Li Jianhong has been an important figure in the Chinese experimental scene since the late 90’s, and he is always attached to his hometown, Fenghua, in Zhejiang province, China. The woods, the humidity, the rivulet, and the abandoned temples are where his soul wanders. “Soul Solitary” is the latest approach in the universe of his free improv/noise guitar feedback works, featuring two captures of live recordings from 2018–2019 in France and China. In a more aggressive and dynamic arrangement, let’s walk into this gloomy and hidden land of the soul, covered in endless rain and clouds. This album is also the first vinyl release since his 2009 album “Lovers With Cloisonné Bracelet," the same period as his P.S.F. album “Classic of the Mountains and Seas.
"I love live recordings, even though they may not be perfect in quality and there are always some mistakes and regrets. But in them I find there are some hidden emotions that don't come out easily in everyday life – I'm not a person who is good at expressing my feelings. But they can be revealed in my live performances, especially in my solo recordings. These deeply hidden things come out in the live environment and performances, sometimes like a glow, sometimes rushing out one after another. Fuzzy, uncatchable, yet sensitive. Sometimes they are honest and open in the scene; sometimes they are overcautious and hesitating, just like me in my everyday life. But they are still very unfamiliar to me, with some strange attractions. They seem to have a will of their own in the scene, through layers and layers of fragmented, organized or unorganized sounds, forming at a certain moment a light and dark object – another "I" that is different from the one in everyday life. And this "I" is a soul solitary."
Li Jianhong.
The album is a collaboration of Ramble Records (AU), WV Sorcerer Productions (FR/CN), and Echodelick Records (US), and features the magnificent artwork of Du Kun.