"Shanren" literally means "mountain men", but the namesake band insists on using pinyin for their English name, because they believe subtle meaning is lost in the translation.
The group's frontman Qu Zihan puts it like this: "We all come from the mountains, but shanren also implies wisdom. We want to make music with Chinese characteristics."
The outfit from Yunnan province has taken their Chinese rock to South Korea, Spain, Britain, the United States, Canada and Indonesia in recent years.
Simultaneously, the band makes an annual trip to places "out there" to learn from traditional folk musicians and find inspiration.
In 2011, they traveled to Chuxiong, Nujiang, Lincang and Ximeng in Yunnan and recorded local folk music, some tracks of which are samples on their new album, which comes out next month.
"When you live in the city too long, you feel empty and need to recharge," bassist Ai Yong says. "We find the meaning of music in the mountains, where music is an organic part of life."
Shanren released its first CD Shanren Band in 2008, after performing in grassroots venues for almost 10 years. The album tells stories about ordinary people.
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