Illumin8tors light up stage
By Brian Offenther |
May 3, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
IF the last album released by Shanghai artists shows how deep the local scene's music is, the next demonstrates its breadth.
The former is a bluegrass album by Tom Pang & Friends (Shanghai Daily April 5), an album whose somewhat antiquated genre limits its audience. Even its high quality will likely only expand that a bit.
Looking forward to a wide open road is "Solar/Lunar - The Legend" by the Illumin8tors.
The Illumin8tors' CD "Solar/Lunar - The Legend" will be available for the first time at Mao Livehouse (308 Chongqing Rd S.) on Sunday at 8pm. Admission is 50 yuan (US$8); the discounted album will cost 30 yuan.
"Solar/Lunar" is an adaptation of the music theater piece performed by the Illumin8tors in various rock clubs. It's a rock opera, as the story is mainly told through the rock music performed by the group, its members each playing a role.
For example, the man thumping the drums, Dave Hampson, also acts as the narrator, the Jade Rabbit.
Hampson's frequent narration is a linchpin, giving the lowdown on the story, allowing the actual songs to sink in naturally, making the plot easy to follow. Hampson likens his character to counter-culture journalist Hunter S Thompson, but listeners will hear a bit of Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow character from "Pirates of the Caribbean" in his charming eccentricities.
Hampson performs frequently in Shanghai, having played with the Beat Bandits, Hotter Than Teppanyaki and The Macaronians, among others.
His fellow Illumin8tors have extensive and varied experience. The album incorporates a wide range of styles, including blues, rock, Indian-influenced sitar, Jamaican-influenced reggae and even a club track. Each song has its own character, but at its heart the music is blended into a hodgepodge from across the musical spectrum.
Many people contributed, but the musical director is Adam Gaensler of Luwan Rock Studios, who did production of the album and contributed guitar and vocals. That bringing together of various music strands is the strongest element of "Solar/Lunar" and shows the immense growth potential of music in Shanghai.
The former is a bluegrass album by Tom Pang & Friends (Shanghai Daily April 5), an album whose somewhat antiquated genre limits its audience. Even its high quality will likely only expand that a bit.
Looking forward to a wide open road is "Solar/Lunar - The Legend" by the Illumin8tors.
The Illumin8tors' CD "Solar/Lunar - The Legend" will be available for the first time at Mao Livehouse (308 Chongqing Rd S.) on Sunday at 8pm. Admission is 50 yuan (US$8); the discounted album will cost 30 yuan.
"Solar/Lunar" is an adaptation of the music theater piece performed by the Illumin8tors in various rock clubs. It's a rock opera, as the story is mainly told through the rock music performed by the group, its members each playing a role.
For example, the man thumping the drums, Dave Hampson, also acts as the narrator, the Jade Rabbit.
Hampson's frequent narration is a linchpin, giving the lowdown on the story, allowing the actual songs to sink in naturally, making the plot easy to follow. Hampson likens his character to counter-culture journalist Hunter S Thompson, but listeners will hear a bit of Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow character from "Pirates of the Caribbean" in his charming eccentricities.
Hampson performs frequently in Shanghai, having played with the Beat Bandits, Hotter Than Teppanyaki and The Macaronians, among others.
His fellow Illumin8tors have extensive and varied experience. The album incorporates a wide range of styles, including blues, rock, Indian-influenced sitar, Jamaican-influenced reggae and even a club track. Each song has its own character, but at its heart the music is blended into a hodgepodge from across the musical spectrum.
Many people contributed, but the musical director is Adam Gaensler of Luwan Rock Studios, who did production of the album and contributed guitar and vocals. That bringing together of various music strands is the strongest element of "Solar/Lunar" and shows the immense growth potential of music in Shanghai.
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