American born electronic producer and multi-instrumentalist, thruoutin, has been based in China since 2009. His work varies from project to project, but often revolves around the combining of different genres and with a focus on organic and digital sounds. He has brought his music to Canada, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and various cities in the US and throughout China. Besides self-releases, thruoutin has also been featured on such labels as Jingweir (Beijing), Huashan (Shanghai), 87Fei87 (Beijing), LABAREDA (Lisbon), Senzu Collective (North Hollywood), Aud-Art (Pittsburgh) and Ran Music (Beijing).
Edward Sanderson (ES): Can you tell me a little bit about your background? How did you end up in Beijing?
Brad Seippel (BS): I’m originally from New Orleans. Louisiana. I left the United States to live in Ningbo, China in 2009. My initial goal was to learn Mandarin and get some work experience after University. At that time I was already producing music under my current artist name (thruoutin) and continued to do so after I made the move. I became interested in the Beijing music scene through friends in Ningbo and started doing my own research on bands and artists from the capital. I later visited Beijing as a tourist and attended a couple of live performances at some (now defunct) venues. I decided I would like to focus on music more and Beijing would be a suitable place for that.
ES: How did you get into music and performing originally?
BS: My father is a drummer and an avid listener to various genres of music, R&B, disco, classic rock, jazz and latin fusion. I was always around music growing up and in school I did choir from grade 7 until graduating from high school. Outside of school I began to study the bass guitar at the age of 12 and later played in punk and ska bands. It’s from those that most of my early musical influences came from. I probably played my first performance in freshman year of high school at a house party. Fortunately no documentation of that exists to my knowledge.
ES: Your music covers a broad range of formats, mostly at the “experimental” end of things, and you perform in many contexts. The pieces vary from ambient pieces to sung compositions, often incorporating field recordings. I know you also collaborate with other artists to produce complex theatrical performances. And you also play the pipa, an instrument with a strong connection to traditional music in Asia.
So how did you reach such a diverse set of productions? How has your music developed over the years? Why did you go down an “experimental” route in your music making?
BS: In University I made the move to producing my own music; instead of just writing the bass and vocal parts, I began making the entire track. I think it was from that freedom of being able to add or subtract whatever I wanted that I began to experiment with different techniques. I didn’t have a whole lot of gear to work with at the time so I used anything available; I would record through a karaoke machine into my computer and make samples with a voice recorder.
Once I had enough material I decided I would like to try it out in a live setting. I was living in Mobile, Alabama at the time (2005–07) and there was a growing scene of musicians working there in all kinds of styles. There were often mixed shows with electronic, punk, experimental, and even country all in the same night. I played a few of these types of shows and later people asked to collaborate with me. I did a couple of projects based off of those collaborations, but continued to make my own stuff. I think what made me diversify my sound was having these influences from other musicians.
By the time I moved to Beijing I had already begun to work on a live set reflecting this, but it wasn’t until I incorporated the pipa that I felt it became more of a live performance and not purely computer-based with vocal accompaniment. Over the first couple of years of attending shows in Beijing, what influenced me the most was from the improvisational & experimental shows that I attended. I saw what were essentially “jams”, but not in the context I had seen them used before (the rock band setting). There would be no set song construction, but the musicians were listening to each other and creating a dynamic movement to the performance. Some did it better than others of course. I realised that I didn’t always have to stick to a grid with my own performances. I began with a rough idea of what I wanted to do, and then let it develop live – sometimes with collaborations from local musicians.
ES: What is experimental music for you? How does experimental music occur/appear in the Chinese context, and what’s your relation to the experimental musicians in China?
BS: At first I didn’t really consider it to be that experimental; I just wanted to make something that I wanted to listen to. I’d hear good parts in different genres and want to infuse them together. I think that, and the limited equipment I had, led me to taking a more experimental route. For me personally, I don’t think what gets called “experimental” is easy to put an exact umbrella term over, because there are just far too many artists doing something that’s considered experimental. I would have to say, however, that it is usually something that’s breaking away from the more common elements of a genre. If it’s different, then I think it’s breaking some boundaries and can be considered experimental. This is always changing though and I try to always evolve the sounds I produce.
I can’t fully represent the experimental scene here. I’m not a local and I’ll never truly be part of the scene, but I can say what I have felt as an outsider. I think China is and has been a growing place for a number of years now, in so many different facets of its society. The music scenes are no different. One of the most positive things I’ve seen has been the openness of Chinese audiences, venues, and musicians to try something new. What I mean by that is that in the West you might have to prove yourself for years in a scene until you are able to play a decent show in a less popular genre. What I was seeing between 2010 to 2014 was that people simply wanted content; they wanted bodies in the venues and material for the blogs/magazines. This void of consistent content set the stage for more experimental & electronic stuff to get a foot in the door.
ES: You also release a lot of music from China and elsewhere on your own label, Seippelabel, including a series of compilations that showcase a broad range of musical styles. How did that come about?
BS: Seippelabel is my DIY platform, and releasing the compilations on it is another way that I try to maintain a healthy relationship with Chinese artists. Through attending shows and being active in the scene I have gotten to perform with all kinds of people from around the country. Being in the midst of what’s going on has allowed me to get close to some great artists and release their work. In my eyes I’ve always just wanted to promote what they’re doing to a larger audience—one that is often outside of China—and showcase them alongside international artists. Another clutch aspect has been keeping a consistent openness regarding genres within the complications. Simply deciding that the label would be devoted to noise or techno could limit the possible collaborations for the brand. Therefore, if I believe in the track or the artist, that’s my basic justification for releasing the pieces. That’s more important to me than any particular trend.
ES: So what’s the experimental scene like in China at the moment?
BS: I try to maintain a positive and supportive relationship with artists across many different scenes in China. It’s unavoidable that scenes will split over genre lines because people simply gravitate to, and form a bond with, something they prefer to something they’re just not that into. I try to float in-between the different factions, but I’m still very interested in the experimental scene in China. I have worked with a handful of artists and I think the most important thing is establishing a relationship with them and maintaining contact with them. If I’m going to collaborate with someone or feature their content on something I release then I would rather know them on a personal level. This means going to their performances regardless of whether I’m playing or not. It’s also important to talk with these people and find out that you have similar interests and thoughts on things.
People might say that the scene in China is not how it used to be, because they’re looking back at it in a nostalgic fashion, and the earlier you are exposed to something, the stronger its initial affect is on a person. Actually the experimental scene in China is probably more diverse than it’s ever been. There are loads of people doing different projects here and it’s happening all over the country. There’s even great crossover with the visual arts and theatre communities. You do have to consider though that it’s still experimental music, so it’s not the most popular thing. But I do think that it has had an influence on other genres. The growing Chinese electronic music scene, and even the rock scene, have been influenced over the last couple of years and are actively trying to diversify themselves.
The real truth is that there’s stuff that’s happening under the radar and unless you’re super-close with the people involved it may go completely unnoticed. In the end I’m only a guest here and moreover a representative of my own country. I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had and the acceptance I’ve received from the locals, but it’s almost impossible to be truly incorporated into the local scenes. I’m content with that though, and just hope to take in as much as I can while I’m here.
Edward Sanderson is an art critic and curator based in China, focusing on sound-related practices in the region.
https://blog.escdotdot.com