The Hsu-Nami: Face-melting Er-hu Rock

Discount Bin
October 18, 2009

Anyone with an appreciation for experimental rock should sit up and pay attention because The Hsu-Nami is unlike anything you’ve heard before. This Taiwanese-American group ambitiously combines progressive metal with traditional Asian music. Sounds weird? It gets better. Instead of vocals, an amplified two-stringed Chinese violin takes its place, and the audacity works! The music is like the stuff of westerns and kung-fu movies combined. It’s hard to describe what their music is by virtue of its sheer originality. Just think of it an outfit influenced by Dream Theater or Steve Vai, plus a good mix of Asian flavor. They’re possibly the world’s first er-hu progressive instrumental rock band. The members (Jack Hsu – violin, Brent Bergholm- Lead Guitar, Vinny Belcastro- Guitar, Derril Sellers- Bass, John Manna- Drums, and Adam Toth- Piano/Synth) are some sort of mad musical geniuses. They are excellent musicians, and their highly-developed technical skills show on the self-released debut Entering The Mandala (2007).
The album is certainly noteworthy in many aspects. First, the Chinese violin really works in introducing the instrument to a wider audience through a unique approach. Unplugged, it almost sounds like a female soprano. When amplified, it screams with melody, and things get pretty intense. The first track ‘Rising Of The Sun’ was the band’s first successful song. It was also chosen to be the Chinese Basketball Team’s entrance theme in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The track is an assimilation of Asian folk with the edge from modern Western rock. It gives the listener a portent of things to come. Another impressive track is their cover version of ‘The Godfather Theme.’ Anyone who tries to emulate the legendary score must have the hubris of a god, but the band pulls it off quite effortlessly. ‘Rogue Wave’ has that Oriental charm and grace that could be part of the soundtrack of the next Ang Lee Asian epic. The almost supernatural-sounding title-track “Entering The Mandala,” is arguably the highlight of the album. Perhaps the former, sums up what the album is all about – a musical interpretation of the Mandala. You start somewhat bewildered, even dubious, then you gradually progress to full blown appreciation – indeed, because it’s something you’ve never heard before.
The Hsu-Nami is more than just an east meets west band. I do believe the band succeeds in giving music lovers, or even the culturally-inclined, a genre-defining sound that fuses two cultures into one cohesive sound. It would be fair to say the whole album is their musical interpretation of the mandala. For those new to instrumental rock, it could take a while to appreciate the band’s music. Yet the track collection is well-paced, enough to give the listener a good build-up from start to finish. The album can be a tool towards musical enlightenment, much like a mandala for the soul. Similar Artists: Dream Theater, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Vanessa Mae. Rating: 3.5/5 - Meg cabanes Links: http://www.hsu-nami.com http://www.myspace.com/thehsunamirocks (snakeskin shuffle http://www.pacifictionrecords.com/usa/CD/HN_mandala.shtml http://lucidculture.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/concert-review-the-hsu-nami-at-the-passport-to-taiwan-festival-union-square-nyc-52409