September 03, 2026 – Chongqing -- A new documentary and album pairing ancient Chinese folk music with modern electronic production has racked up more than 25.8 million overseas views within weeks of its debut. "Western China's Melody" was co-produced by the Western China International Communication Organization (WCICO) and Danish producer HEDEGAARD, known globally as the "King of Car Audio" with over 1.7 billion streams.
The team traveled 7,200 kilometers across ten ethnic regions
Filmed in ten cities, the production documented ten ethnic groups -- including Han, Tujia, Tibetan, Yi, Mongol, Yugur, Hui, Zhuang, Dong and Dai -- capturing endangered musical traditions such as the high-pitched Adu melody, the Mongolian Tobshur and Xizang Layi song. HEDEGAARD spent two months traveling from the Qinghai-Xizang plateau to the rainforests of Xishuangbanna, guided by WCICO director Feng Xiaolou. He learned ancestral instruments and vocal techniques directly from tradition-bearers around campfires and in fields.
Three tracks anchor the ten-episode series and companion album
The project produced a ten-episode series alongside an album titled KINΔ, a name evoking both "China" and "kin." The track "Drumroll" reworks Tujia Luo'er melodies into an anthem of resilience, "Monolith" turns the Xizang Layi love song into a meditation on enduring love, and "Dancing with My Destiny" layers Dong vocal harmonies over atmospheric synthesizers.
The film premiered July 27 and quickly trended abroad
Highlight clips trended across Europe and Southeast Asia, while the accompanying album topped specialized electronic music charts. The journey culminated in a live concert on July 26, titled "Magnificent Land, Melody of Western China -- Night of International Musical Story," at the Guotai Art Center in Chongqing. HEDEGAARD performed alongside Tianqin players, Mongolian throat singers and Dong children, blending traditional instruments and voices with real-time electronic production.