Weekend Live Music Reviews: Hanggai, Shanren

Hanggai

They twist those vintage roots into bass riffs and rhythms that would rattle any metal head to bliss. The grassland troupe rocked 2 Kolegas past the rafters Friday night with songs like “Wuji,” which started with rustic horse-head fiddle sawing before turning into a bulldozing treble barrage with dynamite drums at the chorus.

Those elements mixed best when the band broke into throat singing refrains. It’s an abrasive sort of chanting that might seem off-putting at first. But within seconds it grew hypnotic, especially when the bandmates turned that primal growling into a complex harmony with each other and their heavy-hitting bass lines. Before the show’s end Hanggai proved throat singing is everything auto tune should be- a mesmerizing voice contortion that seems alien until it mingles with the instruments, more authentic than any modern electro gimmick.

The same can be said for the musicians themselves. Guitarist Ileta tore up an acoustic six string left handed and upside down - no one had restrung it for him. That’s either a showcase of his ambidexterity, or more likely, the offbeat way he taught himself to play Hanggai’s rare rhythms. Percussionist Li Zhongtao tapped what looked like wind chimes during the most melodious moments, before reigning down a torrent of hurricane drum lines.

But the most extreme player onstage was shirtless front man Hurcha, who swayed to and fro with his band mates’ riffing as if his bulbous gut were an instrument as well. At times he donned a spiky leather vest that made him look like the villain in Mad Max. And the choruses belted out - full of heys and ohs, especially on the relentlessly fun “Drinking Song”- were easy for an audience of any language to sing along with. They weren’t so much lyrics as rallying cries, and that sort of showmanship is what makes Hanggai feel so fresh and familiar at the same time. Kyle Mullin

Shanren

For their first show at MAO Livehouse last Friday, Shanren brought their sarcastic cheery attitude, funky reggae tunes mixing with folk rock (or sometimes hard rock) and various kinds of traditional folk instruments that are not sold at anywhere you’d know. With support from their faithful fans and some drunken foreigners, a joyful night was complete.

For years, the venue’s darkness has been deepened over and over again by its punk, metal or hardcore regulars. So when Shanren’s upbeat folk tunes first started echoing, it feels like a happy bird trying to break through the bitter fog that has been haunting the club for a long time. The evil fog didn’t resist for long after all. Shanren’s original mix of reggae and traditional folk started to own the place after the third track. Then some heavy beats and flowing riffs resonated the band’s hard rock history that’s probably forgotten by the most. The joining of the band’s rapper friend was a bit odd, but the audience was boiled.

I actually enjoyed Shanren more when they played on the stage of bigger and brighter places like a music festival, but it was also pleasant to see them rocking a unfamiliar venue in their style. Michelle Dai

Photos: Courtesy of Hanggai and Shanren.