Crystal Butterfly
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History
Called "Space Rock" by their record company, main influences are Brit-rock like U2 and The Cure, with a splash of Old Shanghai jazz and an urban surrealist sensibility.
Hu Die, or Butterfly, was among old Shanghai’s foremost glamour queens. In the cultural melee of the 1930s and ?0s, when Shanghai was as often called the Hollywood of the East as its Paris, Hu Die and others such as Ruan Lingyu and Bai Yang charmed audiences around China and around the world. Her films included classics such as Sister Flower, Madness, and Sorrows of the Autumn Fan, and she was also a well-known singer. She was the first Chinese actress to win international fame, and her circle of intimates included Charlie Chaplin, among others. Hu Die was very much entangled in the intrigues of old Shanghai, and was the mistress of Kuomintang intelligence mastermind Dai Li. She had a colorful career indeed. It was in evocation of Hu Die that Shanghainese band Shuijingdie (Crystal Butterfly) selected their name. The band concedes that the connotations initially appear more feminine and delicate than might be appropriate for three twenty-something guys. They insist, however, that their follow Shanghainese understand the reference to Butterfly’s glamour and mystery, as well as to an era when creativity flourished in the midst of chaos and corruption.[1]
Formed in June 1998 with three of the four remaining members from Lunar Eclipse (月蚀乐队) (formed 1994; other prior members went on to form The Honeys 甜蜜的孩子 in 1997).
Original members singer/bass/rhythm guitar Li Pang 李乓 (aka 乓乓, real name Li Jianfeng 李剑俸), guitar Wang Wenwei 汪文伟, and drummer Chen Song 陈松. Poached Vicky’s Area’s bass Guo Shengsheng 郭生生 for about 4-6 months in 1999, but then let him go. In 1999 or 2000, they started borrowing Qiqi 琦琦 from Chan, and in 2003 he joined the band officially, although he also later joined Blue Garden. The band added another member, an expatriate name Jon, in 2006.
November 1998, won three awards including best band at the MTV Band Call competition at the Hard Rock Cafe on Nanjing Lu.
2000, November 18, signed with Beijing’s New Bees Music (北京新峰唱片公司)
2002, March 6, move to Beijing to record album; return roughly a year later. The album's release was delayed for several years due to conflicts with the label.
2005, May, Magical Mystery Tour 神秘旅行 (Dumb English title compliments of New Bees, don’t blame the band) finally released with a small party for friends only at the old Tanghui.
The band recorded material for a second album, entitled Forest of Illusions, named after one the band's first songs 梦幻森林. However, the band's contract with New Bees ended in December 2005, the company is trying to sell the material to a third party, and the recordings will probably never come out. The band's rights to re-record the tracks are under discussion.
November 20th, 2009, they performed at the MAO Live House Shanghai. According to Jake Newby: They made a big thing of their comeback - there was a countdown on the screens behind the stage to the start of their first song. Pang Pang came on wearing sunglasses and an unbuttoned shirt and proceeded to touch the hands of people in the front row (...)[2]
Participated Festivals
Dino Beach Rock Festival - June/July 2007
Discography
- Dreamy Forest 梦幻森林, CD, Album / Soma Cultre / 2010-08-25
- Blurry 模糊, Digital Release, EP / SOMA / 2010-07-15
- Magical Mystery Tour 神秘旅行, CD / 北京新蜂音乐制作有限公司 / 专辑 / 水晶蝶
- Indieblog Update 独立日记, CD VA / 北京新蜜蜂音乐制作有限责任公司 / 2005-9-30 / Various Artists
External Links
Official pages
Other pages
- Gua'er (SUS2) Profile of Crystal Butterfly
- New Bees' Crystal Butterfly site, with photos, articles and biography (down)
Articles
- A rather error-riddled December 1998 article introducing Crystal Butterfly
- A slightly more accurate October 1999 article profiling Crystal Butterfly's development
- Crystal Butterfly featured in GigShanghai #1
References
- ↑ "In a Gadda da Shanghai Crystal Butterfly takes wing". Lisa Movius (Chinanow.com) (unknown). Retrieved on 2008-12-14.
- ↑ Jake Newby (2009-11-21). "The Mushrooms and Crystal Butterfly, Mao". Retrieved on 2009-11-21.
