Crystal Chen’s Debut Album

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

This project is the debut album from Tamaki Mākaurau-based Chinese-New Zealand singer, musician, and visual artist Crystal Chen. Comprised of fourteen songs that feel like handwritten journal entries transposed into music, the album (Untitled at the moment) offers an intimate window into the emotional landscapes, foibles and humour that underpin the unvarnished realities of her daily life.
 
The work of an old soul with a young heart, or perhaps an analogue girl in a digital world - no, literally, during the day, she works as a film photographer - Crystal's debut album unfolds at its own unhurried pace. Unencumbered by concerns about trends or formulas, Crystal’s music is an outgrowth of her love of jazz, soul and improvised live performance. Animated by the idea of playing and performing music as a way of life, Crystal seeks to make the most of every instrument, from the delicate touch of the harp to the vibrant tones of the trumpet and Wurlitzer. 
 
Every song on the album reflects a different moment in Crystal’s story, as expressed through the swirling spectrum of feelings she experienced while creating it. From introspective moments like the gentle harp-driven "Bloom" to more intense jazz-rock tracks like "The Forecast," where she channels anger and frustration, the album is a veritable cornucopia of experiences. It includes jazzy interludes and poignant melodies, such as the evocative "Stained Glass," where Crystal dives headfirst into themes of heartbreak and disillusionment. Along the way, she works through various vocal styles and song types, always striving to situate her wry, diaristic tales within the correct musical context.

WHY SUPPORT?

In this video you will see footage from Crystal’s debut headline show back in May and a couple days in Roundhead where we’ve recorded most of the album. Now we just need your help to complete it.

It's difficult for independent musicians to invest in themselves without the support of labels or publishing deals, and it’s an even harder feat to break even when you put on your dream headline show (which was the case for Crystal).

Seeing a seed grow into a tree that bears fruits; allows the people involved who have helped water this tree, to see its growth, pick its flowers, sit in its shade and hear psithurism. Together we can be proud of this album's growth to see whose palm it lands on and where it decides to spread its roots. All these efforts combine to create quality music, with the hopes to release listening pleasure into the world.

Recognising the individual value of musicians and fostering a community spirit in collaboration is a central part of Crystal’s ethos.

The way that we are creating this album is unlike anything Crystal has done before. Her previous songwriting process has been working with a producer from beginning to end on songs. However, after getting together with her band to perform live, her songs were immediately given a new life. With her band, they “live-produced”, arranged and charted out the songs. To be completely transparent, this helped cut down the costs majorly, by working on all the songs at once whilst getting ready for their debut show. On the last rehearsal before the recording, we combined forces with Matt Hunter (aka Kenny Sterling) from Mānuka Recordings who produced and co-directed Crystal’s last single “Love Letter” and it’s music video, and got him to take on the role as producer for this album.  

 With the whole team on board, they maximised efficiency and costs by spending two days to record 14 songs with eight musicians. This hit a new record for De Stevens – our engineer – who worked magnificently under pressure and added his sparkle to the recordings. Now that we’ve got the stems, Matt and Crystal have been recording additional instrumentation and working on the final songs. Crystal is recording additional vocals herself at home and taking up the role of co-producer, which has been a refreshing way for her to take control, as well as to explore her creative freedom and execute her vision.

So this is where you come in, we need your help to finish this project! It’s been 3 years in the making and so far, the progress we’ve made has been so rewarding. We’ve decided to crowdfund partial costs, with additional support from NZ On Air for one single, and a majority of the project being self-funded.

WHO'S INVOLVED:

• Crystal Chen - Vocals & Co-Producer
• Kenny Sterling (Matt Hunter) - Producer
• De Stevens - Recording Engineer
• Joe Kaptein - Arrangement & Keys
• Holly Webster - Bass
• Adam Tobeck - Drums
• Francesca Parrussini - Flute / Tenor Saxophone
• Jack Thirtle - Trumpet
• Elijah McPherson- Guitar
• Harrison Chau - Harp
• Hank Trenton - Double Bass
• Dave Khan - Violin
• Annika Sethi, Noema Te Hau III, Matt Hunter - Writers
• Christian Tjandrawinata, Harrison Chau, Julien Dyne, Joe Kaptein, Matt Hunter, Noema Te Hau III - Composers
• Christoph El Truento - Mixing Engineer
• Josh Llewellyn (Downbeat Mastering) - Mastering Engineer
• Casey Yeoh - Manager & Visual Producer
• Frances Carter - Photography
• Sylvia Louis-Marie - Photography

ALL DONATIONS CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS:

All support within this Boosted campaign will contribute to the full vision of the album and allow us to ensure we don’t sacrifice the authenticity of the sounds it is inspired by. Alongside this, all contributions go towards appropriately paying everyone involved what they deserve, from the nine incredible session musicians involved in fleshing out the sound of CC's debut album and the visuals that will accompany it.

• Producer, arranger, manager and engineers
• Sessions musicians
• First small run of vinyl press (will offer that release to boosted contributors first at a discounted price)
• Mixing and mastering
• Visual content and music videos
• The 10% commission fee that Boosted takes from this campaign to keep their wheels turning!