In 2003,
producer and songwriter Dave Liang launched
his career with impressive force, producing
for artists on major labels such as Bad Boy,
Motown, and Universal Records. These
successful forays into the realm of
commercial music have earned him high
credibility and recognition within the
industry. With
The
Shanghai Restoration Project, his
first complete album, Liang inventively
marries traditional Chinese instruments with
modern hip-hop and electronic production,
bringing the ancient world to life in the
21st century.
"There is a void of Chinese American music
given all the recent political and
commercial attention on China," he says. "My
aim with this project is to capture and
reflect that tension while introducing new
sounds that result from the fusion of the
two cultures."
Liang's music has been featured in films
such as Red
Doors (Winner TriBeCa Film Festival
'05), on programs such as KCRW's "Morning
Becomes Eclectic", and in clubs and lounges
the world over. In 2005, he signed a deal
with Outernational Music, the licensing
division of Thievery Corporation’s label,
ESL Music.
About the
Project:
The Shanghai Restoration Project draws its
creative inspiration from the old 1930s
Shanghai jazz bands, an early combination of
East and West that has become an
international legend. Today’s Shanghai is a
chessboard of similar tensions and
dichotomies: exotic versus familiar, lore
versus technology, and most importantly,
traditional Chinese philosophy versus
contemporary life.
The
Shanghai Restoration Project captures
and explores these tensions by introducing
Eastern instruments and rhythms to the
Western sounds of hip-hop, jazz, and pop.
As a Chinese-American, Liang aims to revive
the exotic blend of the original Shanghai
Jazz bands in a modern context: "Like the
rest of the world,” he says, “China is
changing so much, but it's doing so on an
entirely different level from the rest of
us. It's time to explore that idea
musically."
About
Reinterpretations:
Reinterpretations is more than a remix. The
spirit of the Shanghai Restoration Project
has been preserved, but the chords have been
rewritten, the tempos have been
recalibrated, and the styles have been
altered.
Producer Dave Liang reintroduces the
listener to the project through a series of
eight experimental lenses, each portraying
Shanghai in a different light. Whereas the
original Shanghai Restoration Project drew
its inspiration from the 1930s Shanghai jazz
bands, Reinterpretations looks to the
transformative pulse of modern day Shanghai.
Staying faithful to its predecessor,
Reinrepretations incorporates elements from
each of the original 15 tracks, paralleling
Shanghai’s own reinvention. Listen closely.
Interview
with Dave Liang:: conducted
by
JiZO Jewles
PA:
Can you please tell us about yourself? Where did you
grow up and what you are doing these days?
Dave:
I was born in Kansas but spent most of my
childhood/teenage years in New York State. After
college, I relocated to New York City where I
currently work as a music producer.
PA: What made you want to get involved in
the music industry? Are you a musician yourself?
Dave:
When I was four years old my mother took me to my
first piano lesson. I grew up playing mostly
classical but shifted towards jazz in my teenage
years. In middle school, I began learning guitar as
there were certain songs that I wanted to play that
simply didn’t sound right on piano. By the time I
had graduated from high school, I knew I wanted to
end up in the music industry.
PA: What individuals/things/events have
influenced your decision to pursue a career in
music?
Dave:
My mother is the primary reason I ended up in the
music industry. While many other Asian-American
parents use piano lessons as a disciplinary tactic,
my mother always sought out teachers who emphasized
musicality and improvisation. Simply learning how to
play notes on a page was not enough. When I decided
to leave the corporate world a few years ago to
pursue my passion, she stood behind me 100%.
PA: You have mentioned that one of your main
goal is to revive the exotic blend of the original
Shanghai Jazz bands in a modern context. Can you
tell us more about the "Shanghai Jazz band" and why
you are so passionate about this music?
Dave:
In my mind, the infusion of Chinese voices and
instruments into American jazz in 1930s Shanghai was
the perfect blend of East and West. After the war
broke out, this unique fusion of sounds disappeared
from the mainstream as China became more and more
isolated from the West. Only in the last few years
have Westerners begun to reacquaint themselves with
the “Pearl of the Orient.” The Shanghai
Restoration Project is meant to mirror this
renewed appetite for “East meets West.”
PA: What is the favorite song you have composed
or produced so far?
Dave:
My favorite song on the project is “Miss Shanghai.”
It’s the top selling track on the album and appears
to resonate with listeners in all sorts of ways:
lyrically, melodically, harmonically, etc. On my Reinterpretations project, I had a lot of fun
remaking the song into an acoustic version (“Miss
Shanghai Close Up”) and a downtempo version (“Miss
Shanghai Revealed”).
PA: What type of music do you enjoy listening
to the most? Dave:
I tend to listen to many different genres, whether
it’s hip-hop, electronic, R&B, rock, alternative,
pop, jazz, classical, or even country. I can always
find something to like in every type of music.
PA: Are you trying to create an entire new
sound that could be identified as an "Asian american"
created sound, unless it has already been done? Dave:
The sound that I produce accurately reflects who I
am, a Chinese-American. With the Shanghai
Restoration Project I was only trying to tell my
own story and not necessarily that of an entire
demographic. However, many Asian-Americans have told
me that they can also identify with the music.
PA: What in your opinion has been preventing
or is still preventing asian americans to break into
the mainstream? Dave:
I think there are two factors. First, historically
many Asian-Americans have not been willing to take
the risk of being in the music industry. Secondly,
Asian-Americans don’t tend to unite behind one
artist or genre like other demographics do. These
barriers, however, will undoubtedly decline over the
next few years.
PA: Are there any specific artist you would
like to work with? Dave:
There are many artists I would love to work with
someday: Alison Krauss, Yo-Yo Ma, and Jay-Z are just
a few that come to mind.
PA: Do you perform live? If yes do you
perform with a group? Or as a soloist?
Dave:
Given that my work is primarily producer-driven, I
rarely perform live. However, at some point I will
probably consider branching out.
PA:
Thank you for accepting to do this interview. Best
of luck to you David.
Dave:
My pleasure. Thanks so much for the thoughtful
questions.
David
Liang's "Introduction (1936)"
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