Find your space in the pocket. If ever there was a phrase that I’ve been trying to hammer home lately, on the blog, it’s that. It’s about exploring the work of musicians who moved things around, found ways to pick at frayed threads and bind them together, to build their own work. China’s Säju is the perfect example of such a musician and her self-titled debut with Japan’s Yutaka Fukuoka (aka Yen Chang) illustrates how important it is to find collaborators that do exactly that.
When you listen to Säju, or at least when I do, it triggers memories of other spectral music released by musicians like Björk, PJ Harvey, and groups like Goldfrapp or Moloko, largely, female-led artists that had one foot in the world of the atmospheric or avantgarde and another in the shape-shifting thing we call, contemporary pop music. I say this, because for someone like Säju it wasn’t as easy to get to that point.
Born in Taiyuan City, near the border of Inner Mongolia in Shanxi Province, it wasn’t until her family moved to the megalopolis of Beijing to raise Säju that she was able to muster an idea of music existing outside the mainland. Thankfully for us, at the age of seven, she got the singing bug after performing in front of 10,000 spectators at Beijing’s Metropolitan Gymnasium to celebrate China’s “National Foundation Day”, and followed that by winning countless singing contests.
It’s Säju’s high-octave vocal range that would allow her to navigate the waters of her exploration of Tibetan folk music and to contribute as a singer for groups like the China Film Symphony Orchestra, which she’d graduate to professionally as a student and vocalist. By the early ‘90s, Säju had earned her moniker as the “Diva of Beijing”. Yet, for all those accolades and achievements, Säju had other ideas in mind.
While participating as the Chinese musical representative for Hiroshima’s “Asian Music Festival” Süja was able to experience that important bit of creative and societal freedom afforded to artists in Japan. In 1991, for a moment, Säju spent time in Japan trying to make some inroads into the Japanese music industry. It was during that time in Japan, that she discovered the music of Enigma and realized that there was a way to marry her affection for Tibetan music/singing with newer styles.
So, rather than head back, that failure spurred her to explore other musical ideas that had been bubbling in global mass culture, to tough it out and forgo a career in her homeland, to fully develop as an artiste in Japan. Luckily for Säju, she’d meet one Yutaka Fukuoka.
Yutaka Fukuoka, at that moment, was a Japanese singer who had gone through a certain fork in the road, artistically. In his early career, the Hamada City-native had been instrumental in burgeoning Japanese post-punk and New Wave scene, serving as a key member of groups like the Vibra-Tones and PINK. By the early ‘90s, a brief career in “ethno-pop” in the duo Halo, compelled him to pursue a solo career that sounded tonally inspired by the work of Sting and Peter Gabriel. As that career led to work composing for others and commercials, by the mid ‘90s, his own solo career took a freer shift, inspired more by the experiment, freer, work of jazz, dance, and traditional influences.
It was his 1996 sophomore release, the seriously amazing, Ur Word, that presented a new collection of music, seemingly, inspired by Asian influences found more abroad than within, and groove-oriented styles serving his sophisticated, multi-tracked spiritually-tinged vistas. In a way, Yutaka laid down some of the path that Säju felt was necessary to take.
When Säju was finally signed by Triad, it could have been on the strength of what she could create together with fellow label-mate Yutaka. Together, they could expand on the dancefloor-oriented grooves found on Ur Word. Together, they could explore crevices of Chinese music, in ways that can speak “contemporary” but also breathe in tradition.
So, in 1996, together they held up in both Japanese and Chinese studios to craft the songs that would appear on Säju’s self-titled debut. Working on the strength of Yutaka’s production, songs like opener, “尋夢 (xun meng)/(Searchin’ For The Dream)”, combined breakbeat with authentic Chinese instrumentation and Säju’s bracing multi-tracked vocals. Music inspired by the expanses of Tibet, like the vocalese in “古時候, 这時候 (gu shi hou zhe shi)/(I’m In You)”, mutate into future pop that predicts the slice-n-reconstitute music found in our present. Songs like it, understand the power of Säju’s native voice and language, and take pointillistic means to pick out where exactly its heft is. That it’s also a dance floor burner, makes it doubly more impressive.
A duet like “アディオス (Adiós)” by Säju and Yutaka, find them equally adept at crossing the lyrical and vocabulary bridge, adding a few tropical leanings, creating a surprising accessible (and in turn, successful) single that feels of the album. The more esoteric, atmospheric numbers, are the ones with more staying power. You hear that “丁香花 (ding xiang hua)/(Lilac)” where the floating, sample-heavy, ambient music comes in and out like an apparition, letting Säju achieve that audacious goal she originally fought long and hard for.
Near the end of the record, Säju and Yutaka allow Japanese ambient group Master Mind take the reins and create something that’s even less categorizable. “我知道 (wo zhi dao)/(I Know)” and “飛 (Flying High)” go deeper into the hypnotic allure of Mandarin melisma, crafting minimalist techno that’s esoteric in a different kind of way, reminding me of the great trip-hop or rare groove-adjacent music of the late ‘90s.
When the album ends, on notes played on a souna by Guo Ya Zhi, on “流星 (Speed Star)” it does so on a spirited finale. Rather than gravitate towards the pull of the past, Säju takes all these bits and pieces of memory, and flings them towards a new horizon, blurring the edges, crossing the finish line. And to think this was just Säju’s debut and a small slice of Yutaka was capable of?
Notes from Yen
A friend asked me, “Would you like to listen to an intriguing female vocalist?” Given that my friend often introduces me to unconventional people, I inquired about this individual. It turns out she’s called “Säju,” and she hails from Beijing, China. I’ve frequently heard about places like Hong Kong and Taiwan, but to finally have someone from the heart of China’s history, Beijing, is quite an event and warrants my attention.
So, what about her singing? Oh, it’s remarkable! A sudden burst of high-toned Chinese folk vocals. As a devoted enthusiast of voices and music, my approach was, “Compositions tailored to personal preferences, arrangements, and full-scale production – all at an affordable price, delivered promptly!” And with this mindset, I embarked on this production. ＼(^_^)／
I’ve heard that she has an affinity for traditional Chinese ethnic singing, particularly from the Tibet region. Of course, she’s also fond of the latest Western pop trends and somewhat artistic folk and popular dance music, such as Enigma, Fukamori, and Yen Chang’s Ur Words – this brings me joy! m(_ _)m.
For her debut, she expressed a desire to venture into new territories that she hasn’t explored in China or Japan. Naturally, I set even higher goals, aiming to create something distinctive and pop-infused that originates from both China and Japan.Upon listening to the album, I believe you’ll come to understand that I attempted to approach her songs from various perspectives, employing rather daring arrangements (which cannot be achieved without vocal strength). Overall, I think this endeavor was largely successful.
During the production, I was surprised by the musical elegance of the Chinese language (specifically Mandarin). While in Japanese music, rhythm can sometimes be disrupted, the flow of Mandarin is so fluid! (Of course, SÄJU’s vocal ability contributes significantly to this.) As the recording advanced in Beijing, myself and the entire team (including the Chinese side) became more resolute in our belief: “We are certain of the musical triumph of this endeavor!” This conviction only grew stronger.
This album is set for release not only in Japan but also on the mainland of China. (The Chinese version is entirely in Mandarin, with some slight variations from the Japanese version.) This endeavor was a collaborative effort involving numerous Chinese professionals, including songwriters, musicians, and promotional video teams. Balancing both sides, it marked my first experience of bustling conversations in Mandarin, Japanese, English (which didn’t quite translate as expected), and kanji writing. It left me somewhat bewildered, but the team members worked tirelessly despite the lack of a rigid schedule. I’d like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all team members on both sides. “Cheers!” m(_ _)m.
In any case, the album is now complete. Säju’s debut is finally here. I believe that all team members, self included, have successfully crafted a captivating album. We eagerly anticipate your warm encouragement and continued support for Säju’s future endeavors.
With that said, “Zaichen!” (Chinese expression meaning “Goodbye for now!”)
Yen Chang (Fukuoka Yutaka)