There he was, sitting opposite to me, in a Gap 1969 sweatshirt, with bangs neatly drooping over his forehead. His presence oozed a sense of quietness, the same quietness in his ethereal voice and his pristine melody. He is just as his name—Keru Zhang—indicates, courteous and gentle. Gentle as he is, his music is disproportionately potent, earning him multiple top prizes, invitations to perform on viral TV shows including the Voice of China and a thumbs-up from Huajian Zhou, a renowned singer and musician in China. We talked quite happily that afternoon, about music, and nothing more than music.
Feelings First
“I was standing on the mountain, with the city in the distance and tombs near me. A sense of holiness and tranquility began to arise.” “Back home, I grabbed my guitar and began to write this song, which only took me an hour.” “Two years later, one day, I was standing on the bank of the East Lake when it was still dim, with the skyscrapers at one side of me and the natural landscape at another, which formed a contrast that somehow made sense for this city. As the sun rose, the brilliance in the sky emerged, shrouding the whole city. It was something spiritual and fatalistic.”
Without explanation, the words above may well misguide one to believe that they should come from a poet or writer; however, that’s actually Zhang talking about the inspirations behind his song Ming Ming Wu Cheng. Maybe, that is exactly what Zhang is, a musical poet who feeds on his feelings. After all, since he was a teenager, Zhang started to hum melodies on the way to and from school, recording them in his English cassettes.
And it is exactly this very dedication to true feelings in the music that leads him to favor Guangzhong Lu over other musicians. He admires Lu in that he has a peculiar perspective about world and life, free from the mundane influences. The innocence and sincerity in his music greatly touched and perhaps shaped Zhang himself.
No wonder, he would tell me explicitly that he would never write just to please the audience. He composes because he feels. “There are people out there who just write to please, but my inner working of mind is totally different from theirs.” It doesn’t matter whether the melody or the lyrics come first, as feelings always reign in the first place. Similarly, he has no preference to one of his works over another, as “music is diary to me. When I listen to my music, I am brought back to my story in the past.”
It perhaps wouldn’t surprise you that after I sent him the loves from his fans, he reacted gently and mildly. Instead of saying things like “tell them I love them”, he smiled shyly, saying: “music is a private matter. I record my feelings in them and if that resonates with you, then I am happy. But besides that, I probably have no more things to say or to do.”
A 21st Century Approach to Old School
Born in 1989, Zhang would be considered in every way a member of the new generation, shaped by the then popular teen-pop, punk and rock from western countries. But as the talk deepened, I began to feel the really old-school part of him. He grew up listening to Zongsheng Li, Dayou Luo and the like, who are pretty much of fundamental importance in his reference frame when it comes to music. The “critical and thoughtful” Luo and the “emotional” Li recurred frequently in our conversation. “They attach ultimate importance to lyrics”, explained Zhang when asked about his commitment to delicate lyrics. “I pursue literariness and originality in my lyrics”. He then complimented Li by saying “the reason why Li’s lyrics are so well-written, despite the ubiquity of those emotions described, is his ability to capture the profound subtlety of those emotions, which hit you hard on.” In this new era when lots of musician are consciously or unconsciously joining the loud rally of formal innovations, there are not a lot like Zhang, who still maintains his patient dedication to cultivating a soulful world of his own, just like an old-school musician.
However, in no way would that suggest Zhang should be left behind in this contemporary music arena. Just listen to his songs—the diverse and colorful musical arrangement in the Song for the National Football Team (“Guo Zu Zhi Ge”) and the reggae and funk that make The Always Supposed Liberty (“Yi Zhi Jia She De Zi You”) stand out like no other in his album would exactly tell you the opposite. “I do, though not very often, listen to alternative and nonmainstream music in the west. What I am reminded of from time to time is not to create mediocre songs. ” According to him, when he reviewed Zhou Jielun’s music a while ago, he was still stricken with surprise. “His musical constructions, his concepts and style as well as the lyrics are richly imaginative, building a unique music universe before you. Actually, no fingerprints of the alleged imitation can be found in his music.”
Yes, strangely, but it seems nothing better describes Zhang’s music than “old-school-coated new school”.
Meticulous Attention to Music
When asked about his potential future creations, he answered: “I am not going anywhere with my music. I am currently in a catch 22 situation where I find myself in need of professional guidance. I don’t want to repeat myself."
As disappointing as it may seem to his fans, Zhang’s words shows his meticulous attention to music. It’s due to the same reason that he decided to record the drums for his tracks from scratch despite the extra cost it brought. “It’s easy to create beats in the software, but I feel there is more life to it than the MIDI beats created with computer.”
Forever Goodbye（“Zai Jian Shi Yong Yuan”）was originally produced in three different versions. “The producer was thinking about doing an addition, but I believed subtraction was what we needed. I wanted it as simple as possible.” Hence the touchingly simplistic song only with guitar accompaniment.
It is such close attention to details that makes Zhang’s album one capable of being listened carefully to over and over again, also an album that shows he cares.
Graduating this year, Zhang stands at the threshold of a different life. Busy in job-hunting and worried about the unknown future, he hasn’t touched his dearest music for a while and probably wouldn’t do so in the near future. But who knows, a sentimental being like him may soon find things to write about in his work life.
Who is Zhang Keru?
Zhang Keru is a graduate student from the School of Journalism and Communication, is a self-taught independent singer/songwriter. He was the runner-up in the 2009 Hubei Provincial College Singing Contest and the winner of the WHU Top 10 Singers Contest of the same year. His two original songs earned him a first and second prize in the 2nd Hubei Provincial Original Music Contest. He was also awarded the second prize in the National College Original Music Contest of the Shanghai Spring International Music Festival in 2013. In 2014, Zhang launched his debut album The Cherry Blossom Castle, which was critically acclaimed, earning him a third place in the Sina Musician Chart and a fifth place in the Most Welcomed Music Award in Douban.
(Edited by Sijia Hu & Diana)
