Lets see some studio pics

[xander]

You have no idea...

Actually, I have several friends in Nanjing (where the girls are formidably beautiful -- You are lucky!

she's not from Nanjing /but she's beautyful nontheless )- she only lives there for a year to improve here Chinese - she's half vietnamese/german

This place is the most awesome undiscovered realm of art and musically creative pleasure on the planet. I thank God everyday that no one believes it!

Quite honestly, this is THE place to be if you have any creative talents at all.

WARNING: The energy rush may be crippling to your health!

this is what I've heard as well about Bejing - when I go to China in summer we'll probably visit Bejing as well - a friend of my lady is running an art-gallery there and another one works a a model...

Half Vietnamese/German? She must be awesomely beautiful!

I live close to the big German community here in Lido, near the Lufthansa -- most happening area in town!

Be sure to give us a shout Jens when you head this way!

[jens]

Half Vietnamese/German? She must be awesomely beautiful!

I think she is!

I live close to the big German community here in Lido, near the Lufthansa -- most happening area in town!

Be sure to give us a shout Jens when you head this way!

Will do!

(it probably will be in July)

[Lunatique]

I dunno about Beijing being some kind of awesome art/music scene. I mean, there IS a scene, but a lot of it is very pretentious. I have a buddy there who's a famous sculptor, and he describes the art scene there as "the mafia with paint brushes." It's like, if you're in, you're a made man kind of thing. When he showed me around and introduced me to all the big names in Beijing, I saw a lot of pretentious "trying to be clever and shocking" bullshit that gets passed off as art, but then again, you get that in any city. The entire music scene in all the Chinese countries (China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong--yes, I think of it as another country) are pretty crappy in general. Lots of repetitive Canton pop and ripping off their Asian neighbors (Japan and Korea) and also America. The mainstream dominates to the point where if you deviate even slightly from the commercial crap, you probably will not survive and must get a day job. The average listener has HORRIBLE taste in music because they simply don't know any better. The IS an underground scene, but a lot of it is just imitating western music like death metal, rap, punk, and the more annoying genres of electronic music. There was a time when China rock thrived in the early to mid 90's with bands like Black Panther, Tong Dynasty..etc, but that movement died out long ago. Dou Wei is one of the last remaining guys still duking it out, and he's gone totally ambient and experimental. In comparison, Taiwan, just a tiny little island, has a far more interesting music scene. When I was doing music there, the scene was just intense. The people there are far better educated and cultured in general too--no remaining symptoms from the cultural revolution and decades of communism/poverty/secret police. The communists should never have won the war.

[xander]

I dunno about Beijing being some kind of awesome art/music scene. I mean, there IS a scene, but a lot of it is very pretentious...

This is really getting way off topic for this thread, I just wanted to post a pic of the studio I work in, but I guess I have to answer. I'm not trying to be some sort of 'Embassador' for China or anything, but I am enjoying myself -- it's awesome for me -- and I'm doing well. It's just another big f**ked up Asian city with all the ups and downs just like any place with zillions of people.

As far as art is concerned, you can find originality anywhere -- there's nothing that different in China, good or bad, from any other f**ked up place -- every place is more or less the same these days -- just have to either find a scene or make one. f**k politics and governments -- it's all about people anyway...

It sure as hell isn't boring and my experience is there's a lot of cool stuff happening here (or I wouldn't be here), so there it is!

and then there's the girls...

Anyway Hey! It's party-ville! Let's make music! What the hell else is there?


Back to talking studio pics?

Just want to add for clarification also, that I don't know so much about other artforms, but what is happening in the film, radio and television industries is what I am talking about, and it really is amazing. Major people like Tarantino, Miramax and Universal are expanding here and there are many great opportunities. Right now we're doing scores and dubs for some fantastic martial arts films that will soon be released in the West, and it's pretty exciting. Another friend of mine from New York is doing full cycle animation, partnering with some major UK and Spanish art houses. The anime scene alone is expanding at an incredible rate.

[John Vulich]

...xander. Are you Chinese? If not, how did you end up there.

[xander]

...xander. Are you Chinese? If not, how did you end up there.

Not Chinese -- a blonde-haired laowei,

I was sent to Hong Kong in the late eighties and installed CANTUS/NEXUS type desks for TV studios in Beijing and Shanghai. I've always been fascinated with martial arts films, cheesy Bruce Lee-style jazz scores, Kung Fu epics, most things Japanese and so forth and so was my brother. So I have spent the better part of my working life in this part of the world.

My brother and I started a small production company in 1998 in Beijing, then moved it to Sapporo, Japan, then back again in September last year. My brother was killed in October when he crashed his glider in bad weather. On my own now.

[j_p]

Yeah but that PCR-1 is a pretty neat little package. I use one!

It's actually a little Evolution MK-425C - those PCR-1's look pretty sweet though.

Oy! Do you live in my house??? Actually mine is the same 'cept for a KVM switch due to lack of space. Much better now the hardware is all gone!

Mine is just a dual monitor set up. I'd love some flatscreens - but then I wouldn't have an all year round face tan.

[jens]

...xander. Are you Chinese? If not, how did you end up there.

Not Chinese -- a blonde-haired laowei,

a laowei from where?


sorry about you brother b.t.w.

[braj]

My son has taken over the 'studio' for a little flying practice.

[Lunatique]

xander - sorry to hear about your bro. I'd be pretty torn up if one of my bros were to leave this world like that. I share the love of music with one of them, and that was a big part of our relationship--listening to music together, hunting for rare and obscure music at used CD shops, going to concerts, him attending my live gigs..etc.

I get really critical of China because I'm in a unique position of having been born in Taiwan, educated in the U.S., and then marrying a girl from China and living here. I see things from the insider's POV and a lot of it disappoints me or pisses me off. I know musicians shouldn't care about politics, but China's music scene is the way it is directly because of the damage politics has done over the decades. The Cultural Revolution is the single worst thing to ever have happened to China, and I sincerely wish all the negative symptoms will wash away eventually.

Anyway, I'd love to hear about your experiences in Japan and China, and I would also love to find out your views on the differences between the two countries. Japan is such a completely different place--far far more advanced than China, in technology, living standards, entertainment, education..etc. When I was there, I felt like I had stepped into a science-fiction world of the future. There's nothing else like Tokyo on this planet. Simply amazing.

[scuzzphut]

braj - your studio appears to have no speakers
is your music silent???

btw - cute kid

[braj]

braj - your studio appears to have no speakers
is your music silent???

btw - cute kid

No, I have ultra-powerful Logitech 5/1 speakers I mostly use headphones though. When I get some money....

[xander]

xander -

Lunatique -- I moved this to a new thread so we don't get too OT.

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 60#1031860

[vurt]

[Soniccat]

In looking at your pics John, I should post mine, Looks alot the same, especially the ashtray sitting next to the MS key board with the Novation behind it.
I have to setup my camera but will do that and post sometime tonight.