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Dou Wei & the Mu Liang Wen Wang: "Mu Liang Wen Wang" (2003) 01. Heavenly Drums (Dou
Wei: electronic piano/keyboards; Wang Xiao Fang: dulcimer; Wen Bin:
keyboards/drums) the Mu Liang Wen Wang are: Wen Bin, Wang Xiao Fang and Dou Wei Recording engineer: Liu Yi Ning
Dou Wei has been trying diverse changes of ambient music all these years, and with the luxuriant Chinese traditional culture elements that he has been infusing, his music has been profound and capriccioso for the listeners to follow. Therefore it is hard to define this new album in which he cooperated with a new lineup; perhaps we can call it Neo-Folk Music. Dou Wei had cooperated with many artists before, from The Dreaming, E Band to The Not Sure Yet, and now The Mu Liang Wen Wang. In each of his cooperation, his music had kindled flash and brought shock to the whole Chinese music scene. Perhaps we can call the previous period "the hallucination era", while the "Mu Liang Wen Wang" era would turn a brand new page for Dou Wei. The inspiration of this neo-folk album was out of a sparkling whim when Dou Wei exchanged musical ideas with Wen Bin and Wang Xiao Fang. They decided to use dulcimer as the main instrument, and remained Dou Wei's experimental ambient effect and anolog sound, added with Chinese percussion (gong and drums), rock and jazz drums' rhythm, and random noise. The result is that they set the sound of dulcimer, flute and other folk instruments free from melody, and further more they borrowed the academic minimalism to create a layering, sparse atmosphere. Overall, this is a mature neo-folk masterpiece, all tracks are uniquely original, Wang Xiao Fang and Wen Bin created Chinese classical atmosphere with dulcimer and keyboards respectively, while Dou Wei showed his abilities to perform different instruments: electronic piano, keyboards, gong, flute, dulcimer, he decked the main melody with diverse sound effects, maybe he was in high spirit when he was playing, in some tracks his sound effect had become the finishing stroke. Take "Andante" for example, in the beginning the smooth melody by the electronic piano sounds like a tranquil lake, and in the middle of the track the gong and the drums with the background of thunder and rain throws the track to a climax, then the dulcimer sometimes showers, sometimes drips, one can imagine a storm on a lake from roaring to silence, that was wonderful. The sober "Heavenly Drums", the jolly "Dancing Stage for the King", the crystalline "Ceaseless Melody", and the swaying melody with jazz drums and chimes of the "Surrounded by Bamboos", the harmony of melodies and instruments manifested the remarkable skill of the three artists. Dou Wei has revealed his extraordinary inspiration in Chinese folk music, and endowed folk music with more alternative ways of expressing. His new album is intriguing, it's fair enough to say "Mu Liang Wen Wang" is the best Chinese neo-folk album in recent years. (written by: Dong Hao, translated by krazy) |
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