British avant-garde experimental musicians Tian Qiyi return with their latest single, Dharma, graced by the legendary bass vibrations of Jah Wobble. Marking the final taste before their second LP, Songs For Workers (out June 27 via Pagoda Records), the track epitomizes their thrilling, multicultural alchemy.
Far beyond a mere family affair, Tian Qiyi unites brothers John Tian Qi Wardle and Charlie Tian Yi Wardle with their father, Jah Wobble, a cornerstone figure of post-punk and dub, melding these deep influences with the expansive cultural heritage of their mother, Zilan Liao. Their moniker itself, drawn from the brothers’ middle names: “Tian” shared between them, “Qi” (together), and “Yi” (one), is emblematic of their approach, an eclectic unity transcending musical and cultural boundaries.
Dharma flows effortlessly between transcendent Eastern psychedelia and rhythmic hypnotism. Charlie’s ethereal voice drifts seamlessly over entrancing percussion laid down by John Tian Qi, his delivery charged with an otherworldly allure. The brothers’ intricate command of traditional instrumentation enhances the track’s psychedelic essence, resulting in a rhythmically irresistible experience that fuses ancestral echoes with contemporary experimentalism. This track encapsulates a profound and magnetic cross-cultural dialogue, revealing Tian Qiyi as masters of their richly textured musical hybrid.
The lyrics dive boldly into existential escape, envisioning a realm beyond physical and linguistic confines. They articulate the disorientation and liberation found in abandoning the known for pure consciousness. Dreamlike and abstract, the imagery captures an otherworldly detachment, exploring freedom in surrendering to weightlessness and timelessness…a poetic meditation on transcending humanity’s rigid definitions and embracing boundless awareness.
Listen to Dharma below:
“Songs For Workers is an album where we have moved away from influences and inspiration, instead embracing instinct and familiarity,” says John Tian Qi Wardle. “Our background played a crucial role, from the traditional Chinese music we learned with our grandad and mum, to the improvisational, instinctive playing we developed from performing and recording with our dad.”
On Songs For Workers, Tian Qiyi guides us across a boundless sonic steppe, merging post-punk’s experimentation with ancient Eastern melodies into a kaleidoscopic melange. Evocative instrumentation paints vivid imagery—falconry rituals, galloping horseback pursuits, and the colourful swirl of ceremonial garb—interwoven deftly within experimental textures. While Jah Wobble’s foundational jazz and dub oeuvre resonates deep beneath the surface, his sons boldly chart a far-flung musical geography, crafting an album of visionary, multicultural alchemy that is far removed from familiar terrain.
Listen below and order Songs for Workers here.
Building on their acclaimed 2024 debut Red Mist, highlighted by the intoxicating singles Incantation and the album’s title track, Tian Qiyi’s palette juxtaposes dub’s resonant depths, post-punk’s brooding atmospherics, and vibrant excursions into traditional Chinese, Mongolian, and Irish musical landscapes. Their approach resonates with echoes of Miles Davis’s electric-era experimentation and Krautrock’s exploratory zeal, creating expansive music firmly anchored by Jah Wobble’s profound dub undertones.
A handful of festival shows in the UK will be happening over the summer in support of this album. Catch them on the dates below!
- June 27th LONDON – Rough Trade (with Jah Wobble) – Denmark Street, 5:30 pm
- June 28th LONDON – Merton Art Space (with Jah Wobble), Wimbledon Library
- September 19th LIVERPOOL – Mutant Jazz
- October 25th WHITBY – Whitby Musicport Festival
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