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

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

Another release from iconoclast Liu Xing, whose series of albums bear more connection to world music and new age works than to Brit pop or rap music, though he is known for blending traditional music with Western sounds. Born in Heilongjiang, Liu began studying the yue qin (or moon mandolin) at 12, was admitted by the Shanghai Music Conservatory at 16 and graduated at 20. Proficient with many types of instruments – shu di (clarinet), percussion, bass, zhong ruan (alto long-necked lute) and other string instruments – he’s composed many works. They include classical orchestral pieces (Chinese Orchestral Symphony No.2, Violin Concerto or Erhu Concerto) as well as a number of new-age and world-music albums (The Lake, The Tree or the Fading Village). His eighth album Oceania (2004), inspired by documentaries about the South Pacific islands, incorporates electronic vibes and nature noises (water drops, bird noises, animal grunts) into traditional Chinese music. The distinctive sound has a rich and atmospheric texture, and evokes a walk along the cliffs in one of these dream archipelagos. With Oceania, Liu, acknowledged as China’s contemporary world music pioneer, challenges local copycats of foreign acts to try harder.
Bandu Music/available at http://www.bandumusic.com

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

Meng Qi (Mengite) is a young self-taught Chinese electronic-music artist, an expert in beats that directly affect the part of the brain which controls headshakes and hip-swinging. Call it drum ‘n bass, drill ‘n bass, break-beat, chiptune (music synthesized in real-time by sound chips) or psychedelic trance; categorization is futile here. Though Meng has no professional training, he clearly loves music; indeed, he began to play electronic music at age 14. So far, he’s completed more than a thousand musical works, influenced by British electronic-music artists such as Squarepusher, Roni Size and Aphex Twin. With that many recordings, he dramatically increased the odds that he would be noticed. Such was the case in 2004, when one of his demo albums, Vernal Rain, attracted the attention of music moguls. That same year, Meng and French electronic musician Naibu produced the single Cong Lin, which was played over European electronic-music radio stations. In 2005, he signed with the Muzicolor record company and started his own sub-label Mengite, producing and promoting electronic works – and he’s not even 20 yet! The highly-gifted Meng spent the following six months polishing this, his official debut album, Landscape in Love, a smooth drum-and-bass release with melodic hooks and mesmerizing loops.
Mengite/Muzicolor/available at http://www.muzicolor.com

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

The original Franz Ferdinand wasn’t a Glasgow rocker with an attitude. Rather he was an Austrian archduke, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, whose assassination in 1914 triggered the outbreak of World War I and changed the world. Franz Ferdinand, the indie-rock band, however, aims for world impact of another sort: since their 2001 debut, they’ve made music “that girls can dance to”. Indeed, their brand of post-punk, garage rock and stomping new wave is an open invitation to shake your booty (“This Boy” and “Outsiders”). Influenced by the 1960s Kinks and Beatles, David Bowie circa Boys Keep Swinging, 1980s rock and new-wave acts like XTC (despite their denial), the band features scratchy guitars, percussive sounds and jerking techno beats. Their lyrics are intentionally cryptic, many of which have a double meaning (“The Fallen”). So cryptic, that the lyrics have to be explained to the band members before they play the music. This release, even tastier than the debut Franz Ferdinand, might not change the rock world but it’s a chart-topping good-humored album with better things to come: Franz promise to record an even greater third album after their massive 2006 world tour. Domino

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

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
February 2006 issue

In March 2005, Shanghai-based music producer Liu Xing embarked on a ten-day journey to the Miao ethnic communities of southeastern Guizhou province. There, life is as basic as it gets. Nevertheless, Liu, the devout musicologist, recorded various Miao songs using what equipment he could find. And in the process, he discovered just how important music is to Miao culture. Their high-pitched melodies have a higher purpose than mere rhythm. Indeed, the 5,000 years of Miao history is transmitted from generation to generation by song. The Miao culture is an oral one. As such, music is everything: a means to convey history and wisdom, and also an act of celebration, recitation or commemoration of national accomplishment. This release includes a 26-page bilingual booklet (Chinese/English) with a brief introduction to the Miao’s culture, their history and, of course, their music. It also includes a diary that provides insight into the recording session, the reclusive Miao lifestyle and the warmth of the people. Above all, the music speaks for itself: with the delicate sounds of the lusheng, a reed-type wind instrument, entering into the rich cultural heritage of the Miao people is a luxury we all can afford.
Bandu Music,1/F, Bldg.11, 50 Moganshan Rd (6276 8267)

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

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
February 2006 issue

This 12-track CD, recorded in January 1981 in Alberta, Canada, recaps highlights in the long musical career of Ray Charles Robinson (1930-2004). Charles pioneered soul music in the 1960s with his secular brand of gospel music mixed with blues, country and jazz. The result was something all his own, and Charles was immensely popular with both black and white audiences. Indeed, he’s influenced artists as diverse as Stevie Wonder, Joe Cocker and the Beatles. ‘The Genius’, as Frank Sinatra called him, was not only innovative, but prolific as well. Charles had more than thirty hits under his belt, including three number ones: “Hit the Road Jack”, “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Georgia”, the latter, a version of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia on My Mind” was named the Georgia state song in the late 1970s. Such was his genius, he even had a hit with the patriotic “America the Beautiful” in the 1960s. A number of Charles’ best songs have featured in TV commercials, jingles and movie scores throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Recently, the unforgettable “I Can’t Stop Loving You” featured in the soundtrack of the 2001 Japanese animated-film Metropolis. This release includes all the above-mentioned songs and more, plus a bonus DVD, recorded at a time when he was at his peak.
EMI

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

L’easy listening à la française peut être considéré comme une cure contre l’insomnie, mais Borel transcende le genre de son humour bien Gaulois.
Cet album, sorti chez le label taiwanais High Note Records et mélangeant habilement guitare acoustique, violon et flûte, générera sûrement des fans en Chine. Et pourquoi pas ? Tous ce qui est français semble de plus en plus à la mode ici ces jours-ci. Le ringard aussi. Et c’est vrai que "Oserai-je t'aimer?" surpasse largement la ringardise du très populaire en Chine populaire "Je m'appelle Hélène" d’Hélène Rollès.
Mais pour ceux d’entre vous ne maîtrisant pas la langue de Molière, le romantisme verbal de Borel perd de sa substance. Et c’est bien dommage, car une écoute de près révèle plus que des traits d’esprit ; parfois même les paroles ressemblent à celles de notre génial et regretté Serge Gainsbourg. La voix aussi du collaborateur de Borel, le compositeur Jérémie Lefebvre en backing vocals sur plusieurs titres, rappelle remarquablement Gainsbar. Et Borel de faire preuve sur certaines chansons du même caustique sens de l'humour.
Enfin, l’album contient un titre en anglais, un cover sensuel du « Get Into The Groove » de Madonna chantée avec un bel accent français. Mon dieu !
High Note Records

Version anglaise de l’article publiée dans that’s Shanghai et that’s Guangzhou, Décembre 2005.
La version française n’a pas été publiée.

Re-TROS have been gigging around Beijing for the last two years under the name “Re-establishing the Rights of Statues” before releasing this debut album on the Badhead label – and simplifying their name in the process, thank god. Indeed, simplification best describes their brand of post-punk, reminiscent of late 1970s David Bowie with elements of Joy Division. On Cut-Off!, this neo-punk trio delivers six tracks running thirty minutes: tight, straightforward guitar riffs, un-fussy base lines and solid drumming. Minimalism, however doesn’t necessarily mean minimal quality.
Indeed, the band’s meticulously-polished sound owes a lot to Brian Eno. While on a visit to China in October last year, the legendary producer of David Bowie, U2 and Depeche Mode added color and texture to the Beijing band’s sound and even mixed in some keyboard on a couple of tracks. Nor, for that matter, are the English lyrics simple. Indeed, each song tells a different story. “If the Monkey Becomes the King” refers to the famous novel Journey to the West while alluding to the stupidity of mankind; while “TV Show” offers a somewhat bitter challenge to authority. All said, this release will appeal to the band’s already large following (built on the back of their stunning live performances) but its minimal running time will leave them craving for more.
Modern Sky/Badhead

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

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
January 2006 issue

This compilation from Beijing-based independent label New Bees provides a perfect sampling of what happened in the Chinese music scene last year. Or at least what happened on the New Bees label in 2005. In fact, this release is something of an advertisement for its latest signings with the inclusion of artists’ biographies and links to their websites. So what happened? Not much apparently. Most bands appear to have followed the long-standing formula of emulating their Western idols, be they punk, rock, rap or new wave. Crystal Butterfly for example, owe the title of the successful debut album Magical Mystery Tour to the Beatles and their sound to British pop-rock bands like U2. Chinese vocalist M.I.K., who sings in English, clearly takes his cue from new-wave gloom band, The Cure. Oddly, the last track on this CD, “Stay By My Side” is the real thing, sort of, a country pop tune from Swedish band The Club 8, whose 2005 release Strangely Beautiful peaked at number 18 in US charts. With a total of ten cuts from eight different bands, Indieblog Music may not enlighten anyone on the Chinese alternative-music circle, but it will inform those who are interested about who is influencing whom.
New Bees/available at www.newbeesmusic.com

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

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
January 2006 issue

Singer/songwriter Christopher Peyton has cultivated paradox in both his private life and his music career. Born in the seventies in North-Carolina to a conservative-minded family (Peyton is the son of famous preacher, Wesley Peyton); in 2004, Peyton the son co-hosted the UK TV-show Queer Eye for a Straight Guy, in which five gay men offered lessons in good taste to straight men. While his father might not have approved of the show, the son hasn’t abandoned his roots entirely. Christopher began his career at the age of six as the lead vocalist in his father’s gospel choir. That influence is evident in his eponymous debut album which features a number of pop gospel tracks, but also a few tunes that were designed to get the hips shaking in a lewd manner. “A Higher Place”, for example, went on to become an Ibiza anthem and was played at clubs worldwide. In short, Peyton is not a man you can pin a label on: he’s religious, gay, a night crawler, and intellectual – with a degree in English literature. His lyrics are often autobiographical: “Keep The Faith” speaks of his religious beliefs, “Love’s Going’ On” of his ‘coming out’ and how that affected his relationship with his parents. Like the man himself, Peyton is a mesmerizing and lighthearted CD, a cocktail of gospel, soul, and dance music, influenced by artists such as Seal and The Christians. At the same time, it’s a sensitive and intense piece of work; one that transcends all the paradoxes of its creator.
High Note

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

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
January 2006 issue

The combined challenge of unauthorized Internet downloads and hard copy piracy rage, has forced a number of music labels to think twice about investing in new acts. As it turns out, reality TV offers a low-cost solution to the problem. Take, for example, the 13-week-long “American Idol” series, which helped develop the connections among small-screens, wannabe stars and record buyers. In the US, the Fox Network show attracted a following that numbered in the millions and turned a few croaking toads into golden-throated princes and princesses of pop. True, there’s nothing of the amphibian about Kelly Clarkson, though we suppose she trained her voice under the shower. At 20, the former Texan waitress won first prize in the first season of American Idol and secured a record deal. Her first single “A Moment Like This” sold 250,000 copies in its first release week, while her debut album Thankful went double platinum. What’s more, her record company saved a bundle in marketing and promotion costs.
Breakaway, Clarkson’s second and more mature CD, marks a parting of ways with the American Idol image. “What you see is not what you get” she sings on one of the self-composed tracks. What you get is an independent woman, á la Sheryl Crow, with unoriginal but effective ballads and pop-rock melodies supported by solid and sorrowful vocals. Breakaway sold five million copies worldwide and proved Clarkson, in an artistic and commercial sense, is more than a flicker on the screen.
Sony-BMG

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

Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
January 2006 issue

Brit-pop is far too influential in the current Shanghai alternative music scene where many local bands blindly copy UK acts. But having paid their respects for three years, The Sonnet, formed by a group of college students, has found a distinctive sound of its own as evidenced in the debut CD: From The Last Century. Released in September 2005, this CD is named after the eighth track; an instrumental theme for an alternative movie made by local artist, Song Tao. Clearly The Sonnet’s sound is an alternative choice within the Chinese music scene. They blend noise, Brit-pop and American indie rock, with influences as diverse as The Verve, Sonic Youth, Pavement and the Japanese Shiina Ringo.
That said, this quintet does more than duplicate their heroes; they’ve even made cover songs of their own. Placebo’s “Pure Morning” sounds fresh and lively, while “Bless for Pop” proves the band has a gift for writing original and catchy melody. The latter’s English lyrics also reveal how difficult it is to be inventive in a second language. The Sonnet’s forthcoming second album, billed as “; simple, rough and direct,” promises another leap towards experimentation and creativity. Watch this space.
14sh records/ available at www.14sh.com

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

After 15 years of singing about the nation’s malaise, the Californian punk trio Green Day continues to focus its attention on recent US political controversies, a move that is signaled in the CD’s title. American Idiot is Green Day’s seventh album, and a brave departure from previous, less engaged, efforts (eg., “Blood, Sex and Booze” from Warning released in 2000). On this release, this trio of malcontents denounces everything from mass hysteria to the media, political propaganda to “redneck agendas”. Other targets include: the Bush administration, organized religion, war, terrorism… the list goes on. If political polemic isn’t your thing, you can still enjoy their vivifying brand of music. The band, mostly famous for the hit “Basket Case” (Dookie, 1994), has polished their punk to a soft glow on “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams”; they go for the pop gold on “Give Me Novacaine”. Quite a change from the loud noise tradition of 1970s UK punk music that marked their previous releases. Nevertheless, on several cuts, the East Bay enfants terribles still voice their anger through three-chord guitar riffs and lyrics written with vitriolic ink. And it’s been a success with fans and critics alike. Amercian Idiot won the Best Rock Album Grammy award in 2004 and has sold ten million copies worldwide. Punks getting rich may sound idiotic, but it’s not stupid.
WEA International

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

P.K.14's trademark guitar feedback and snaking bass lines aren't by any means typical of Chinese pop-music – there's no threat of a sugar-induced diabetes attack with this group. Indeed, P.K.14 delivers raw and energetic rock (somewhere between garage and punk circa 70s/80s UK) that will get your blood pumping. Influenced by Joy Division, David Bowie and The Cure, Yang Haisong's lead vocals somehow combine the best of all three. Add to the mix noise samples, emo music and elements of 80s US indie rock and you end up with a sound that is totally wired. Formed in Nanjing in 1997, this foursome (three Chinese plus a Swedish drummer) relocated to Beijing in 1999. In 2002, they signed with the Beijing-based label Badhead/Modern Sky and released their second album Who Who and Who Who Who. In early 2005, just prior to the recording of White Paper, the band took part in the Stockholm Culture and Art Festival and toured eastern and northern Europe. In September, they toured China. If Cui Jian is the godfather of Chinese rock, then P.K.14 might be his honorable offspring. That is if headshaking is an attribute passed on through DNA.
Badhead/Modern Sky

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue

Godot/Geduo, one of the founder's of the alternative music scene in Shanghai, took their name from Samuel Beckett's absurdist play Waiting for Godot, wherein Estragon says: "Nothing happens, nobody comes, nobody goes, it's awful!" The same can't be said of this band's live performances that combine simple instrumental indie rock (read punk/post-punk and experimental) with synthesizer. First and foremost, Godot is a live band, and the energy level on this studio-produced album doesn't compare with the adrenalin rush provoked by Godot in concert. True, the six tracks included here do run at concert-level length, clocking in at between 6-13 minutes each. What's more, each track contains several melodies, each worthy of singular exploration. Overall, the absence of vocals and excess of ideas tend to blur the effect, and the experimental concept makes for difficult listening. But perhaps that is the point. Be that as it may, Godot.I would benefit from a more disciplined producer, though given the general lack of imagination in the local scene the band deserves credit for thinking out of the box.
Godot Records

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
December 2005 issue