Psych Rockers Chui Wan Partner With Grizzly Bear and Animal Collective Hitmaker; Perform New LP Sep 1 at Yugong Yishan

For many bands, the chance to work with a hotshot producer might tempt them to pine for superstardom and a lunge toward the mainstream. Thankfully, Chui Wan isn’t that kind of band. Yes, the members of the Beijing-based psych troupe (a staple of Beijing label Maybe Mars’ roster) didn’t let their collaboration with Rusty Santos go to their heads, even though the producer has helmed hits for indie titans like Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear. Instead, Santos helped Chui Wan go ever weirder on their latest LP, The Landscape the Tropics Never Had, set for release on September 1 via Maybe Mars (they'll perform a release party gig at Yugong Yishan that same evening). Below, vocalist Yan Yulong and lead guitarist Liu Xinyu tell us more about what their latest recording experience was like.

Tell us about working with Rusty Santos for this album.
Yan Yulong: Rusty has a wealth of experience and knows all about many different styles of music. His methods in the studio helped make complex operations simple and efficient. Even as a New Yorker, he has a deep understanding of Asian culture, which is rare. 

We finished all the work in 10 days and then spent several days together in Beijing. The whole process was very enjoyable and we’ve kept in touch with him since. 

Liu Xinyu: Rusty's homepage lists all the albums he has produced or worked on, and most of them are among my list of favorites. I also like how he used YouTube throughout the process to recommend music to us, and show us examples of other songs as a way to convey ideas. It was a very smooth and relaxed way of working.

What recent events in your life affected the writing and recording of this album the most? 
YY: One major thing was the closing of the XP in 2015. The musicians and friends that worked and played there lost a foothold and it more or less changed everyone's life. But even after that, we all kept making music. Sometimes there is no suitable venue for underground performances. In between performances, our friends would often gather to chat and drink, a pastime that inspired many of the lyrics on the title track. 

And what inspired the song "One Eye Closed"?
YY: We had numerous muses for this song – drawing on the minimalistic, experimental styles of avant-garde composers Michael Gordon and Arthur Russell. The lyrics are about people experiencing communication problems and turning a blind eye to it.  

Can you tell us where the album's cover art came from?
YY: It’s based on a picture called “Desert,” by acclaimed Chinese artist Li Gang. Rusty saw Li’s exhibition this past November and absolutely loved it. It depicts the intense desolation of the desert with discarded everyday items and appliances. That notion very much fit the tone of our new album. So we contacted Li and asked if we could use his work for our album cover. He quickly agreed, and it made for a very happy collaboration.

Chui Wan’s new LP The Landscape the Tropics Never Had will be released on September 1 via Maybe Mars’ Bandcamp and a release party at Yugong Yishan on the same day at 9.30pm (more info on that gig here).

More stories by this author here.
Email: kylemullin@thebeijinger.com
Twitter: @MulKyle

Photos: Sim Chi Yin VII Photo Agency, courtesy of Maybe Mars