Lang Mang - The Crow [2004]

Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative, Modern Folk, Psychedelic

MySpace: langmang

My opinion & thought: One of the best Chinese singing band in Malaysia. Their debut album won lots of critical acclaims from the local medias & fans. Their music strive a balance between mainstream pop rock music and experimental underground music.

Stands out track(s): Narcotics Desire (毒欲), Southern Tree (南方的樹), Liu Zhi Hao Er (流質號二)

Lang Mang (浪氓) is by far the most successful Chinese singing indie bands from Malaysia. They sold the most records compared to the rest and they received rave reviews from the mainstream media.

The band comprised of Stephen Chua (Vocalist/Guitarist), Eric Wong (Bassist) and Roo (Drummer). Stephen and Roo are both art graduates, while Eric is one of the most sought after recording engineers in the local indie music scene. Two new members were recruited in 2006, Kacey on synths ( formerly guitarist of Post-Rock band, Furniture ), and Loon on bass ( formerly bassist of Screamo/Post-Punk band, KRMA ) while Eric take up the position of lead guitars.

Their debut album "The Crow (烏鴉)" was released in 2004. The real joy in Lang Mang's music is their ability to strive for the balance between beauty and experimentation.

Tracklisting:

1. Rain In The Dark   黑夜里的雨

2. It's Mine   的我

3. Standing 'Til The End Of End   一直站著

4. Chameleon   變色龍

5. Monkeys   猴子

6. Southern Tree   南方的樹

7. Narcotics Desire   毒欲

8. Beauty   美人

9. Liu Zhi Hao Er   流質號二

10. Seagull   海鷗

Review/Interview:

One of the mainstays of the Malaysian Chinese indie-rock scene, Lang Mang has been around since 1999, with the Soundscape-signed band releasing their debut album, The Crow, in 2004, with one of the tracks, "Liu Zi Hao Er" recently used in the soundtrack of Malaysian award-winning filmmaker Tan Chui Mui's movie, Love Conquers All. 

Comprising of Stephen (vocal/guitars), Eric (guitar), Kacey (Synths), Loon (bass), Roo (drums), Lang Mang's history starts in 1999, in rather unceremonious terms, as Eric tells it: "Well, there's nothing really awe-inspiring here, we were friends during college years, we loved music and one day we kinda just woke-up and decided we want to form a band, haha!" 

One of the defining characteristics of Lang Mang's music is that they sing in Mandarin, not for any reason about ethnic pride or anything like that, however. "It's definitely not a "going-back-to-our-roots'kind of thing," says Eric. "It's just very simply that Mandarin is really the best language that we can express ourselves in so it's pretty much gonna stay that way." So no, there's no plans at all of them singing in English anytime in the near future. 

There's no particular artist or group that inspires Lang Mang, but rather from everywhere and anything that just might hit them. It makes for a very vague, unpredictable method of songwriting, but that spontaneity is an integral part of why their haunting post-rock is so appealing. 

"People don't just wake up one day and decide they want to write a song about this one particular subject and then start looking for stuff to inspire it. It just comes to you. We walk into the studio with our gear, we jam, and maybe next thing we know, there's a song right there waiting to be developed." As for future plans, word is that they're in the planning to cut an EP to be released at the end of the year, so do keep an eye out for the band, or better yet, check out their MySpace page to keep up to date with them. 

- JIMBO/JUNK -