Sounds from the Ancient East Beyond the Vast Ocean in New York
When I immerse myself in the composition ‘Touch of Scarlet,’ I am often enveloped by a nuanced blend of familiarity and mystery. The music, characterized by electrified traditional Chinese instruments like Erhu and Pipa, invites those with Chinese backgrounds or familiarity with Chinese culture into a world where closeness and a touch of the unknown coexist, creating a unique and enchanting musical experience.
Please listen to ‘Touch of Scarlet’ here:
The piece is composed by the band The Either. Formed in New York City in 2017, the band consists of members Zongli on vocals, Jiaju on pipa, and Wang Yang on erhu. The band is known as using electric traditional Chinese instruments in performance and composition.(1) The musicians’ genre of music is best described as electronic, rock, and dance-pop, which also incorporates futuristic elements and plugin features.(2)
Wang Yang is standing on the left, Zongli is in the middle, and Jiaju is on the right. Picture taken from the band’s official website: https://www.the-either.com/music
In any circumstances between April 2023 and September 2023, I had the opportunity to contact my high school teacher, who is from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and used to work with Zongli, as he is her senior from the university. I had the opportunity to meet Zongli virtually, and we had a few conversations about the core of music, the context of music, and its goals. The band’s core values are globalism, technology, and futurism, as specified on their official website. Moreover, their music goal is not only to share Chinese culture and tradition but also to let it converge with other diverse communities. They believe that no culture is absolute, and everything can be blended, adapted, which is the same for other Chinese-background people who live in the U.S. and may face difficulties. (3) Returning to ‘Touch of Scarlet,’ the lyrics of this piece are in English. The context revolves around not caring about people’s judgment. No matter what happens, the message is to stay true to yourself, and you are beautiful. Zongli wants to convey the importance of staying confident, assuring that everything will be fine, and emphasizing that no one can judge your culture.
The influence of Chinese culture spans the globe, encompassing mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, and various diasporic communities worldwide. China has a long history of ethnic diversity, officially recognizing fifty-five ethnic groups. (4)
In recent years, a growing number of Chinese students have been pursuing higher education ambitions by attending overseas universities, particularly in the United States. However, they often grapple with significant stress, facing challenges in integrating with U.S. cultures and being minorities in U.S. communities. This phenomenon is not unique to students; individuals who come to the U.S. for work opportunities also encounter similar cultural barriers.(5) Simultaneously, these individuals bring forth cultural influences that their ancestors carried in the last century. Modern Chinese compositions frequently showcase composer Tan Dun (谭盾) as an post-modern exemplary figure.(6) In the realm of old traditions or compositions, artists routinely transform ancient melodies into new, innovative pieces. (7)
“Rolling in the deep” but with Qin(琴/古筝):
Chinese Jingju, but with rock in the game Genshin impact:
Reference:
(1) ZongLi. “About.” THE EITHER. Accessed December 10, 2023. https://www.the-either.com/bio.
(2) Lau, Louise. “Electronic or Rock? It’s the Either.” Offstage Tunes, March 3, 2020. https://www.offstagetunes.com/musician-stories/electronic-or-rock-eastern-or-western-its-the-either.
(3) Zongli. In discussion with the musician. Between April 2023 and September 2023, 2023
(4) Titon, Jeff Todd, and Timothy J. Cooley. Worlds of Music: An introduction to the music of the world’s peoples, 385-386. Australia: Cengage Learning, 2017.
(5) Kun, Yan. “Chinese International Students’ Stressors and Coping Strategies in the United States.” Education in the Asia Pacfic region issues, concerns and prospect, volume no.37. 2016
(6) Battier, Marc. “Crossing Lines: Stylistic Gradients in Chinese Electroacoustic Music: Organised Sound.” Cambridge Core, December 15, 2022. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/organised-sound/article/crossing-lines-stylistic-gradients-in-chinese-electroacoustic-music/D4CFE45FA2D0154FA9BFDCD57E1C40B8.
(7) Thrasher, Alan R. “The Melodic Structure of Jiangnan Sizhu.” Ethnomusicology 29, no. 2 (1985): 237–63. https://doi.org/10.2307/852140.