Omnipotent Youth Society was formed in 1996 in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China, by Dong Yaqian on lead vocals and guitar, Ji Geng on bass, Feng Jiang on drums, and Shi Li on trumpet; the group adopted the name Omnipotent Youth Society in 2002. The band’s first single, "Not Omnipotent Comedy", appeared in 2006, followed by the EP Universal Ostrich Domestication Guide in 2009. In 2010 the self‑titled album Omnipotent Youth Society was released, earning the Top Record of 2010 on Douban and the Band of the Year award at that year’s Chinese Music Media Awards. The album received seven nominations at the 11th Chinese Music Media Awards in 2011, winning Best Band. In 2013 the band benefited from a public endorsement by writer Han Han, who contributed calligraphic lyrics for "Killing the One From Shijiazhuang". International exposure followed with a 2014 performance at New York City’s Modern Sky Festival and a 2015 tour of Taiwan. The sophomore album Inside the Cable Temple was issued in December 2020, again topping Douban’s 2020 list and selling 700 000 copies, the highest for an independent digital album in China; it earned the Best Rock Band of the Year award at the 12th Midi Awards in 2023.
