Press
Into the Sea of Sound: Xingyu Li on Chasing Whales, Sailing, and Encounters Around the World
From Beijing to Weizhou Island, from the Amazon rainforest to more distant seas, Xingyu Li travels with recording gear and a sailboat, casting himself into nature again and again. On Weizhou Island, he and his team captured over 700 recordings of what may be Bryde’s whale signals, and realized for the first time that whale sounds are far from the “songs” people imagine. They can resemble the croak of a bullfrog or the rasp of a toad, low, coarse, yet undeniably real. Life at sea is much the same. He has been drenched by wind and rain, and kept solitary watch beneath the stars; some days are spent waiting endlessly for the wind to turn, while others demand split-second decisions in moments of near loss of control. Sailing reshaped his sense of time. When a whale surfaces, time seems to stretch without limit; when the boat drifts off course, time suddenly tightens. Within this constant shifting, one needs both the strength to confront the waves and the patience to listen for signals that are faint and far away. In this episode, Xingyu Li joins us to talk about his years of “listening into the sea.” This episode is part of the series “Into Time, Moving with Resilience,” presented in collaboration with the Chanel J12 watch. Inspired by the J-Class yachts of the America’s Cup, the J12 is crafted from high-tech ceramic, seven times stronger than steel yet remarkably light. It embodies a spirit of resilience that balances strength and softness. Sailing shares the same duality: moving forward under full sail, while quietly waiting for the wind.
CCTV news - Searching The Sound Of Bryde's Whale
Searching The Sound Of Bryde's Whale
Sound Art | Interview | Xingyu Li: A Sonic Journey from the Amazon Rainforest to the Ocean
KEF Music Gallery Beijing, the brand’s flagship store, officially opened at the end of 2024 in Beijing’s 798 Art District. The space regularly hosts immersive music events, including listening sessions, live band performances, and DJ sets. Recently, under the series theme “A Journey into Sound,” KEF invited Beijing-based sound artist Xingyu Li to create the exhibition “Echoes of Nature: A Sound Art Exhibition.” Through Li’s sound compositions, visual works, and installations, the project presents a multifaceted exploration of the harmonious aesthetics formed by the meeting of nature and sound. Visitors are invited to step into a space where natural soundscapes intertwine with evocative melodies, drifting into an immersive listening experience.
Destination Canada × Sanlian Lifeweek “Unlock Another Way of Living in Canada”
As autumn approached, we embarked on a journey to Vancouver Island in British Columbia alongside sound artist, musician, and the founder of the band Whale Circus, Xingyu Li. From the harbor of Nanaimo to the estuary of Gold River, from the dawn in Port McNeil to the intertidal zone of Alert Bay, we continuously captured the spontaneous melodies of nature’s own improvisations using our recording equipment.
Xingyu Li, a “Digital Nomad,” Spent Three Years Living in a Campervan Collecting Vanishing Music
Xingyu Li, an independent music producer and sound artist born in the post-85 generation, is based in Beijing. Since 2020, he has fully moved both his home and studio into a campervan, which he named “Mercury.” Driving westward from Beijing to Shaya, a small desert town on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert, he set out to search for and collect folk songs that are on the verge of disappearing. This October, Li drove Mercury across China, traveling between Beijing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen for a tour and exhibition installations. DECO met him at a countryside campsite on the outskirts of Shanghai and spoke with him about how he deals with the many uncertainties of life on the road. Li simply smiled and said, “Just hit the road first. Many things only reveal themselves once you’re on the journey, a bit like The Motorcycle Diaries of Che Guevara.”
Xingyu Li - Talents Portrait by Deutsche Welle
What do dreams sound like? Composer Xingyu Li from China takes us on a tour of the soundscapes of his mind. Take a peek into the colorful space where sounds and images meet…