It’s been a while since we last introduced a minimal artist.
As spring warms up, Qingdao’s moist sea breeze begins to flow again.
From Romania in Eastern Europe to Germany in the West, many influential artists have shared their rhythmic philosophies here.
And of course, the audience in Qingdao has a remarkable level of musical literacy — after all, a great selector often begins as an exceptional listener.
From reading to speaking, this is the transition embodied by the rhythm poet we’re featuring in this episode. She writes:
‘The air is thick with the scent of wild currant bushes.
A sparrow lands on the windowsill,
pecking at shadows, its beak tapping lightly on the glass.’
Aside from the currently playing track
Flatfunk by Germany’s Audio Werner,
she has been shaped by those who have visited Qingdao —
artists like Denis Kaznacheev from Russia —
and, of course, by the Romanians referenced in this recording:
Rhadoo, Dubtil, and others.
They carried minimal so far that it became synonymous with their homeland —
Romania minimal, or Rominimal.
This jewel from the Black Sea fused the genre with its own national character:
subtle yet majestic, delicately layered, dancing slowly, telling its story in a quiet, unhurried voice.
