Ruan & Hide

Ruan & Hide is a Chinese Folk-Fusion duet based in Chicago, Illinois. The performers bring their own musical traditions to the project creating a blend of traditional Chinese & Taiwanese folk melodies with modern world music rhythms, performed on Chinese lute and percussion. The name is a reference to the instruments used; the “Ruan” lute and the “Hide” covering of the drums with a whimsical nod to the expression “run and hide”.
Tzu-Tsen Wu performs on the Zhong Ruan, a traditional Chinese 4-string circular-bodied plucked lute. One unique element of this ensemble is Tzu-Tsen’s utilization of pickups, electronic effects and loop station allowing her to weave an intricate musical tapestry solely employing her one single instrument. 
Brent Roman performs on a hybrid drum kit using a variety of percussion instruments, most of which are traditionally Chinese in origin. The concept stems from a thought of what it would sound like to have a drum set comprised of all Chinese percussion.