| Bob Shanren — Left Foot Dance of the Yi (2014) |
Shanren — Left Foot Dance of the Yi 
♣ Chinese indie folk quartet Shanren formed in 2000 in the country's remote Yunnan province.
♣ The mountains of south–western China have inspired the folk traditions of those living in their shadows for millennia. Now, Shanren follow their ancestors' footsteps with a mash of traditional Chinese folk and buzzing modernity on their infectious international debut Left Foot Dance Of the Yi.
♣ Shanren mix the traditional folk music of their native Yunnan province, in southwestern China, with Western rock music: the sleevenotes point at Led Zeppelin and Red Hot Chili Peppers, but the actual mix sounds more like a Chinese–accented Jethro Tull, heavy on wobbly dabiya and strummed xianzi and qinqin but with a robust foursquare folk–rock stomp.
Location: Yunnan province ~~ Beijing, China
Album release: January 27, 2014
Record Label: Riverboat
Duration: 38:10
Tracks:
01 Wandering 1:40
02 Thirty Years 3:15
03 Laomudeng Village 2:18
04 Bi Li Tong 2:30
05 Song Of The Wa 3:10
06 Mountain Grass 2:00
07 Left Foot Dance Of The Yi 3:54
08 La Suo Mi 3:08
09 The Crab 3:58
10 Yi Wa 3:47
11 Happy New Year 4:32
12 Lost 1:34
13 Drinking Song 2:24
Written:
♣ Xiao Bu Dian 4
♣ Qu Zihan 11
Personnel:
♣ Qu Zihan — Guitar, Vocals
♣ Ou Jianyun — Drums/percussion
♣ Ai Yong — Bass
♣ Xiao Bu Dian — Ethnic instruments
CREDITS:
♣ Xiao Bu Dian Arranger, Composer, Photography, Vocals (Background)
♣ George Day Cover Image
♣ Sam Debell Arranger, Flute, Percussion, Production Coordination, Vocals (Background)
♣ Li Gexi Photography
♣ Brad Haynes Coordination, Design
♣ Rachel Jackson Sleeve Notes
♣ Ou Jianyun Arranger, Drums, Vocals (Background)
♣ Kevin Metcalfe Mastering
♣ Martin Rawlins Engineer, Mixing
♣ Shanren Producer
♣ Ai Yong Arranger, Bass, Percussion, Photography, Vocals
♣ Qu Zihan Arranger, Composer, Guitar, Vocals
REVIEW
Robin Denselow, Thursday 23 January 2014 21.00 GMT; Score: ****
♣ Subtitled "And other Chinese folk–rock anthems", this marks an intriguing development in the Chinese music scene. Shanren come from the mountains of Yunnan, in south–west China (their name means "mountain men") and mix the traditional music of the local Yi and Wa ethnic groups with western influences. The album starts with a sound montage: chanting local field recordings matched against street noises from Beijing. Next, they ease into cheerful, energetic traditional songs, with their harmony–singing backed by traditional instruments such as the xianzi and qinqin lutes, along with bass, guitar and drums. Then they begin to experiment. A traditional Wa song gives way to Chinese rap, and Happy New Year mixes half–spoken vocals with an unexpected rock guitar riff. Most successful is the easy–going Yunnan children's song The Crab, which is given an infectiously slinky reggae backing. These are Chinese folk–rockers to watch. ♣ http://www.theguardian.com/
Artist Biography by Timothy Monger
♣ Chinese indie folk quartet Shanren formed in 2000 in the country's remote Yunnan province. Currently based in Beijing, the group fuses together a mix of indigenous music, rock, reggae, and even ska, using traditional instruments like the four–stringed xiangzi and the xianggu drum. Shanren feature members from various regional ethnic minorities like the Wa and Buyi from Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, and incorporate elements of those folk heritages into their music. Led by guitarist and singer Qu Zihan along with bassist Ai Yong, drummer Ou Jianyun, and multi–instrumentalist Xiao Bu Dian, Shanren released their self–titled debut in 2009. Their energetic live shows have gained them a large following in their native China and they have expanded their touring into Europe, making festival appearances in Spain, France, and the U.K. Their second album, Left Foot Dance of the Yi and Other Chinese Folk–Rock Anthems, was released internationally in 2014.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanrenband
Agent:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/shanren ♣
_____________________________♣♣♣♣♣___________________________
| Bob Shanren — Left Foot Dance of the Yi (2014) |
♣ The mountains of south–western China have inspired the folk traditions of those living in their shadows for millennia. Now, Shanren follow their ancestors' footsteps with a mash of traditional Chinese folk and buzzing modernity on their infectious international debut Left Foot Dance Of the Yi.
♣ Shanren mix the traditional folk music of their native Yunnan province, in southwestern China, with Western rock music: the sleevenotes point at Led Zeppelin and Red Hot Chili Peppers, but the actual mix sounds more like a Chinese–accented Jethro Tull, heavy on wobbly dabiya and strummed xianzi and qinqin but with a robust foursquare folk–rock stomp.
Album release: January 27, 2014
Record Label: Riverboat
Duration: 38:10
Tracks:
01 Wandering 1:40
02 Thirty Years 3:15
03 Laomudeng Village 2:18
04 Bi Li Tong 2:30
05 Song Of The Wa 3:10
06 Mountain Grass 2:00
07 Left Foot Dance Of The Yi 3:54
08 La Suo Mi 3:08
09 The Crab 3:58
10 Yi Wa 3:47
11 Happy New Year 4:32
12 Lost 1:34
13 Drinking Song 2:24
Written:
♣ Xiao Bu Dian 4
♣ Qu Zihan 11
Personnel:
♣ Qu Zihan — Guitar, Vocals
♣ Ou Jianyun — Drums/percussion
♣ Ai Yong — Bass
♣ Xiao Bu Dian — Ethnic instruments
♣ Xiao Bu Dian Arranger, Composer, Photography, Vocals (Background)
♣ George Day Cover Image
♣ Sam Debell Arranger, Flute, Percussion, Production Coordination, Vocals (Background)
♣ Li Gexi Photography
♣ Brad Haynes Coordination, Design
♣ Rachel Jackson Sleeve Notes
♣ Ou Jianyun Arranger, Drums, Vocals (Background)
♣ Kevin Metcalfe Mastering
♣ Martin Rawlins Engineer, Mixing
♣ Shanren Producer
♣ Ai Yong Arranger, Bass, Percussion, Photography, Vocals
♣ Qu Zihan Arranger, Composer, Guitar, Vocals
REVIEW
Robin Denselow, Thursday 23 January 2014 21.00 GMT; Score: ****
♣ Subtitled "And other Chinese folk–rock anthems", this marks an intriguing development in the Chinese music scene. Shanren come from the mountains of Yunnan, in south–west China (their name means "mountain men") and mix the traditional music of the local Yi and Wa ethnic groups with western influences. The album starts with a sound montage: chanting local field recordings matched against street noises from Beijing. Next, they ease into cheerful, energetic traditional songs, with their harmony–singing backed by traditional instruments such as the xianzi and qinqin lutes, along with bass, guitar and drums. Then they begin to experiment. A traditional Wa song gives way to Chinese rap, and Happy New Year mixes half–spoken vocals with an unexpected rock guitar riff. Most successful is the easy–going Yunnan children's song The Crab, which is given an infectiously slinky reggae backing. These are Chinese folk–rockers to watch. ♣ http://www.theguardian.com/
♣ Chinese indie folk quartet Shanren formed in 2000 in the country's remote Yunnan province. Currently based in Beijing, the group fuses together a mix of indigenous music, rock, reggae, and even ska, using traditional instruments like the four–stringed xiangzi and the xianggu drum. Shanren feature members from various regional ethnic minorities like the Wa and Buyi from Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, and incorporate elements of those folk heritages into their music. Led by guitarist and singer Qu Zihan along with bassist Ai Yong, drummer Ou Jianyun, and multi–instrumentalist Xiao Bu Dian, Shanren released their self–titled debut in 2009. Their energetic live shows have gained them a large following in their native China and they have expanded their touring into Europe, making festival appearances in Spain, France, and the U.K. Their second album, Left Foot Dance of the Yi and Other Chinese Folk–Rock Anthems, was released internationally in 2014.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shanrenband
Agent:
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/shanren ♣
_____________________________♣♣♣♣♣___________________________