Philosophical soul music

The recording of Five Souls took place in an old factory in New York with musicians playing in a circle. Supported by immersive audio technology, the recording captured an auditory atmosphere, which is encompassing.

Tan, who was the conductor during the recording, says the old factory was painted with two colors: one half was black and the other half white. He stood on the line that separated the two spaces.

"With black and white, the space brought us the energy of yin and yang. There were also lights, shadows and thin smoke, which was like a universe that we created," Tan says. "I always consider composers as visual artists who create with different colors, and different objects and musical instruments. I can also paint because those different sounds are just like colors."

As a trained classical musician, he is always ahead of the curve. Tan graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and later Columbia University in New York. He has created music from symphonies to operas. He is known for the fusion of Eastern and Western musical styles.