Songs For Workers is the second album by Tian Qiyi who are the band of Jah Wobble's sons with his wife Zilan Liao who blend Chinese/Mongolian traditional music with dub and post punk in intriguing ways. Tian Qiyi are John Tian Qi Wardle, Charlie Tian Yi Wardle, Jah Wobble with Morin Khuur, Er Hu, Ghijik, Yang Qin, Mike McGoldrick, Martin Chung. Produced by Tian Qiyi (Charlie Tian Yi Wardle and John Tian Qi Wardle). Recorded at Pagoda Studio, Airtight Studios, and Pressure Drop. Engineering by John Tian Qi Wardle with Seadna McPhail and Will Farley. Mixed by John Tian Qi Wardle, with additional mixing by Charlie Tian Yi Wardle & Jah Wobble.
The album opens with UlaanBataar that has slow strings and what sound like Mongolian horses galloping across the speakers with some gentle tambourine.
At The Beginning takes the strings racing away with bass and percussion to evoke the wide-open plains, the flutes sound like exotic birds chattering over the wide open vista, until you can hear the whoops and hollers in the distance from the Horsemen.
The Route Of Desire is a song for seeking the right path, to achieve what it is you desire the most, with a blend of traditional Mongolian throat singing encased in the strings and hand drums. The squalling flute line mimics a Jimi Hendrix guitar solo, is a thing of wonder, before the tune goes a little bit bonkers.
Mongolian Dub has deep rumbling bass and drums with the Chinese opera style vocals sending out messages across the ages. With the vocals sounding like they are imparting ancient Mongolian aphorisms.
Watch the Sunrise is the ancient spirits calling for the renewal of being outside, breathing deeply and possibly practising Tai Chi at the break of day, Tablas and strings are like a gentle morning breeze, with the bells and tambourine being more like an early morning shower.
Dharma has a meditative feel both through the drum pattern and the flute, that breezes though this tune, with the mantra like core sound bringing you closes to Dharma.
Luoyang enmeshes the listener in beguiling strings, metronomic percussive elements and some odd synth effects that build tension and groove.
Siege has the armies gathering outside the city walls ready to attack and bring heartbreak to all those inside the walls, it almost feels as if messages and orders are being sent through the music, nothing good will come from this Siege, both sides will lose.
Dharma Ambient opens with a flute calling everyone to meditate, hand drums tap out the mantra, the vocals lay out just how you need to centre yourself to bring the Dharma closer to your essence.
The album closes with the title track Songs For Workers that the sort of rhythm that will get you working intensely on the task at hand, which in the case of this album is to make some truly beguiling music that merges cultural influences in original ways.
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