There are multiple artists using this name, chronologically they are:
1) Chin Chin, a Swiss female punk rock band from Zurich, active from mid to late 80s who released music on The Pastels' 53rd and 3rd label.
2) a downtempo ‘laptop-folk-tronic’ trio from the UK whose 2005 Shallow Dive album was released on Deep-Water Recordings.
3) A current jazz/funk hybrid from Williamsburg Brooklyn NYC who've released music on the French label Dialect Recordings, and alternative rap label Definitive Jux in the United States.
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1) They released the 8-song EP "Stop! Your Crying" on 53rd and 3rd Records in 1986 and three Swiss releases on Farmer Records, "We Don't Wanna Be Prisoners" (1984), "Sound Of The Westway" (1985) and "Stop
! Your Crying" in 1986.
Stephen Pastel on their signing to 53rd and 3rd:
"where did (the fabulous) chin-chin come from?
they were a swiss band and they played with the shop assistants when the shop assistants were touring europe. they were just massive shop assistants fans and they really just wanted to be on the same label as the shop assistants, and they just sent over their tape."
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2) Chin Chin is the foltronic trio of Frankie Binns, Theresa Connelly (TC) and Chris Cousin who each share a love for acoustic instruments, found sounds and electronic nuances. Following the release of their debut album ‘Shallow Dive’ in 2005, the group have attracted a wealth of new listeners the world over with their distinctive, laid back sound.
Fusing traditional elements of guitar, piano, strings and xylophone with dubbed out basslines and broken rhythms - they have been likened to Matthew Herbert, Four Tet and the Cinematic Orchestra, with an intimate acoustic tinge garnered from years of playing live.
Chin Chin’s roots in live performance stems from their diverse musical background. Songwriter and performer Frankie Binns is classically trained, earning his living as a music therapist, piano and guitar teacher. TC is a vocalist and guitar player, who also performs with Frankie in the duet ‘Jon Cank’ and in the Normal Position string quartet. Chris Cousin is a veteran producer and the co-founder of Deep-Water / Bathysphere Recordings, releasing his solo output as SofaLofa on labels including Ai and Fabric.
It is this collective input that allows ideas to flow - such as taking a simple melody and manipulating it with a mixture of vintage analogue equipment and digital processing techniques. The real beauty lies in the fact that the studio trickery is never over apparent, allowing each layer of piano, acoustic guitar and gentle vocals to guide the listener straight for the flotation tank.
Collaborating with fellow folktronica fan and video artist ‘Cuttlefish’, who’s previous credits include working with Biosphere and Higher Intelligence Agency, has enhanced the visual magnitude of their live shows. Their performances at festivals including The Big Chill and Summer Sundae have been lo-tempo highlights of the highest order. April 2005 saw the trio celebrate the release of ‘Shallow Dive’ with a live show accompanied by slide-guitar legend BJ Cole.
Although from the ‘laptop-folk’ camp, Chin Chin will appeal to electronica, downtempo, chill and even post-rock fans looking for something enchanting to discover.
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3) Chin Chin is three piece band from Brooklyn. In March they released their debut album under the same name in 2008. A versatile band that draws from funk and electronic dance as well as indie rock, Chin Chin emerged from the fertile Williamsburg scene in Brooklyn and, thanks to their live shows as well as their recordings, became an overnight favorite among critics.
Formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, NY, Chin Chin at its core is a trio comprised of multi-instrumentalists Wilder Zoby (keyboards, vocals), Torbit Schwartz (drums, vocals), and Jeremy Wilms (guitar), who are joined in the studio and on-stage by a variety of session musicians from the Williamsburg scene, among them Marcus Farrar (vocals), Jesse Boykins III (vocals), James Kelly (guitar), Tada Hirano (guitar), Jeff Pierce (trumpet, flügelhorn), Felix Chen (trombone), Yusuke Yamamoto (vibraphone, percussion), and Yoshi Takemasa (percussion).
The jazz-funk characteristics of Chin Chin, along with the band's composition -- a visionary core directing a talented cast of session musicians who vary from one song to the next -- lends itself well to Steely Dan comparisons. Like Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, the three-man core of Chin Chin is studied and experienced, each having attended music school and worked in an assortment of prior professional situations.
But the Steely Dan comparisons end there, for the musical style of Chin Chin is more greatly informed by funk (both the synth and disco strains), not to mention electronic dance music, than jazz or rock.
After establishing themselves as an exceptional live band on the Williamsburg scene, Chin Chin made their recording debut in 2007 on the French label Dialect Recordings, releasing the 12" singles Toot d'Amore (boasting Prins Thomas remixes) and Appetite (boasting Chicken Lips remixes) as well as a self-titled full-length album.
In 2008 alternative rap label Definitive Jux released the band's full-length album, Chin Chin, in the United States to across-the-board critical praise.
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