Out with the old, in with the mew

The album also marks a reunion with And The Glass Handed Kites producer Michael Beinhorn, making his first LP in five years. The American producer is best known for working with the likes of Soundgarden and Hole, and, according to online music magazine Pitchfork, his involvement has ensured +- is "one of the more magnificent-sounding rock records you'll hear all year".

Russell Lissack from British rockers Bloc Party was also invited to take part in the writing process for the album and features on the track My Complications.

Mew will play only two dates during the China tour: Aug 11 at Beijing's Tango nightclub and then Aug 13 at Mao Livehouse in Shanghai.

"In terms of what to expect from the audience, I have very little idea, if any," Bjerre says, although he adds that the two shows will be "colorful and magical, I assure you".

While the group is eager to share its sound with Chinese fans, he says he hopes the tour will also provide a chance to get a taste of the booming indie music scenes in Beijing, Shanghai and beyond.

"I'm not very familiar with Chinese bands and musical artists," he said. "I guess Chinese groups don't focus much on Denmark as a market. We are a very small country after all. But I'm supercurious to make discoveries there!"

One China-related act he says he has listened to is Kala-OK, aka Danish multi-instrumentalist Kristian Mondrup, who spent 2009 studying Mandarin at Peking University and later went on to write an album of songs about the experience called Reminiscence of a Bodily Blues.

Despite Mew's tight schedule, Bjerre also says the band is looking forward to exploring China's most famous cities.

"I am expecting to see beautiful buildings, old and new, and exotic landscapes; have wonderful food that I haven't had before, and if there is time I'd love to go to some museums," he said. "One of the things we plan to visit is the Forbidden City (in central Beijing), of course.

"There has been so much contemporary Chinese art in museums in Europe in recent years, so although I've never been (to China), I feel like it's a really emerging scene, so much interesting stuff happening.

"I can't wait," he adds.

Mew's fans in China, I expect, feel the same way.

Contact the writer through craig@chinadaily.com.cn