Zuoxiao Zuzhou
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History
Ex-founder of the band No
Biography taken from his official website:
Rock N' Roll Master、Contemporary Artist
Zuoxiao Zuzhou is a Beijing-based Chinese legendary rock musician and a contemporary artist. He founded the influential indie rock band "No" in early 90's in which he played various roles as the lead vocal、guitarist、violinist and songwriter. Additionally, he is a renowned poet、novelist、record producer and film music composer. He is also the pioneer member and founder of the avant-garde artists commune "Beijing East Village".
Zuoxiao Zuzhou was born in Nanjing city in Northern Jiangsu Province, China. His parents worked on a transport boat where he grew up listening to their chants and shouts at work and witnessing their positive attitude which casts a long shadow over him musically. A self-taught instrumentalist who commits himself to experimenting various music styles, exploring different approach to convey his feelings deeply inside, he ends up earning him a cult following and has influenced subsequent songwriters despite being low-profile and having little radio or MV support. Zuzhou’s critically acclaimed studio albums win lavish praises from China's harshest music critics and earn him numerous awards.
In June, 1994, he co-founded “No” with Ye Qian.
In the fall of 1994, Zuzhou, Ye Qian, Bian Ba Ping Cuo and Lu Qi recorded their first studio song called "Puzzling”, which was put out in 1995 by YinYue Chuanxu Company in Hong Kong. "Puzzling" possessed an "extremist-gloom" sound which, combined with Zuzhou's wild violin, as well as a dismembered kind of ultra-realist style, would bring "No" their first taste of fame.
In the winter of 1995, Lao Ge recorded Zuzhou, Ye Qian and Yu Wei Min's second studio song entitled "Six Flowers". Because of the strange and obscure lyrics, this song was cut from that years "Beijing Rock and Roll II".
In 1995, Zuzhou co-work with Brazilian musician Silvia Ocounge to the film director Ma Yingli's movie "Season of Miandi"
For the next few years, Zuzhou turned his full attention to engaging in a silent exploration of his own music. He focused on putting the unique wild violin style developed in his early years to use in vocal performances, creating a voice both lunatic and indifferent. It was in particular his personalized stress, soprano vocal style that stirred a vocal revolution in Chinese rock. By the end of the 90's, Zuzhou had already risen from a Beijing Punk singer to a stage performance artist. From his savage "mad-violin" vocals he created a personal voice- beat, broken, sorrowful and full of beauty. It is a mixture of folk music and vanguard rock.
In March of 1998, Zouxiao Zuzhou produced No's first album entitled "The Missing Master" with guitarist Hu Zi, drummer Zhang Wei and bassist Li Jian. The album included songs written by Zuzhou between the years 1993 and 1996.
Vanguard musician Li Jinsong's Record company "Sonic Factory" produced this album in October of 1998. December 3rd of that same year this album was chosen as one of Music Life magazine's ten best Chinese albums of 1998. February of the next year, "The Missing Master" was also chosen by Music Heaven magazine as one of the top ten Chinese albums of '98. In March "The Missing Master" ranked third amongst Sound and Image World's ten greatest Chinese albums. In April, Bad Head record company produced "The Missing Master" in Mainland China. That same month Shang Hai Radio ranked it ninth in their "China Original Music Billboard". This album maintained its position for thirteen weeks as number three on X- music's sales billboard in the month of June. In March of 2000, "Genuine" ranked second in X-music's 1999 ten greatest singles category, No ranked amongst 99's greatest bands, and "The Missing Master" was number eight among 99's ten greatest albums.
"The Missing Master" won the high praises of one of China's harshest music critics. Southerner Zhang Xiaozhou, in Music Heaven magazine, said of No's "The Missing Master":
"...it's an extremely distinctive album; naturally excavating the possibility of a fine timbre and tone from an environment lacking synthesizer, other electronic sources or even an effects machine..."
About the song "Ah Shi Ma" Zhang says:
"Zuzhou is like a naked, transparent drunk (a Wine God?!), from start to finish emitting screams of pleasant surprise. It is a great poem of praise.... From amongst Zuzhou's final agony and filthy, morbid condition is drawn, as if sucking blood, a tragic setting sun. 'Lost Master' is a milestone event."
Yang Bo in "Hong Kong Macao News" comments:
"No's music is like the wise proverb: 'a steal fist in a velvet glove'. From within the maelstrom of Zuzhou's clever surrealist and impressionist dirty words and curses struggles to the surface a pure, aesthetic poetry. Zuzhou's Jiangsu, Zhejiang pulls from the very spine of his band a heavy sense of native place -like a literary bandit of his homeland. From both a musical and cultural perspective, No explores the direction of China's rock and roll personality."
Hu Lingyun comments on "The Missing Master" saying:
"Resounding in wisdom, it's unusual form kindles a fire of aggressive emotion. The album's sound and consciousness will not grow stale, even for years to come."
Yan Jun, a northern critic says:
"(The Missing Master is) a reality invented within an absurd, nonsensical theme. Naturally overflowing, complex emotions form a unique style of expression: both standard and unusual use of mastered guitar, bass and drums."
Tao Ran believes "The Missing Master" is:
"An album possesses both sense and emotion. It has become a model example of experimental sound albums."
Hao Fang in "Another Side of the Velvet Revolution" states:
"No's pack of dogs, bowl of Gongbao diced chicken, pair of apples, electric socket and six flowers are the secret location of this age. It's a archive for the amateur historian."
In 1999 Zuzhou and the East Village artist's collaborative effort, "Add a Meter to the Nameless Mountain" entered the Venice International bi-yearly exhibition.
After the release of "The Missing Master", Zuzhou reorganized the musicians in No. Guitarist Zhu XiaoLong and keyboardist Gou Dagang of the band Tongue, English musician Kristian, bassist Li Qiang and percussionist Zhang Wei began producing the album "Trip to the Temple Fair".
"Trip to the Temple Fair" included Zuzhou's new-phase work entitled "Bitter Ghost", as well as the result of many years of painstaking effort entitled "Can It Be That". Owing to the intensely realist, critical nature of the lyrics, four of the songs on the album could not be made public. The music was also remixed and it wasn't until January of 2000 that Bad Head records put the album on the market.
The music critic Yan Jun wrote:
"Trip to the Temple Fair", compared to "The Missing Master" has more bass, more muddy effects, and more stubborn rhythm because a generation of underground elitist's who bid farewell to their own emotional expression have finally begun to shoulder their responsibility.... It also made No research new methods, traditional opera, foreign sound, the use of violin with conventional rock instruments, the use of high tones and disordered structure to develop acoustics, even surpassing the most popular electronic beats."
Zhang Xiaozhou wrote:
"This time Zuzhou threw down his velvet gloves, punching straight at reality.... In "Father" he uses a violin, teulin (instruments created by a local musician) and kazoo together to take No's sound to its aesthetic extreme."
The critic Sun Mengjin of Shang Hai says,
Whether you want to be yelled at or not, "The Missing Master" is suffering for struggle, while "Trip to the Temple Fair" is a smile for misery.... "Trip to the Temple Fair" is a trip to death, "Bitter Ghost", "To Wrong", "New Year's Eve"... the first step in a series of songs, a series of waltzes.
X-Music Magazine's Critic Peng Hongwu comments:
"Trip to the Temple Fair" uses a variety of pitches, and folk styles in perfect harmony. It embodies another side the old rock and roll vanguard melancholy working class emotion and open-heartedness. "Bitter Ghost" takes on the throbbing pains shouldered by the life of an entire generation. It trudges to a summit of bitter indignation... From avant-garde literature, performance art and other musical forms comes this old warrior of rock and roll- Zuoxiao Zuzhou's wit and humor once again flows vividly, leaping out in the company of pure blood and sweat. It's far more digestible than "The Missing Master". "New Year's Eve", "Memorial Day Star" and others are smoother, kinder to the ear. The pillar of his voice branching out in an aray of musical accompaniment is the support by which this entire album is held upright.
In April of 2000, Zuoxiao Zuzhou published his first full-length novel "Barking at the Tomb". Hao Fang writes in the forward:
"Barking at the Tomb" is a novel about the despair of a generation. Historical scars, political despair, economic banter and lost spirit all rapped together calling out; helpless, dejected, dependant, indignant and crazed it is a casting out, a breaking out all of the symptoms of a generation of China's youth at the century's end.
Yanjun's afterword states:
Zuoxiao Zuzhou is not a fearless, revenge-seeking warrior on the battleground of modernism. He is merely a melancholy mad dog. While this country's artists sprinkle away life for the glory of wild imagination, he is only honor, the illegitimate child of dignity and love.
Also in January of 2000 Zuoxiao Zuzhou created, under his own name, the album "Zuoxiao Zuzhou at Di An Men". Scream records released it in November.
On Feb, 2001, Zuzhou produced his third album" Zuoxiao Zuzhou at Di An Men", was issued on Nov. by Scream Records, China, overseas version was issued on Dec. by Hardcore Pop, Taiwan.
In this album, he merged personal affection and social subject altogether on the height where he achieved narrative and lyrics of a condensed quality expression.
In 2003, Zuzhou's music score for film of Zhu Wen 《South of the clouds》granted the award "The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema" of 54th Berlin Film Festival. The renowned violinist Sheng Zhongguo has listed in the musicians.
Jun 26, 2004, Zuzhou devoted two years for reversion and issued "Trip to Temple Fair" for discontented the original version been transformed arbitrary. Hardcore Pop, Taiwan took over the new version issue. In the same year, Zuzhou scored the film theme for Jia Zhangke's movie 《The world》.
After three years of silence, Zuzhou issued his third luxurious album "I Can't Sadly Sit by Your Side" in 25, May, 2005. Assembled elites from music industry, included co-producer spinfun, the legendary producer from Taiwan, female songwriter, alternative music producer of Taiwan Chen Shamni performed a duet with Zuzhou, and the virtuoso guitarist, his best friend Li Yanliang played the theme song for the album. The first edition manufactured 2000 copies, per 150 RMB, marked the highest price for single item in china during the phase of depression of the industry. This move brought out a disturbance to the media at the. The album hence become the most expensive solo album in China.
Oct 14, 2005, Zuoxiao Zuzhou performed for PRADISO "China art festival" in Amsterdam.
20th, Jan, 2006,Zuoxiao Zuzhou and Wang Tu 's film work《LITTLE BROTHER》 plus photograph co-work with Li Wei, 《880》exhibited in Singapore visual art space
1st, April, 2006, new work for film music《The U. S.A.》, follow the former producing direction of "I Can't Sadly Sit by Your Side", was issued. It is a collection of two film music from Zu Wen 's 《South of the clouds》and Jia Zhangke 's 《The world》, a vocal music"The night in UIan Bator", and Roger Savage, producer and engineer for The Rolling Stone handled post-remix of:"Lugu love Song" . This album was one of Top 10 Chinese Records of the Year of Rolling Stones Magazine(China), and Ulan Bator Night was one of Top 15 Chinese singles of the Year of Rolling stones Magazine(China).
March 8, 2008, Zuoxiao Zuzhou released his double CD《You Know Where The East Is》. the ablum which produced from May, 2007 to Feb, 2008, was written spanning12 years. It carrys on his traditional unchangable elements such as his edgy、sarcastic、humorous lyrics of black humor which has been intensified.《Methodology》, a quotation from ex-Chinese boss Jiang Zemin's speech of 15th Congress, was arranged by Zuzhou experimentally which completed a brilliant political pop art exhibition. One of two albums covers is a contemporary picture called《I Love Contemporary Also》which earns his name again in art field. As his best album ever in his own view, Critics commented on it:"If Chinese music critics still has self-respecting judgement, the truth is, no matter how many years later when we look back on this double CD ( super costly and super heavy), which still remains the most beautiful record of this time musically and humanly." This album is truly a magical and great album which brings Zuzhou a number of odd social effect.
《You Know Where The East Is》is the tribute album of 2009 of Nangfang Daily's Culture Original Chart.
Feb 28, 2009, the rerecorded 《The Missing Master-Ultimate Version》was launched at Renmin University of China where the leading figure of Chinese contemporary art Ai Weiwei signed copies for Zuoxiao Zuzhou.
Dec 12, 2009, Zuoxiao Zuzhou’s latest studio album 《Big Deal》, an album of 360 degree phase position were issued. Simultaneously,《The Missing Master-Remix Version》were issued by Taiwan-based label Noble incorporating remix version created by musicians such as Wang Fan、Hu Zi、Guo Dagang、Li Bohan、Duan Yingmei、Chen Weilun、Lei Lin、Xu Tong、B6 and DEAD J.
Feb 14, 2010, 《Zuoxiao Zuzhou OST For Ai Weiwei Works No.1》was launched for free.
Mar 19, 2010, Zuoxiao Zuzhou’s debut theatre concert was held in Beijing Century Theatre after numerous underground shows in bars and livehouses. The concert features top notches such as Ai Weiwei、Ning Hao、Meng Jinghui、Jia Zhangke、Zhu Wen and Li Yanliang behind the scenes. It turns out a major success, and the DVD will be put out soon.
Studio Albums
2010
Zuoxiao Zuzhou OST For Ai Weiwei Works No.1
2009
The Missing Master (Remix Version)
Mainland China Distribution
Label: Noble, Taiwan
Big deal
Mainland China Distribution
Label: Zhongti Audio & Video Publishing Company, Beijing
The Missing Master (Ultimate Version)
Mainland China Distribution
Label: Zhongti Audio & Video Publishing Company, Beijing
2008
You Know Where the East Is
Mainland China Distribution
Label: Zhongti Audio & Video Publishing Company, Beijing
2006
The USA (Soundtrack Album)
Mainland China Distribution
Label: Beijing Film Academy Audio & Video Publishing Company
I can’t Sit Sadly by Your Side
Taiwan Distribution
Label: Music Free, Taiwan
2005
I can’t Sit Sadly by Your Side
Mainland China Distribution
Label: Beijing Film Academy Audio & Video Publishing House
2004
Trip to Temple Fair
Taiwan Distribution
Label: Hardcore Pop, Taiwan
2001
Zuzhou at Di’anmen
Mainland China Distribution
Label: Jingwen, Beijing
Zuzhou at Di’anmen
Taiwan Distribution
Label: Hardcore Pop, Taiwan
1999
Trip to Temple Fair
Mainland China Distribution
Label: Modernsky, Beijing
The Missing Master
Malaysia Distribution
Label: HuangHuo, Malaysia
The Missing Master
Mainland China Distribution
Label: Modernsky, Beijing
1998
The Missing Master
Hong Kong Distribution
Label: Sonic Factory, Hong Kong
Singles:
1994
Puzzling
Label: Music Communication, Hong Kong
Discography
Albums
OST For Ai Weiwei Works 1 - 2010
The Missing Master - 2009
The Missing Master (remix) - 2009
Big Deal - 2009
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You Know Where The East Is - 2008
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You Know Where The East Is 2 - 2008
The USA - 2006
Trip to Temple Fair - 2004
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Zuzhou At Di'anmen - 2001
Compilations
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Title - Year
Festival Participation
Further Information
