandora as an avatar; a human mind in an alien body. On this paradise-like planet, he faces hostilities from exotic life forms and falls in love with a female alien. This movie used ground-breaking techniques and is being shown in 3-D. In English or Chinese depending on the cinema.
• Alvin and the Chipmunks (鼠来宝：明星俱乐部): The Squeakquel: Three sensational and oh-so-cute chipmunks Alvin, Simon and Theodore are returning to the silver screen. They end up living with owner Dave’s nephew Toby and meet their equally talented female counterparts, the Chipettes. In English or Chinese depending on the cinema.

CHINESE LANGUAGE MOVIES

• Turning Point 1977 (高考1977): Set at the close of the Cultural Revolution, Turning Point 1977 tells the story of a group of young idealists battling for the right to return home and restart their lives after years of toil on a state run re-education farm in China.
• Season of Good Rain (好雨时节): This is director Heo Jin-ho's most recent romantic movie after "Christmas in August", "One Fine Spring Day", "April Snow" and "Happiness". A traveling architect meets an old friend from his student years; the pair realize their connection has always been a romantic one. The film is in English, Mandarin and Korean.
• Storm Rider - Clash of the Evils (風雲決): This animated feature film directed by Dante Lam is based on the Wuxia Chinese comic series Fung Wan by Ma Wing Shing. The film is a spinoff of the original story and the two protagonists Wind and Cloud. The residents of Sword-Worshipping Manor, which houses the best sword-smiths in the world, are brutally massacred after they are alleged to be plotting a rebellion against the government. The young master of the manor, Ngou Kuet, is the only survivor. Ngou Kuet vows to finish forging the "Kuet" Sword, a task passed down by generations of his family which has yet to be completed. Ngou Kuet attacks Tin Ha Wui and battles with Wind and Cloud to obtain the blood of the Fire Kirin which can unleash the power of the sword. As the blood of the Fire Kirin runs in Wind's veins, he becomes Ngou Kuet's primary target.
• 72 Tenants of Prosperity (七十二家租客): A "throw-in-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink-oh-what-the-heck-throw-that-in-too comedy". The story is a love triangle - two men in love with the same girl. One wins, the other loses, and they become enemies. But something larger happens that forces the men to form an uneasy alliance, along with their 70 fellow shopkeepers on the street: An evil landlord is set to raise the rent on the 72 tenants, threatening their economic survival.The film is a Lunar New Year's comedy, a movie genre that is often unabashedly silly with a childlike playfulness, with the simple mission to instill 90 minutes of happiness. "72 Tenants of Prosperity" certainly aims for that, but producer-director-star Eric Tsang has something more on his mind. His inspiration is the 1973 classic "The House of 72 Tenants," a film that broke Hong Kong box-office records set by Bruce Lee and became something of a cultural phenomenon. Tsang opens his film with the same style of credits, the same opening gag, and a spot-on re-creation of 1970s Hong Kong filming style.
• Little Big Soldier (大兵小将): Little Big Soldier is a 2010 Chinese action-adventure/comedy film directed by Ding Sheng and produced and written by Jackie Chan, also starring Chan and Leehom Wang. An old soldier kidnaps a young general of an enemy state and takes him on a long journey to collect the reward.
• True Legend (苏乞儿): Set at the turn of 19th and 20th century, the story of begins with Su Can, a wealthy man who loses all his fortune and reputation as a result of a conspiracy against him. After being forced out onto the streets, he dedicates his life to martial arts and reemerges as a patriotic hero as he challenges foreign fighters at a boxing ring. The story is loosely based on the life of Su Can, nicknamed Su Qi Er (Su the Bagger), who developed his own fighting style, known as "drunken fist". This is Yuen Wo-Ping's first directorial work since 1996 and may also give a major boost to the career of 37 year old China's born martial-art star Zhao Wenzhuo.
• Hot Summer Days ( 全城热恋): "Hot Summer Days" unites a galaxy of stars in China's show business, including Jacky Cheung, Rene Liu, Nocholas Tse, Barbie Hsu, Daniel Wu and Vivian Hsu. The romance is slated for release across China in February the 11th. The film consists of six intertwining love stories, all set in a stifling and sultry summer. As Valentine's Day this year falls on the first day of Chinese lunar new year, the release date for "Hot Summer Days", February 11th, was chosen to coincide with the big occasion, aiming for a lion's share of the movie market.
• All's Well Ends Well 2010 (花田喜事): Director Raymond Wong heads up another all-star Lunar New Year comedy. "All's Well Ends Well 2010" stars Louis Koo, Sandra Ng, Raymond Wong, Ronald Cheng, Lam Tze-Chung, and "Ip Man" co-star Lynn Xiong. Plot: Princess Pearl of Flowerland is sent to Midland at a young age to learn her ceremonials duties. Her mother, the Queen Mother misses her daughter very much that the King orders his sister, the princess, to return home. However, the princess has fallen in love with Gerenal Wing of the Midland army and is reluctant to part from him. As their boat approaches the Flowerland border, Pearl & Wing save the life of a girl named Ying, who seeks to throw herself into sea after running away from an arranged marriage. Pearl, Wing and Ying are attacked by pirates and Pearl falls overboard in the ensuing chaos. On arrival in Flowerland, the King mistakes Ying for his sister, while Pearl is saved by Ying's father, Million.
• Fortune King is Coming To Town (财神到): This Chinese New Year celebration comedy tells a story that is very similar to "Santa Clause is coming to Town". Fortune King is a Chinese god who comes down from heaven to the earth to give money to people, similar to what Santa does for children. In this flick The God of Fortune is rushing to Earth, and a congregation of people must first finish a hilarious joke of a financial task before he comes. Lead Actor Tan Yonglin says the Fortune King only help people who watch out. "Our film is more than fun. If you don´t work hard, Fortune King will know and refuse to help you. The movie also tells us to open our heart and love others."
• 14 Blades (锦衣卫): Daniel Lee´s martial arts epic stars certified Kung Fu badass Donnie Yen in the role of Qinglong, or Green Dragon. He is the best of the so called Jinyiwei, an imperial elite force of assassins recruited from street orphans. Jinyiwei were masters of the 14 Blades, eight being for torture, five for killing, and the last blade being reserved for suicide when a mission failed. When the emperor is kidnapped and the court taken over, Qinglong takes on the mission of restoring the emperor to power. Also starring Vicki Zhao and Chun Wu.
• Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf (喜羊羊与灰太狼之虎虎生威): This movie is from the same title Chinese Animated Television series which tell stories of bouts between Family Sheep and descendants of wolf on the grassland. This time, the story happens in the world of snail. There is a serious bale coming to snails. The biological warfare happens between two of bacterial kingdoms, "Black Null" and "White Null", who exist on antennae of snails. The White Null Kingdom recruits all military force around the country to perish the black-hearted Black Null Kingdom. Sheep Xiyangyang sides with White Null Kingdom, and Wolf Huitailang is siding for the opposite.
• McDull Kung Fu (麦兜响当当): In animated feature "McDull Kung Fu Kindergarten," Hong Kong's most iconic cartoon porker goes to learn martial arts at Wudang, birthplace of Taichi, to prove that pigs can fly-kick at a national championship.
• Royal Tattoo (Huang Jia Ci Qing, 皇家刺青): The film is a costume kung fu comedy with a mix of a Chinese version of Prison Break. It´s a humorous reinterpretation of a classic plot about a Qing Dynasty royal secret treasure and tattoo treasure map.
• The Story of Hong Mao Lan Tu Huo Feng Huang (虹猫蓝兔火凤凰): The cartoon has a fan base of millions because of its TV version and tells of the adventures of a blue rabbit and a red cat.
• Jing Tian Dong Di (惊天动地): Local directors Wang Jia and Shen Dong´s latest disaster flick was shot in the earthquake-stricken areas of Sichuan, "Jing Tian Dong Di" recalls the quake by following one of the PLA´s rescue troupes in this fictional retelling. The cast of well-known actors includes Li Youbin, You Yong and Hou Yong. Mandarin only.
• Da You Cun Bright Future (大有前途): Da You Cun Bright Future, directed by Deng Zhiheng, may be the best comedy of this movie-packed season. Focusing on a group of people living in Da You Cun, a poor village, the movie tells the story of making dreams come true. The head of the village, Li Biao, who wants to improve people's lives, comes across a Taiwan hotshot who promises to invest in the real estate market. Unfortunately, all the money is lost and the village becomes even poorer. But the simple but optimistic villagers decide to build back their lives. After a series of battles with city folk, they eventually build a movie base in the village. Da You Cun Bright Future is a good choice for those who just want to kick up their feet and have a good laugh.

OTHER LANGUAGE MOVIES

• We Are From the Future / Back in Time (古墓迷途): This russian flick from 2008 takes place in sunny, groovy present day St.Petersburg and during the fierce defence of the city in 1942. Four friends, a student, a skinhead, a geeky gamer and a rapper make their cash looking for Nazi relics from WWII. Motivated by greed they are hip, cynical and have no respect for the past. During a dig they stumble upon a bombed out bunker full of valuable treasures but also something strange. Among the documents belonging to a Red Army officer they find a photograph of themselves. Trying to come to their senses they dive into a nearby lake and surface… to a spray of gunfire in 1942.
• Sinking of Japan (日本沉没): "Nihon Chinbotsu" as the film is called in Japanese, is a 2006 tokusatsu film (action movie based on superheroes and special effects) directed by Shinji Higuchi, and a remake of the 1973 screenplay based on a 1973 novel by Sakyo Komatsu. Japan will sink down to the deep sea. The governments only hope is evacuate all Japanese to some other countries. The film stars Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Kou Shibasaki, Etsushi Toyokawa, and Mao Daichi, and was released on April 15, 2006. It was parodied in Nihon Igai Zenbu Chinbotsu ("Everyone but Japan Sinks").
• The Host (汉江怪物): The film, which also goes under the name of "Gwoemul" (meaning "Monster") is a 2006 South Korean monster film, which also contains elements of comedy and drama films. A monster emerges from Seoul's Han River and focuses its attention on attacking people. The film was directed by Bong Joon-ho, who co-wrote the screenplay, along with Baek Chul-hyun. Starring in the film as members of an unremarkable family thrust into the middle of extraordinary events were Song Kang-ho, Byeon Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona and Ko Ah-seong. A combination of blockbuster plot and political commentary, the film also deals with the implications of America's military presence in Korea.
• La habitación de Fermat / Fermat´s Room (极限空间): Fermat's Room is a 2007 Spanish thriller film directed by Luis Piedrahita and Rodrigo Sopeña. Three mathematicians and one inventor are invited to a house under the premise of solving a great enigma, and told to use pseudonyms based on famous historical mathematicians. At the house, they are trapped in a room. They must solve puzzles given by the host, who calls himself "Fermat," in order to escape the slowly closing walls of the room.Four mathematicians who do not know each other are invited by a mysterious host on the pretext of resolving a great enigma...
• 7th Grade Civil Servant / My Girlfriend is an Agent (特工强档): This slick and tense thriller with comedic elements from South Korean director Shin Tae-ra concerns an aggressive unit of the Russian mafia, detached to infiltrate Korea and filch a cutting-edge chemical weapon. The Korean government issues two secret agents to stop the Russians - both masked by undercover identities: Ahn Soo-ji (Kim Ha-neul), a tough-as-nails female martial arts pro who continues to draw the envy of all of her colleagues, and her male counterpart, klutzy and inept rookie Lee Jae-joon (Kang ji-Hwan), whose unfortunate presence leads to a series of outrageous blunders. Complicating matters, it seems, is the fact that the couple (polar opposites, who hate each other passionately), were once romantically involved.
• Ne te retourne pas / Don´t Look Back (不要回头): A 2009 psychodrama about a photographer whose pictures tell a different story to that of her perception. Directed by Marina de Van and starring Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci. The film is in French and Italian.

Akihabara News: MSI proudly unveils X-Slim X360 notebook: MSI has proudly unveiled the latest addition to its X... http://twurl.nl/8se0zk

So visas might have been tough to get for the 60th anniversary and the Olympics, but officials swear that The Expo won't be the same. The Foreign MInistry has said that it already has "an established policy" for providing quick visas to Expo visitors. Unfortunately, he didn't specify what that "established policy" was or what kind of visas would be easy to get and they most probably aren't business visas - so all you English teachers are still kind of screwed. Sorry.

Yonasu: Masahiro Nakai has a Thing for Swedish Clothes: I never expected to see much Swedish stuff in Japan, so ... http://twurl.nl/r4l561

Japan Probe: Why is a 9/11 truther the head of the DPJ’s Research Committee on Foreign Affairs?: Video: Fujita a... http://twurl.nl/14v6ji

The Washington Post has run an editorial asking why the hell 9/11 truther Yukihisa Fujita is holding an influential position within Japan’s ruling party:

As chief of the DPJ’s international department and head of the Research Committee on Foreign Affairs in the upper house of Japan’s parliament, to which he was elected in 2007, he is a Brahmin in the foreign policy establishment of Washington’s most important East Asian ally. He also seems to think that America’s rendering of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, is a gigantic hoax.

Mr. Fujita’s ideas about the attack on the World Trade Center, which he shared with us in a recent interview, are too bizarre, half-baked and intellectually bogus to merit serious discussion. He questions whether it was really the work of terrorists; suggests that shadowy forces with advance knowledge of the plot played the stock market to profit from it; peddles the fantastic idea that eight of the 19 hijackers are alive and well; and hints that controlled demolition rather than fire or debris may be a more likely explanation for at least the collapse of the building at 7 World Trade Center, which was adjacent to the twin towers.

As with almost any calamity whose scale and scope assume historic proportions, the events of Sept. 11 have spawned a thriving subculture of conspiracy theorists at home and abroad. The only thing novel about Mr. Fujita is that a man so susceptible to the imaginings of the lunatic fringe happens to occupy a notable position in the governing apparatus of a nation that boasts the world’s second-largest economy.

The post rightly wonders why Prime Minister Hatoyama and the DPJ are tolerating Fujita’s views and even allowing him to hold a top foreign policy-related position.

[via JapanSoc]

Related Link: Mutantfrog had a post about Fujita’s 9/11 beliefs last year. Like the Washington Post, Adamu wonders why Hatoyama doesn’t speak out against Fujita. Could Hatoyama himself believe that 9/11 was an inside job?

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

According to various reports from both inside and outside of China, BYD maybe planning on building a factory in the sunshine state of California. BYD are reportedly deep in talks with the Californian government with regards to setting up BYD’s North American headquarters in California, which is famed for its progressive stance on new energy vehicles. An announcement on the location of the headquarters is likely to be announced within the next few months, and news on a production facility is likely to follow on from that announcement.

Americans got a taste of the future late last year when the BYD E6 was on show at the North American Auto Show in Detroit, whilst Europeans got their first look at the E6 at Geneva earlier this month with Euro sales commencing in 2011.

BYD is planning on becoming the worlds largest car company by 2025, and has an incredibly aggressive stance towards overseas expansion which has seen it grow from a tiny company in 2004 to a massive producer in 2009.

The BAW B40, one of Beijing Auto’s first self developed models under its realigned Beijing brand is set to launch at the Beijing Auto Show in April this year. The B40 is one of the first models developed from the range of concept vehicles that Beijing released at the Shanghai Auto Show several years ago, we will get our first glimpse of the beast at the Beijing Auto Show in April this year.

The B40 may look the business, but underneath is shiny exterior it might be lacking in the engine department. The B40 measures (LxWxH) 4200×1800x1750m and has a wheel base of around 2400mm, making it roughly the same size as the three door Jeep Wrangler that it resembles. Engine power for the B40 is apparently coming in the form of a 2.4L four cylinder producing 105Kw at 5000rpm, and 214Nm between 3000-5000rpm. Whilst this power is quite adequate for around town, it is likely to struggle offroad without a meaty six cylinder or a diesel block to keep it going. However, it would be wise to remember that BAW recently bought Saab engines, and these are likely to find a home in the B40 and other forthcoming BAW vehicles. BAW are also investing 10 billion RMB into a new plant to start work on these vehicles, and also some new Saab models.

City warms up quickly. Sunny to cloudy tomorrow with temperatures ranging from 0 to 13. Friday's maximum is 19. http://xpo.sh/ih

China's forex reserves total US$2.4 trln and attract global market attention with any sign of a portfolio shift. http://xpo.sh/ig

Akihabara News: Canon USA introduces high performance REALiS SX7 Mark II Projector: The REALiS SX7 Mark II is a... http://twurl.nl/gn3gww

The Haima M2 may look like a Mazda2 due to its previous tie up with Mazda, but it is in fact a lot larger. Now Haima are planning on launching a sports version which looks like it will give the car a little bit more of a boost in the sales department:

Engine power comes in the form of 1.3L and 1.5L engines, so it appears that the sports part only comes in form of the body kit at the moment. Expect to see this one at the Beijing Auto Show in April!

China’s vehicle sales climbed 46% from a year earlier to 1.21 million units. http://xpo.sh/if

Digital World Tokyo: UQ and NEC to add 50% more WiMax base stations across Japan by end of March: Tokyo, March 1... http://twurl.nl/0rzntw

FREE the WAX is back in town for a gig. This time they are bringing DJ Vadim and MC Yarah Bravo (Ninja Tune/BBE) to China for the second time running. If you had missed their explosive show last year, you know what to do this time.

Tomorrow night, DJ Vadim and MC Yarah Bravo will also hold a FREE workshop and performance at Source, with an open dialogue session that will let fans understand more about their music-making process. Source will be supplying FREE Absolut Vodka and signed posters will be given out at the workshop.

We talked to them about their plans, their history and everything else... AND we're giving you a chance to win a free ticket to their show. Read on for more information!

When did you guys meet? Was it big-bang-pow-wow stars and explosions right from the start or did it take a while for you guys to decide that just music wasn't enough?

VADIM: Well for me it was fireworks and explosions from the first point we met. Music came later.

YARAH: There was definitely a special connection straight away. One that I've never had with another person...ever! We were extremely drawn to each other, and everything about each other was just so fresh... we built a bubble around us, which then became a musical bubble, and the bubble is still here... bubbling away!

You live in England, the country of fish n' chips. However, you guys have a very multicultural background (Russia, England, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Sweden, The States). Who wins on a kitchen fight over what dishes to make? What dishes you guys can't live without and why?

VADIM: Hahahah. Great question. We both love food and going to great restaurants. That's actually one of my few vices, going to high-end restaurants. We both love cooking and I would say 9/10 times we cook as good if not better than most restaurants we go to on tour etc... I love food from all over the world. In fact in most cultures there is something that I like that's why my preferred style of cooking and restaurants we go to we would call modern European or modern fusion, basically a plethora of different stuff from everywhere - not in one dish but hints of different things so we could have a fish prepared in a Cajun way with some mango salsa or almond-encrusted fish with some Thai spices or spinach pie or... I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

YARAH: Well we just love flavors and also to cook for each other. For example if I'm all stressed out, Vadim will cook me a nice dinner, he did it last night actually... and brought it to me so I could eat it while working, and he was also working so I sent him a message and told him... this was better than any restaurant we've been to... you are by far the best chef i know!! :-) He cooked me a perfect tuna steak served on a bed of grilled asparagus, a rocket salad with roasted pine nuts, and poached pears... like blaaaow!! Hahaha and the presentation? Fantastic! I always joke with him I want him to go on those food programs on TV and whoop everyone's asses!!

How do you think each of you have influenced each other over the years?

VADIM: Well for me, Yarah influenced so many things consciously or subconsciously - my style of dress. I think so much more about that than before, matching colors and photo shoots. Also about communicating with people, I have learned to be more patient, reflective. I got into Latin music because of Yarah, the whole South American thing. We discovered a lot of things together like cooking traveling, loving...

YARAH: i think we have almost blended into one person hahahaha... no but Vadim keeps me on my toes while I help him relax... so it's a good team.

What has changed since the last time you were in China?

VADIM: Well I started to talk on the mic! Released a new album - U Can't Lurn Imaginashun. Started a new group The Electric and recorded that album, remixed loads of people and been around the world five times!

YARAH: Well I moved to Berlin. Set fire to my flat on my birthday and then launched my solo show around Europe, The Good Girls Rarely Make History Show. It's me, a drummer, a DJ, a back up singer and flutist. All ladies!! And it's the first time I've done something this big, where I'm 100% in charge and creatively I can get all my ideas out. It's an exciting time for me!

Both of you wear so many hats it's nerve-wrecking just trying to keep up. Which do you think was the most unexpected turn your respective musical careers have taken so far and why?

VADIM: Well for me it was getting and surviving cancer. It was a very dark chapter in my life but one I wouldn't want to take away because I feel that post-cancer, I am a happier, more loving person.

YARAH: Vadim's cancer was by far the most challenging unexpected thing we've had to deal with, anything else that might have seemed big before fades in comparison. Hat-wise... I've always been a collector of hats... and I believe you can turn just an average-looking person into someone very interesting-looking with just the right hat... or wrong hat too for that matter. I can't believe people who say they are not "brave" enough to wear a hat... I mean what's the worst thing that can happen? It ain't gonna bite you! Who knows, you might get a look from a cute girl... or guy!

(To VADIM) It's been a long road since your debut. Helping put instrumental hip-hop on the map, producing more abstract tunes, finely-tuned hip hop, soul, Latin, down through an amazing (mainly) reggae record and quite a few more electronic influences on the latest U Cant Lurn Imaginashun. Having said that, what seems obvious is that you make increasingly more accessible (i.e. pop), quality music. If so, is there a conscious effort in your part to make quality pop?

VADIM: I suppose I listen to music quite differently that I did 15 years ago. Now I think alot about choruses, the song in general. Not that I'm trying to be 'pop', just that I'm trying to think of the complete song - the hook, the verse, the music, the bridge. I spend much time listening to the Beatles, Michael Jackson, etc. studying their sound and what made them work in a sense. I think every artist wants to make something that is appreciated and stands the test of time. I don't want to just make some beats that sound like everybody else. I don't want to be somebody else's shadow. I want to create my own shadow that inspires people to create, innovate and take things to a higher level.

(To VADIM) Do you think an artist's output generally gets diluted when they make that transition from more "underground" styles to music that can be potentially mass-marketed and consumed?

VADIM: Well it's hard to say. In general I would concur that to be in the 'pop charts' as a 'pop charts' band, you will have to compromise your sound but saying that, there are many groups who have reached the pop charts who haven't compromised - The Roots, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Angie Stone, Mary J Blige... Fat Freddy's Drop from New Zealand sold a shitload of records, making a very uncompromising reggae soul album that touched millions all over the world. Ultimately music is either good or bad regardless if it's pop or underground. Some music in the charts is utter shit. Not because it's pop but because it's badly sung, cheesy, no content and just style, no chorus etc... it's there simply because it's so heavily marketed - like the recent Cheryl Cole song. It sold millions but it was crap.

(To YARAH) You sing in your song "Freedom Fighters" that your father was once executed, survived (!) and still has a bullet in his body to prove. How do you think it shaped your character as a child growing up in Sweden having such an atypical background?

YARAH: Well it took me about 10 years to write that song just because I felt I could never capture or give justice to how my parents' story truly effected me. I know I am extremely lucky to be alive, and to grow up in a society where I felt safe. Both my parents had to spend time in jail because of their political beliefs, thanks to Amnesty International they are both alive today, and therefore I am alive too. When there is a coup in your country, change of government, severe oppression of the middle and especially the lower class, you're trapped, you have no way out, you have no choice but to fight and try to stand up for your people, my parents survived... but many others "disappeared". I meet youths at concerts around the world... who share a similar story - their parents were also exiled, they also grew up in a foreign country, some lost a lot of family members... my story is not unique, which is what makes it so scary!!

(To YARAH) As a role model of female emancipation, what is your opinion regarding the state of hip hop music today? Any female figures influenced your attitude specifically in that sense?

YARAH: When I was growing up, I looked up to MC Lyte and Lauryn Hill. It only takes one girl to inspire many. One of the most beautiful things for me as an artist is when girls, especially younger girls, tell me I inspired them to start rapping or make music. What more can I ask for? That's a planted seed for a future generation right there... and I ain't even old hahahah. I think too many women in hip hop either act like dudes or complete sluts. How about just being human? This music is for everybody. I'm very confident in my femininity and I don't feel intimidated by other men in the business. I know what I bring to the table is unique.

Top on your to-do list in Shanghai this time round? VADIM: Eat duck and drink tea! YARAH: Try some exciting food!!

What's on the cards next? VADIM: More shows, new album - The Electric and a holiday in Malaysia!!! YARAH: CHINA!! Then we head off to a well-deserved holiday in Malaysia!!!

Please complete the sentence: "Ten years from now, we will most likely be ..." VADIM: Living in Bahia, Brazil! YARAH: In Brazil, on a beach, surrounded by kids and drums...

Courtesy of FREE the WAX, Shanghaiist is giving away a pair of tickets to the show on Friday. It's dead simple. Name us one song from DJ Vadim's most recent album U Can't Lurn Imaginashun. The first person to drop us an email at contest.giveaway (@) shanghaiist (dot) com with the correct answer, along with full name and contact number, wins! Good luck!

Suzuki’s WagonR has been a fairly good seller for its makers Changhe-Suzuki over the past few years, however stiffening competition from other super mini’s has pushed the WagonR to the back burner sales wise. Changhe Suzuki are hoping that the below facelift version, now named the WagonR E+ will give the boxy vehicle an added sales boost:

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