Various

A beautiful collection of "field recordings, street music and classical Chinese arrangements,” Release the Cheerfulness China was recorded by Jason Kopec over two months in China. It’s a diverse assemblage of exotic sound sources, jumping from traditional Erhu and wood flute melodies clearly performed by professional street musicians to ambiguous sound collages of pounding drums mixed with washy recordings of classical vocal pieces. Just a few tracks are awash with the background noise of street traffic but the moments captured are magical, adding an interesting, dirty ambience. The scales and rhythms are refreshing for Western ears, performed with disciplined intensity by a diverse sampling of the country’s many talents. At times, the beauty of the music creates a state so relaxing that it’s a bit jarring when the more abstract noise-based pieces emerge, but these moments help to refocus the listener’s attention. Jason Kopec has done an admirable job of sharing this wonderful musical culture with the Western world.