The immersive instrumental resonance and life vibration of the crow — Yang Junyu’s 2024 solo music project concept performance ‘Unitary Dimension’. As a seasoned percussionist, Yang Junyu (stage name Crow) has been dedicated to the music scene in Guangdong for over 20 years and was one of the first independent musicians invited to perform since the establishment of Enlightening. The time has come for Crow’s experimental integrated percussion concept performance ‘One Man Legion’ to take the stage at Guangming·Wen Space on Saturday, November 23rd. This is not only a showcase of Crow’s personal works but also a grand integration of his musical achievements as a percussionist and producer in recent years, and a rare immersive experience with conceptual, experimental, and avant-garde colors.
Currently, Crow is the percussionist for the ‘Secret Backyard Band’ and the ‘Sound Unnoticed Orchestra’, a percussion mentor, music producer, and also engaged in various film and game soundtracks. He is known for his black military attire, love for food, and an enviable ability to eat a lot without gaining weight. Besides his passion for various percussion instruments, he also enjoys cooking. He jokingly calls himself the ‘Drum King of Qianjin Road’, but in the Guangdong independent music circle, his love and study of percussion have long surpassed Qianjin Road. His solo independent music project ‘One Man Legion’, through a series of sound designs and rhythm experiments, combines intricate modern electronic percussion instruments with a variety of primitive and rich world percussion instruments, creating a mysterious, psychedelic, and grand pan-Oriental experimental percussion music that is rare nationwide. Fans familiar with the ‘Secret Backyard Band’ and the ‘Sound Unnoticed Orchestra’ will know that this music is subtle and内敛, emphasizing artistic conception and carrying a strong cultural atmosphere. However, Crow himself started as a heavy metal drummer, having formed the Guangzhou local melodic black metal band ‘Sinister Nightmare-EVILMARE’ and served as the drummer, and also played for the technical melodic deathcore band ‘Horror Of Pestilence-Plague Terror’ and the atmospheric black metal band ‘Esthate Sinistre Aesthetic Disaster’. When Crow, dressed in black, appears by your side, he has already cut off his long hair that he kept for more than ten years, holding a glass of whiskey, and still often wears his unique smile. His heart must be very three-dimensional and rich, and the music he thinks and practices is also very complex. The concept of ‘Unitary Dimension’ is a rare opportunity to get close to him.A. Unitary Dimension. The raven said that the theme of this performance is named ‘Unitary Dimension’ because of the inspiration of philosophical schools such as Descartes. From the thinking and dialectics of ‘monism’ about binary opposites, to the worldviews of existentialism and solipsism, to the ‘return to the origin’ in Taoism. It records the process of thinking and feeling through music creation and live performances. Broadly speaking, it is philosophy. Narrowly speaking, it is one’s own life experience. As he is about to reach forty years old and is free from confusion, it is also a summary of a life stage. Understanding and comprehending the world in one’s own way is a real feeling in middle age. The raven said that when he makes music or even cooks, he will think about these feelings. In the ‘Secret Backyard Band’ and the ‘Soundless Instrumental Ensemble’, he is a musician. In front of students, he is a teacher. In the recording studio, he is a producer. Many roles determine the perspective of looking at the world. Then, returning to ‘monism’, how can it be presented in music? This concert will be an opportunity and a gift. In the plan, this ‘UNITARY DIMENSION’ concert lasts for one and a half hours and plays nine original pure music tracks by individuals. Many tracks are premiered for the first time. In addition to comprehensively playing the acoustic percussion instruments from different regions and cultural backgrounds that the raven has been accustomed to using for many years, it will also integrate various unique synthesizers and electronic sound equipment to bring refreshing surprises and shocking experiences to music fans. And all electronic and acoustic equipment will be integrated onto his newly designed and customized POWER TOWER framework and played in real time by him alone. B. Feeling. At Enlightening this time, the concept of ‘Unitary Dimension’ is very philosophical. But the raven said that he does not want it to be too obscure. Speculation is only the source and motivation for creation. But what he emphasizes more is still feeling. He also hopes that the music fans present can experience a different feeling from listening to CDs or online audio-visuals and bring a personal experience exclusive to each audience. Preferably a state that is both detached and comfortable. He hopes that through this sound design, music fans present can recognize the levels of music itself and break the single-line listening mode of music.
In addition to the works and performances of the ‘Secret Backyard Band’, Crow said that he has participated in more than 600 performances of the ‘Soundless Instrumental Ensemble’. His personal project has also been going on for more than seven years. He is very grateful to Enlightening for giving him the opportunity to perform and showcase. Many old friends and buddies are concerned and curious about his creations and attempts over the years. These achievements have reached a stage where they can be presented. When he was young, he was used to adding more. Many elements and means were added by inertia. This time for ‘UNITARY DIMENSION’, Crow said he will subtract. In addition to the music itself, Lao Pei, the collaborator in on-site vision and art, is also an old friend for many years. He said this is a work created together by everyone.
As early as 2012, Crow went to Melbourne, Australia, and studied various comprehensive percussion instruments mainly based on pan-Oriental elements and concepts under the tutelage of British comprehensive percussion master Pete Lockett, which had a great influence on him. ‘One Man Legion’ is constructed and expressed based on these concepts. Because he usually does soundtracks and sound design, Crow is particularly persistent in his preference and research on various equipment. He said that for this performance of ‘UNITARY DIMENSION’ at Enlightening, he will bring many rare and limited electronic musical instruments and equipment, including a globally limited digital handpan ordered from Hungary that takes a year to arrive, and an electronic drum jointly developed by ROLAND and the KODO drum ensemble, of which there is currently only one in all of China. There is even the posthumous work of Mr. Toshio Iwai, the ‘father of MIDI’, the aFrame percussion synthesizer, which is already out of print. Speaking of these equipment, Crow can talk endlessly. He spent a lot of effort collecting them and even more effort researching and modulating them. These equipment have both mechanical beauty, physical beauty, and the beauty of electronic technology. And the beauty of this music cannot be exclusive to himself. Therefore, he hopes to pass on his understanding of sound and equipment to music fans through live performances, so that more serious music fans can feel the beauty that percussion instruments can bring through live experiences. Crow said that the sound equipment at Enlightening is also top-of-the-line and very suitable for the scene of this ‘UNITARY DIMENSION’. He hopes that the space jointly constructed this time can give the music fans present an aesthetic feeling of unrestrained perception and imagination. Crow said that he will also invite old brothers Zou Guangchao and Xiaoxiao from the ‘Soundless Instrumental Ensemble’ as guests to help out. They will adapt and perform a classic movie soundtrack and an instrumental work that showcases their experiences and insights when they visited the Yao Village in Liannan, Qingyuan during the ‘Letters from Hometown’ music collection project, showing the shocking perception of the earth, hometown, and ethnic group on life.All these are the resonances and praises of life that this forty-year-old middle-aged musician will bring. The full text will be open on Saturday, November 23. The performance starts at 20:00. The specific performance duration is subject to the site.
