Image via Cool Hunting
From China, the group consists of “field recording/noise artist/poet Yan Jun, folk artist Xiao He, Guqin master Wu Na, multi-instrumentalistLi Daiguo and tea master Lao Gu,” according to the band’s website. If you listen to Ceremony, the group’s first album, it’s like a mix between a David Lynch film and a soothing (yes, soothing) walk on the beach. The group told The Beijinger that their sound is “homemade medicine for the mind.” And that’s not an overstatement.
Image via Cool Hunting
“We all love new music, different kinds of Chinese traditional music, improvisation, nature and each other,” said Li Daiguo (also known as Douglas Lee) when asked by Cool Hunting on how The Tea Rockers Quintet works together because of the variety of their musical backgrounds.
“Finding the right blend is a matter of mutual listening and enjoying each others’ sounds. Musicians are often regularly getting new ideas or developing new skills and techniques, so it’s really important to improvise together to listen to who a person is and what they are saying at that moment and not be stuck in some image you have of their identity or who they should be based on your past experiences with them.”
The Tea Rockers Quintet evokes a sound that’s both still and delirious. Either way, it’s music that you probably wouldn’t have imagined yourself, and even more especially because of the mere unknown factor. Traditional Chinese tea ceremonies are often compared to art because of the intricacies of preparation and consumption so it’s no surprise that this musical group is along the same vein.
Image via Cool Hunting
Over the last ten or so years, as music has become increasingly more accessible because of the Internet and the ability to download a song (or an album—or an entire discography) at the tip of your fingers, those with a taste for music can search for practically anything and satisfy their desire for the most obscure music out there.
And increasingly, innovative images and video are available so even though you know you may not make the concert, you can still get some sort of feel for the aesthetics behind the band. So brew a cup of your favorite flavor and sit back and relax. But as The Beijinger says regarding The Tea Rockers Quintet, “Be careful not to overdose.”
Image via Cool Hunting