BEIJING is known as the center of the Chinese rock scene with scores of rock bands performing in well-equipped live houses each night.

Ziyue was there at the beginning of the Chinese rock scene in the 1980s and experienced its peak in the early '90s. Now after several years out of the limelight, the veteran rockers are back in the studio recording their first album in five years and will take to the road this summer for a nationwide tour in support of the release.

Undoubtedly, Ziyue's return will be welcomed as the group has always been a band of the people as evident by its name. The term ziyue is frequently used in "Confucius Analects," meaning what Confucius said. However, the band used its own interpretation.

"We use zi in its extensive definition - the people. And yue means express," said vocalist Qiuye. "This forms the basic tone of our music - people expressing. We could explore any musical style, but we want to express, and not just for ourselves."

Almost all of Ziyue's original songs explore some kind of relationship, either between different groups or between people and their surroundings.

Writer/composer Qiuye plays different roles in the songs, using his voice to express for the various people. To achieve this, he sings in different dialects and arias.

When he plays a father in the song "Be a good boy," he sings in a Tianjin dialect, sounding more like a stern disciplinarian. In "Things in front of my door" he adopts a typical Peking Opera style that matches perfectly with the Beijing dialect of the rest of the song.

Hence, the songs contain a kind of humor and sarcasm barely seen in other Chinese rock acts, which is why the songs are often compared to comic dialogue, the folk art form that typically has two people telling a story in hilarious and ironic ways.

In the 2001 film "Beijing Rocks" chronicling the capital's rock scene, many of Ziyue's songs were featured in the score.

Qiuye noted, however, that the film illustrated a scene more resembling that of the 1980s, the beginning of Chinese rock when everyone was trying hard to explore.

At the time, musicians were listening to Chinese pioneer Cui Jian and whatever Western music they could get. By the early '90s more music was available to Chinese rockers, providing different influences and allowing them to improve their technique. Then, the scene began to fade and only a few musicians persisted.

Both Qiuye and Ziyue guitarist Wenlin considered the techniques of current singers much better, yet there was still a lack of master works that reflected or echoed the times.

"Time is the key word; a work, not only the musical work, expresses only personal emotions and does not last very long," explained Wenlin. "As rock musicians, we always try to find the balance point between social meaning and personal emotion."

Ziyue was formed in 1994 and took its moniker at the suggestion of Qiuye. After building up a strong following, the group recorded its debut, "First Volume," with iconic rock star Cui Jian handling the production in 1996.

Following the release of its second album, "Second Volume," in 2002, the band went into a long period of self-adjustment that included major changes to its line-up.

Currently, the band is comprised of Qiuye, Wenlin, bassist Zhang Yong, drummer Qu Jianjun, percussionist Gao Xing and Wang Lei providing samples.

The band is now working on "Third Volume" and expects the disc to be released in summer. The group is also planning a national tour to support the release that will bring them to Shanghai, five years after its last performances at the music warehouse Yuyintang.


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