Such an atmospheric piece, AnDi! Love the blend of eastern motifs and instrumentation with western beats

Love the shamisen sounds, some beautiful instruments

impressive mix of far east and modern feeling. You're the master Andy!

Love the dance between the koto and the piano. Cheers from Portugal!

One of my last Beijing songs. I was back in the city staying with friends after we had moved to Hong Kong. They lived in a local residential compound, and one morning while I was still lying in bed I heard the unmistakable sounds of the itinerant knife sharpener. One of the last traditional street cries, his call is highly distinctive and finished off with the unmissable sound of him scraping his tools on a hard surface.

So I turned on the zoom and got a reasonable recording out of the window. It became the foundation of this homage to Beijing's residential compounds and hutongs where the pace of the old city lingers on amidst the burgeoning development.

From the Album 'A Floating Life', available to buy or stream in all the usual places - best price £5 on Bandcamp.
https://andyhepburn.bandcamp.com/album/a-floating-life

iTunes

Beijing Blades - Ambience - Trip Hop - Guzheng

Global ambient, trip-hop
www.andiyi.co.uk

I’m a London based composer with a background in advertising. For many years I played in bands and as a solo artist at night while writing ads during the day. In 2011 I was working Beijing as a creative director, by chance I got to play one of my compositions to Howie B, who loved it, and encouraged me to start writing and producing more seriously.

Under the name my Mandarin teacher had given me, An Di Yi (pronounced Andy E), I released two albums of ambient, filmic, trip-hoppy music using sounds recorded on my travels charting my experiences in a kind of musical diary. Beijing street traders, Himalayan mule bells, insects from the forests of Huangshan and black rain from Hong Kong, underpin an eclectic orchestra of virtual instruments and beats from both east and west, in a deeply-chilled fusion. The distinctive ambient groove of An Di Yi was born. An Di Yi built a considerable following here on SoundCloud, and has featured on BBC Introducing on Tom Robinson’s show. An Di Yi’s first ever live show, in Hong Kong, on 1/9/16, opened a new chapter, to rave reviews.

Now back in London, I'm working as a composer on commercial projects, new solo compositions, as a producer, and on collaborations with ambient electro-acoustic artist and violin player, Katabasis, and guitarist Seb Kromp.

*Atmospheric and smooth, his tracks recall both calm vistas and restless urban nights. A wonderful opening act, An Di Yi reminds us of the intricacies of Asia and the stunning effect simply living here can have on one’s music. Jules O’Brien, Timeout, Hong Kong*

*A blissfully meditative and immersive set had lulled the audience into a dream-like haze. When the lights came on, it felt like an unwelcome obtrusion.*
*– El Jay, The Underground Hong Kong*

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