The first time I saw Re-TROS (a.k.a. Re-establishing the Rights of Statues and Rebuilding the Rights of Statues) was March of 2004, opening for Subs. No one I was with at B52 seemed to know who this trio was; everyone called them neige post-punk yuedui. As much as I loved Subs' performance, I couldn't get these guys out of my mind.
Fast-forward past two years and dozens of shows at every rock club in Beijing and you get Re-TROS' debut EP, Cut Off! It's hard to be unbiased about a record I've anticipated for so long; it's hard to listen to these songs and not think about how many evenings I spent rocking out to them at Wuming Gaodi. So if I can't be unbiased, at least I can be honest.
Cut Off! opens ominously with "Die in 1977," a dark mid-tempo rocker that sets up much of the EP's successful aspects, as well as those slightly less inspired. Like singer/guitarist Hua Dong's old band, P.K. 14, Re-TROS has absorbed the lessons of early-80s post-punk well; spiky guitars, bouncing basslines, and complex but unfussy drumming form the core of their sound. Unfortunately, the killer combination is muted by overproduction again and again. It does feel like the producer doesn't quite have an ear for what was being recorded.
"A Death-Bed Song" is where their groove really sets in; Liu Min's bassline starts the song alone, building a foundation for the burst of guitar and drums that follow. Subtle keyboards from Brian Eno add to the atmosphere. Although well layered, "A Death-Bed Song" does reveal another one of the EP's shortcomings, one that also affects every Chinese act that sings in English—somewhat mangled grammar and word choice that can be distracting. While it's by no means overwhelming, the emphasis Hua Dong puts into each line of the next track, "Boys in Cage" [sic] can be distracting. But at the same time, it's hard to care too much, because "Boys" rocks so much. Propulsive drumming from Ma Hui forms the perfect backing to the Gang of Four inspired guitar lines,
The unnecessary panning that opens "The Monkey Who Becomes (to be) the King" is a shame; it softens the impact of one of their great live openings. This, their most intricate song, provides Hua Dong an opportunity for some vocal gymnastics; one can imagine the sneer on his face when he snarls out the lines— "If the monkey becomes to be the king, is it so funny?"
But it's not until "TV Show (Hang the Police)" that Cut Off! peaks. Tight lines from all three circle around until a short breakdown, where distortion on Liu Min's bass kicks in, and the their most overtly political vocals start. "Hang the police under his shotgun/ Hang the police before we all are murdered," he warns, continuing with "I'm watching TV/ it shows the distance between you and me" while Liu Min belts out the refrain. This illuminates the one truly serious issue I have with the recording, besides the production—there's just not enough of Liu Min's vocals. One of the highlights of their life show is seeing the diminutive bassist issue a stream of yelps and Oh!s and Ah!s.
"Laugh from the Time" ends the EP on a positive note. Not a positive note, lyrically, I suppose—"You try to stop the time but it never works/ It's hard to choose the right way/ Oh, it's OK, you'll be dead anyway"—but the upbeat tempo and wonderful La-La-La finale produce the EP's most uplifting effect.
As I said, it's hard for me to treat this like any other CD I come across. But even as I'm critical about the overproduction, I can't help but be even more excited about the future for the band. If this is what they can produce on their first try, I can imagine what we're in store for when they prepare an LP. And if they can round up an experienced producer that can bring out their strengths, they could inspire quite a following.
I'm already anticipating it.
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