Chi2 (band)

Last updated

Chi2
Origin London, United Kingdom
Genres Classical, Electronic World
Years active2000–present
LabelsBig Sky Song Ltd
MembersLiz Chi Yen Liew
Sarah Chi Shang Liew
Website www.chi2.co.uk

Chi2 is a duo of British-Chinese violinists who play a fusion of classical and electronic music influenced by their Singapore Chinese heritage. [1] They have performed and toured with many pop artists including Moby, Anastacia, Lamb, [2] Goldfrapp, Uriah Heep, Sixpence None The Richer, Boy George, Nelly Furtado, The KLF and The Orb. [1]

Contents

The duo stopped performing in 2010. [3]

History

Sisters Liz and Sarah Liew were born to a musical family, their mother was a music teacher and their father played the violin and trumpet. [1] Liz attended the junior Royal Academy of Music and studied music at City University and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama [4] while Sarah studied at Purcell School of Music, Middlesex University and the Academy of Traditional Chinese Opera in Beijing. [1]

Chi2 was formed by the sisters in 2000 and the name originates from their own shared middle name 'chi' which means "precious stone" described by Sarah as "an expression of our roots growing up in multicultural London." Their music fuses electro-acoustic western and eastern sounds with electronic beats on electric and Chinese violins. [1] They began their musical careers performing in clubs and were recruited by dance artist Moby as part of his band for live stadium tours of his albums Play in 1999, to play violin on songs such as Porcelain, Why Does My Heart?, and Natural Blues and have continued to work with him on his 18 in 2002, Wait for Me in 2009/10 and Destroyed in 2011 world tours. They have also performed and recorded with Nelly Furtado, [2] Lamb, Goldfrapp, KLF/Orb. [1] and they have recently worked with Asian Dub Foundation performing live and on their 2011 album A History of Now. [5]

In Summer 2008 and Autumn 2009 they toured their show "Monkey King - A Modern Beijing Opera" in the UK, a brand new spin on the classic Chinese tale performing in venues including Rich Mix in London, De Montfort Hall in Leicester, Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, Derby Assembly Rooms, Ludlow Assembly Rooms. [6]

Discography

An album entitled Monkey King (Sun Wukong) - A Modern Beijing Opera containing the music of the show was released in 2009 on Big Sky Song Ltd [7] and is available as a digital download. [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Drummond</span> Scottish artist and musician (born 1953)

William Ernest Drummond is a Scottish artist, musician, writer, and record producer. He was a co-founder of the late-1980s avant-garde pop group the KLF and its 1990s media-manipulating successor, the K Foundation, with which he burned £1 million in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monkey King</span> Character in Chinese mythology

Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, is a literary and religious figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. In the novel, Sun Wukong is a monkey born from a stone who acquires supernatural powers through Taoist practices. After rebelling against heaven, he is imprisoned under a mountain by the Buddha. Five hundred years later, he accompanies the monk Tang Sanzang riding on the White Dragon Horse and two other disciples, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, on a journey to obtain Buddhist sutras, known as the West or Western Paradise, where Buddha and his followers dwell.

James Francis Cauty, also known as Rockman Rock, is an English artist and musician, best known as one-half of the duo the KLF, co-founder of the Orb and as the man who burnt £1 million.

Ambient house is a downtempo subgenre of house music that first emerged in the late 1980s, combining elements of acid house and ambient music. The genre developed in chill-out rooms and specialist clubs as part of the UK's dance music scene. It was most prominently pioneered by the Orb and the KLF, along with artists such as Global Communication, Irresistible Force, Youth, and 808 State. The term was used vaguely, and eventually fell out of favor as more specific subgenres were recognized.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goldfrapp</span> English electronic music duo

Goldfrapp were an English electronic music duo from London, formed in 1999. The duo consists of Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory (synthesiser).

<i>Journey to the West</i> (1986 TV series) Chinese television series

Journey to the West is a Chinese television series adapted from Wu Cheng'en's 16th-century novel of the same name. It was directed by Yang Jie and stars Liu Xiao Ling Tong as Sun Wukong, Chi Chongrui as Tang Sanzang, Ma Dehua as Zhu Bajie, and Yan Huaili as Sha Wujing.

<i>Felt Mountain</i> 2000 studio album by Goldfrapp

Felt Mountain is the debut studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp. It was released on 11 September 2000 by Mute Records. The album takes influence from a variety of music styles such as 1960s pop, cabaret, folk and electronica.

<i>Black Cherry</i> (Goldfrapp album) 2003 studio album by Goldfrapp

Black Cherry is the second studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 23 April 2003 by Mute Records. It marked a departure from the ambient sound of their debut album, Felt Mountain (2000), incorporating glam rock and synth-pop music; inspirations were Spanish disco group Baccara and Swedish techno artist Håkan Lidbo. The album was met with positive reviews, with many critics complimenting its blend of retro and modern electropop music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liu Xiao Ling Tong</span> Chinese actor

Zhang Jinlai, better known by his stage name Liu Xiao Ling Tong, is a Chinese actor, best known for his role as the Monkey King in the 1986 television series Journey to the West adapted from the classic Chinese novel of the same name. Zhang adopted his father Zhang Zongyi's stage name, Liu Ling Tong, and amended it to Liu Xiao Ling Tong.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lovely Head</span> 2000 single by Goldfrapp

"Lovely Head" is an electronic song performed by British group Goldfrapp. The song was written and produced by Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory for the duo's debut album Felt Mountain (2000). It was released as the album's first single in May 2000 but did not chart. In November 2001, the song was re-issued as a double A-side single with "Pilots " and reached number sixty-eight on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Will Gregory</span> English musician and record producer (born 1959)

William Owen Gregory is an English musician and record producer. He is best known as the lead keyboardist, producer, and composer of the electronic music duo Goldfrapp.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Orb</span> English electronic music group

The Orb are an English electronic music group founded in 1988 by Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty. Known for their psychedelic sound, the Orb developed a cult following among clubbers "coming down" from drug-induced highs. Their influential 1991 debut album The Orb's Adventures Beyond the Ultraworld pioneered the UK's nascent ambient house movement, while its UK chart-topping follow-up U.F.Orb represented the group's commercial peak.

<i>Monkey: Journey to the West</i> Stage adaptation of novel

Monkey: Journey to the West is a stage adaptation of the 16th century novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en. It was conceived and created by the Chinese actor and director Chen Shi-Zheng along with British musician Damon Albarn and British artist Jamie Hewlett.

Davide Rossi is an Italian violinist, string arranger, orchestrator, songwriter, composer and conductor, perhaps best known for having been the electric violinist and multi-instrumentalist for the British electronic music duo Goldfrapp from 2000 until 2013, and for his large contribution of electric violin parts and for most of the string arrangements on all Coldplay's albums since Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends,.

<i>Journey to the West</i> (soundtrack) 2008 soundtrack album by Monkey

Journey to the West is the soundtrack to the stage musical Monkey: Journey to the West and is composed by English musician Damon Albarn with the UK Chinese Ensemble. The soundtrack is based upon the musical, but is not a direct recording of it. The album was released as a download, CD, and double vinyl LP in the United Kingdom on 18 August 2008 by XL Recordings. In the United States, the album was released a day later as a download, while a CD was released on 23 September 2008.

Ben Lee is a British electric violinist, composer and producer. He is one half of the electric violin band FUSE with Linzi Stoppard.

<i>Tales of Us</i> 2013 studio album by Goldfrapp

Tales of Us is the sixth studio album by English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, released on 6 September 2013 by Mute Records. In June 2013, the duo embarked on the Tales of Us Tour to promote the album.

<i>The Monkey King 3</i> 2018 Chinese–Hong Kong film

The Monkey King 3 is a 2018 Chinese–Hong Kong fantasy film based on the classic novel Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en. The film is the third installment of the Monkey King franchise, after The Monkey King (2014) and The Monkey King 2 (2016). Directed and produced by Soi Cheang, the film stars Aaron Kwok, Feng Shaofeng, Xiao Shenyang, Him Law and Zhao Liying.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ainsworth, Clark (6 February 2007). "Chi2 - where East and West meet". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  2. 1 2 Ma, Adrian (21 July 2007). "Duo is like fine China". Toronto Star. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  3. ↑ "chi2". www.chi2.co.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  4. ↑ Chinese, Visible (6 February 2007). "Liz Chi Yen Liew - Musician/Composer". visiblechinese.com. Archived from the original on 22 June 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ↑ Cornwell, Jane (13 April 2012). "Asian Dub Foundation, Festival Hall - review". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  6. ↑ May, Philippa (9 March 2010). "CHi2_bring_their_exciting_show_Monkey_King_____A_Modern_Beijing_Opera_to_Ludlow_Assembly_Rooms". Ludlowadvertiser.co.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2010.[ permanent dead link ].
  7. ↑ Sum, Dim (17 September 2009). "CHi2 releases Monkey King Album". dimsum.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 November 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2010.
  8. ↑ "monkey king (sun wukong) a modern beijing opera by chi2". Music.apple.com. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.