MIST WITHOUT Xiaofu Ju | Deutsche Grammophon

With Mist Without, recently signed pianist and poet Xiaofu Ju presents his debut album for DG China. This concept-driven recital transforms a single image into a richly imagined listening journey, introducing a distinctive artistic voice of a new generation. 

Inspired by the German notion of Weltschmerz (pain of the world) and the spirit of Chinese Misty Poetry, the album reveals its emotional world through suggestion rather than direct expression. Meaning emerges gradually, like shapes appearing through mist, as music, text, and poetry come together to create a unified artistic experience. 

More than a collection of masterpieces, Mist Without is conceived as a complete one-sitting experience — an immersive world that moves through mist, night, ghosts, mourning, and darkness before arriving at a moment of lucid stillness. The music comes to an end, yet the mist remains.  

The album is released digitally, on CD and on vinyl.