Electronic artist Ciel has announced her debut album, ‘Homesick’, after two years of creative production. Set to be released on November 24, the lead track ‘Bamboo’ is already available. The album’s concept revolves around eight traditional Chinese instruments such as silk, bamboo, wood, stone, metal, clay, gourd and hide. The DJ, who specializes in house, electro, breaks, drum ‘n’ bass and downtempo, researched the rich history of Chinese instruments to use them in the album in various unique ways.
Ciel hired traditional Chinese instrumentalists to play guzheng and xiao and taught herself the smaller hand drum instruments such as the kuaiban and muyu. “Like many other Chinese diaspora people in the West, I had felt a great deal of pain at the rise of anti-Chinese sentiment and racism in the media after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic,” wrote Ciel on her Instagram. “Tired of expressing my frustrations online, I felt inspired to channel that into my music, to turn something that was filled with hate into a thing of joy and beauty.”
“I never thought I’d gain the self-confidence to write an album,” she wrote on her Instagram. Ciel also highlighted spending time away from clubs and festivals, dedicating herself to daily sessions in the studio. This was when she found the motivation and inspiration to create an album. The pandemic’s economic austerity also motivated her towards a “productive creative streak”.
The album release is in pre-order on Parallel Minds followed by the lead track ‘Bamboo. Ciel’s album showcases a powerful catalog of electronic music with a concept that is not only creatively unique, but also culturally enriching, with traditional Chinese instruments playing a significant role in the soundscapes and textures of the album
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