Just added a ton of new photos to the
photos section.
BEIJING, 3/24
I was pretty messed up leaving Paris. Tired, sick, quite heartbroken from the Alex weekend. It didn't get any better spending my third night on a plane in 5 days, more or less. I arrived in Beijing sick, groggy, unable to fight. Direct flight, tho, which was nice, and the formalities were pretty easy. It was cold, grey. Not that I could keep my eyes open. Ilichi from the band i was to be working with,
Hanggai met me outside customs. Hanggai make revved up music based on Mongolian folk music. Most of their songs are sung in Mongolian, a few in Chinese. Most of the band is originally from Inner Mongolia, i.e., that part of China which lies next to Mongolia. The band formed in Beijing in 2002 and has released an album that shows their acoustic side, but has since then developed a much more dynamic live show and has been a hit at festivals around the world. They are signed to a Dutch label for Europe, and like the case the The Girls who I recently worked with, this project landed on the desk of
JB Meijers, who was too booked up to do all the days needed, so trusted me to get the project going and work on the basic tracks and hand it off to him--he'll show up here in a week or so, soonest he could do it. Actually, there's something really great about doing a major part, but all of, a recording--you don't get overwhelmed, you can concentrate on details, and you know that in potential the more brains work on something, the better the results. It takes like-minded brains, but JB & I have established we have a pretty consistent and compatible POV, so all good.
So, first mission: sleep. I know, breaking the jet lag rule, but with all I've been thru, it's been some months since I've thrown that rule out the window. Straight to my incredible room at The Emperor Hotel, just outside the Forbidden City (so I guess, it's in the Allowed City). It sounds corny to say, but I really believe that some principle has been applied, perhaps just good design (and perhaps those are two ways of saying the same thing) but this is far from the standard room in terms of look, feel, layout or shape. Shoebox shape, but don't let that throw ya. The bed is kind of tucked in and the two windows facing outside blocked by a pillar which holds the TV...hard to explain but I sleep so incredibly well here. The view of Forbidden City and Jingshan Park from the 4th-floor breakfast room is marvelous. In general the impression I have of Beijing is spaciousness. Trees, broad streets, lots of stretches where most buildings don't rise above three or four floors...of course there are tall buildings too, and some of the most radical architecture I've ever laid eyes on. The popular form here (and I believe *is* influenced by Feng Shui principles) is to have a huge arch-shaped office building that engulfs a massive glass walled atrium. This I see over and over. There's a hotel that is typical skyscraper shape until you get close to the top then it is shaped like...smoke, or a dab of shaving cream, or a melting skyscraper...not sure. The Holiday Inn that looks like it's made out of sandstone. Weird and wonderful stuff.
The other odd feeling of Beijing, again, at least in this area, is the emptiness. Biking home from the studio tonite, there was nobody on the street, just after midnite on a Saturday...what the...?
Ok, ok....I digress again and again. I got up in the evening, and cabbed to the venue. Driver was bummed I gave him 100 Yuan note and tipped himself a tenner accordingly. And gave me a lecture. I found a few Europeans heading towards an unmarked doorway about five and half feet high and found myself in the
Yugong Yishan, where I was to support Hanggai. I made my way backstage and found the band and introduced myself. Huricha, the singer, and his wife and 3 year old son; Lead guitaris Iko; Bagen, who plays what they call a fiddle but is more in the range of a classical western cello--it has two strings, and you make notes by balancing your fingers on the neck next to, but not really on, the string of choice--but sometimes on, making harmonics. It's amazing what sounds these players can get out of deceptively simple-looking instruments. What's more, Bagen is also great at throat singing (what singing *isn't* throat singing, you all ask). This is the art of singing a low droning note and then getting your vocal chords to oscillate a harmonic that moves independently, it sounds like whistling, in way. You sing two things at once. Bagen can sing regular notes at astounding depth, so I guess he is working with 8 octaves--at least. We already met Ilichi, who plays a small banjo-like instrument and other small acoustic instruments of local origin. There's Xu, who plays guitar and a lute-like instrument. Xin, who plays bass and Li Dan who plays drums, but a mix between a conventional rock kit and a batch of percussion...no hit hat, no snare. Also there was Ilichi's wife Jennifer who speaks excellent English and an American expat, Tracy, who goes way back with the band ans speaks excellent Chinese, both have been invaluable as translators, as the rest of the band speaks little to no English (that they are comfortable trying, anyway). A few other friends trickled in and out. I got my act together and went onstage, the club was pretty full, so...lots of peeps, lots of chatter but it didn't bother me, I'd heard audiences in China could be jabber-y. I walked out with my guitar and Jennifer announced me in Chinese, and I announced myself and off I went, a short, fun set, my voice sounded OK even tho I was sick and tired, technically. Maybe even better than oK! I hopped off the stage and took my mic, and delivered the goods for about half an hour, point blank. One audible 'no way!' came out of one Scott from the band
Argo, Seattle guy now living in Hong Kong who was in town for biz. He used to live literally around the corner from me in Seattle. So did I.
After the show, I watched Hanggai's set and chatted with people, there were a lot of expats in the room. And then...crashed.
Since then, I've been here three days--the day after the show/arrival day, I slept in, went to a freezing cold gear rental/rehearsal place to pick out what amps to rent for the session, and we had a fun dinner with the band talking about the session, drinking 'Great Wall' cabernet, etc. Another good sleep and it was work time. The first day was a set up day, at
A-String Studio, basically trying to find the proper mics etc to record a 7 piece band live. There isn't a ton of equipment here, in fact, my only choices are really mic placement and making sure the instruments sound good--I have no compressors or other trickery to work with. Even the mic selection is a little limited, but I brought mine and JB sent a couple over, so we're OK. I have a great engineering team, and the band is superb. Jerome, a Dutch fellow who made all of this project happen--he's technically their booking agent but is really so much more, arrived on Friday and he's been great too, he's been here a few times so I have various perspectives on how to navigate. What's been brilliant is that we now have bikes given to us by the hotel, and the studio is like a seven-minute bike ride from the hotel. The sun is out, even tho it's still cold. The Hang-guys said this winter was one of the coldest (they are from Inner Mongolia, for crying out loud! So, not to be taken lightly) they can recall. It gets in the low thirties F at nite. But the days are pleasant. I'm amazed at how calm and spacious this city of some twelve million (!) people is...I'm sure there are more bustling neighborhoods but where we are is considered the center. Think of it more like Central Park, tho, and I think that gets an idea.
Today was our first official day of recording stuff and it's been awesome. Despite/because of the limitations, we've made beautiful, natural, live recordings; the studio room is big enough to get some separation but just enough bleed to sound organic. They guys are patient and I am just very happy to be there, you know! Great players, so things come together quickly. It will be a great record, no doubt...
Love
KS
Beijing
