August 23, 2006
In my last entry I promised you more random links, but I've decided to get a little less random this time and focus completely on two great resources for downloading Asian sixties grooves.
Tofu Magazine
The first comes from yet another great magazine that found it much easier to push pixels than print: Tofu Magazine was a Hong Kong experiment that debuted a couple of years after the HK handover. Describing that heady era in the territory, publisher Benoit Dupuis says "It was a time of great expectations, from which little has emerged beyond the consolidation of cultural uniformity." Alas, only three issues of intelligent, stylish and bilingual Tofu came out.
Lucky for us, Benoit and co. kept the faith and went virtual. Most important to our purposes, they have put together the best permanent collection of 60s pop mp3s from the Chinese diaspora that I've found yet. Be sure to scroll horizontally or you might miss free downloads by the Quests, Mystics, Zoundcrackers, Lotus, Reynettes, Rita Chao and other pushers of instrumental and vocal a go go sounds.
My Video A Go Go
Aren't we sick to death of the overhyped YouTube by now? Hell no. For your viewing pleasure, I've put together a list of my favorite East and Southeast Asian 60s pop clips. Get your fill of Japanese surf and Khmer oldies. I'll be adding to this over the coming months, so check back often.
August 19, 2006
News | Random Japanese Music Links |
I just finished my intensive Chinese summer class at University of Chicago and have allowed myself to relax with some random websurfing and email checking, yeilding this lovely crop of random Japanese music links:
avant japan
Sonore is a very interesting Japanese label featuring electronics and sound artists such as Yuko Nexus6, who just played last night in Chicago, matched up with a taiko group led by Japanese Chicagoan Tatsu Aoki (head of label Asian Improv). Many Sonore releases are available on iTunes, including the latest from Yuko Nexus6, which focuses on the manipulation of the human voice.
j-pop magnet
Junk Magnet is an old West Coast zine that's been floating in my peripheral vision for as long as I care to remember. These days, it's one of those websites I accidentally end up on every now and then because, though it may not be updated that often, the writer's tastes are in the same ballpark as mine. Behold, if you already haven't, the Junk Magnet J-pop page.
I wound up on the page last night after watching Shunji Iwai's All About Lily Chou Chou, a seminal film for those interested in Japanese youth, music and internet cultures--it's also thoroughly depressing. Beautifully shot in digital video, the plot revolves around twisted Japanese teens obsessed with the Bjork-like and fictional J-pop idol Lily Chou Chou. For this to work, the music in question would have to be quite good... and it is. Junk Magnet offers up links and info on the singer behind Lily, Salyu.
Another find on the Magnet Japan page is PineAM, a catchy electronic girl group that crafts polished pop. Nice sounds... check out their MySpace Page. Actually, they sent me a review copy of their year-oldPull The Rabbit Ears. I sent it to another reviewer and that person never wrote the review. Sorry, PineAM!
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I've got a lot more in the old link bag, so maybe I'll stretch this out over another entry. Until next time!
August 15, 2006
Mei Han and Paul Plimley | UME--Improvisations for Zheng and Piano |Za Discs | China
Composer/improviser Jonathan Chen sends us this review of the new collaboration between zheng (Chinese zither) player Mei Han and pianist Paul Plimley:
When listening to the new disc by Mai Han and Paul Plimley it is surprising how much their improvisations sound like compositions. The improvisations are so well crafted and balanced that it is as if each musician is instantaneously composing a part that fits perfectly with the other. This is true from the first track "Terra Mova" to the last track "Interval of the Avatar."
"Silken Steel" is a mixture of the traditional chords and sounds of the zheng with straight ahead jazz chords played by the piano. The improvising in this track shifts back and forth between these styles. At certain moments in the CD, the similarities in sound between the piano and the zheng are such that it is difficult to tell them apart. These moments are countered by the bending of the zheng strings, which is done in such a way that the sound is often more like a blues guitar than a traditional Chinese instrument. It is crucial that Plimley’s sound is restrained during the more intense zheng playing. Plimley maintains a reserved sound while Han dives into an uninhibited barrage of bending and vigorous strumming in "Echos of Bela," making you wish that the great banjo virtuoso would challenge his instrument in such a physical way.
In "Blue Now," the melodic content is anything but blue. Both players are bursting with energy. Plimley’s hands, though well under control, fly all over the keyboard while Han meticulously strums chords on the zheng. The slower, contemplative Matter into Waves explores a more western classical sound, though there are occasionally jazz elements such as descending chords in the piano echoed by the zheng. The final track "Interval of the Avatar", continues in the classical vein with elements of jazz noticeable in the arpeggios played by either instrument.
While this recording demonstrates a more pitch-oriented approach to improvising, the ideas are so unique and inventive that an exploration of timbre is not missed, and in this case could even be considered an attribute. All in all, UME is a beautiful collection of improvisations made by two excellent musicians --well worth having in your collection.
News | Radiodiffusion Internasionaal Ebay Auction |
Stuart from the world retropop site Radiodiffusion Internasionaal is auctioning off a bunch of music right now, including several old 45s from Thailand and Indonesia.
This could be a good chance to pick up some Southeast Asian vinyl history without bleeding your wallet on overseas shipping costs.
August 01, 2006
Various | Radio Thailand |Sublime Frequencies | Thailand
buy it
Maybe I'm just getting too much of a good thing in the past few years from Sublime Frequencies and similar labels, but the recent release Radio Thailand left me slightly underwhelmed. In it, Alan Bishop applies his now standard Radio series m.o. of editing and assembling music and other radio broadcasts collected over years of visits to Thailand. The styles represented include molam, luk thung, folk music and classic Thai pop, all of which have been covered better on other discs. (For example, see SF's own crucial releases Molam: Thai Country Groove from Isan (CD) and Phi Ta Khon--Ghosts of Isan (DVD); Subliminal Sounds' Thai Beat A Go-Go Volumes 1, 2 and 3 cover Thai retro pop quite well.) To its credit, Radio Thailand includes other styles such as kantrum and contemporary Thai pop which aren't as readily availble to western listeners, though arguably, these styles aren't as entertaining. Also, at double disc length, Radio Thailand feels a little too long and, maybe fittingly, features a few too many Thai commercials.
All that said, there are some great segments on these discs sure to liven up any mix CD or mp3 playlist. Bishop really hits his psychedelic stride when he cuts and pastes at high and indiscriminate speeds--eg., a chipper variety show singalong meets 90's keyboard workstation molam rap becomes alien flute utterances turns into traditional Thai/big band hybrid on the track "Isan Immortal." When the music is hitting this fast and furious and the hairs in your ears are standing up to catch all the unfamiliar sounds, there's really nothing to complain about. This set may not be as good as Radio Phnom Pehn or as tripped out as Radio Pyongyang, but it's still more interesting than the average Pitchfork reviewer's top ten list hands down.