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Vietnam’s Lighthouse During COVID

·May 3, 2022·5 min read

Brian Hioe spoke with Steffen Sonnenschein about how The Lighthouse in Ho Chi Minh City has fared during COVID-19. The following article originally appeared on Electric Soul, a Hong Kong-based electronic music magazine and ticketing platform, on April 7th Read More

A Spirit of “Anything Goes”

English Music

·March 12, 2022·3 min read

Brian Hioe spoke with Hojo about his recently taking up a post as music director of 23 Music Room in Taipei. The following article originally appeared on Electric Soul, a Hong Kong-based electronic music magazine and ticketing platform, on February 24th Read More

Best Indie EPs of 2021

English Music

·January 28, 2022·5 min read

New Bloom members Peter Freestone and Brian Hioe pick some of their favorite indie EPs from 2021, focusing on bands from Taiwan. This is one of a series of Best Album lists compiled by New Bloom Read More

Promoting Taiwanese Indigenous Culture with Electronic Music

English Interviews Music

·November 2, 2021·7 min read

Brian Hioe spoke to Dungi Sapor, an Amis Indigenous DJ from Hualien. Dungi Sapor will be performing at the VIBE Party in Brain at Pipe Live Music on Friday, November 12th and the Hualien Performing Public Space Festival from November 19th to November 21st Read More

The Sound of Ambient Rain with a Progressive Beat: NYORAI’s 雨の音

English Music

·June 5, 2022·1 min read

If the ideas that guide NYORAI’s album 雨の音 (rain sound) are not the most uncommon, with the Japanese producer citing the philosophy of Zen as an influence, the album is an intriguing combination of progressive electronica with ambient Read More

Non-Binary Taiwanese Drag King Stars In Netflix’s Midnight Asia

English Music

·February 11, 2022·10 min read

From buzzy soap operas and historical dramas to award-winning films, programming centered on Taiwan continues to proliferate across Netflix. The latest entry: an episode of “Midnight Asia,” a six-part docuseries by InFocus Asia celebrating the diverse nightlife found in Asian metropolises, such as Seoul, Mumbai, Tokyo, Manila and Bangkok. Episode 5 stars the incandescent city of “Taipei, Taiwan” after dark Read More

Taiwanese Noise Legend Dino Passes Away at Age 45

English Music

·January 21, 2022·3 min read

Taiwanese noise legend Liao Ming-he, better known as Dino, passed away on Tuesday at age 45. Born in 1976, this proved an early death for someone who was viewed as a pioneer in the Taiwanese noise scene and one of its elder statesmen Read More

Warehouse Party in the City Center

English Music

·March 15, 2022·15 min read

Brian Hioe spoke to Sonia Calico and Lee Yen-yi about the upcoming Synergy Festival, which will be held at Songshan Cultural And Creative Park on March 19th and 20th. The following article originally appeared on Electric Soul, a Hong Kong-based electronic music magazine and ticketing platform, on March 10th Read More

Best Taiwanese Indie Albums of 2021

English Music

·January 7, 2022·6 min read

New Bloom members Peter Freestone and Brian Hioe pick some of their favorite indie albums from 2021, mainly focusing on bands from Taiwan. This is the fourth in a series of Best Album lists compiled by New Bloom Read More

Breaking New Ground with a Shift Toward Ambient

English Music

·October 26, 2021·3 min read

Orientations 向位 breaks new ground for Mong Tong. As the title itself suggests, Mong Tong has indicated a clear new direction with Orientations 向位—with a strong shift toward ambient music. Nevertheless, despite the apparent shift in musical direction, Mong Tong’s new work also represents significant continuity with previous work, and it proves as evocative as ever Read More

From Photography to Party Organizing and Back: A Conversation with Roshan Menon

English Music

·February 8, 2022·12 min read

Brian Hioe spoke to Kuala Lumpur-based DJ Roshan Menon, who is the founder of SaturdaySelects and co-founder of Laksa Records. The following article originally appeared on Electric Soul, a Hong Kong-based electronic music magazine and ticketing platform, on January 21st Read More

A Transient Think Tank for the Underground

English Interviews Music

·March 25, 2022·8 min read

Brian Hioe spoke with Arthur Bray from Hong Kong-based Yeti Out on how Yeti Out began, its successes to date, and what comes next for the platform Read More