Tian Qiyi has released their new single titled ‘Dharma’, from their upcoming album, ‘Songs for Workers’, dropping later this summer via Pagoda Records. It’s those little quirks and nuances that make a song, and that can only properly be done by the artist(s) who wrote the material. It is these little things that really got me in the beginning and kept me throughout. Find them for yourself. They are there.
Musically, ‘Dharma’ is a bit of karma and coerciveness set to music. A bit tribal, as it needs to be, as well as guttural in instinct, with the right mood set between the lines. Brilliant in an unobtrusive way.
About Tian Qiyi
Innovative musical project Tian Qiyi brings together brothers John Tian Qi Wardle and Charlie Tian Yi Wardle with their father, legendary bassist Jah Wobble (John Wardle). The band’s unique sound reflects their rich family heritage, blending their father’s pioneering work in post-punk and dub with the Chinese cultural influences of their mother, Zilan Liao.
This exceptional musical fusion will continue with their second album, Songs for Workers, set for release on Pagoda Records in Summer 2025.
Preceding the album will be two singles: Watch the Sunrise and Dharma. As with the rest of the album, Dharma embraces the unity of Eastern and Western culture, taking in influences from Celtic music also.
Following the success of their 2024 debut Red Mist, Tian Qiyi has carved out a unique sonic territory that seamlessly blends dub rhythms with Mongolian, Xinjiang, Traditional Chinese, and Irish musical traditions. Drawing inspiration from Miles Davis’s groundbreaking electric period and the experimental spirit of Krautrock, the band creates expansive, boundary-pushing soundscapes that defy easy categorization. The presence of Jah Wobble adds a deep, distinctive dub foundation to the family’s cross-cultural vision, while the brothers’ mastery of traditional Chinese instruments reflects their maternal heritage.
Both John Tian Qi and Charlie Tian Yi also took part and recorded on Richard Russell’s Everything is Recorded: Autumn Equinox Project in 2023, a collaborative endeavor that further showcased their versatility and eagerness to engage with cutting-edge musical exploration.
The brothers bring together a remarkable array of instrumental talents. John Tian Qi handles western drums, Chinese percussion, yang qin, and bass, while also engineering and producing. Charlie Tian Yi combines haunting vocals with masterful playing of the er hu (Chinese violin) and morin khuur (Mongolian horse-head fiddle), while also contributing his distinctive production style to the albums.
The duo’s name itself carries deep personal significance, combining elements of the brothers’ middle names: “tian,” shared by both siblings, paired with “qi” (meaning “together”) and “yi” (meaning “one”). This linguistic fusion mirrors their musical approach, where disparate elements unite to create something entirely new, much like their parents’ union of Eastern and Western cultural traditions.
Songs for Workers builds upon the foundation laid by Red Mist, further exploring the intersection of traditional Asian and Celtic soundscapes with contemporary dub production techniques. The album represents the next evolution in Tian Qiyi’s mission to create border-crossing musical experiences that honour their diverse influences while crafting something uniquely their own.
Members
- John Tian Qi Wardle
- Charlie Tian Yi Wardle
- Jah Wobble