"We came to the show hoping to showcase music on a higher level," says Hua Dong, the band's lead singer. Re-TROS was founded in 2003 and also includes bassist Liu Min and drummer Ma Hui.

They are known for their melodic and mysterious sounds, and all of their songs are written and performed in English. They have toured the world and opened for seminal English electronic rock band, Depeche Mode, on its 2017 European tour.

"We entertain ourselves by making music," Hua says, who's been based in Germany.

"Structure and logic are important to our music. I'd like to compare our band to a piece of architecture, which is timeless and solid. We hope that more people will get to know us through the show and learn about new music styles."

The other highlights of the initial rounds of the competition include Queen Sea Big Shark, Carsick Cars, and Joyside, all popular groups in the indie music genre.

The bands will compete for votes in the hope of reaching the top five positions. A new episode is aired every week, meaning that the show is set to provide a hot soundtrack to the whole summer.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn