FIRST SONG FROM LIM GIONG + ALEX ZHANG HUNGTAI OUT NOW
Celebrated Taiwanese musician, DJ, composer and actor Lim Giong asks — what does it mean to be a pure person?
The question was originally posed in 2001 when Giong composed the score for Hou Hsiao Hsien's film Millenium Mambo. In the iconic opening scene, Giong's “A Pure Person” begins to play as actress Shu Qi glides through a tunnel.
19 years later, Giong is joined by five contemporary Taiwanese-based and diaspora musicians to reflect on the question. Through new melodic and philosophical interpretations of “A Pure Person,” the compilation contains the past, present and future of Taiwan.
Today, Alex Zhang Hungtai unveils his version. Formerly known as Dirty Beaches, Hungtai currently works as a composer for film soundtracks, along with acting in independent films.
A Pure Person features contributions from jazz pianist YuYing Hsu, Jieh, electronic duo Non-Confined Space and Taiwanese DJ and frequent Giong collaborator Point. Giong has also created a brand new track for the project based on his idea of a pure person in 2020.
The compilation will release digitally on October 15 with a limited physical release to follow—pre-order via Bandcamp only. All proceeds from the project will be donated to a Charity of Giong's choice.
Giong was one of the first musicians to use the Taiwanese Hokkien dialect in mainstream pop. Known as the godfather of Taiwanese experimental electronic music, Giong's musical roots actually began in pop music. Many of his earlier songs reflected political issues and his first single, “Marching Forward,” released in 1990, became an anthem for Taiwanese youth, and propelled him to mainstream success across Asia.
From 1990-2000, Giong released several pop albums and became a close collaborator of Taiwanese New Wave director Hou Hsiao Hsien, acting in several of his films as well as composing soundtracks.
As a composer, Giong has scored over thirty films and won numerous international awards including the 2015 Cannes Film Festival's Soundtrack Award for The Assassin. He remains a go-to composer for avant garde Chinese cinema, including award-winning Jia Zhangke's The World (2004), Still Life (2006) and Bi Gan's Long Day's Journey into Night and Kaili Blues.
At the turn of the millenium, Giong began experimenting more with electronic music. His albums China Fun (2002) and Folk Paradise (2003), combine traditional Taiwanese music with genres such as drum and bass, breakbeat, ambient and electronica. During this time, Giong dug deeper into the underground culture of Taiwan and became an influential DJ and leader in the burgeoning rave and club scene of the capital city Taipei.
Giong's legacy in Taiwan is unparalleled. His work in pop, film and electronic music has spanned across two generations and continues to permeate Taiwan culture and inspire the work of young artists today.
A PURE PERSON
After retiring his project Dirty Beaches, Alex Zhang Hungtai has been focusing on explorations of improvised music, Free Jazz, and his new role as a composer. His newer compositions predominantly work with saxophone, synthesizers, percussion and piano, furthering his research on ritualistic music of liminality. Besides his solo work, he is also a member of a Free Jazz/experimental trio with Portugese minimalist/architect David Maranha, and Free Jazz Drummer Gabriel Ferrandini in Lisbon. Zhang currently works as a composer for film soundtracks, along with acting in independent films.
Jieh is an American electronic musician and multidisciplinary artist, most recently known for his Holodec project. His music has been released under a variety of pseudonyms by various recording labels and distributors, which most prominently include Timetable Records.
Non-Confined Space is an electronic improv duo created by Sonic Deadhorse (Guitar, Electronic, Live Visual) and Minyen Hsieh (Saxophones, Woodwinds) in 2014. Each has been treading in the ponds called Experimental Electronica and Contemporary Jazz respectively for many years. Their debut Flow, Gesture, and Space was released in December 2019.
YuYing Hsu is an award-winning Taiwanese jazz pianist and composer. She has performed in legendary jazz clubs in New York City, such as Birdland, Sweet Rhythm, and with renowned musicians like Albert “Tootie” Heath, Paquito D'Rivera and more. Hsu is the winner of four Golden Indie Music Awards (Taiwan's version of the Grammy).
