THOMAS PODVIN’S FREELANCE WORK
Freelance writer - translator - Editor

Jem, aka Jemma Griffiths, must be the envy of every British musician. In a very short period, she sold a quarter of a million albums in the US, and became the biggest selling British female debut artist last year. Indeed, breaking stateside is no small accomplishment. It happened thus: the 29-year-old Cardiff-born singer/songwriter was studying law at Sussex University while hanging out with DJs and music producers. Next, in the autumn of 2003, she went behind the mike and recorded the EP “It All Starts Here”. A year later, she released her debut CD, Finally Woken, and got a big boost from Elton John, who touted its breezy melodies and diverse rhythms. And he was right. Jem’s catchy sound is easy on the ear and wide-ranging: “Finally Woken”, has emotional trip hop beats; “Wish I”, playful electronic melodies; “Save Me” and “24”, reggae and rock tempos, respectively; and “Missing You” boasts some fine fuzz-box vocals à la Portishead. Jem’s sound is eclectic and fits into any medium. Which is why she succeeded in the US mass market. In the States, you can hear her everywhere: on the radio, on TV (The O.C.; Desperate Housewives; Six Feet Under), and in the movies (Closer, 2004 and Ultraviolet, 2006).
Sony-BMG

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

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

There’s not much to be said about Shanghai ‘alternative’ band Cold Fairyland, that hasn’t been said already. Most every music critic in the country has taken a stab at pigeonholing this band, but the band, and its front woman Lindi, refuse to cooperate. The best we can offer is that Cold Fairyland thinks out of the box. The band – Lindi on keyboard and pipa; Su Yong on bass; Zhou Sheng’an on cello; Li Jia on drums; and Song Jianfeng on guitar – incorporates elements of various music genres (world music, gothic, jazz, funk, dream pop, etc.,) with traditional and contemporary Chinese sounds. And they do it best live, not in the studio. Hence, this live album recorded at ARK in Xintiandi in 2005, is Cold Fairyland at its best, from the surrealistic “The Cat from Paris” to the social commentary of “The Dead Children in the Newspapers”. But whatever the song’s provenance, Lindi’s vocals drive the melody from beginning to end with a meticulous precision. Unfortunately, the live recording sometimes suffers from less accurate reproduction – the price of independence, perhaps.
Cold Fairyland/available at www.miyadudu.com

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

Chinese independent and experimental music may be looked upon as something of an oddity in its homeland. And to Western ears, it may sound odder still. But that hasn’t stopped Yan Hun, the founder (in 2000) of the Sub Jam label, and one of the pioneers in China’s experimental music scene, from doing what he does best. Which is just about everything. Yan is involved in many arts: poetry, music, film and literature. But his most lasting accomplishment may be that he has proved that the fusion of electronic sounds with poetry works. Last year, Sub Jam released Nowise Assault, a 60-minute CD of made-in-China electronica, more specifically ‘leftfield electronic music’ blending artificial sounds with spirituality and poetic ambience. In this entry, 718, aka Sun Lei, a central figure in the experimental scene, offers ambient music and down tempo beats featuring ethnic or/and industrial influences. “Taoism or Calm” intermingles drum solos into a spiritual atmosphere; while “Over and Over” provides more than seven minutes of noise with an industrial edge. “Aluminum” is a straight piece performed on the piano, the crystalline purity of which is at one point corrupted by lowfi noise. Say what you will, this is highly addictive, hypnotic music.
Sub Jam/available at http://www.subjam.org/

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

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Osaka-born songwriter/singer Ken Hirai is known as the ‘King of Japanese R&B’. Influenced by Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, Hirai’s sound features warm vocals atop beats borrowed from soul (“Miracles”), funk (“Strawberry Sex”), dance (“Style”) and pop music (“Kiss of Life”). This two-CD release offers 23 chart topping singles in chronological order from Hirai’s debut “Precious Junk” in 1995 to “Pop Star”, released last October. Along the way, this disc provides a fair overview of his progression from saccharine to emotional, passing by sentimental, mushy and blue. Still, Hirai’s success is based on his appeal to middle-aged housewives, be they from Japan, China, Korea or the West. And as such, his success owes as much to his unique falsetto as it does to his appearance – for a ‘pure blooded’ Japanese, Hirai looks pure Caucasian. In any case, Hirai has sold 6.5 million units in Asia alone. Following recent live shows in the US – he appeared at the high-profile 2002 FIFA World Cup concert with Lauryn Hill – what can we say? The King is back.
Sony-BMG

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

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

In the early 1990s, Irma, an Italian label, altered musical perceptions with the first of its jazz/house/fusion series of compilations. The Jazz House Independent compilation is the fourth in the now classic series, and thanks are due to High Note Records for making this gem available in the Chinese mainland. This entry blends jazz, house and afrobeat (American funk rhythms fused with African percussion), in a double bill of atmospheric electronica. CD one (unmixed) was compiled by one of the original Irma artists/producers, Black Mighty Wax (BMW), while CD two was mixed by label mate, Dino Angioletti of the Pastaboys. The various international artists gathered here attest to the global success of jazz house music genre. Examples include the groove-laden “Mafe Disco” by France’s Claude Monnet; the powerful “Happy” by the UK’s Max Sedgley; and the mesmeric “Madame Blanche” by US DJ Moses. This disc also includes some of the most successful club tunes recorded for Irma Records: a fantastic re-edit by US DJ Danny Krivit (from Body & Soul in New York) of “Starlite”, and Don Carlos featuring Michelle Weeks on “Take Me Higher” remixed by Japanese house DJ Yukihiro Fukutomi.
High Note Records

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

(c) that's PRD
PRD Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
June 2006 issue

Since the turn of the century, Japan’s most popular female vocalist, the 23-year-old Mika Nakashima, has enjoyed huge success and a long run at the top of the charts. As the title states, this release compiles the best of the diva’s work, from 2001 until the present. That said, Nakashima’s pop superstardom owes much to her publicity agent, whose promotional efforts have made her a household name. In 2001, Nakashima made her debut with the song, “Stars”, the theme song for the Fuji TV drama Kizudarake no Love Song, in which she also starred. Other works have appeared in a number of the very popular anime series; “Find the Way”, for example, became a massive hit (and a karaoke favorite) after being featured in the Mobile Suit Gundam Seed series in 2004. Later, the song was covered by Korean singer Park Hyo-shin and featured in a Korean soap opera. Indeed, Nakashima’s music travels well; she currently enjoys acclaim in the Chinese mainland, Taiwan Province and, as mentioned, South Korea. In addition to covers of John Newton’s “Amazing Grace” and L’ Arc en Ciel’s “Glamorous Sky”, this CD includes the Valentine’s Day song “Aishiteru” and the sexy, up tempo jazz number “Love Addict”, written by Nakashima herself. If J-Pop is your thing, this is the one to get.
Sony-BMG

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