Shanghai Restoration Project
Encyclopedia
The Shanghai Restoration Project is a contemporary electronic music
group formed by Chinese American
producer Dave Liang. The group's first eponym
ous release, inspired by the Shanghai
jazz
bands of the 1930s, combines traditional Chinese instruments with modern hip-hop and electronica
.
's "New Artist of the Week" in Jan. 2006, reaching #1 on the site's Top 100 Electronic Albums Chart that month. The release gained recognition globally, rising to the top 10 in several electronic charts, including Amazon
, iTunes
, and MSN Music. The first track from the debut album, "Introduction (1936)," was selected as the theme song for a worldwide TV advertising campaign for Kenzo
Parfums (a division of Louis Vuitton
) in early 2007. Since then select tracks have been licensed to numerous advertising campaigns, television shows, and films around the world. In late 2007, SRP partnered with China Records
(the Chinese government's record label) to release Remixed and Restored Vol. 1, a project remixing select classic Chinese hits from 1930s Shanghai. In 2010, SRP earned a New York Emmy Award for the special entertainment news coverage of "New York 360 Angle: Shanghai Restoration Project" produced by Limei Wang.
, electro pop artist Di Johnston, singer-songwriter Heath Brandon, and Japanese jazz artist Emi Meyer
. Many of these releases reached #1 on various iTunes charts around the world in their respective genres.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
group formed by Chinese American
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
producer Dave Liang. The group's first eponym
Eponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous release, inspired by the Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
bands of the 1930s, combines traditional Chinese instruments with modern hip-hop and electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
.
Biography
The project debuted as MSN MusicMSN Music
MSN Music was a part of the MSN web services. It delivered music news, music videos, spotlights on new music, artist information, and live performances of artists. In 2004, Microsoft created an MSN Music download store to compete with Apple's iTunes Music Store, though its sales in comparison were...
's "New Artist of the Week" in Jan. 2006, reaching #1 on the site's Top 100 Electronic Albums Chart that month. The release gained recognition globally, rising to the top 10 in several electronic charts, including Amazon
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
, and MSN Music. The first track from the debut album, "Introduction (1936)," was selected as the theme song for a worldwide TV advertising campaign for Kenzo
Kenzo
is a common masculine Japanese given name.-Possible writings:Kenzō can be written using different kanji characters and can mean:*賢三, "wise, three"*健三, "healthy, three"*謙三, "humble, three"*健想, "healthy, concept"*建造, "build, create"*健蔵, "healthy, storehouse"...
Parfums (a division of Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
) in early 2007. Since then select tracks have been licensed to numerous advertising campaigns, television shows, and films around the world. In late 2007, SRP partnered with China Records
China Records
China Records was a record label founded October 1, 1984 by Derek Green. Its top-selling artists were Art of Noise, Morcheeba and The Levellers....
(the Chinese government's record label) to release Remixed and Restored Vol. 1, a project remixing select classic Chinese hits from 1930s Shanghai. In 2010, SRP earned a New York Emmy Award for the special entertainment news coverage of "New York 360 Angle: Shanghai Restoration Project" produced by Limei Wang.
Discography
- "The Shanghai Restoration Project" (2006, Undercover Culture Music)
- "Reinterpretations" (2006, Undercover Culture Music)
- "Remixed and Restored" (2007, China Records)
- "Story of a City" (2008, Undercover Culture Music)
- "Instrumentals: Day & Night" (2008, Undercover Culture Music)
- "Zodiac" (2009, Undercover Culture Music)
- "Afterquake" with Abigail WashburnAbigail WashburnAbigail Washburn is an American clawhammer banjo player and singer. She performs and records as a soloist, as well as with the old-time bands Uncle Earl and Sparrow Quartet.-Biography:...
(2009, Afterquake Music) - "eXpo" with Neocha (2010, Undercover Culture Music & Neocha)
- "Little Dragon Tales: Chinese Children's Songs" (2011, Cheng & Tsui)
Press
Producer Dave Liang has discussed his various projects with NPR All Things Considered, The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, BBC World Service, PRI The World, FADER and Wired.comOther Projects
The Shanghai Restoration Project has also produced releases for various artists including Universal J artist MEG, Yamaha J-pop artist Miu SakamotoMiu Sakamoto
is a Japanese pop singer. She is the daughter of musicians Ryuichi Sakamoto and Akiko Yano.- Albums :* aquascape * DAWN PINK * Harmonious...
, electro pop artist Di Johnston, singer-songwriter Heath Brandon, and Japanese jazz artist Emi Meyer
Emi Meyer
Emi Meyer is a Japanese-born, American-raised Jazz pianist and vocalist based in Seattle and Tokyo, active in both the Japanese and American markets.-Background:...
. Many of these releases reached #1 on various iTunes charts around the world in their respective genres.
Uses
| Track | Use | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Lu Xun | Starbucks "World is China" Compilation | 2011 |
| Miss Shanghai (Dez, www.dezibelle.com) | Starbucks "World is China" Compilation | 2011 |
| Day (iLoop from eXpo) | Nike/FADER podcast | 2009 |
| Segue (Di Johnston) | TIM commercial (Brazil) | 2009 |
| Jade Buddha Temple | The L Word (Showtime) | 2009 |
| Babylon of the Occident | Children of Winter (film) | 2009 |
| Miss Shanghai | The L Word (Showtime) | 2009 |
| The Bund | BBC Olympic Broadcast coverage | 2008 |
| Babylon of the Orient | NBC Olympic Broadcast coverage | 2008 |
| Sugar Daddy (Di Johnston) | Christian Dior Haute Couture Fall Winter 2008/2009 Runway Show | 2008 |
| Movement | Diet Coke promotion | 2008 |
| Segue (Di Johnston) | Dove commercial (US) | 2008 |
| Lu Xun (Watch Me Dance) | Rhapsody/TiVo promotion | 2007 |
| Segue (Di Johnston) | iTunes Japan "Single of the Week" | 2007 |
| Introduction (1936) | LVMH / Flower by Kenzo commercial (Europe/Latin America) | 2007 |
| Jade Buddha Temple | iTunes Japan "Single of the Week" | 2006 |
| Babylon of the Orient | Sandisk promotion | 2006 |
| The Bund | The Evidence (ABC) | 2006 |