New Bees Produces Sweet Musical Honey

By Steven Schwankert

New Bees 1, Other Record Companies 0.

With the release of its first compilation, "Flower Bird Fish Insect," New Bees Music establishes itself perhaps not as the leading arbiter of emerging rock talent in China, but at least as a company that understands the value of good production.

With the exception of the godmothers of Chinese rock, Cobra, New Bees doesn't have a musician on their roster that's over 25. Teen pop-punk princes, The Flowers, were discovered by New Bees founder Fu Chong and parlayed into one of 1999's top-selling bands, and broke into the Taiwan market with their combination of power chords and I-Hate-Homework lyrics.

"Flower Bird Fish Insect" gives New Bees's other bands a slice of The Flowers' sunshine. The first half of the album is a bouquet of Flowers re-mixes, including a dance mix of "School's Out" (fang xue la). The mixes are fine but neither add nor detract to the original numbers. The "School's Out" remix does nullify the paper-throwing, clock-staring feeling of what should be an anthem for a disillusioned generation of urban youth.

The most shocking revelation of the album is two songs contributing by cosmetic kings and queen Fall Insex. Away from the studio, the band has struggled for an identity, aping Marilyn Manson and failing to demonstrate basic knowledge of their instruments during live performances. But as the "Insect" part of the album's title, their music comes to life.

Insex's two songs, "Boring Corner" and "In My Head" feature tight performances, nuanced vocals (by otherwise annoying lead singer YingZi), and the best production work on any album since Xu Wei's in another place. In a market where most albums, especially their cassette editions, offer all the clarity of a recording made inside a submerged Coke can, this group stands out. We'd be pleased to hear a fall release from Fall Insex.

Also appearing on the album is Not Fish (Fei Yu). Competent in their own way, the band's name actually should be Not Flowers, although they don't seem to be trying too hard to earn that distinction. Fans of Catcher in the Rye will probably enjoy Not Fish just fine.

Unknown duo The King and Little Bird provide two tracks to the compilation, both of which lack any unique sound or flavor. Seems they'll be remaining unknown for at least the near future.

Closing out the album is Cobra with "Fog." Apparently New Bees didn't feel obligated to add "Snake" to the album's title. The first material the band has released since their 1996 self-titled album, this is a far different group than the one that went into the studio in Germany in 1993. Far more adept at their music, smaller by one member (saxophonist Lin Xue departed the band last year), and tighter, "Fog" sounds like Cobra on speed--faster and heavier than anything we've heard from them before. With their second album just out, new material in stores could give the band a much-needed lift. Again, we get to hear the band in its isolated parts skillfully merged via the soundboard, instead of a muffled mess.

Modern Sky may draw most of the alternative press and attention from the Greater China music industry, but New Bees has so far engineered deals with both Taiwan's Rock Records and Beijing's Jingwen Records, which is distributing "Flower Bird Fish Insect." These bees are busy.

To reach Steven Schwankert: steven@virtualchina.com