Wang Lei is not only a prominent figure in the new Chinese music scene, but also one of its most versatile musicians. He has released more than 10 albums over the past 16 years, his sound shifting between psychedelic rock, folk rock, industrial, electronica and world music.
Born in a small town near Chengdu in Sichuan province, the young Wang Lei studied music with a Sichuan opera troupe. From early on, though, it was obvious that his ear for music stretched beyond the traditional, and in 1988 he headed for Guangzhou to be a breakdancer.
His breakthrough as a composer came when the Chinese pop star Zhu Zequin, better known as Dadawa, heard tracks that he had recorded for his family. She was so impressed by them that she introduced him to the music industry, and in 1994 those songs were released as the album The Journeyman. Four years later Wang Lei set up his own record label, Longmin, releasing work by Guangzhouan rock bands as well as his own tracks. Sadly, Longmin didn't last long, thanks to China's rampant CD piracy. He also opened a series of influential bars that played host to live performances by the most exciting bands from Gunangzhou's burgeoning rock scene.
All the while he continued to write and record music. His love of music took him to the European festival circuit, where he performed his earlier, guitar-based alternative rock in Spain and developed his newfound interest in electronica in France. On the way he has met and been inspired by experimental artists from a variety of backgrounds, including dub band Hightone and hard techno pioneer 69db (formerly Spiral Tribe). Recently in China he even had the honour of receiving instruction from Rico Rodriguez, the legendary trombonist with The Skatalites and The Wailers.
Instead of following the noisy tendencies of his fellow Chinese ex-rockers, Wang Lei has discovered "the groove", an element he found in black and dance music which he has passed through his Chinese filter to create a new sound. He has absorbed influences as diverse as dub, drum and bass and Sichuan opera to fashion a dramatically unique new form of music. Its latest manifestation can be heard on the album, Xin, a collection of sparse, percussion-heavy electronic tracks laid over slow-moving, dub-inspired bass lines.
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