Zishi Liu – American Anxiety (EP Review)

Zishi Liu’s American Anxiety is a bold, deeply personal EP that fuses jazz with traditional Chinese music to create a sound that’s as emotionally resonant as it is boundary pushing. This isn’t just a collection of songs made on a whim, this is a collection infused with identity, cultural fusion and political introspection from a Chinese artist navigating his life in the United States.

Liu is a jazz saxophonist with ECM-inspired improvisation, and he surrounds himself with an exceptional ensemble: drummer Francisco Mela, Eric Hofbauer on guitar, Harold Charon on the piano, bassist Ben Koh and the guzheng stylings of Hui Weng. Working together, this legendary group of people have created a soundscape where East meets West, not in opposition, but in harmony.

The opening track, Breathe, begins with an intense buildup that paves the way for its melodic core. The song itself creates vivid imagery for me, a moody underground jazz bar in Milan, martinis in hand, watching the world drift by. The piano enters like a conversation, adding depth and tenderness, before the guzheng elevates the piece into something transcendent. It’s Liu at his most elegant, orchestrating a connection between both cultures.

The title track is mischievous and bass-heavy, a slightly more upbeat cut that captures the EP’s conceptual centre: the tension of the immigrant experience in America. While perhaps not as emotionally affecting as Breathe, it plays an important role in the narrative that Liu is attempting to construct. A musical mirror held up to an anxious and fractured society.

In the third track in this EP, The Death of Yue Fei, Liu returns to the solemn tone that can be found in the opening track, an almost meditative space. It feels like a spiritual sibling to Breathe, but with an added layer of ominousness and historical gravitas. As the song continues, the mood gradually lifts, slightly shifting towards hope. This is perhaps a nod to the enduring spirit of its namesake, the Song dynasty general and folk hero Yue Fei, a patriotic national hero.

The final track in this beautifully constructed EP is Lotus, where Liu’s artistic vision reaches its most potent form. The influence of traditional Chinese instrumentation is unmistakable, and the track serves as the EP’s cultural heart. Where the other songs had light sprinklings of traditional Chinese inspirations, this is where it truly shines. “I connected the dots when I heard late Coltrane and the Guqin (古琴), an ancient Chinese instrument,” says Liu. “I realised both share a free, Zen-like quality. This EP is my way of exploring how those traditions can intersect in a world of globalisation, uncertainty, and self-discovery.” This approach created a mesmerising result, a zen space to focus on heritage, self-discovery and the beauty of blending cultures within music.

American Anxiety is a triumph of cross-cultural conversation and artistic vulnerability. Liu doesn’t just play jazz, he reinvents it, drawing on centuries old traditions and recreating them through the lens of a modern and globalised identity. The lack of lyrics doesn’t take away the ability to feel the emotions he was feeling himself while composing this EP. With bold melodic statements, rich emotional textures, and a line up of musicians who come together in perfect harmony, Zishi Liu has crafted one of the most thought provoking jazz releases of 2025.

Score/Excellent: Zishi Liu’s EP releases on June 1st and you don’t want to miss it! This EP is the perfect blend of modern jazz and traditional Chinese music, it’s unique and sweet on the ears.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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