Hedgehog’s Sun Fun Gun (外媒碟评集)
source:http://pangbianr.com/new-jams-hedgehog-sun-fun-gun/
By Josh, 2012年 3月 22日
I’ve spun through Hedgehog‘s newest long player a few times now and one word comes repeatedly to mind: mature. The band made some bold moves on last year’s DEstroy meMOries demo and those moves have been played out to their logical conclusion on Sun Fun Gun. You’ll still find nods to their past moments of indie pop perfection — they include a new version of their hit “24 Hour Rock Party” here, which they’ve renamed “You Guys Rock D22 I Was There Man”… awesome — but the whole package is way rougher around the edges and, in the best possible sense, older. Few Beijing bands have passed the three LP mark and managed to maintain a wide level of interest. This new Hedgehog slab may alienate their pop base, but it may also manage to compel some of their fans to grow along with them.
And as far as I’m concerned, this is some of their best work yet. Above stream two of the album’s noisier tracks. “The Loneliest Day” features Yan Yulong‘s signature viola squall, and “The Burning Sun in the Morning” has lyrics and melodies I think but they’re encrypted in a blissful wall of “psychedelic synth attempt” (their words). Keep your eyes peeled for a Caoker video of the latter soon.
The album will be available at your local (Chinese) record store starting on April 5th. And Beijingers can check out Hedgehog’s official album release party on Saturday June 16 @ Yugong Yishan.
source : http://layabozi.com/2012/04/hedgehog-sun-fun-gun/
April 10th, 2012 by Ankur
Chinese rock trio Hedgehog is back at it again. One of Modern Sky’s most prominent artists had a very busy 2011. Not showing any signs of slowing down Hedgehog has started 2012 with a new album and a tour to go with it. Sun Fun Gun was recorded and produced in New York City last year while they were on tour in the US. When I heard that this new album was going to be recorded and produced in the US by John Grew, and Russell Simins, I was a bit wary about the final product. How could they produce and record an album with people from another country and idea set from theirs? Would it still have the same sound that I have come to learn and love from my favorite Chinese band?
It’s better. Atom, Zo, and Fun have managed to keep that same gritty sound that we have come to know while adding some new sounds as well. There are some new style changes in comparison to the normal orchestration of the old Hedgehog sound. Several of the tracks seem downright pop rock with the next track being reminiscent of grunge, early punk, or emo with a hint of psychedelic influence. The first three tracks off the album, “Heart on Fire”, “Dear Boy I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend”, and “Surf with Shark” are great examples of this changing and blending of styles that is present throughout. Don’t worry though old fans will still find that this album pleases in the old ways, that made Hedgehog what they are, while allowing for musical growth and experimentation. Many other bands in the past have tinkered with sounds that made them icons in the first place, only to alienate their fan base with their “new” sound. This is not what Sun Fun Gun does. What at first, to me, sounded odd clearly turned into the realization of musical growth and something still done well. It couldn’t help but have the same type of fun and euphoria that I experience when I listen to older Hedgehog albums.
Zo and Atom as usual have taken turns on singing duties. However, it seems to me that Atom is carrying more of the lead vocals on this album instead of her normal back up duties. Along with this, Yan Yu Long from Beijing rock group Chui Wan, is featured on the track “The Loneliest Day”, and Gillian Rivers, who is an American violinist, who has preformed with bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Silversun Pickups, and many others, is featured on “Choose Whatever You Want All the Time”. These guest artists add even more credit to Hedgehog’s amazing musical and lyrical talents. Combining guest artist, blending styles, and old school Hedgehog-ness makes for an amazingly diverse set of songs with an amazingly comforting feel to it.
For me Sun Fun Gun shows the band is no longer a group of discontented youths. Finally, they are grown and ready to move on to bigger things. I often wonder when will a band that I enjoy in China so much be available to my friends in other countries. With this album Hedgehog puts out an album for the first time that I feel could do well in international markets. They can now contend with other international acts. I don’t hope to expect to see Hedgehog opening or playing the mid-day spots at music festivals in China anymore. They have been here, but with this album I think they are taking a stand and showing how big they really are and need to be treated as such, “Hello China, we’re Hedgehog, we have arrived and don’t you forget it.” Sure not every song on the album is a hit, but as a whole I can say that Sun Fun Gun is going to be the album that people are still going to be listing ten years from now when they realized how good Hedgehog really is.
When you listen to Sun Fun Gun, you will know that you are listening to Hedgehog and experiencing something new and special. For me this might be the best Hedgehog album to date. I hope they put out 2 more albums this year like they did last year and I can’t wait to see them on tour when they come back through Beijing.
By Josh, 2012年 3月 22日
I’ve spun through Hedgehog‘s newest long player a few times now and one word comes repeatedly to mind: mature. The band made some bold moves on last year’s DEstroy meMOries demo and those moves have been played out to their logical conclusion on Sun Fun Gun. You’ll still find nods to their past moments of indie pop perfection — they include a new version of their hit “24 Hour Rock Party” here, which they’ve renamed “You Guys Rock D22 I Was There Man”… awesome — but the whole package is way rougher around the edges and, in the best possible sense, older. Few Beijing bands have passed the three LP mark and managed to maintain a wide level of interest. This new Hedgehog slab may alienate their pop base, but it may also manage to compel some of their fans to grow along with them.
And as far as I’m concerned, this is some of their best work yet. Above stream two of the album’s noisier tracks. “The Loneliest Day” features Yan Yulong‘s signature viola squall, and “The Burning Sun in the Morning” has lyrics and melodies I think but they’re encrypted in a blissful wall of “psychedelic synth attempt” (their words). Keep your eyes peeled for a Caoker video of the latter soon.
The album will be available at your local (Chinese) record store starting on April 5th. And Beijingers can check out Hedgehog’s official album release party on Saturday June 16 @ Yugong Yishan.
source : http://layabozi.com/2012/04/hedgehog-sun-fun-gun/
April 10th, 2012 by Ankur
Chinese rock trio Hedgehog is back at it again. One of Modern Sky’s most prominent artists had a very busy 2011. Not showing any signs of slowing down Hedgehog has started 2012 with a new album and a tour to go with it. Sun Fun Gun was recorded and produced in New York City last year while they were on tour in the US. When I heard that this new album was going to be recorded and produced in the US by John Grew, and Russell Simins, I was a bit wary about the final product. How could they produce and record an album with people from another country and idea set from theirs? Would it still have the same sound that I have come to learn and love from my favorite Chinese band?
It’s better. Atom, Zo, and Fun have managed to keep that same gritty sound that we have come to know while adding some new sounds as well. There are some new style changes in comparison to the normal orchestration of the old Hedgehog sound. Several of the tracks seem downright pop rock with the next track being reminiscent of grunge, early punk, or emo with a hint of psychedelic influence. The first three tracks off the album, “Heart on Fire”, “Dear Boy I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend”, and “Surf with Shark” are great examples of this changing and blending of styles that is present throughout. Don’t worry though old fans will still find that this album pleases in the old ways, that made Hedgehog what they are, while allowing for musical growth and experimentation. Many other bands in the past have tinkered with sounds that made them icons in the first place, only to alienate their fan base with their “new” sound. This is not what Sun Fun Gun does. What at first, to me, sounded odd clearly turned into the realization of musical growth and something still done well. It couldn’t help but have the same type of fun and euphoria that I experience when I listen to older Hedgehog albums.
Zo and Atom as usual have taken turns on singing duties. However, it seems to me that Atom is carrying more of the lead vocals on this album instead of her normal back up duties. Along with this, Yan Yu Long from Beijing rock group Chui Wan, is featured on the track “The Loneliest Day”, and Gillian Rivers, who is an American violinist, who has preformed with bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Silversun Pickups, and many others, is featured on “Choose Whatever You Want All the Time”. These guest artists add even more credit to Hedgehog’s amazing musical and lyrical talents. Combining guest artist, blending styles, and old school Hedgehog-ness makes for an amazingly diverse set of songs with an amazingly comforting feel to it.
For me Sun Fun Gun shows the band is no longer a group of discontented youths. Finally, they are grown and ready to move on to bigger things. I often wonder when will a band that I enjoy in China so much be available to my friends in other countries. With this album Hedgehog puts out an album for the first time that I feel could do well in international markets. They can now contend with other international acts. I don’t hope to expect to see Hedgehog opening or playing the mid-day spots at music festivals in China anymore. They have been here, but with this album I think they are taking a stand and showing how big they really are and need to be treated as such, “Hello China, we’re Hedgehog, we have arrived and don’t you forget it.” Sure not every song on the album is a hit, but as a whole I can say that Sun Fun Gun is going to be the album that people are still going to be listing ten years from now when they realized how good Hedgehog really is.
When you listen to Sun Fun Gun, you will know that you are listening to Hedgehog and experiencing something new and special. For me this might be the best Hedgehog album to date. I hope they put out 2 more albums this year like they did last year and I can’t wait to see them on tour when they come back through Beijing.
