Since emerging out of the Beijing live music scene a couple years ago as one of the capital city's most buzzed about bands, The Big Wave has signed with Modern Sky and toured the nation both on the music festival circuit and as a headlining act on a club tour. The audacious moves are eve more impressive considering they just released their full-length debut this month. However, as the trio embarks on a 35-city tour that stops off at Yuyintang on October 28, frontman Li Jian chats about the new disc, their synth-pop sound and their penchant for dressing like scientists during shows.
Congratulations on the new album. It must feel like it took a long time for it to finally come it. What was the process like?
We began working on the album at the end of 2014 but most of the songs were created between 2012 and 2014. At the beginning of 2015, we recorded with Queen Sea Big Shark’s drummer, Xiao Wu, at our home. The album was produced by Wu Tao, the former guitarist of The Dada. We completed the album last summer.
Before the album came out, The Big Wave toured the country as part of the Strawberry Music Festival. How did that influence the band?
I had performed Strawberry in my past bands and those experiences had a great effect on the formation of The Big Wave in terms of how we approached performing and also our recording. Also early on, we made sure to be in control of the business side, which was based on the experiences of my past band.
You also toured the nation before the album came out last year on a solo club tour. Were you surprised by the turn out?
The tour last year was originally supposed to be an album release tour but we still did it even as we delayed the album. It was a pretty good turn out. I think that Strawberry Music Festival helped give us a bigger platform. I began using their online channels in 2008 and it was a great way for many young people to come together and share their ideas. But recently, the online competition has become so intense. This era where there is so much information available has affected that.
The band’s sound is really rooted in synth-pop. Who were some of your influences and was it a goal to come up with that sound?
Classic bands like Joy Division, New Order, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, The B-52s and Gang of Four had a huge impact on me. Their music changed my life. In our songs, the synthesizer relies on a lot of hardware devices and computer assisted recording. That equipment gives us unlimited inspiration and thanks to the recording process, we can record anytime when we’re inspired.
How did the Big Wave form?
At the end of 2012, I had the idea of forming The Big Wave. We may have gone through a couple drummers and bassists, but even when the lineup wasn’t stable, it was still people that shared a common outlook on life and values. It was August 2013 that the band began to play shows in Beijing. At the beginning of 2014, I met Li He by accident, although you can call it fate. And Xiao Wu, the drummer from Queen Sea Big Shark was a great help, often playing with us in those early days which helped us improve as a band much faster. After we recorded the single, ‘Chinese Live in Hong Kong’ for Converse Rubber Tracks and filmed a music video, things really took off.
When I saw you perform in Shanghai last year, all the members were dressed in scientist s robes...
The white coat was inspired by our song ‘No Such Disease,’ where we describe fussiness as a kind of illness. For the show I’m the incarnation of the doctor telling the audience to follow my instructions.
What’s the significance behind the tour’s name, See the Sun?
When the see the sun, it means it’s the start of a new day. Life isn’t easy - there is no birth without pain. It’s inspired by the Spanish poet Luis Cernada: “For some people, living is like walking barefoot on glass. For others, life is like being face to face seeing the sun. Everything is the same. I reach out my hand, no rain. I stepped on the glass, there was no sun. I look at the moon, there is no beach.”
Are there any cities you’re most looking forward to playing on this tour?
Tanggu! My hometown.
Following the tour, what are The Big Wave’s plans?
We finish the tour on December 9 with a show in Beijing. At the end of December, we’ll begin working on our second album and hope to have it finished by next May.
Oct 28, 9-11.30pm, RMB80-100. Yuyintang.
Image by Jeff Yiu, courtesy of Modern Sky
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