Inner-Mongolian band wins over European fans

Nine Treasures band members. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

You've been to nine countries in Europe, which do you feel most connected to?

Askhan: Overall they are great. I mean they have very good atmosphere for playing music. Even for a remote, small city in North Germany, people are very enthusiastic about music – they have grandmas and grandpas coming to hear your music.

Tsog: I remember there's a 95-year-old grandpa who came to our performance. He stood in the very front, his eyes were shining and he danced to our music. When he got tired, he sat on the big sound box, and as he regained his strength, he jumped off the sound box to dance again.

How did you come up with the idea of mixing folk music and metal?

Askhan: We didn't really touch on metal till high school. We were playing rock at first, and then when we have played it for so long, we start to think of something more creative. I first came up with the idea at a Nadam Fair while I was in senior two. I was playing rock, and invited a morin khuur player to join us, and to my surprise it actually sounded very good. Later when we performed, we rewrote the scales to make the guitar, drum stuff sound better with the Mongolian and Russian instruments.

Do you have songs you wanna recommend to those who don't know you well yet?

Askhan: Black Heart, Sonsii, Arvan Ald, Tes Rivers Hymn maybe.

Are your performing costumes specially made?

Askhan: Yea, I went to Hohhot specially to meet with a Mongolian designer. I talked to him what kind of costumes we wanted, and he sketched them for me. Within half an hour the design drawing was done.

Do you have bands you appreciate in China?

Askhan: We've seen live Second Hand Rose. We think they are very earnest and down to earth in making music. Aside from the first level bands, some underground bands are also great, like Bloody Woods, it is a band taking music very seriously, and they are doing great.