According to traditional East Asian calendars, May 5 was the beginning of Lixia (立夏), or the official start of summer. Shanghai-based artists Akin and ChaCha come fully prepared, presenting the perfect banger with which to christen the season in “Summer Love Aria”:This video’s got it all: video slot machines, fancy bottles of cognac, a hairless cat, mad snacks, RADII’s managing editor making a cameo at the 1:58 mark….In a recent interview with us, ChaCha talked about this collaboration with Akin, one of several high-profile projects she’s been working on in the last few months:Akin is a brilliant singer and songwriter… I do feel there is something connecting us — we know what we want immediately, so we make music really quickly, and he cares about the details and quality. It was such a fun and smooth experience to make music with him. Once we start we can’t stop, so we are continuing to make new music together — you will hear more after this single.Read more about what ChaCha has up her sleeve here:Yin: Shanghai Singer and Producer ChaCha’s Bold Reinvention—Cover photo: Behind the scenes shot by RADII’s Jake Newby.You might also like:Voices from Inside Shanghai’s DIY Music Scene6 Young(ish) Producers and DJs in China Worth Checking
