mui zyu - Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century

Just last year, Eva Liu released an album as one-third of scuzzy indie-rock trio Dama Scout. And now, under the solo moniker of mui zyu, the Hong Kong-British artist is making strides into more mysterious, digitised terrains with ‘Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century’. Mingling the intimacies of bedroom indie with the stained-glass sublimities of panoramic dream pop, her full-length debut sees Eva take a comprehensive deep-dive into the nuances of her heritage. Taking inspiration from the folkloric writings of Pu Songling and incorporating traditional Chinese instruments like the guzheng and erhu, Eva even takes a moment to savour Hong Kong’s culinary delights during this cultural immersion: ‘Ho Bao Daan (interlude)’ features a recording of her father describing how to make the titular classic over spectral ambience. Right down to 16-bit synths scattering the record - recalling Eva’s love of video games - ‘Rotten Bun…’ is in every aspect a deeply personal record. While for the most part stunningly pretty, as on cascading opener ‘Rotten Bun’, the LP also plumbs some horrifying depths. The warped gloom of ‘Eggless Century’, or the compelling ‘Paw Paw’ - after the nickname she gave her maternal grandmother - confirms ‘Rotten Bun…’ as an enigmatic and bewitching listen.