Sa DingDing: Alive – Album Review

May 28, 2015 by pondewaywayway 2 Comments

I often review music with lyrics not in the English language but this is the first time I’ve reviewed an album that really fits the genre of world music. Alive was  Dingding’s debut, aside from an early dance album, and it made a big splash all around the world. From what I can gather it was successful in her native China and her victory at the BBC world music awards led to media coverage in the UK, performances at WOMAD and the Royal Albert Hall (a date at Glastonbury was derailed by Dingding’s refusal to go against China’s stance on Tibet). Though she is far from a household name Sa Dingding did achieve enough success in the UK to have her second album stocked in my local HMV, not a store renowned for its leftfield musical choices. All this on the strength of one album, so what’s all the fuss all about?

Well, first off, I’d discourage you from listening to what the journalist’s have to say; Dingding is not, as they seem keen to suggest, a ‘Chinese Bjork’. There are vague similarities between the two but it is a largely unfair comparison that fails to convey what Dingding’s music is about whilst simultaneously setting her up for a fall. 

Both singers possess inimitable vocal styles but they are distinct from each other and though both subvert the conventional parts of their music with new electronic sounds Dingding is far less experimental and pioneering than the Icelandic songstress. The sounds that underscore Alive are nothing new, even at the time the Nineties-esque breakbeats that erupt on album opener Mama Tian Na sounded dated; but it is Dingding’s fusion of these staple sounds with Chinese folk and traditional music that makes for intriguing listening.

Usually records that attempt to fuse these two contrasting genres sound rather mismatched but Alive doesn’t always pair both sounds together. Holy Incense (Two versions of which are included on the record) strips away all electronic embellishments and is a beautifully calming piece of music that sees Dingding joined by a male voice and sparse accompaniment from Chinese flutes and sedate percussion. In this case the added weight of electronic sounds would spoil the song’s mood but that is not to say that such sounds are handled any less well. Tuo Luo Ni and Flickering With Blossoms  are entirely electronic but they are just as good, the former being my favourite track from the album. Shifting from ambient soundscapes to ferocious beats and synth bass gives the song a sense of exhilaration and allows Dingding to showcase the diversity and flexibility of her voice.  The latter track works because the contemporary sound it evokes complements Dingding’s restrained, almost lethargic vocal, well.

Even the tracks that utilise both sonic palettes are successful as Dingding and her producers work to stitch the sounds together instead of just layering one over the other. Mama Tian Na‘s breakbeats fit with the traditional instruments and chants around them as the kick drum is replaced by traditional percussion. Oldster by Xilin River is largely electronic but the Chinese strings that adorn the second half are not out of place because the tracks initial beat is constructed of what sounds to be a traditional folk song.

What makes the album work though is the voice of Sa Dingding. The production is polished and the compositions solid but it is not as adventurous as one might expect. The exception to this is Dingding idiosyncratic vocals; not only does she use several different languages (one of her own creation) but she also sounds comfortable across a range of styles. From traditional chants, through gentle balladry and chilled elctronica, all the way to ferocious dance music – Dingding owns every one of them. Not only is her vocal performance a unifying force for Alive it’s also a standout in its own right with a unique tone and impressive range. Of course no voice, no matter how impressive, would work without good melodies to sing and this is Alive‘s other big draw. Each song is made accessible by instantly recognisable melodies that transcend language barriers. No one on the planet, save for Dingding herself, would be able to understand every language used here but, nevertheless, Alive soars because its music conveys a wide variety of moods and atmospheres. Sa Dingding isn’t spicing up World music with dance beats or positioning herself as a unique voice on the dancefloor (despite what her forgotten first album would suggest), instead she is taking elements of both genres to create a sound as unique as her voice. She might not have completely achieved that with Alive (or her subsequent two records for that matter) but she is still deserving of attention.