Raised by intellectuals in the Chinese city of Nanjing, Re-TROS (Rebuilding the Rights of Statues) frontman Hua Dong was exposed to the arts from an early age. As a young boy, Dong befriended an American classmate, whose mother taught at the local school alongside his own mother. The two boys often spent time hanging out at Dong’s house, up until his friend returned to the U.S. That boy was Kanye West – we shit you not, look it up.

In his teens, Dong began writing his own songs and aspired to start a band. He decided to attend university in Germany, where he furthered his knowledge of rock and electronic music.
After graduation, Dong returned home and began drumming for Chinese punk rockers PK14, where he met bassist and future collaborator Liu Min. Min and Dong soon moved to Beijing and formed Re-TROS, recording their debut EP (which includes contributions from Brian Eno on several tracks) for Modern Sky Records. The band has since toured the world, sharing bills with artists like Gang of Four, PIL, and most recently Ought. Dong credits Bauhaus, Joy Division, Television, and Pere Ubu among his greatest influences.

Before The Applause, the band’s 3rd album in twelve years, was produced by Hector Castillo (David Bowie, Lou Reed, Bjork) in Beijing. Hua Dong is also currently providing musical/creative direction to Wong Kar-Wai muse Maggie Cheung for her new album.