Chui Wan

Chui Wan is a four-piece experimental psychedelic rock band from Beijing, China. They get their name from Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi’s “Qi Wu Lun” (齐物论), a mystical work on the relationship between nature and human life. The spirit of Zhuangzi’s thought is reflected in the modern Chinese idiom:

“谓风吹万窍，发出各种音响。” – “When the wind blows, every sound may be heard therein.”

Inspired by this concept of seeking the infinite from the mundane, the core of Chui Wan’s sound is formed by the improvisational compositions of multi-instrumentalist Yan Yulong and guitarist Liu Xinyu. Their lush arrangements of guitar, keyboard, viola, other assorted instruments and random sound samples often eschew reliable melodies and vocal harmonies in favor of occasional passages of minimal drone or maximal sonic layerings. Bassist Wu Qiong and drummer Josh Feola provide a stable ground floor from which the band can continually float away, like a sound half-heard and soon gone on a gust of wind. Chui Wan’s newest album White Midnight was released in 2012.