The word "yian" is Chinese for swallow. London-based Lucina Chua refers to the bird because it often appears in Chinese art, children's songs and stories. The title also refers to the bird's migration and thus has a double connotation because Chua herself is a child of parents from the Chinese diaspora. She produced her debut almost entirely by herself and builds her music around the cello. She does
… so in a minimal way, with fairly abstract songs that slowly lurch along and have only sparse electronic undertones here and there alongside her string arrangements. Thematically, her songs look at her own place in the world and her family's history. As such, YIAN is very conceptual, but immensely beautiful in its minimal approach. The cello almost takes the form of a second voice and revolves insistently around Chua's husky voice. As a listener, you disappear into her extraordinary story, leaving a deep impression. (JvQ)more
