City Explorations 城市探險
Album - 10 songs |

City Explorations 城市探險

2018/08/03
Preview Full Track
10 songs
Founded in 2003, Skyline is one of the most renowned fusion Jazz bands in Taiwan. Its music covers genres like Jazz, Funk, Latin, R&B, Soul, Pop and Rock. Embracing influences from Jazz masters in U.S., Japan and Europe, the band is committed to creating their original music by combining western elements with local cultures for an unique fusion style. As the name indicates, Skyline's music boasts a distinctive metropolitan style and strong urban focus. The band also seeks to inject greater musical richness and cultural depth into the production to create some truly unique Fusion Jazz tunes.

In 2013, Skyline launched "Alchemy", its 10th Anniversary round-the-island Tour, and received wide acclaim from music fans. Thus the band decided to release its debut album "City Glide" in 2014. Since the album launched, Skyline has received wide acclaim from home and abroad for its diverse music elements and mature urban Jazz style. In addition to being nominated for the Best New Artist at the 5th Golden Indie Music Awards in 2014, the band was among the world's top 12 bands at the 3rd Cotai Jazz and Blues Festival in Macau in the same year and then invited to perform live at the 2015 Java Jazz Festival, the world's biggest Jazz music festival.

Following its debut success, Skyline launched its second studio album "City Colors" in 2016. Extending the concept of its first album “silhouette of the city”, the band created this sophisticated and melodic production rich in delicate musical arrangements and remarkable depth. Jazz virtuosos Gerald Albright, Paul Jackson Jr., Alain Caron are all featured in the production. In the same year, Skyline went on an Asia tour with 20 concerts in a total of 12 cities in Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan and released its first live album and DVD/BD in 2017.

Sparing no creative efforts to produce great music, Skyline released its third studio album “City Explorations” in 2018. Partnering with Taipei Symphony Orchestra (TSO) POPS and classical-crossover music master Joe Che-Yi Lee, Skyline is set to begin a groundbreaking “Symphojazz” tour blending Jazz with classical symphony in major concert halls around Taiwan, embarking an unprecedented music journey featuring original jazz music from Taiwan, world music and classical symphony.

Skyline is also devoted to promoting Jazz music from Taiwan via innovative online platforms. On the strength of the power of the Internet as well as the group forming power of social media, we have more than 17,000 fans on Facebook, becoming the most followed Jazz band in Taiwan. We also have a multinational fan base on YouTube and Google+, receiving greetings and questions from people worldwide. At Skyline, our ambition is not only to promote Taiwan's Jazz music among international music lovers but make Taiwan known to the world.

On the one hand, Skyline absorbs a variety of music elements from
around the world and brings innovative concepts and skills into its album
as it interprets all the music styles unique to each culture. By propelling Taiwan’s original Jazz music onto the international platform, all the jazz enthusiasts worldwide will fall in love with it after having a listen to such excellent tunes. It is Skyline’s wish that it is not the Skyline from Taiwan but Skyline of the world!

ABOUT the album
Jazz Explorations - a magnificent music journey around the globe
Skyline’s third album “City Explorations”

• A breakthrough album marking the band’s 15th anniversary blending Jazz, classical symphony and world music.
• Containing the music elements such as traditional Chinese, Japanese, Indian, African, European (Middle Ages), Flamingo, Tango, Latin, Chill-out, Avant-garde rock, etc. across the five continents.
• Joint efforts by top-notch musicians from genres like traditional Taiwanese, Jazz and classical music, etc. as well as a Grammy-award-winning post-production team (Bob Ludwig, Craig Burbidge and Michele “Miki” Paciulli) and classical-crossover music master Joe Che-Yi Lee.
• Famed music reviews from renowned Jazz critics and music producers – Daniel Shen, Ernest Su, Bernard Fu, Roger Li, Wisconsin Sun, Patrick Lin, Kay Huang, CinCin Lee, Ray Huang and Chris Ho touted this album as a new milestone for the Jazz Fusion circle in Taiwan.

Skyline’s first two albums have received critical acclaim from home and abroad. After its tour performances around Asia in 2016, Skyline decided to go back to square one and think over its original motive of creating fusion jazz music. After some soul-searching, the band has made it a long-term goal of pushing through their creative frontiers and constantly sharpening their prowess in Jazz, in addition to tapping into even more diverse music genres. Meanwhile, the band also seeks to include as many music elements around the world as possible into its productions.

“City Explorations” is an experimental concept album that takes listeners on a music adventure around the world. Setting out on the mission of cultural exchanges, this album begins from Taiwanese music and embraces the essences of the music styles from the five continents including folk opera music (Beiguan & Nanguan) in Taiwan, exciting/vibrant African tunes, passionate Flamingo dance music from southern Europe, unchained Latin rhythms from South America, mysterious and distant Indian/Middle Eastern melodies, simple yet deep Asian/oriental elements, elegant/unassuming Tango and central European folk tunes passed down through generations, avant-garde rock requiring complicated skills as well as electronic music that has emerged as a fad in Europe, making this album an extravagant journey of music exploration. Accompanied by classic symphony, this album promises to ignite sparks. This is a full-concept album theme rarely seen among local jazz bands in Taiwan and represents an innovative music approach and set a milestone in Taiwan’s fusion jazz circle.

On the one hand, Skyline absorbs a variety of music elements from around the world and brings innovative concepts and skills into its album as it interprets all the music styles unique to each culture. On the other hand, Skyline wants to use music as a channel to promote original music productions from Taiwan onto the international platform and facilitate exchanges between the island’s Jazz musicians and international Jazz players/enthusiasts. By propelling Taiwan’s original Jazz music onto the international platform, all the jazz enthusiasts worldwide will fall in love with it after having a listen to such excellent tunes. It is Skyline’s wish that it is not the Skyline from Taiwan but Skyline of the world!

Tracks:
1. Mountain Cloud Music: Jazzy Su
This piece is like a conversation between Taiwanese folk opera music
(“nanguan" and “beiguan") and western Funk. By playing a Hakka folk piece on erhu and Bang Di and a blues scale on the piano and Dulcimer (Yangqin), Guzheng and Pipa, this track accentuates the emotions deep in the hearts of city-dwellers as they embrace simplicity and nature.

2. Arcade of Zen Music: Jazzy Su
This piece fuses western and eastern cultures by integrating Japanese music instruments Shamisen, Shakuhachi and Koto with the rhythm of western Funk to accentuate the curious sight of the coexistence of classic and modern & old and new and the relationship of movement, calmness, Zen, philosophy reflected by ancient architecture in modern cities.

3. River of Eternity Music: Richard Li
Featuring the accompaniment of northern Indian traditional music instrument Sitar, Esraj, Bansuri and Tabla, the song features the rhythm of Raga played against a continuous drone in the background. With the Indian music scale playing, this piece depicts the relationship between ancient mysterious River Ganges and the life cycles of Indian people over thousands of years.

4. Crusade of Millennium Music: Sean Liao
This piece depicts a traveler musing over the former glory of central Europeans’ crusades and conquers before a Middle Ages castle. It not only features European Middle Ages instruments, central European ballads but burgle sounding by a brass instrument before a crusade on a misty morning, fast guitar drumming and the rhythm of Syncopation to recreate the tension between two armies before combat. The melodious string music, however, accentuates the solemn atmosphere.

5. Walk on Prairie Music: Jazzy Su
Opening with African Marimba and Djembe, this piece seeks to recreate the songs chanted at tribal meetings in Africa with repetitive songs phrases. In addition to the Afro-Cuban rhythmic shouts, brass ensemble, improvised variation, this piece captures hunters’ excitement when chasing a prey.

6. Danza del Sol Music: Richard Li
Featuring classical guitar techniques, Flamenco sweepicking and guitar tapping, as well as tapping a Cajon, Palmas (hand clapping) and acoustic bass, this track captures the common sight of passionate men and women dancing to music in a sunny southern European country near the Mediterranean Sea.

7. Sunset Chill Music: Jazzy Su
Free yourself from the bondage of city life and hit the sunny beach Ibiza known for electronic music and passion in Spain! Accompanied by unbound, dynamic rhythm of electronic drums and laidback notes played improvised on the piano, this piece’s colorful variety created through effect pedals ushers you into the musical world of trance and illusion.

8. Secret Trail Music: Richard Li/ Jazzy Su
Featuring exotic latin rhythm of Tumbao, music on fretless bass, the harmony of nylon guitar and flute as well as a variety of latin percussions representing layers of music depth, this piece creates a curious/interesting music medley that depicts a travel’s wonder exploring the unknown in a South American jungle.

9. Capítulo del Amor Music: Jazzy Su
Accompanied by classical grand piano and traditional low bass and features Badoneon, which is central to tango dance songs, and vibrant Violin and clarinet, this piece is both passionate/wild and sentimental/elegant. It tells the story of two lonely souls meeting at a bar before embarking on a sensual adventure.

10. Dream Storm Music: Jazzy Su
Divided into three chapters, this piece is a brand-new combination of heavy metal and jazz rock that wonderfully integrates the skills of classical counterpoint and modern jazz harmony. The fast-moving symphony notes and pop rock’s powerful rhythms create complicated music phrase patterns that sound like tumultuous storms that only happen in a dream and an overpowering/majestic music feast!

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    Release Date

    2018/08/03