Yin (音, “music”) is a weekly RADII feature that looks at Chinese songs spanning hip-hop to folk to modern experimental, and everything in between. Drop us a line if you have a suggestion.
About a month ago we spent a couple of paragraphs of what was supposed to be a column about a new release from Late Troubles talking about Snapline. This was in part because the former is a solo project of Chen Xi, who is one-third of the latter (the other members being Carsick Cars co-founders Li Qing and Li Weisi). It was also partly because Snapline, a real fans’ favorite from the mid-’00s “No Beijing” experimental/rock era, were gearing up to release their first new music in years.
Well, now we have our first taste of what that music will be like.
Two tracks have been made available on label Maybe Mars’ Bandcamp page ahead of the official release of Snapline’s Beast album, a follow-up to 2012’s Phenomena and the trio’s break-out 2007 record Party is Over, Pornostar. Both tracks are something of a departure from the band’s previous material, and both have us very excited for the new LP.
First up earlier this month was the near 9 minute-long “TheAnswerS#3”, a slow-building hypnotic throb of a track that leaves you utterly unprepared for the quick march beat and angular guitar work of second teaser “tent”, which was unveiled this week.
Here, have at them both:
OH
It’s armed
it’s
gently
softly
armed
…go the lyrics for “tent”. Feels almost like a rallying cry/tagline for the new album, which is showing every sign of living up to its title. Expect the whole record to drop in the second half of November via Snapline’s Bandcamp.
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