TIAN QIYI are brothers John Tian Qi Wardle and Charlie Tian Yi Wardle who recently released their sophomore album `Songs For Workers` which follows their 2024 debut `Red Mist`. The release blends dub, post-punk and experimental production with rich influences from traditional Chinese, Mongolian and Irish music. The brothers` mother is orchestra founder Zilan Liao and their father Jah Wobble the legendary ex PIL bass player who adds his talents to six of the tracks on the new album.
This long player opens with a couple of instrumental tracks with `Ulaanbaatar` which appears to be named after the capital and most populous city of Mongolia and `At The Beginning`. The former is fairly dream like as if it`s awakening from a brief torpor while the latter is much more frantic and manic with a gentle bass line almost adding a sense of opposing calm throughout.
`The Route Of Desire` is an affirmation of love and yearning and begins quite illusory and has some interesting throat singing. At around two thirds of the way through it becomes more psychedelic and out there. There`s a kind of hypnotic and spellbinding vibe to the rhythmic `Mongolian Dub` which blends a taste of East meets West.
`Watch The Sunrise` feels as if it`s a transcendental mantra quite spiritual heading towards self-examination. A tender meditative cleansing of sorts. The rhythmic and percussive `Dharma` fuses Chinese and Mongolian traditional sounds with Celtic tinges and had an Afro Celt Sound System texture at times. Dharma is often translated into English as ‘righteousness’, ‘law’, ‘religion’ or ‘truth’ and literally means “what is established or upheld.”
`Luoyang` is among the oldest cities in China and one of the cradles of Chinese civilisation and is the earliest of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. The number is musically busy which possibly mirrors the cities atmosphere and environment. There was an edginess or nerviness to `Siege` which felt quite apprehensive as if the precursor to a major incident.
`Dharma AMBIENT` is delightfully hallucinatory and psychotropic and for me felt like an astral projection or spiritual journey. The final cut is the title track `Songs For Workers` which is bass lead and another ethereal ambient otherworldly experience and no better a track to close out on.
John Tian Qi Wardle and his brother Charlie Tian Qi Wardle have certainly inherited their parents’ talents and `Songs for Workers` is a delightful showcase of two differing but compatible musical cultures and styles.
Rating 9/10
