Month: September 2011

Travellers – Traveller – 23rd September 2011

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Cat #: 074TZM

Traveller is a world music collective started by Wu Junde in 2008. Their style draws heavily from contemporary folk music from western China. In addition to Wu Junde himself, collaborators and members of Traveler are some of the most prominent artists in the domestic folk scene, including Zhang Zhi, Wen Feng, Chen Zhipeng, Zhu Fangqiong, Wan Xiaoli, Zhou Laoda, Zhou Shengjun, Wu Buli, Hugjiltu, Da Song, Wang Xiao, Xiao Zhou and others. 

Their musical backgrounds are ample and quite diverse; lead singer Wu Junde played bass in Tongue, IZ, and Hanggai before founding Traveler; Zhang Zhi is an expert at guitar, dombura, bass and keyboard and plays various other instruments, was the lead singer and bassist for psychedelia band, and once organized 9 Songs Music Festival in Karamay, Xinjiang. In 2010, breakout performer Wen Feng received Los Angeles KAZN FM1300’s Best Drummer Award, and in the same year participated in the American Music Awards’ Ribbon of Hope ceremony. Da Song gave up his work as a fine arts teacher in favor of a nomadic musical lifestyle, allowing him to develop his interest in African drumming and to introduce this form to Lijiang, Yunnan. 

Traveller’s sound synthesizes a wide range of genres and influences. With traditional styles as their starting points, they add the timbres of dombura, Mongolian sanxian, Xinjiang hand drum, and other distinctive folk instruments, producing an amalgamation of folk ballads, world music, Kazakhstani music, and Chinese classical music, to name just a few. The group’s releases include a self-titled album, “Traveler,” “Nikele” with Zhang Zhi; “Son of Dark Horse River” , with Wang Xiao; and “Far Away”, with Xiao Zhou. 

Liu Kun – Hey, Young Man – 23rd September 2011

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Cat #: 072TZM

Liu Kun, born in Zhelaizhai county after the 1980s, firmly believes that he is the descendent of a Roman soldier, who was besieged with his army during a war in Zhelaizhai two thousand years ago. He often dreams of himself being a soldier, raising his sword on a running horse, breaking open a way through brambles and thorns, however, wakes up to find his arms painful and aching, realizes that all was nothing but a dream. Anyway, he isn’t bothered by the mysteries of his DNA at all, because he finds art more fascinating. As a little boy in a town, he was never too eager to show himself by dancing, singing and playing drums and guitars, despite the rough stage of that little shabby theater. There he would feel like being in a dream once the lights were on. Years later, he went to Lanzhou for further education, and that was a university. He soon became a sincere and dedicated lover to drama, joining the school drama troupe, writing plays and acting on stage, he was full of energy to lead his company to success. And quite out of expectancy, a feature program was made for this energetic young man by the local TV station. Anyway, he isn’t bothered by this issue at all. It is the parents who were worried: Will you study ,study, or study? 

When graduation time drew near, he encountered a life-long buddy: Rock. Moved by his braveness, purity, and persistence, he followed this buddy onto the road of music, and realized that music is connected with soul. He established the band ‘Rust on the lip’ in 2003, which then got the present name, ‘Low Wormwood’, and became the lead singer. Every year he leads his band for a tour around China and has made several albums: <The absinthe>, <Low Wormwood>, <Upstream of Yellow River>, and <We can’t help kissing each other>. He plays football during part time, meets friends and makes plan for art exhibitions. Cooperated with the Barn Gallery in Lanzhou, he held a modern art exhibition called ‘Replacement’ in 2007, in which his works ‘Sound field in Lanzhou’ and ‘Talk’ were displayed, together with the works of Wang Dong, a young artist. He also planned an art exhibition of sound and devices in 2009. 

He met Michael, boss of Maybe Mars, on his tour in Beijing during October 2008. Their ideas on music are unbelievably alike, so he then joined Maybe Mars and co-founded with Xiao He the folk music brand ‘Maybe Horse under Maybe Mars. He published his first record <Hey, Young Man> in 2010. 

• 2003 formed the band Low Wormwood in Lanzhou 
• 2007-2009 modern art exhibition “Replacement” held in Lanzhou 
• 2009 formed Maybe Horse as a unit of Maybe Mars Records 
• 2010 debut album released Hey, Young Man 

Demerit/SS20 split – 5th September 2011

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Cat #: 062TZM

“The cover of the new spilt by Chinese Demerit and German thrashcore outfit SS20 is a throwback to that 1980s nuclear holocaust imagery—toxicity, flames, decay: the stuff of urban nightmares. A bulldozer covers a panel van with toxic ooze and trash; smoke billows in the background. People run for cover. 

And like its imagery, this three-song split from Demerit—their first release since 2008—channels bands from the era, including Misfits, Motorhead and Iron Maiden. 

The Beijing-based trio have come a long way since 2006—the 1000 BPM street punk microbursts of old have been replaced by increasingly-mature efforts like “Childhood Nightmare,” where a chanting chorus gives way to speed metal harmonizing guitar work before a delicate acoustic outro, accented with shuffling drums and babbling children, cleans the palette—think of it like wine tasting with the Misfits in that playground scene from Terminator II. 

“Barefaced Lies and Bullshit Peace” utilizes that same catchy speed metal riffing and gruff vocal posturing, while “Out of the Fog” is pure melodic thrash—laser-sighted guitars cut a clean swath through a murky punk undergrowth.” 
-Nevin / Genjing Records 

“SS20 – presenting crushing punk and hardcore that mixes memorable riffs, aggressive vocals and metal-tunes. These three new songs sound’s way darker, more mature and textured. The lyrics are straight, facing the personal and emotional content. The vinyl keeps pushing, is still snotty and raw and has the power and energy of the debut 7” 
-Ronny / W.I.F.A.G.E.N.A. RECORDS 

Hinterlandt – Migration Motion Movement – 1st September 2011

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Cat #: 076TZM

“Migration Motion Movement” is the eleventh full-length album by Hinterlandt. Following “All Things Considered”, a collection of rock-oriented songs recorded as a full band in 2009 in Germany, this new release sees chief architect Jochen Gutsch going solo again. 

After his return to Sydney/Australia, Jochen decided to get back into more experimental territory, writing a new live set for multi-instrumentalist solo performances. This new album mirrors the live set, in which Jochen uses electronics, trumpet, electric guitar, xylophone, effects, field recordings, and live loops. 

“Migration Motion Movement” is an uncompromising and demanding album offering extensive, detailed and focused compositions. However, it also follows an enjoyable and accessible narrative, inviting listeners to partake in the journey. 

Hinterlandt is a Sydney-based solo act playing long compositions encompassing beautiful harmonies, complex rhythms, fragile ambiences, as well as occasional patches of noise and silence. The approach celebrates musical diversity as much as unusual sounds. 

Hinterlandt has taken on a variety of live formats, performing in places such as Sydney, London, Bangkok, Helsinki, Melbourne, Rome, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Berlin, and many others. Eleven studio albums were released on nine underground labels in five countries.