Playlist: Dan Taylor, Frontman of The Harridans and Phuture Vulture

Tom Arnstein | Nov 24, 2016 8:30 am | Add a comment | 1919 reads

Lanky, bed-headed, and usually dressed in the finest woolen threads the world’s thrift stores have to offer, Dan Taylor has established himself as one of the city’s go-to musicians since he arrived in Beijing two years ago. Thanks to his strong, technical guitar playing and forceful presence on drums (at its heaviest with the since-deceased Luv Plastik), Taylor currently performs in both The Harridans and Phuture Vulture and The Absolute as well as a number of folk groups around town. Check out his licks, etched into eternity, on The Harridans’ debut album Fuzzing the Muse, released this last July, or catch his ephemeral – but wholly distinctive – wail at one of his many sweat-drenched live shows.

What was the first record you ever bought?
The first record I ever bought was the single of Lou Bega’s ‘Mambo Number Five,’ a classic of the 1990s. It had the extended mix on the B-Side, deep stuff.

Which record has inspired you as a musician more than any other?
When I was a young boy my uncle gave me a tape of the Ghostbusters theme tune on continuous loop, which I used to listen to constantly, all day, back-to-back. I think playing that tape over and over is the reason I love music so much. Later on, when I was about 12, the same uncle gave me a box of his old records from the 1970s. That’s when I started discovering all these wonderful groups and albums and became infatuated with music.

What is your favorite TV tune?
My favorite theme tune is Bach’s ‘Brandenburg Concerto’ from The Antique’s Roadshow [Editor’s note: A British TV mainstay, best viewed on Sunday evenings while your mum’s doing the ironing]. When I was young I used to watch it with my Mum and Dad and hearing the theme tune brings back all these lovely memories of growing up in England, running through fields and getting into trouble all the time.

What is your favorite music video?
David Bowie and Mick Jagger ‘Dancing in the Street.’ It’s a masterpiece of Dad dancing.

Name one musician you’d love to play with before you die.
Kate Bush is one of my all-time favorite musicians. It would be an absolute dream to collaborate with her.

Who is your favorite active singer or band in Beijing right now?
All my friends play in amazing bands, so I’m going to have to say a few. I love The Paramecia for their beauty and otherworldliness. I love The Peppercorns for their intensity and indulgent theremin stroking. GuiGuiSuiSui is constantly evolving and creating new stuff, very inventive, and The Paper Tigers have the best frontman to grace the Gulou stages. I love Jump the Fence for their commanding of pop sensibilities and JaiJaiTao for their dark and doomy madness.

Five-Song Playlist