Li Zhengui - Percussionist Yang Jing - Pipa player Zhang Yangsheng -Percussionist Liu Yijun - Guitarist Wu Na - Gu Qin player Yang Ji-er（Gigi)-Pianist Chen Suchao - Pipa player
Ji Gan Miao Hui. A Chicken at the Country Fair. 2015
This composition Ji Gan Miao Hui (A Chicken at the Country Fair) was created in the 90s, and it has been the highlight of our concerts ever since. It is about a chicken that walked into a country fair, where it encountered dogs, pigs as well as performers and artists, and finally, it ended up in a fight with the dogs and pigs. I introduced this song to Yu Jie after I met him, and expressed my desire to record a chicken. After a trip to America, I returned to Beijing and was greeted with this chicken with gracious postures and rich expressions on screen, as well as a chicken wildly running around in a factory building. I was told that, in order to photograph the scene, he adopted a whole brood of chickens. Unfortunately, only one of them survived, it was definitely the strongest of them all. It never flinched when facing a dog, its lone tenacity and resilience made this fabulous recording possible.
--Liu Sola
At that time, my mind was set on one thing and one thing only: how do I turn this piece of music into a chicken.
--Yu Jie
Music Composition, Arrangement, and Lyrics: Liu Sola, 1996 Performed by: Liu Sola & Friends, 2012 Live Recording: Matrix Studio Remix: Liu Sola Video Director: Yu Jie，2015 Producer: Zhang Yiwei Executive Producer: Song Yiyuan Photograph: Yu Lingxu, Li Xiaofa Editor: Yan Huijun Color Correction: Yu Jie, Hu Die
Da Hu Jia. 2011
Performance: Pang Bo
A "sequestering in the studio" recording performance.
--Yu Jie
This is an accidental creation. At that time, we were recording an album for Muji Japan, filming was prohibited during the sound recording process. So Yang Ji-er(a.k.a Gigi) put the camera next to Pang Bo before leaving the recording room. Pang Bo's piano performance style and skill, are highly praised both domestically and internationally. In addition to that, she is also a devoted and low-profile musician. In order to achieve the effect of guqin which is the desired music style, she deliberately stepped on the soft pedal and played the piano delicately. To everyone's surprise, after being edited by Gigi and designed by Yan Huijun, this unexpected documentary that is both facile and immature turned into a visual artwork. Pang Bo said: "if I knew this was going to be exhibited, I could have dressed up!", to which I replied: "don't you worry about it, no one will be able to tell who the pianist is." Nevertheless, the smooth performance that she displayed in the recording room will be preserved and perpetuated.
--Liu Sola
Music Composition: Liu Sola Time of Video & Sound Recording: 2011 Recording Studio: Military Band Studio Sound Engineer: Cui Rufeng Sound Mixing: Kouji Kassuta (Japan) Mastering: Nobou Ishizaki (Japan) Video Recording: Yang Jier Video Post Production: Yan Huijin
Lao Wu & Jiji 2016
A musical conversation step by step.
--Yu Jie
We encourage improvisation performance or the combination of music composition and improvisation within our group. To compose is to design music with or without music scores. In improvisation performances, the composer is the one who actively designs the music; the performer is the one that adds in his/her improvisations. In this piece, Lao Wu actively designed the music, whereas Gigi added her own improvisations to the design. This video work recorded how Lao Wu guidance Gigi to his music style, that often occur during our rehearsals. In this thrilling game of music, Gigi became so anxious that her hands refused to take orders from her brain on several occasions. At these moments, I offered my help as a boxing coach would do to the boxer.
--Liu Sola
Music Composition: Liu Yijun(a.k.a Lao Wu) Improvisational Performance: Liu Yijun(a.k.a Lao Wu), Yang Ji-er(Gigi) Video & Photograph: Yan Huijun, Yang Hongri, Tan Fubin Post Production: Yan huijun
Special Thanks to Yang Rihong, Tan Fubin
Fragmented Images 2016
Music Composed and Arranged by: Liu Sola
Pipa Performance: Cheng Yuyu, Chen Suchao
Video & Photograph: Yu Jie, Yan Huijun, Li Xiaofa, Guo Chun
Video Recording: Song Yiyuan
Post Production: Yan huijun
Shao (Burn) 2015
Original Literature: Snowy Night by Duanmu Hongliang
Selected Lyrics for this Improvisational Performance: Shao(Burn)
Improvisation performance: Liu Sola
Recording Engineer: Li Yixiang
Remix: Liu Sola
Video Artist: Yu Jie
Postproduction: Yu Jie, Yan Huijun
Liu Sola was singing impromptu with no prior preparation while reading a novel, the mistake-free recording process was completed in one smooth motion. I captured all the wonderful moments during the recording process. This free and improvisational style of vocal performance truly reflects her mastery and accuracy of music creation, as well as the unpredictability of inspiration. Therefore, capturing her mistakes (see exhibit 3) became a rare highlight reel.
Yi Zhen Ji Feng (A Burst of Wind) 2015
Original Literature: Snowy Night by Duanmu Hongliang
Selected Lyrics for this Improvisational Performance: With a burst of wind, it starts to snow again. The snowflakes are turning into little spheres, rushing towards here thick and fast.
Improvisation performance: Liu Sola
Recording Engineer: Li Yixiang
Remix: Liu Sola
Video Artist: Yu Jie
Postproduction: Yu Jie, Yan Huijun
Yi Zhen Ji Feng, Ting! (A Burst of Wind, Stop!) 2015
Improvisation performance: Liu Sola
Video Artist: Yu Jie
Postproduction: Yu Jie, Yan Huijun
Bian Bu Chu (Indistinguishable) 2015
Original Literature: Snowy Night by Duanmu Hongliang
Selected Lyrics for this Improvisational Performance: Unable to distinguish my paths, my ears are full of the blowing wind, the falling snow, and the silence, my eyes are full of the dancing snowflakes, undistinguishable.
Improvisation performance: Liu Sola
Recording Engineer: Li Yixiang
Remix: Liu Sola
Video Artist: Yu Jie
Postproduction: Yu Jie, Yan Huijun
