Two very different rock bands from China are on their way to Australia.

One became the music of resistance for those opposing the communist regime in the 1980s. The other is a new group touted as the next big thing, creating music which is less about politics and more about innovative sound.

Cui Jian is the undisputed godfather of Chinese rock and roll. For more than three decades he has walked the fine line of censorship and freedom of expression and managed to survive.

Many of Cui's songs were banned and for years he was stopped from performing. But his music became the voice of disempowered generation — songs about suffering, loss and rebellion.

"It's not possible to write songs as Western musicians do. We are used to censorship. Therefore we never write very explicit songs. We mixed the message with what we felt," Cui told Lateline.

"If you really understand music, rhythm, chorus, and understand how to mix them together, you will find its power is unlimited. Then, you have to be brave to speak out."

His song Nothing to My Name became the anthem of student protests at Tiananmen Square in 1989. Part love song, part song of defiance, it was adopted by protestors as their own.

After the massacre where hundreds, maybe thousands of students were gunned down, Cui went into hiding.

He emerged again in the 1990s and his songs still touched the people. This time he rallied against emptiness of China's pursuit of profit and materialism.

Now Cui is tolerated by authorities and revered by the people as a cultural icon. It took 20 years but in 2005 he was allowed to headline his own show in Beijing.

Pushing boundaries of music

Experimental rock band, Chui Wan. ( ABC News )

Cui's journey has paved the way for a new generation of rock artists.

Experimental rock band Chui Wan has shot to underground cult status in China and international critics say they are pushing Chinese rock to a new level.

The influential Village Voice newspaper from New York called their music a unique mix of 20th century minimalism, Asian folk, jazz and pop.

"Our band is inspired by a Chinese philosopher, Zhuangzi, and his words, 'When the wind blows, everything sounds.' His work influences our thoughts in music. It makes us more open-minded," multi-instrumentalist Yan Yulong told Lateline.

They push the boundaries of music, not politics. They extract new sounds from traditional instruments and use offbeat samples and improvise to create post punk, psychedelic rock.

"We tend to relate everything to music, for example, when I get on an airplane, it would have noise. It sounds like a long vibrating note. When the traffic is bad, there's many car horn's, the tunes are quite different. If you live in a city, life is like this," Yan said.

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Cui Jian is scheduled to play a concert in Sydney in August. Chui Wan is scheduled to play in Australia in April or May.