Maybe Mars' Post-Rockers Fazi Talk Collabs and Makeshift Studios Ahead of Nov 18 Gig

In a hushed space designed for bookshelves and youngsters cramming for exams, one of China's best post-rock bands made some serious noise. 

That's right: while few bands record songs in a library, of all places, Fazi made use of one such locale on their last tour. After all, the band were hurriedly crisscrossing China to promote their last album, 2016's The Root of Innocence, and they pledged to channel the energy from those gigs into recording sessions for their follow up, Heart of Desire (which dropped on Jul 18 via Maybe Mars, and will feature prominently in the band's setlist at Yugong Yishan on Nov 18).

That nomadic style of recording meant the band had to set up sessions wherever they could, because they were also trying to align that recording with the schedules of their collaborators. Many of those artists that guested on Heart of Desire also shared the bill with Fazi on tour or at festivals. Among them were members of bands like Wang Wen, ST.OL.EN, The Fallacy, The White Tulips, and Doodle.

Fazi singer Liu Peng called that on-the-go recording process a "natural, inspiring voice" during a recent interview with the Beijinger, before adding that the library, inspiring as it was, didn't rank as their favorite recording locale on that creative journey.

"Taipei's 112F studio is the best, because their equipment was very suitable for us. The sound was exactly what we wanted," he says. That makes him sound like any other practical professional, but he goes on to admit that there was a fun novelty to recording at Dalian's Echo Library (founded by fellow post-rockers Wang Wen) along with concert halls, arenas, and other spots across the country that gave the band new inspirations and left subtle effects on their sound, because of the varying sizes and layouts of the spaces they recorded in.

Liu says he also enjoyed recording the Heart of Desire song "Sounds From Somewhere," during a stop in Lhasa last year. He says: "We were strongly touched by the people's reverence for nature there. And my cat died when we were touring, so I wrote this song for nature and life." 

Of all the places that Fazi has performed, Liu counts Lhasa and Berlin among the most memorable. "Performing in Lhasa is not easy, because of altitude sickness, but we did it. It was a wonderful experience," he says, adding that he and his bandmates are fans of numerous German bands, an influence that's clear in their music and that greatly helped in the promotion of their shows in Berlin. "When we were there, many people unexpectedly came to our show. Everyone was very passionate, though they were not familiar with us."

All that wanderlust stemmed from a desire to keep things fresh. "After recording our The Root of Innocence, we wanted to try something interesting, to maintain our enthusiasm and creativity," Liu says of the challenge of recording in these offbeat locales. "The good side is that we were very excited to complete the project, but the disadvantage is that it meant the songs would be a bit rough, and very lo-fi."

But he shouldn't be so self-conscious. That roughly hewn quality makes Heart of Desire Fazi's best album yet. There's an immediacy to the songs that's exhilarating. And just because each tune wasn't recorded in a pristine studio, that doesn't mean they won't leave fans swooning.

Case in point: midway track "Mayang" boasts a klaxon clang that's balanced by tinny, dusty bin percussion. The band's range is showcased on another track, "Pretty Noise," which – unlike much of the rest of the album – goes beyond their New Order and Joy Division leanings for more of a churning, classic rock style guitar motif that snarls bitterly and defies the song's title. Another highlight is back-end track "The Ninja," which features staccato, piercing guitar notes and militant intro drumming, all of which sound intensely timeless.

Aside from mining different influences and venturing to varied locations, Liu credits the new LP's range in part to its roster of gifted collaborators.

"They are all very talented. Their styles are different, and having all of their participation brought many more possibilities to these songs," Liu says, before clarifying: "But the new direction is still from ourselves. And we hope they resonate with people."

Check out Fazi's new album, Heart of Desire, here. The band will perform at Yugong Yishan on Nov 18. Tickets are RMB 100 (RMB 80 advance). For more information, click here.

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
Twitter: @MulKyle

Photos: Maybe Mars