Befitting a title that NaraBara translate as “Dash”, the EP Dab Hi crackles with restless energy that evokes the feeling of racing headlong across a vast grassland. The jazz fusion band—formed in Beijing in 2023 and conceived by songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Yider (who sings lead and produces) with Asr on keyboards, Suoty on guitars and Zhiting Xu on percussion—were inspired by a European tour to reflect on the power of music to cross cultural and national borders. The results capture the band extending the signature blend of Mongolian folk and global jazz they brought to debut album Hamt Zamin Hümüs [Companions] with tracks that transcend time and space. Here they adapt a children’s rhyme into “Ghost Steps”, interpolate a Mongolian long song and a Buddhist mantra into “Mirror Age” and tap the nomadic energy of the Biyelgee dance for the rhythms of “Gobi Dance”. The band round out their nu-jazz sound with traditional instrumentation and techniques like khoomei (throat singing), morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) and tovshuur (traditional lute)—with Mauritian musician Fred Grenade supplying a propulsive bass. Below, NaraBara share with Apple Music the stories behind the EP’s four tracks. “Mirror Age” “This song begins with soft chanting, like a leisurely walk. It’s always possible to follow your feelings and let nature take its course, whether in reality or in a dream. Khoomei enters at a turning point and a traditional Mongolian long song acts as a narrative thread—the line ‘From the mirage of my home/I gaze off at distant phantoms/As horses and cattle pass by’ expresses the serendipitous wisdom of nomads. Ultimately, under the sustained impact of symphonic horns, purity is restored and everything dissipates into fantasy. The mantra of Vajrasattva that is incorporated at the end uplifts the spirit of the creator.” “Ghost Steps” “In this track, our Mongolian nu jazz meets a traditional nursery rhyme. It’s an adaptation of an untitled children’s song from Inner Mongolia, a melody drawn from the global storehouse of ancient tunes that signifies the presence—whether distant or close by—of the natural and mundane. Languid vocals and warm chords open up a mystic, decentralised mental space on the grassland, inviting you into a child’s first experience of the inherent connections in our worlds—the links between present and past.” “Dab Hi” “This is a song born out of a journey. On the road, our band came to realise that the power of love condensed from unrestrained forward motion spreads musical energy. “After completing our first album, Hamt Zamin Hümüs, we began a European tour. For a new band to sing in an unfamiliar language in unfamiliar territory requires courage and strength. But music drew us closer to people from entirely different cultural backgrounds. When our tour was done, we went to Mongolia for a performance in a country that shared our language and culture and felt the warmth of returning home. Whether the environment is strange or familiar, it is music that breaks through the barriers to human communication. We brought the energy of music to every place our journey took us. “‘Dab Hi’ originated from Yider’s song ‘Oh Yo’, whose lyrics consist entirely of that single word. With no specific meaning, it’s a catchphrase often used at get-togethers and celebrations. Everyone can sing along and dance to the melody of this song. A new arrangement adds new riches to the song. The tovshuur melody line is like a relaxed Mongolian dance that invites the listener in, while Malian blues guitar opens up a bustling atmosphere. Then drums and synths set in motion a modern urban shuttle. A horse brays, returning the crowd to the grassland and a soothing, tuneful celebration. At the close of the song, the sun casts shadows as the restless rhythm—like the violent, volatile weather of the grassland—takes emotions to the extreme. “The song quotes a Mongolian proverb—‘A flock of magpies is more powerful than a solitary lion’—that’s used to train younger generations. Only by uniting can the power of love be passed on. Energy is passed among band members—and between the band and the audience, gathered under the refined power of love as ‘Dab Hi’ races ceaselessly onward.”