Songwriters, composers, performers and vocalists Fu Zi and Wang Juan have come up with something altogether original: a winning blend of electronic music and ballads. The result is a thirty-minute album of trip hop and downtempo music. Devoid of fancy accompaniment, Gemini Trip offers a musical texture compatible with vocals, a combination that leaves room for the listener’s interpretation. Released on the Beijing-based electronic sub-label Guava, this CD is something of a work in progress; each builds on the previous, and the sound constantly evolves in new directions. The first track, “Gemini Trip” guides listeners through a world of sequencer beats and soothing atmospheric pulses. Hypnotic trip-hop, mellow vocals from Wang and syncopated reggae rhythms follow (“Drip” and “Affection”). From this point, the sound becomes more organic and beats are boosted with synthesizer loops, animal screeches, bird cries, cave ambiance sound and water drop echoes (“Solo Trip” and “Pico Bird”). Non-virtual instruments take control from track six onward: A melodeon suggests carousel music (“Tango ends”) while Fu displays his musical drift in a one-minute cello piece. The last track, a string version of “Tango Ends” offers a purely melodic finale. Fresh and intense, this is one CD that grows better with time.
Modern Sky/Guava

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
February 2006 issue