This was a piece I was commissioned to do for a RMIT student project for an interactive bianlian exhibit. Bianlian (lit. "change face") is a cornerstone of the Chinese Sichuan Opera tradition, where actors swap brightly-colored masks onstage in a blink of an eye. The masks not only signify different characters, but also are meant to convey emotions and moods. I created four short pieces representing four individual masks. They are as follows:

0:00 Pride
0:28 Transition I
0:38 Destruction
1:08 Transition II / Peace
1:38 Transition III
1:49 Anger
2:13 Outro Loop

The Mid-Autumn Festival is about eating mooncakes, observing the full moon, and most importantly going home to your family. I can’t do the last item this year, so I recorded a cover of a very famous Chinese song instead to express my longing for home. This song holds significance because it’s one of the first songs I remember my parents playing in the car when I was a baby, and for some reason it’s stuck with me for all these years. So for those who can’t be at home for one reason or another, this song is for you.

Huge credit goes to Kevin Tran, who played drums on this song, as well as mixed and mastered it to perfection. Check out his band Gearheart while you’re at it.

弯弯的月亮 A Crescent Moon

起舞 Dance

雨思 Rainy Thoughts

登高远眺望 高山头 
从西到东方 黄河流 
星斗如火花 满夜空 
疯波的鲜血 涌心中  

聆听着祖先的神圣智慧 
向各地立刻出发 
服四方人民将九州团结 
终连为一体天下一人家  

千里的流沙 吞山坡 
无尽的咒雨 全覆没 
高亢的五音 连心头 于使 
疲倦的世界 成听众 

聆听着祖先的神圣智慧 
向各地立刻出发 
服四方人民将九州团结 
终连为一体天下一人家  

聆听着祖先的神圣智慧 
向各地立刻出发 
服四方人民将九州团结 
终连为一体天下一人家

Xuhao

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