Shanghai Music Chronicles: When Music is Rocking in Shanghai.

May 22nd, 2009 | Posted in Articles by mache

Last week our editor’s picks were in tune with my mood for music, and I followed the instructions provided by Mike “Big Duck” Brownell almost to the letter. The Rogue Transmission played at Anar last Thursday, with new songs, old songs re-arranged in different styles–ranging from country to progressive rock–and a classic to remember with John Nguidjol on vocals. Guitar player Adam Gaensler, also of The Dovetail Joints, has been a great addition of energy to the band: his creativity is having big effect on the band and it’s easily noticeable that he is having a wonderful time as one of The Rogue Transmission cats. Fabi has turned out to be a very classy rock drummer; moderate or fervent when necessary. John provides the attractive force necessary to the metallic sounds on the ground, and Dan’s domination of the stage is fun and energizing. His passion projects rock out of the stage and involves the people in the music with him. The band has evolved into a sexy, powerful character and the music has grown and become consistent and mature, seasoned and ready to eat.

It was an amazing night for rock in Shanghai and for The Rogue Transmission. At the end of the gig I was ready to sign up for their fan club and declare publicly that I’m nothing other than a groupie in love with music. Forget everything else: it’s all about music music music.

Right after I realized I was feeling like I should write a confession about my music tastes, but I don’t think it is necessary anymore. Those who love music don’t need any explanation of this kind.

As a last note about the gig, I was thrilled to hear John Nguidjol singing rock. I’m still hearing people talk about how amazing was when he sang with The Rogue Transmission. I know John falls for soul and r&b, but he shines so much on rock songs that I wish he would go for his own rock band.

The gig at Anar included an after party, but electronic music was not fitting my rock mood, so I ran to JZ for the last set of the former Alec Haavik Friction Five, now the Alec Haavik Friction Seven. Alec and his band are a delicatessen for the ears of rock lovers. The addition of LYJ singing with the band has brought more fusion to their sound, and it seems to be moving her to new adventures with her voice. The kindness of the band is also a great characteristic guided by Alec’s spirit for listening. Every time a guest joins them to jam for a song, you can enjoy the experiment with them. This time there were some newbies in Shanghai willing to give it a try, and old hand Jay Renard too. When he took Tinho Pereira’s bass, a bass with its own personality already, the music became playful and candid. The reception of the band to the guests, the attitude of the guests towards the music, the attention of the audience to the fragility of the situation, the last notes of the night: it was a perfect spell for music lovers.

Friday had been fixed since I got the tickets from Siesta Jane earlier in the week. Andy C is a big deal, in music history, for Phreakation, for Jane, and for those who love drum ‘n bass. I went to this gig with Spanish friends, old schoolers of Ibiza raves. We made it on time for the beginning of Andy C’s set. The way I’ve described the show is by explaining that I felt like a monkey playing on the grounds of destruction. The music was raging, and although I heard some complaints about the MC, the music was so much more relevant to me than the non-stop MC. Anyway I do respect the feeling of wanting the voices to shut up to hear the music, but in this case the music was moving in frequencies that held me for the whole the set. My legs were in pain until late Saturday. I was a freaking monkey jumping basses and drums, and so was everybody around me, including Siesta. Happy Anniversary Phreakation and a gig to remember for Andy C, I hope. Those who missed it can regret it.

On Saturday the road led to JZ again for the first gig of the new Big Band of the house. Not properly a big band as the rules say, but certainly a big band for music. It’s directed by Nicholas Bouloukos, a gentleman piano player as Mike fairly described him in Nicholas’ playlist. The band moved from swing to bossa, passing by Boulukos’s nice original “The Lion”. A radiant moment was Andres Boiarsky’s clarinet on Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady”. Jon Parker’s sax solos were beautiful too. EJ Parker on bass is always candy for the ears, and so is Chris Trczinski’s drumming. JZ was full, it’s a great time when a big crowd is being sensitive to all the moves of the sound. When the mass pays attention to the music despite the alcohol and the distractions and stops the yelling to hear a solo it is a thrilling experience. I had to run out to The Shelter after the first set of the Big Band. Void was having a major gig there, with Surgeon on the tables. From swinging Jazz to hard techno one hundred steps might seem like not enough to prepare for the shock of the transition, but when the music is turned on, there’s no need to disconnect one from the other.

The Shelter was pretty crowded too, mostly by guys. I wondered for a minute if it was the music, or just a random situation. But the DJ booth was surrounded by guys, and even though the music was amazing the dance floor was slow. Surgeon was accompanied by his wife Doris Woo as VJ. Cheers to the graphics that were enchanting. Nathaniel from the Void was happy as a kid and so was everybody. Surgeon burned the tables and made a great spectacle. He showed very nice taste on sounds and a great ability to handle the vibes of the place, a master DJ.

I lost my friends in a minute, and then I found them with this group of guys who were playing earlier at the Oriental Art Center, a bass player and a violin player from the Pittsburg Orchestra. It took less than ten minutes to convince them to join us after, when we planned to come back to JZ for the late jam sessions they have every Saturday.

So from techno we went back to the beatnik’s spot and it was an epic night there. Mike was in the house band for the Jam, and he was excited as a kid too because it was a bassists night. At this point I was realizing it was a bass weekend for me. Mike counted more than once, and found that there were seven bass players in the house. It’s a shame they did not all come with their own double basses to have a bass jam, but anyway it was a great jam. JZ has a good soul for music: the musicians on the stage calling the cats in the house to join the jam, the drinkers at the bar talking about music, the gigs to remember, the beat gossip, the people high on the roof lighting smokes to the rhythm of the swing, the people in love with music. JZ does not close its doors until the last person leaves, and the music lasted until the sun came out. When we finally closed JZ it was time for breakfast. It doesn’t get more jazz than that.

Sunday was when I didn’t follow the editor’s picks. The last night of the band at House of Blues and Jazz was not my mood. I heard a lot about the jam session at Logo guided by Pablo Carmona and friends, and it seemed like a good time to chill on the sofas there, so the winds blew me to Logo. I made it for the second set of the night. Logo was as tired as I was, but the music wasn’t. Who could imagine flamenco rock was going to catch all the girls it did? The music was great, although not tight enough on the second set, but some mess is part of a jam session of this kind. It’s okay, anyway it’s Sunday night. It was Pablo Carmona’s last night in Shanghai too, but there’s still flamenco around town for those into gypsy things. The surprise of the night was Ana, a new girl in town. She’s a bass player and composer, is already rehearsing with her own band. The guys asked her to play until there was no way for her to say no, and she finally did it. Chicks that play bass, they have the talent of the low grounds. Ana was captivating and left everybody waiting for the day they can listen to her band.

So, I didn’t make it to Break for Borneo’s gig at Kaiba last Thursday, the Conflict of Interest Pick in the editor’s picks, but I totally recommend you check them out. The line up is interesting and the music is perfect for beginning a weekend in music. So today, Thursday, I’m going before heading to The Dream Factory. AV Okubo is coming to town and as one of their groupies I can not miss it. Yeah, it’s Ratatat’s night, but I am proud to be looking forward to AV Okubo more: they are a band to make me feel proud of my middle country; these guys kick ass. So if not there, then let’s meet this Saturday at Antidote’s Festival, I’ll be following the peacock, because people follow peacocks.

*Photos of The Rogue Transmission by Stella Bozzato

tags: Alec Haavik - Anar - Andy C - Antidote - AV Okubo - Blues - Break for Borneo - Dream Factory - Drum 'n Bass - Editor's Picks - Electronic - Fabi - Fusion - House - House of Blues and Jazz - Jane Siesta - Jazz - John Nguidjol - Jon Parker - JZ - Listen to - LOgO - Music Lover - Phreaktion - Progressive Rock - Ratatat - Rock - Shanghai - Soul - The Dovetail Joints - The Rogue Transmission - The Shelter - Tinho Pereira - UK - Void

May Holidays Were No Holiday for Music

May 6th, 2009 | Posted in Live Music Reviews by mache

Some of my friends are sad that last weekend is over already and some others are happy it is finally over. Last weekend China was invaded by music, it’s been a non-stop music trip since Layabozi began its operations, and the ride is getting more intense every time. One would imagine after a year of this we would already be used to these “rush-hour” weeks of music, but still sometimes it’s overwhelming.

I began May holiday on Thursday night at the already classic Antidote party at C’s, which had an indie rock theme for this edition. I arrived late, right after Brad Ferguson finished his DJ set. Michael Michael told me that when Brad came he said he was thinking about playing a set of Mexican Rock, Michael said to him immediately “Do it! Do it!”. And Brad did it, and it seemed like it was a total success. Shame on me: it’s one more set to add to my list of “I would like to have listened to…”.

The good news was that the weekend was just beginning. So when DJ Sacco took control of the C’s booth, my music trip began. Super Sophia was just coming from the gig with Army of Freshman at YuYinTang, right on time for us to dive on the dance floor together at DJ Sacco’s great set, the crowd danced and enjoyed the sound of the very well chosen electronic guitars and dirty drums.

From Antidote’s at C’s the flow guided us to LOgO. We made it to the after party, after Reptile and Retard, who I knew rocked Vox Bar in Wuhan the week before with the Antidote guys. DJ Alex was on the tables when we arrived to LogO, and though it was the first time I listened to him, the music was fantastic, the place was not very busy, but the right people were there to have the perfect end of the night.

Friday’s music began early evening at YuYinTang with the gig of Crazy Mushroom Brigade , Andy Best’s own favorite Shanghainese band. 仆仆 (Pu Pu ), leader and singer of the band, has total dominion over the stage and the music this time sounded much clearer than other times I’ve heard them. I had fun with them. Creature was the Canadian band, the big dish of the Split Works night. The sound at YuYinTang was really impressive, so much it’s worth it to mention it. The place was full, not packed and impossible, but full enough to not be able to walk around freely. So it was a wonder who was causing the magic there. It just took a look to the back, to see by the soundboard a new face, someone totally unfamiliar, very possible the responsible for the miracle. I hope that whatever was the cause of the great sound is already fixed and set for good at YuYinTang’s soundboard.

Creature, the Canadian band, was very fun, the chicks were sexy, the music was tight, the front man was strong, and again, the sound was miraculous. I was planning to run after to LogO to end at The Shelter, but I was caught by Coco and his friends, and YuYinTang’s garden was haunting, and the people stayed long after the music was over. So the safe way out of there was straight to home.

Saturday came too soon, and the hang over from last night was annoying, but everything was still working perfect. Mike called me to go for dinner, and right after I followed him to his gig, the first set at JZ with Tico’s trio for Latin Jazz. The three members of the band are Tico Cardenas on the piano, Mike “Big Duck” Brownell on double bass, and Pablo Ortega on drums. This trio has been together for some time already, and their concept is pretty cool. Tico is the lead man mixing the Latin and the jazz sound, Mike brings the swing jazzy colors into the latin grooves, and Pablo the Latin drums, with a nice swing touch. All was cool, just when it’s about Latin music, I can’t just passed by without saying, why is always about tropical sounds? Latin music is as vast as Chinese food, and so I’m hoping soon I’ll get to hear some news on Shanghai Latin music scene, some Argentinean zamba, tango, maybe a Peruvian waltz, or some Mexican rancheras (notice I’m not being that picky, if so, I would be asking for some Andean tunes or a Sau Sau). Anyway, these guys are pretty cool, and I must say that you all should go and check them, specially the most awesome, good looking, and coolest bass player ever (who incidentally is our chief editor, and I better pay the proper respects here or I may get fired).

I would have loved to stay to hear JQ with the Abraham Carmona doing their flamenco fusion, but I had to run to Anar. Lions of Puxi have been a success in constant growth since last year. These French-Chinese-Mauritius guys are having so much fun together, it is impossible to avoid their happiness. All of them have been going through different experiments The Swing Gum Dynasty, The Gypsy Jazz band, Noukilla, the Mauritius sega band. And now when you see them on the stage, you can feel with them, this is what they were looking for. They fit together, everyone of them brings their own style and all together they create a general mood of joy, which is perfectly guided by the rhythm of their reggae vibe. Anar has a cool stage and the Lions clearly feel comfortable there. The band finished playing and all the guys jumped off the stage and left quickly, they are all working a lot and the day after there was a recording session for a Jazz album for some of them, TV for others, and a rest day for a few.

Next was again LOgO, Sweet Snacks with S.T.D. The band just finished playing when I arrived, and the general vibe of the people was very satisfied with the gig. The DJ sets began right after. There were four guys in the booth, and a VJ in the back. The graphics were great, and the sound was very impressive too. At this point I was thinking it might be because the spirits of Shanghai were in a good mood and decided not to interfere with the sound waves; it was too much coincidence. The DJ’s were really great, the people was impressed with their sound, the energy went never down, and it was difficult to leave. But Super Sophia and Julie were there and the rumor was “DJ Sacco is playing at MAO and he is going to do his all to get fired.” I was tired, but that is a weird invitation and curiosity has yet to kill this cat, so I had to go. We headed to MAO, a club struggling to survive since months ago, bringing underground DJs reluctantly. What I most regret about MAO is the way they confessed once they didn’t really care about the music they have. Have I told this before? I can’t remember. Anyway, I still remember such words. How can it be possible???

Well, at MAO, DJ Clement was there and he was genuinely angry to see all his friends there, who have never gone to his gigs at MAO. What could I say? Except I hadn’t checked his gigs at MAO but I was there when he played at Dragon with Laura Ingalls, a gig to remember because I learned a lot about Dragon with them there.

Back to DJ Sacco at MAO, there was the usual ‘MAO crowd’, and the others, should I call it the renegades of the electronic music in Shanghai, those that submit to the label of underground, just because they are people who are paying attention to the music and not only to the available drinks and affairs surrounding the speakers, which by the way, talking about sound, MAO’s sound system should be priced with the top one worst.

Sacco’s set was well prepared and disturbing, and amazingly well received. I don’t know yet what the result of the night was. I didn’t stay until the end (7 am), love of music is limited sooner or later by the need for rest.

Sunday was finally a bit slow, the rain and the holiday mood was good. I had a gig myself, and I was planning to go to Anar as soon as I finished, but I finished too late and when friends and me finally arrived at Anar, the music was over and the people were gone. So, LOgO. LogO’s Sunday Jam Sessions changed some time ago, and now they are guided by the Carmona Brothers. The Jam Session was finishing but there was a DJ after (of an unknown name, I was too done to do the proper search) and some of the guys who were just back from the Midi Festival. Some of them were totally discontented with the festival, but some others were so happy about it they had to go out to spread their energy around.

Right now I’m back from Monday at JZ, I made it to listen to the Lawrence Ku’s Trio, with him on the guitar, EJ “Silver Ass” Parker on double bass and Chris Trzcinski on drums. This trio plays a strong and cool kind of jazz–a refreshment for the ears full of rock and beats–nice melodies, cool solos, and well developed dominion on the instruments.

Shanghai has so much music we are not being able to cover it all. The sounds are coming from everywhere, the bikes, the woks, the horns, the yells, the music. It’s  rush-hour in music.



*Photos of Split Works’ Creature at YuYinTang by Damien Chang

tags: Anar - Andy Best - Antidote - Brad Ferguson - Canada - China - Chris Trzcinski - Crazy Mushroom - Dance - DJ Sacco - Electronic - Fusion - Indie - Jazz - JZ - Lions of Puxi - Listen to - LOgO - MAO - Michael Michael - News - Rain - Reggae - Rock - S.T.D. - Shanghai - Split Works - Tango - The Shelter - Tico's Trio - UK - YuYinTang

Funky Afro Peruvian Sound from Radiokijada

April 15th, 2009 | Posted in New Music by ed

(Those are donkey mandibles they are holding, in case you are wondering).

Ever heard of Afro-Peruvian music before? Me neither. But whilst it may sound slightly like a contrived new-age genre (See, for example, Lost Music of Celtarabia), it turns out to have deep roots in the fusion of cultures created by African slaves brought to Peru by the Spanish (I heart you, hive mind). So it’s okay to be intrigued; it does not make you a dirty hippy.

Radiokijada is a collaboration between Christoph Mueller of Gotan Project and Rodolfo Muñoz (percussionist and authentic Peruvian). You can check out their own copy at their MySpace, but essentially this is a mix of European electronic basslines, African rhythms, and jangly Peruvian instruments based on donkey-mandibles. Winner! They recently released an album, Agua E’Nieve, on Wrasse.

There’s an interesting live performance and interview with them on the Beeb, just fast forward through the first irrelevant 10 minutes.

tags: Electronic - Fusion - UK

When Music Is Entertaining: A Chat With Cold Fairyland

February 27th, 2009 | Posted in Interviews by m. e. seeley

We have these people in the world that we call artists.  Maybe you’re one of them, although, if you were, you would probably keep that fact to yourself. So—speaking of artists, what are they exactly? We can divide them up by what they do.  They paint, write, dance, sculpt, draw, photograph, dance, act, perform and play music, among other things.  These are the things they do. And why do they do them? That’s a better question maybe, the old ‘to what purpose?’ Since this is Layabozi, let’s focus on musicians.  What’s their purpose?  Most of us go out to hear a band play because we want to be entertained, I think.  And isn’t that what the majority of bands do really?  They entertain us.  Is that their purpose? Let’s step back a second.  Those other artists that come to mind: the painters (Pollock, Modigliani, Picasso, O’Keefe, etcetera), the sculptors (Rodin, DaVinci…), you get the point. Are they trying to entertain us?  I say no.  Inspire perhaps, or, on the opposite side, offend.

The seed for this thinking came to me during an interview I did earlier this week with Lin Di, lead singer of Shanghai-based Cold Fairyland, and bass player Seppo M. Lehto.  Lin Di is an energetic woman who speaks rapidly and with a lot of youthful passion.

“I don’t care about the audience,” she tells me playfully.  “They know nothing.  They can’t understand music, what’s going on underneath, the different parts.  Lots of meaning, but no one knows.  They are peasants.  They know nothing.”

Lin Di is a classically trained musician that has been playing the pipa since she was four-years-old.  She composes and arranges the music for the band and hands out sheet music at their rehearsals.  The band’s cellist Zhou Shen’an plays in the Shanghai Opera and Cold Fairyland went through a string of guitarists before settling on Song Jianfeng in 2003.

“We rehearse every song for maybe two months or a month and a half,” Lin Di says.  “My musicians, they are always complaining, ‘too difficult, too difficult.’”

Lin Di laughs while Seppo nods and chimes in.

“Do you know how to get a guitarist to shut up?” He asks me.

“You hand him some sheet music.”

Fiddling with a napkin, Lin Di talks about the quality of music in Shanghai.

“The Chinese bands they don’t have their own style.  They don’t have their own original music.  They are copy bands.  Maybe they have a few songs of their own.  They can play for one hour.  The main problem though is with the audience.”

“There isn’t one,” Seppo interjects.

“Yes, yes,” Lin Di continues.  “The venue—the big venue—they know that there isn’t a big enough audience for original music.  They lose money.  So there are no venues, or no venues with a good stage and good equipment, only small spaces.  So, we don’t care about the audience.  Most of them, when they go out, they want to relax.  They think that rock music is angry, too noisy.  That’s one side.  The other thinks that it’s too heavy, too strong with social commentary.  These ‘regular people’ don’t like original music.  Only—maybe—the college students like it, the one’s that haven’t been brainwashed.”

“Or they want people to think that they like it,” Seppo says, and Lin Di laughs and launches off on a story about her friend who married an ugly man because he liked heavy metal music.

“I have no expectations from the people.  I expect nothing from them.  They are empty people…We’re waiting—waiting for the next generation to have power, to make changes.  Right now, people say that our country doesn’t need to think instead it needs to make money and [besides] the people have bad taste.  The successful bands have to please the peasants.  So they write sex and love music.  Music that the government approves of—”

Seppo steps in, saying, “Shanghai, this large city, has no original music.”

“We’re on the way to the next level,” Lin Di continues.  “Future people might look at our age and learn something from it.  Right now, there are so many good things that the people can’t see.  They have to learn to see.  That’s why I put little secrets in my music.  For the few that can learn.”

So should musicians be entertainers?  Is that their purpose?  To be like little monkeys in red caps dancing to their own wind-up toy?

Cold Fairyland will be playing at the Melting Pot on Heng Shan Lu on March 4th.  For more information on the band, look around Layabozi or check out the band’s website.

tags: Cold Fairyland - Fusion - Rock - Shanghai