Order Vinyl ~ https://orcd.co/mindyandbecky

Origin of You is a startling new collaboration between Chinese-Australian composers Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 and Becky Sui Zhen, forming spontaneously one wintry afternoon in Melbourne and enduring with bonds that will last longer than a lifetime.

The debut release from these two auspicious artists revolves around three images that form the basis of their musical exploration: 空 (Kōng), or Emptiness; 疼 (Téng), or Pain; 气 (Chi), sometimes known as ‘Energy’.

It is from within these motifs that the central themes of this startling collaboration emerge. As described by Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 --

“This is an album about two artists who got together and formed a sisterhood. It’s about understanding life, family and ourselves. It’s about transforming from being a woman into a mother. And it’s about human connection. We are not related, but we find a connection that comforts us as much as family does.”

The record centres around a continual shift in an individual’s understanding of identity and of the self; coming to terms with who you are, where you are from, and where you will go. It is about life, death, and birth. And it is about transformation: from daughter into woman, woman into mother, from outsider into friend.

Ultimately, the album is a celebration of family, friendship and connection, grieving the irreplaceable loss of some bonds while celebrating their existence and finding joy in the creation of others. It is an album that marvels at the amazing capacity of emotion at our fingertips, the pain and joy that lie waiting at every turn of the path, the immeasurable feeling as yet undiscovered in the depths of ourselves.

Stay and listen to this one journey, and let it be a companion you carry with you on your own.

'Origin of You' is out everywhere Friday, November 10, 2023 via Music in Exile. https://musicinexile.com.au

Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 & Sui Zhen - Watch My Mum Dance

Pre-order vinyl ~ https://orcd.co/mindyandbecky

This week, Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 and Sui Zhen return with a second offering from their debut collaborative album, Origin of You.

Exploring the first of three major themes that appear throughout the album, 空 Kōng, translated here as Emptiness, is the opening track from this startling debut. Ambitious for a single, the track clocks in at over ten minutes, but the slow, meditative nature of the piece leaves listeners wanting more long after the last note fades. 

The track sets the tone for the album to come, with Sui Zhen’s spoken word repeated in an eerie, echo-drenched Mandarin by Meng Wang. Gentle synths swell to lap at the edges of Wang’s painfully reflective guzheng improvisation, as layers of vocals build to create a swirling effect which drags listeners deeper into the composition. 

The track plateaus with Sui Zhen repeating ‘I know / I have arrived / This is my home’, as a slow, gentle gong resonates throughout. The layers of sound drop to reveal Sui Zhen’s final vocal run, and the piece slowly fades into a warm hiss of tape noise and organ drone. 

The track is significant in that it outlines one of the three major themes of the record, and the basis for Meng Wang & Sui Zhen’s first friendship and collaboration. Having each suffered the recent loss of a family member, the pair connected deeply within an hour of their first meeting, and the bulk of the material found on Origin of You was recorded that same afternoon.

It is an album about loss, pain, and rebirth; as well as spiritual connection and the healing power of friendships. Says Wang - “It’s about understanding life, family and ourselves. It’s about the transformation from being a woman into a mother. And it’s about human connection. We are not related, but we find a connection that comforts us as much as family does.” 

Sui Zhen affirms this, speaking of her first connection with Mindy: “The feeling of trust was very important. The collaboration took me by surprise. It was both a friendship and musical relationship I didn’t know I needed, but it has been so healing for me. We both felt emotional afterward, it was a feeling of relief. We knew we would be friends for a long time.” 

Partly adapted from great Chinese poet Li Bai’s work 静夜思 Quiet Night Thought, this piece is sure to soundtrack personal reflection and meditation for listeners around the world. Sit back, sink in, and let the gentle tones of 空 Kōng wash over you, as you prepare to be taken on a deeply personal, introspective and inspirational journey. 

Origin of You is out everywhere Friday, November 10, 2023 via Music in Exile. https://musicinexile.com.au

Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 & Sui Zhen - 空 | Kong | Emptiness

Pre-order: https://sui-zhen.lnk.to/sleepless

Australian alternative pop artist @sui-zhen returns with 'Sleepless', a meditation on grief and persevering through it. 

The track was first conceived in 2018 as a stream-of-consciousness response to her mother’s passing. The catharsis of musical improvisation served as a refuge, a way to navigate the fog of sleepless nights and immense pain.

More exclusive music

Premiere: Sui Zhen 'Sleepless'

Music in Exile is a not-for-profit record label & artist services company that champions Australian musicians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, particularly those with lived experience of displacement or diaspora. Our organisation is artist-led, working collaboratively with individual artists to build viable and sustainable career opportunities in the Australian music industry, and in doing so to highlight the invisible barriers that exist for these artists and to work toward a more accessible and equitable Australian music industry.

New tracks tagged #sui zhen