2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the Alternative Music Revolution. With Nirvana’s album Nevermind breaking onto the scene in 1992, this significant year and subsequent years after saw the flood of grunge, goth, electronica, and pop-punk. This year may not be the apocalypse that the Mayan’s had forecasted but it may be so for some of the musicians that dominated the 90s. Here’s VH1 moment, a look at where some of these alternative music revolutionaries are today.

The Cultural Revolution in China was a period dominated by anti-western and anti-capitalist sentiments. However, that attitude has completely flipped and now, Chinese musicians who’ve grown up post-revolution are flooding both Chinese and western music conservatories and introducing their own styles of music, fusing Chinese traditions with modern sounds. While in the midst of the Chinese New Year, I think it’s appropriate to highlight some of these composers who are working to bring their works to American listeners, as well as audiences around the world.