Mong Tong - Mystery 秘神 (Guruguru Brain)

WHAT THE COVER LOOKS LIKE:

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WHAT WE SAY:

Freaky fresh music from Taiwan, as the brothers Mong Tong seemingly reimagine the 80s synthesizer soundtracks of obscure Chinese cable channel detective shows & low budget sci-fi B movies, with a cheeky smile and playful psychedelic twist for the excellent Guruguru Brain label. Thanks to New Commute for the tip.

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WHAT YOUR EARS SAY:

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WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY:

Recorded in their home studio in Taipei, “Mystery 秘神” is a psychedelic journey into Taiwanese folklore combined with the 80’s media obsession with the supernatural. It’s a record that manages to combine nostalgia and tradition with humour and an underlying intrinsic earthiness to create something unlike anything else out there.

Brothers Hom Yu and Jiun Chi also play in ​Prairie WWWW​ (落差草原 WWWW) and Dope Purple. They both returned to Taipei in 2017 after finishing their studies and before long began to explore their mutual obsession for Taiwanese occult-inspired art and vintage superstitious imagery, channelling it through music. Mong Tong means many things in Chinese, but the translation they choose to fit their music is “the east-side of dreams”.

Growing up in Taiwan in the 90’s, the brothers listen to ​電子琴音樂 which they describe as “relaxing Chinese synth pop” along with video game soundtracks, psychedelic music, doom metal and sound collage/library music. On “Mystery秘神” these inspirations combine with the dark humour of Taiwanese folklore and a love of conspiracy theories to form what they describe as “a psychedelic journey to the east.”
Credits:
All songs arranged by Mong Tong
Mixed by Mong Tong
Mastered by Soushi Mizuno @ Studio Mass, Tokyo
Produced by Mong Tong
Big thanks to Li-yang from Scattered Purgatory