The Endless Dance

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  Ben

  Producer and composer Hannah Peel first worked with percussionist Beibei Wang on Manchester Collective's 2023 album Neon, which included compositions by Peel as well as Lyra Pramuk and Steve Reich. The two artists then performed a fully improvised concert together as part of Peel's artist residency in London. Afterwards, they spent five days improvising and recording at Real World Studios. The result is The Endless Dance, a playful, exploratory record inspired by the ancient Chinese philosophy of Taoism. The music takes several forms, from atmospheric soundscapes to galloping techno workouts. Wang's spirited percussion and guest musician Hyelim Kim's colorful playing of the daegeum (a large bamboo flute from Korea) bridge Asian traditions and contemporary electronic music. "Wild Geese Arrive" immediately grabs the listener's attention with water percussion splashing against back-and-forth marimba patterns, initially created as a warm-up when Wang didn't know she was being recorded. Augmented by trippy delay effects and gleaming synths, the track takes shape as a sort of spacy, dubby rhythm, set afloat with a delicate wave of daegeum playing. "Awaken the Insects" is a rapid, punchy effort with Wang's multi-tracked voice reciting a Chinese tongue-twister she learned as a child, performing a rhythmic duet with bamboo clappers called kuai ban. "Mantis vs Horse" approximates an imaginary animal race or battle using percolating synths, wooden percussive clopping, temple bells, and insistent kick drums. "Grain Rain" is far more restrained and meditative, with bells, pianos, and ethereal vocals creating an atmosphere along with modular-sounding synths and more patient drumming. The duo return to playful explorations with more overtly techno-ish tracks like "Tiger Sex" and "Offerings to the Beast," which mix stuttering synth effects with a joyous clatter of percussion. "Limit of Heat" is a much softer, more new age-y reflection that still maintains a gleeful spirit due to the unmistakable presence of bubbles. "Thunder Begins to Soften" cleverly creates an audio storm using rolling drums and crackling electronics. The Endless Dance is a truly imaginative recording that embraces tradition as well as technology, and avoids being self-serious, instead favoring joy and free expression.