Thursday, February 25, 2010

John Parrish: She, A Chinese

I am sure everyone who travels experiences the same monotony. How is one supposed to consume all those hours of waiting when reading becomes boring, music becomes mundane, and people-watching just becomes repetitive? My remedy, explore things you often would not.

I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of John Parish's She, A Chinese Soundtrack and I am so very thankful for it. It strays ever-so slightly from my regular listening and it has been a surprising little voyage. Soundtracks have always been a mystery to me and I feel one can only really grasp them when they are heard in context; not so with Parish's work here. I have found myself listening to this frequently and it comes in very handy during those "waiting" times.

I hate words like "crescendos" and "ambiance" in musical reviews but, unfortunately, they cannot be ignored in this case. Parish pushes boundaries with regards to sound and tonal exploration. He has just the right mix of Eastern and Western influences, which includes Chinese punk bands bumping up against Feist, and it works perfectly. My favourite track is Li Mei & Rachid which has a thrilling quality to it which almost sounds like audible redemption.

Check out She, A Chinese Soundtrack by John Parish

John Parish - Li Mei & Rachid

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