Chinese Man (band)

Lore & Background

Chinese Man was formed in 2004 by DJ Marseille Zé Mateo, High Ku, and beatmaker SLY. The group's name comes from the first track they produced together, which used a vocal sample saying 'Chinese Man.' They later founded the label Chinese Man Records (CMR) based in Marseille. Frequent live additions include Taiwan MC, Youthstar, and ASM (Green T & FP).

Reader's Guide

Chinese Man has released multiple albums and EPs since 2004, including 'The Bootlegs Sessions' (2005), 'The Groove Sessions' series (Volumes 1–5, 2007–2020), 'Racing with the Sun' (2011), and 'We've Been Here Before' (2024). Their music blends influences from hip hop, funk, dub, reggae, and jazz. The band's audiovisual work is handled by Fred&Annabelle and VYZ Team. Their track 'I've Got That Tune' gained commercial exposure through Mercedes-Benz and a film festival. The group's label, Chinese Man Records, has also released solo maxi vinyls from members SLY, Leo Le Bug, Le Yan, and Deluxe.

Did You Know?

• Chinese Man is named after the first track the collective produced together in 2004, which used a vocal sample saying 'Chinese Man.'
• The band runs its own record label, Chinese Man Records (CMR), based in Marseille.
• The group's audiovisual content is produced by Fred&Annabelle and VYZ Team.