Yan Jun

Yan Jun (颜峻), Famous Writer, Founder of Subjam Records, Chief Editor of "Writing" Magazine, Avantgarde Sound Artists

Contents 1 Introduction 2 Biography 2.1 Participated Festivals 3 Publications 3.1 Music Culture and Review Collections 3.2 Poetry 3.3 Music and Soundpoem 3.4 Editor and Producer 3.5 Appearances in Podcasts 4 Organized, Curated and Co-Organized Concert 5 Further Information 5.1 Official Pages 5.2 Articles and interviews 5.3 References

Introduction

Yan Jun, sound artist, also known as music critic, poet and organizer. born in Lanzhou in 1973. Graduated from Department of Chinese Language & Literature in Northwest Normal University in 1995. Now live and work in Beijing.

Use simple equipments (cd player, I-pod, md player, mixer, effector and low-drone voice, as well as some physical sound source).

Description: improvised, sample, sound art, atmosphere, experimental ambient, field recording mix, ritual-like drone, post minimalism, zen-like spoken word and low frequency voice...

Biography

Yan was born in Lanzhou in 1973, now based in Beijing. B.A. of Chinese Literature.

Yan's live performance engages space feedback, loop and voice/language to make hypnotic noise. He uses concepts of recycling, feedback and reduction to create sound art work, which relates to field recording, installation, image, video, publishing and multiple forms. He performed and participated in exhibitions in Paris (Nuit Blanche), Amsterdam, Berlin (Transmediale), Cologne (MusikTriennale Köln), Moers (Moers Festival), Kuala Lumpur (Street Roar), Seoul (Bulgasari), Oslo (Sound of Mu), Brussels, Copenhagen (Metropolis Biennale), toured in Taiwan and Mainland China. He has also initiated Tie Guan Yin and Pisces Iscariots, two free-form electro-acoustic impro projects.

On the 15th of October in 2000, the Tree Village Declaration (written by Yan Jun and which was discussed with members of a number of bands) was finally read by Yan Jun as an amended versionon in the Garden of Joy at a show of Tongue and other bands. The statement, called "Tree Village Declaration" was subsequently signed by almost all the active bands and musicians of the rock scene at that time, who thereby denounced further cooperation with the movie Beijing Rocks.^[1]

He was a well-known music critic and organizer as a driving force of China's underground music and sub-culture scene before he turned his focus into contemporary music and sound art in 2004. Yan runs the virtual creation Sub Jam since 1998. It has released some essential underground music and independent films. In 2004 he co-founded Kwanyin Records for experimental music and sound exploration.

He runs Waterland Kwanyin, a weekly event of experimental / improv music and sound art since 2005, and the annual outdoor festival Mini Midi. He also curates sound projects for DIAF Art Festival since 2004, and GetItLouder07.

In June 2006, Yan Jun started the avantgarde concert series 1+ which run for about 21 times before it stopped in Spring 2007.

He has published 6 books on the topic of Chinese new music and 3 poetry anthologies.

2009, April, Yan Jun stated towards Sina.com - on being asked about the Midi Music Festival 2009, that ...

We are all the Midi Music Festival - Yan Jun, translated^[2]

Participated Festivals

• 

  Mini Midi Festival 2008 - May 1-3, 2008

Publications

Music Culture and Review Collections

• 

  Noises In-Burning (2004 mainland China, 2005 Taiwan)

• 

  UnderGroundGround (Release Date: 2002)

• 

  Noises Inside (Release Date: 2001)

• Bohemia China (collaboration, 2003 Hongkong, 2004 mainland China)
• New Sound From Beijing (Release Date: 1999)
• Rock With Iron & Blood (Release Date: 1999)

Poetry

• Infrasonic Sound - 2001
• 49 Poems - 1996

Music and Soundpoem

• 

  Noise is free (VA) - 2008, June

• 

  Music For Shopping Malls (VA) - 2007, June

• 

  Viva la vaches (tie guan yin duo) - 2006, March

• 

  Improvisation in Shanghai (VA) - 2005, December

• The other two comrades + Yan Jun – Live in Guangzhou and Hangzhou (with Huan Qing and Chen Zhipeng, Sub Jam, 2004)
• Impossible (live, with FM3, Sub Jam, 2003)

Editor and Producer

• Indie literature magazine "Writing'

Appearances in Podcasts

• 

  Rock in China Radio Show 7 - 2006, November

Organized, Curated and Co-Organized Concert

• "798 Soundscape" for "Da Shan Zi International Art Festival", Beijing, 2004
• "Sounding Beijing International Electronic Music Festival", Beijing, 2003
• fm3, Zuo Xiao Zu Zhou and The Tongue concert, Beijing and Lanzhou, 2002
• Haino Keiji + Yoshida Tatsuya Beijing concert, Beijing, 2002
• Bo-n'z Beijing concerts, Beijing, 2001
• The Ruins China Tour, China, 2000
• Alex Paterson + Thomas Felhmann China Tour, China, 2000
• Otomo Yoshihide Beijing concerts, Beijing, 1999

Further Information

Official Pages

• Official Homepage
• Yan Jun's Subjam Record Label

Articles and interviews

• Interview by Christen Cornell Aug. 27th 2011

References

1. ↑ Groenewegen, J. (2005). Tongue - Making sense of Beijing underground rock, 1997-2004 (pdf). Page 77.
2. ↑ www.sina.com.cn (2009-04-14). "颜峻：我们都是迷笛音乐节". Retrieved on 2009-04-27.

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