FM3

FM3 (sometimes stylized as FM三) is the Beijing, China-based music duo of Christiaan Virant and Zhang Jian—they are considered among the pioneers of electronic music in China. Since 1999, Virant and Jian have been creating meditative music by combining the sound of Chinese classical instruments with modern digital techniques. They are best known for their 2005 release, the "Buddha Machine" loop-player.

History

A United States (US)-native, Virant moved to China in the 1980s to study Chinese Music and culture. In 1999, Virant joined Zhang Jian to form FM3, a project that allowed the pair to experiment with music that combined the sound of Chinese classical instruments with modern digital techniques. Starting out as “the ambient, chill-out band that played in the back room” of Beijing clubs, the project evolved into a “meditative” sound.

In November 2013, Virant announced the release of a forthcoming FM3 album, called "Ting Shuo", on his YouTube channel. During late 2013 and early 2014, FM3 presented live shows at events in China and Thailand, with most of the Thai gigs featuring Virant performing alone. On March 22, 2014, Virant played at the EESE Experimental Electronic South East arts festival in Bangkok under the moniker "FM3v", used for his solo performances of the project's work. As part of his appearance at EESE 2014, Virant also conducted a workshop on 23 March, at which he spoke about the Buddha Machine invention.