\nGuji\u5495\u53fd<\/p>\n
The debut, EP of GUJI \u5495\u53fd, a quirky synth-driven new wave quartet comprised of Chinese
\nnationals Klaire (synths), Alex (bass), Stacy (drum machine) and American guitarist and singer
\nfor Shanghai punk band Round Eye Chachy will be released August 25 by Floridian label Godless
\nAmerica on cassette, digital download and via streaming platforms. The EP was produced by
\nfrequent Modern Sky Recordings producer Li Wei Yu.
\nTo say 2020-2022 were bleak years to live in Shanghai would be the understatement of the
\ncentury. With the implementation of the \u201c0-Covid policy\u201d and the \u201cShanghai Lockdown\u201d, a
\nfucked attempt by the CCP to curb the transmission rate of the Covid-19 pandemic, the city
\nbecame still. Businesses shuttered, schools closed, planes landed, shows cancelled and borders
\nclosed. For three years, China seemed without pulse as very little traffic ran between it and the
\noutside world.
\nGuizhou native Jiang Zi Xiu (Klaire) and Craig Englund (Chachy) were stuck in their home for
\nmonths as a makeshift wall of plywood and bamboo rods was raised at the entrance and exits
\nof the alleyway outside their door. Guards in hazmat suits were placed to conduct daily PCR
\ntests and make sure no one came in or out.
\nIt was under these conditions that the couple decided to fill their time and their walls with the
\ndouble lead harmonies, jangling B-52 styled guitar and cheesy drum machine pulse of the
\nsardonic bubblegum-arpeggiated synthpop of GUJI\u5495\u53fd. Heavily influenced by the aesthetic of
\n80s DEVO, B-52s, and My Little Pony the duo channels their frustrations and observations into
\nvivid DIY videos channeling the work of Chuck Statler and blast humorously sardonic synthpop
\njams lined with pastel colored neon lights. With their first self-titled EP, they turn their anger
\ninto childish jeering fun in an overwhelmingly hostile political landscape and with songs like \u201cI
\nlike to Hang Out in China\u201d and \u201cMy Mao Suit\u201d the band waves at the outside world with
\nhammer and sickle and dares those who listen to not strip and dance in the hot pink fire.
\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/profile.php?id=100094637092566&is_tour_dismissed=true<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1. "What's a common myth about Independent Artists and can you debunk it?"
\nI do not understand the question
\n2. "What advice would you give to someone wanting to enter the music industry?"
\nI think everybody can enter the industry, someone can hit a bucket and say he is in the music
\nindustry. It really just depends on what results you expect and what kind of comments you want
\nfrom the public. Or you can just ignore them all.
\n3. "Are there any resources or even advice that have really helped you on your journey?"
\n4 month covid lockdown in China
\n4. "What has been your biggest accomplishment in your career thus far?"<\/p>\n
5. \u201cWhat do you wish you had known when you started out?\u201d<\/p>\n
6. "What led you to becoming a singer-songwriter?"<\/p>\n
7. "What do you think is your unique skill(s) that has helped you become successful?"<\/p>\n
8. "How was your journey to what you do now?"<\/p>\n
9. "How did this project begin?"
\nIt started with me and Chachy harmonizing songs of the Beach Boys or Everly Brothers and
\nenjoying our voices being together. Then covid lockdown happened which gave us time and
\nanger to start GUJI
\n10. "What makes this project different from "past projects?"
\nFor me it is totally new experience which makes every step exciting, for Chachy he has been in
\npunk bands his whole life, i think GUJI gives him chances to express himself in a different and
\ncuter way.
\n11. "What's the inspiration behind this project?"
\nWe try to use simple, postive and poppy melodies for every song, to hide the angry, sexual, dirty,
\npolitical lyrics, so the band does not get in trouble in China but still free to talk shit. So are the
\nvideos, they are under the disguise of cuteness and weirdness.
\n12. "What word or phrase would you use to describe this project?"
\nAn innocent looking monster
\n13. "How can listeners get in touch with or support you?"
\nThey may go to the page of Godless American and find GUJI. They may also buy the physical EP
\nwhich is named GUJI, under Godless America.
\nListeners that wanna reach us may find me on my instagram @xiuxiu20202.
\n14. "What is coming up for you in the near future?"
\nWe are writting more songs to prolong our performance, and we hope we could get chance to
\ntour in future!<\/p>\n
15. "Many people believe that becoming a musical artist is challenging to the point it
\nbecomes overwhelming and too much to handle. Why do you think people believe that?"
\nIt is hard to keep going if it feels like speaking to a wall all the time, which is not the fault of the
\naudience or the artist. It is just the art is not displaying in the right environment.<\/p>\n
16. \u201cWhat\u2019s the most common reason for people failing or giving up?\u201d
\nSame as question#15, the art is not displaying in the right environment or period of time, it is
\neasy for the artist to feel lonely and not being understandable then give up.
\n17. "What is your favorite word?"
\nIn GUJI song? "I like fast train choo choo" from I Like to Hang Out in China.
\n18. "What are you not very good at?"
\nHappily being in China<\/p>\n
19. "If you could have one superpower, what would it be?"
\nTo become very very tiny, so tiny that no one can see me, so i can travel anywhere for free and
\nenter shows for free and get bank card password of rich people or top secret of the
\ngovernments.
\n20. "If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be?"
\nI wanna be a piece of turd so most people can leave me alone
\n21. "If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would you choose?"
\nI would wanna be the president of China and kill myself, and before that I wanna dismiss
\ncommunism party in China<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Guji\u5495\u53fd The debut, EP of GUJI \u5495\u53fd, a quirky synth-driven new wave quartet comprised of Chinese nationals Klaire (synths), Alex (bass), Stacy (drum machine) and American guitarist and singer for Shanghai punk band Round Eye Chachy will be released August 25 by Floridian label Godless America on cassette, digital download and via streaming platforms. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[482],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-37527","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-written"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37527"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37527\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37534,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37527\/revisions\/37534"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjagradio.com\/themic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}