Right: 台灣謎景 Music from Taiwan Mystery Album Cover, 2021
WV Sorcerer Productions / Bandcamp
Mong Tong, a psychedelic duo made up of brothers Hom Yu and Jiun Chi from Taipei, Taiwan, have added to their growing discography with the release of the new LP 台灣謎景 Music from Taiwan Mystery. The album is a soundtrack to a series of two art books the band released in 2019 and 2021. These books are compilations of photos capturing “mystical esoterica” from across Taiwan: temples, purgatory facilities, Buddhist mummies, and unusual buildings.
The sounds of 台灣謎景 Music from Taiwan Mystery mixes together swirling electronic psychedelia, vintage synths, and samples from vintage video games and film.
There are subtropical vibes, the clicking of woodblocks reminiscent of those used in religious services, and engrossing mixtures of textures seemingly organic and synthetic. The overall effect is a new way of experiencing folk ethnography (the two books required more than six months of fieldwork), with a stunningly original soundtrack to accompany the process.
