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Founded in the early 2000’s Torturing Nurse aka Junky Chaos (JunJun Cao) has been one of the most important one man noise projects to come out of China. He is likely responsible for the most notable events in the history of Noise music in China. Junky has hosted some of the most prominent acts in noise and has performed alongside artists such as the Incapacitants, K2, Government Alpha, Astro, Pain Jerk, The Gerogerigegege, GX Jupitter-Larsen, The New Blockaders, Rudolf Eb.er, Dave Phillips, The Rita, Vomir, and more. With around 500 recordings/releases and over 300 performances globally – Torturing Nurse is known for his janky sporadic movements and blue mask paired with distorted jabs of modulated and mangled harsh frequencies. Junky’s vocals, sometimes nuanced, other times jarring, can be just as dynamic and arrhythmic as his sounds. Matthew had developed a connection with Junky through collaboration that led to wanting to speak with him for Discipline Mag – and Dan, already being a fan and familiar, had previously drafted some questions.
Interview by:
Hi Junky, thanks for speaking with Discipline Mag. Recently, you said something that made me laugh, that outside noise you were “just a normal person” In your own words, how would you describe Torturing Nurse? *
Hello, I am very happy to be interviewed by Discipline Mag! I said that because (outside of noise) I simply just work to live, eat, drink, shit and stay healthy, then I can concentrate on making noise. Torturing Nurse is a pure noise/rough sound project that I created in 2004. It has become part of my life and it will continue to be until I die.
In 2019 you said you had a tour to Australia “80% in the works”. Obviously that was derailed by the events of 2020, but is this tour still something you would like to pursue? ^
In addition to the trip to Australia, a trip to Japan was also planned that year. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the whole world turned upside down. I myself experienced five painful years of struggle, especially the lockdown of Shanghai from April to June 2022. I will never forget this painful experience.
Starting from 2023, I have been working really hard to get myself back to normal and strive for more performance opportunities. I am also trying to save money so that I can perform in more places around the world.
You’ve recently been involved in opening a noise venue called Trigger in Shanghai where you frequent as a performer. Alessandra Zerbinat recently joined you for what would have appeared to have been an event worth witnessing. With all your ties to American Noise – could we expect a tour in North America? And Europe? *
Trigger is a small venue co-founded and run by me and three other noise-loving friends. We opened in October last year and currently hold one or two performances every weekend, focusing on noise, avant-garde art and sound performances.
Alessandra Zerbinati came from Italy. I learned about her through the Internet and was shocked by her performance, so I tried to send her a message to invite her to come. As a result, she also brought another great Italian performance artist, Gyula Noesis. They performed for two consecutive days at Trigger. I dare say that they are my favorite and most shocking performance from Trigger so far, no doubt about it!
Of course I want to perform all over the world, though with noise is only a small audience, and without funding from arts organizations or the government, there are few opportunities, so as I said before, I will work hard to save money and perform anywhere when the time and opportunity arises.
Shanghai is well-known as the financial capital of China, as well as the most international city. But what is the appetite for your music there? ^
There are 23 million people living here, and there are probably thousands of bands here, but the percentage of those who like noise is very small, and even fewer who are still active.
You have a huge back catalog of music, as documented in this Google Document. With so many releases, which releases would you recommend for people looking to get into your music? What’s an upcoming release of yours are you looking forward to? ^
For me, I like performances and physical recordings. Whether it is solo, split or collaboration, each publication is my hard work. I can’t say which one is more recommended. I like them all.
There are three products that I am looking forward to publishing in the future. One is the 3xCD compilation of Chinese Noise/Industrial, which is planned to be published by L.White Records in Germany: ‘V.A. – Eternal – A Chinese Noise and Industrial Music Compilation’. The other will be published by Japanese label Advaita Records at the end of this year, MITH-XX and Torturing Nurse collaboration cassette. And finally, Torturing Nurse’s 20th anniversary live recording will be released on April 25th this year. It will be published by a Chinese label, SKS Publishing, in 3” CD format. These are more of my most memorable recordings.
VIEW TORTURING NURSE FEATURED ON THE LOCAL, LIVE AND UNDERGROUND 2020 LIST
Unusually for a Chinese artist, you use a lot of Western social media to share Torturing Nurse updates (Instagram, Facebook, X). These are banned in China (but accessible via VPN), so why do you choose them? Does this alienate your Chinese fans? ^
Because the social media you mentioned is used by the most noise musicians and fans internationally, through these platforms you can connect with this world, and you can also get to know the world better. I don’t think that because I’m based in China, I have to interact more with local fans, relatively speaking, I only use a few Chinese social media to promote myself.
You single handedly created a noise movement in China with the NOIShanghai collective. Can you describe what NOIShanghai is, who its participants are, and what you want to achieve with it? ^
NOIShanghai was founded in 2005 to organize noise/sound performances. At that time, it held irregular events once a month. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it had organized nearly 100 events before 2020. The original intention of the organization was to connect noise and avant-garde music performances through relatively frequent events. Fortunately, in October 2023, I established the Trigger venue with a few friends, so NOIShanghai basically ended its mission. We changed the frequency of performances from once a month to at least once a week.
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NOIShanghai and Japanoise are both portmanteaus that mix a location with ‘noise’. Is the Japanese noise scene of the 80s and 90s inspiration for you? ^
I first heard Japanese noise during the Internet explosion in 2000, and was inspired to start making noise myself. I love Japanese noise and American noise from the 80s and 90s, and now I also like Indonesian noise. These three countries may be the most developed noise countries in my mind. Some of biggest influences from Japan would include works by Hijokaidan, Incapacitants, Masonna, Killer Bug, The Gerogerigegege. In the US – Xome, Prurient (early era), Cock ESP, Controlled Bleeding.
SPEAKING OF INDONESIAN NOISE, CHECK OUT DISCIPLINE MAG’S FILM ON THE JOGJA NOISE BOMBING FEST 2020
槍打出頭鳥 (qiāng dǎ chū tóu niǎo) is a common Chinese idiom that approximately translates as “the bird who sticks his head out gets shot”. Basically, this means that poor outcomes come to those who do not conform. Chinese society is not always open-minded and I’m wondering how your friends, family and the general public receive and interpret your art? ^
I am indeed one of the first people in China to make harsh noise. Around 2002, I completely abandoned the performance format and content of traditional rock bands, and was completely against rhythm and melody. When I first started performing, many people were very disgusted. After 20 years of performances, I may have some audience, but in the eyes of the general public, it is still very disgusting. It doesn’t matter to me. A week ago, a video clip of my performance at the You and Me Music Festival in Beijing was posted and had 2.1 million views in a week, countless insults, but these may be good things. It gives more opportunities for people who have never heard of noise to know that such extreme sounds exist.
If you didn’t do Torturing Nurse, what would you be doing instead? ^
Noise has become a very important part of my life, and it has become a conscious way of life.
Aside from Torturing Nurse, what do you do in your spare time? Do you have a career, family, any other hobbies? ^
I like sports, especially running and fitness. I also like watching movies. My favorite directors are Yasujiro Ozu, Shuji Terayama, Herzog, and Theodoros Angelopoulos. I have a job and a wife, but no kids. In my spare time, I also plan Trigger activities and go to Trigger to work every weekend.
There is a big disconnect between Western audiences and Chinese music. I like a Chinese war metal band called Cut, and I know of some indie bands, but I don’t know much else. What are some Chinese artists you recommend? ^
I think it may be because of the Great Firewall that many Chinese bands have the trouble of climbing over the firewall and lack the courage to promote themselves to the world. Therefore, the Chinese bands you know are very limited.
I don’t want to say that there are too many talented bands and musicians here, but due to the huge population base, China has a lot of bands, musicians, live venues, music festivals, organizers, and all kinds of styles. If I recommend, I will only recommend the units that I am familiar with: Yu Yiyi, Shu Ride, YAMAHAHA, Xu Cheng, Mei Zhiyong, etc.
As mentioned as a release I am looking forward to, I was invited by the German label L.White last year to plan a collection of 26 noise and industrial units in China, covering mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. I hope these 3CDs can be published as soon as possible to let the Western world know more about the noise and industrial music here.
What are the major tools in your equipment/workflow that are crucial to your practice? *
I feel more and more that equipment is not the most important thing for me, it is the health of body and mind. I like some Fluxus informed performances in the noise scene
Finally, tell us about your new project RHYTHMICSHIT? *
This band was first formed in 2007. At that time, it was a one-off band for fun, but when Trigger was established, the band naturally became active again. RHYTHMICSHIT means noisecore to us. Each of our performances is very short, about 5 minutes. The performance is known for the short-term rapid expansion and contraction of vocals and drum machine noise.
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