Snoblind

Another disclaimer at this point - because this set, and the next, were continuous, I can’t really describe many songs specifically ‘cause I’m not sure which ones they are! But, I’ll try to describe the various areas of feel and sight that the songs moved into to compensate for that.

Snoblind started with the screen reading just their name, and began their Intro with some nice looping piano and hip-hop beats. There was some anthemic, almost operatic tune rendered on vocals and something that sounded a lot like an organ. From here, they proceeded to take the joint to smoother, sweeter places, like the ones Moby inhabits. The crowd were in it right from the start, as they were willingly steered into everything from the sheer schizophrenic paranoia that the looped drums, er, drummed up, to the taut basslines of 80s pop, to long, winding basslines with female vocals that kinda reminded me of Ace of Base. At some point, there was a song that had some very Dylan-esque vocals, and to match, a video that reminded me very much of the one for Subterranean Homesick Blues, where words on the screen were the main focus of the image. Strawberry Redux was their take on samples of the classic Strawberry Fields Forever, with a really psychedelic, shoegaze-y feel to it. There were several breakdowns into just one sound playing, and then ably steered into a completely different soundscape.

Their visuals were really, really excellent, and perfectly tailored to the songs. There were many shots, both long and fleeting, of desolate Hong Kong buildings in inadequate lighting, many sped up videos of nature, clouds and horizons, some military shots, and the kind of creepy avant-garde stuff of heads moving unnaturally being focused upon thrown in for good measure as well. The crowd ate right out of their hands, as their mindset was clearly in sync with wherever the two on stage wanted to take them; from gentle swaying, to wild dancing, they were led everywhere, and willingly at that. It was a pity when they looped down Which Way to Home into the linked woo-ing sounds that closed their set - a feeling that was by everyone there, as there was a huge whoop of applause that greeted the end of a very engaging and enjoyable set.

– Shashwati - Underground Hong Kong

Another disclaimer at this point - because this set, and the next, were continuous, I can’t really describe many songs specifically ‘cause I’m not sure which ones they are! But, I’ll try to describe the various areas of feel and sight that the songs moved into to compensate for that.

Snoblind started with the screen reading just their name, and began their Intro with some nice looping piano and hip-hop beats. There was some anthemic, almost operatic tune rendered on vocals and something that sounded a lot like an organ. From here, they proceeded to take the joint to smoother, sweeter places, like the ones Moby inhabits. The crowd were in it right from the start, as they were willingly steered into everything from the sheer schizophrenic paranoia that the looped drums, er, drummed up, to the taut basslines of 80s pop, to long, winding basslines with female vocals that kinda reminded me of Ace of Base. At some point, there was a song that had some very Dylan-esque vocals, and to match, a video that reminded me very much of the one for Subterranean Homesick Blues, where words on the screen were the main focus of the image. Strawberry Redux was their take on samples of the classic Strawberry Fields Forever, with a really psychedelic, shoegaze-y feel to it. There were several breakdowns into just one sound playing, and then ably steered into a completely different soundscape.

Their visuals were really, really excellent, and perfectly tailored to the songs. There were many shots, both long and fleeting, of desolate Hong Kong buildings in inadequate lighting, many sped up videos of nature, clouds and horizons, some military shots, and the kind of creepy avant-garde stuff of heads moving unnaturally being focused upon thrown in for good measure as well. The crowd ate right out of their hands, as their mindset was clearly in sync with wherever the two on stage wanted to take them; from gentle swaying, to wild dancing, they were led everywhere, and willingly at that. It was a pity when they looped down Which Way to Home into the linked woo-ing sounds that closed their set - a feeling that was by everyone there, as there was a huge whoop of applause that greeted the end of a very engaging and enjoyable set.

– Shashwati - Underground Hong Kong

7. Snoblind Sound System Opening Splash
With three releases in the last year, Snoblind has been busy. But while Phantom Cartography went more experimental, and the most recent Learning from Murmurs was best enjoyed as a whole, Imaginary Soundtrack contained tracks that were more accessible as single entities. Based on a similar rising motif to VIM’s Ghost, the purely instrumental Opening Splash chops between a selection of ambient beats, while plucking simple synth lines out of the air. - Timeout Hong Kong

7. Snoblind Sound System Opening Splash
With three releases in the last year, Snoblind has been busy. But while Phantom Cartography went more experimental, and the most recent Learning from Murmurs was best enjoyed as a whole, Imaginary Soundtrack contained tracks that were more accessible as single entities. Based on a similar rising motif to VIM’s Ghost, the purely instrumental Opening Splash chops between a selection of ambient beats, while plucking simple synth lines out of the air. - Timeout Hong Kong

The story of electronica duo Snoblind is not your typical boy-meets-girl tale. The boy, Vincent Wong Wai-yiu, grew up in North Point listening to classic American rock on the radio. The girl, Regina Chang Ming-lai of Cheung Sha Wan, watched MTV and listened to Nirvana. Wong formed a jazz band in his university days in Australia. Chang played bass in an all-girl teen punk band.

But adult life set in after graduation - the bands ended, and Wong and Chang found jobs - as self-described "cubicle drones" - in government. They met eight years ago when, during a routine work chat, Chang noticed Wong had a pile of rock show fliers and ticket stubs on his desk. "Hey, I'm a band yao [Cantonese slang for musician] too," she said.

The alternative music scene - anything that isn't Canto-pop - in Hong Kong is interesting in that non-Canto-pop fans are so used to their minority status that once one spots another, it's almost obligatory to bond. And once that connection is made, it's just a matter of time before one pops the question: "Want to jam sometime?" Wong asked. Chang nodded.

The two initially played with friends, but both realised their "musical wavelength was the most compatible". And so began the story of Snoblind - a love story, not between boy and girl, but a love of music.

Today, Wong and Chang are in a stylish cafe tucked in the corner of Star Street in Wan Chai, and they look uncomfortable. The photographer has asked them not to smile for the next set of shots. Despite eight years of playing in front of packed crowds around Asia, they still see posing for photos as an alien concept. "We're not a photogenic group," Wong says.

He uses self-deprecating humour often, perhaps to make light of the fact that Snoblind look nothing like their peers in the indie music scene. While many bands perhaps pay too much attention to their appearance and aim for a specific style, Wong and Chang dress like typical thirtysomething Hongkongers at a Sunday dim sum lunch - casual and comfortable.

The contrast has raised some eyebrows. At their most recent gig, at Grappa's Cellar in April, Snoblind shared the stage with bands such as The Yours, who wore sunglasses indoors and pants so tight it was a wonder they could walk straight. Another band seemed to have an all-black goth dress code that made them look like the cast of Twilight. Wong and Chang, with their spectacles and "uncle and auntie clothing", stuck out like sore thumbs. But none of that mattered as Snoblind's computer-driven trip-hop sound - with a thumping Jay-Z beat thrown in - had the crowd nodding their heads and cheering.

"We're about sounding good more than looking good," says Wong, finally dropping the self-mocking charade to reveal his true colours: a proud music-loving geek.

Initially a two-piece band with a set-up similar to the White Stripes (guy on guitar, girl on drums), they spent their first two years playing covers of Nirvana and Metallica at their office Christmas parties. By year three, they had grown tired of the conventional rock sound and decided to push in a new direction.

"We started messing around on the computers creating our own sound," says Chang. Both were huge fans of instrumental hip hop pioneer DJ Shadow, so they went in that direction. "We'd come up with a sound, and then send the file to the other," says Wong. "Sometimes we'd both be at work sending each other work e-mails with music files in them."

They met up every weekend to piece together the files like puzzles. The result is the sound Snoblind are known for today: ethereal, semi-hypnotic tunes Wong describes as a "cinematic soundscape over hip hop beats with a melodic twist".

Playing at office parties was not enough for the two audiophiles so they started playing outside the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui as part of an outdoor musical showcase sponsored by Tom Lee Music. With a minimal set-up of laptops and synthesiser, reactions from the crowd were indifferent.

"They probably thought we were just surfing the Web," says Chang. "So we knew we had to add other elements to our sets."

They added visual imagery and "toy instruments", such as a mini trumpet and bass guitar. Wong says the visual images - generated on their laptops and used as a backdrop - work well because their sound is heavily inspired by film scores. "We hope our music can set the mood for some form of visual imagery, be it what you see on the screen or in your mind," he says.

A few more gigs followed that year, most notably a fund-raising show with all the proceeds going to a cancer-stricken friend.

But 2005 saw Snoblind's audio-visual experience take on a bigger stage, as they played in both the Spring Scream and Formoz festivals in Taiwan. A year later, they released their first CD, Musica Di Digitalia. Chang says the album was entirely self-funded and was meant to be a musical statement rather than a business move. "We didn't expect to make money off the disc or become b - South China Morning Post, Hong Kong

The story of electronica duo Snoblind is not your typical boy-meets-girl tale. The boy, Vincent Wong Wai-yiu, grew up in North Point listening to classic American rock on the radio. The girl, Regina Chang Ming-lai of Cheung Sha Wan, watched MTV and listened to Nirvana. Wong formed a jazz band in his university days in Australia. Chang played bass in an all-girl teen punk band.

But adult life set in after graduation - the bands ended, and Wong and Chang found jobs - as self-described "cubicle drones" - in government. They met eight years ago when, during a routine work chat, Chang noticed Wong had a pile of rock show fliers and ticket stubs on his desk. "Hey, I'm a band yao [Cantonese slang for musician] too," she said.

The alternative music scene - anything that isn't Canto-pop - in Hong Kong is interesting in that non-Canto-pop fans are so used to their minority status that once one spots another, it's almost obligatory to bond. And once that connection is made, it's just a matter of time before one pops the question: "Want to jam sometime?" Wong asked. Chang nodded.

The two initially played with friends, but both realised their "musical wavelength was the most compatible". And so began the story of Snoblind - a love story, not between boy and girl, but a love of music.

Today, Wong and Chang are in a stylish cafe tucked in the corner of Star Street in Wan Chai, and they look uncomfortable. The photographer has asked them not to smile for the next set of shots. Despite eight years of playing in front of packed crowds around Asia, they still see posing for photos as an alien concept. "We're not a photogenic group," Wong says.

He uses self-deprecating humour often, perhaps to make light of the fact that Snoblind look nothing like their peers in the indie music scene. While many bands perhaps pay too much attention to their appearance and aim for a specific style, Wong and Chang dress like typical thirtysomething Hongkongers at a Sunday dim sum lunch - casual and comfortable.

The contrast has raised some eyebrows. At their most recent gig, at Grappa's Cellar in April, Snoblind shared the stage with bands such as The Yours, who wore sunglasses indoors and pants so tight it was a wonder they could walk straight. Another band seemed to have an all-black goth dress code that made them look like the cast of Twilight. Wong and Chang, with their spectacles and "uncle and auntie clothing", stuck out like sore thumbs. But none of that mattered as Snoblind's computer-driven trip-hop sound - with a thumping Jay-Z beat thrown in - had the crowd nodding their heads and cheering.

"We're about sounding good more than looking good," says Wong, finally dropping the self-mocking charade to reveal his true colours: a proud music-loving geek.

Initially a two-piece band with a set-up similar to the White Stripes (guy on guitar, girl on drums), they spent their first two years playing covers of Nirvana and Metallica at their office Christmas parties. By year three, they had grown tired of the conventional rock sound and decided to push in a new direction.

"We started messing around on the computers creating our own sound," says Chang. Both were huge fans of instrumental hip hop pioneer DJ Shadow, so they went in that direction. "We'd come up with a sound, and then send the file to the other," says Wong. "Sometimes we'd both be at work sending each other work e-mails with music files in them."

They met up every weekend to piece together the files like puzzles. The result is the sound Snoblind are known for today: ethereal, semi-hypnotic tunes Wong describes as a "cinematic soundscape over hip hop beats with a melodic twist".

Playing at office parties was not enough for the two audiophiles so they started playing outside the Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui as part of an outdoor musical showcase sponsored by Tom Lee Music. With a minimal set-up of laptops and synthesiser, reactions from the crowd were indifferent.

"They probably thought we were just surfing the Web," says Chang. "So we knew we had to add other elements to our sets."

They added visual imagery and "toy instruments", such as a mini trumpet and bass guitar. Wong says the visual images - generated on their laptops and used as a backdrop - work well because their sound is heavily inspired by film scores. "We hope our music can set the mood for some form of visual imagery, be it what you see on the screen or in your mind," he says.

A few more gigs followed that year, most notably a fund-raising show with all the proceeds going to a cancer-stricken friend.

But 2005 saw Snoblind's audio-visual experience take on a bigger stage, as they played in both the Spring Scream and Formoz festivals in Taiwan. A year later, they released their first CD, Musica Di Digitalia. Chang says the album was entirely self-funded and was meant to be a musical statement rather than a business move. "We didn't expect to make money off the disc or become b - South China Morning Post, Hong Kong

Though it clocks in at only 25 minutes, That Fleeting Feeling is much more of an album than Regina Chang and Vincent Wong’s first long-player, Musica de Digitalia (2006). While the latter was an excellent collection of tracks, the unity of thought behind this EP lends the work a sense of wholeness (Digitalia, meanwhile, was inconsistent; at times bouncy and relaxing, at others grating). Entirely instrumental and digital, That Fleeting Feeling pays homage to Snoblind’s idol, DJ Shadow, with slow, ominous beats of mostly snare and top-hat, and atmospheric layering of simple piano, prominent bass-lines, and fuzzed-out noise distortions.

The track titles point to the fact this is a Hong Kong-oriented EP. As with What Does My City Sound Like parts one and two, tunes that juxtapose sounds of industry and commerce with delicate Oriental melodies. With that in mind, the EP’s closer, Ocean Frontal Blues – an initially soothing track that devolves into mimicry of the jackhammers and construction noises that currently blight the Central waterfront – can be seen as a lament for the land reclamation as the government goes about its ‘beautification’ of our coastlines. It’s a jarring end to what is a very nifty EP, reminding us that those comfortable feelings from the start of the album were fleeting, indeed.

Snoblind are known for accompanying their work with striking visuals; in That Fleeting Feeling, the music paints very vivid visuals of its own. No doubt a live show will only enhance the experience. And here’s more reason to commend the duo: being Creative Commons advocates, the EP is available for free download at snoblind.com. Go do it. Then go see them live. - Timeout Hong Kong

Snoblind: Phantom Cartography

Vincent Wong and Regina Chang are in a class of their own in Hong Kong. As Snoblind, the duo have pushed boundaries in their music, distribution model (everything’s free and digital), and, now, genre. For those fond of the high-rev digital rock and hip-hop that characterised debut album Music de Digitalia (2006), the Phantom Cartography EP may come as something of a shock.

A giant step away from the movie-soundtrack fare of their previous work, Phantom Cartography drops the beats completely (except on the five-minute Outro) and shifts into quiet, contemplative mode with layerings of ambient sound that sometimes veers into the territory of sound art. Sombre industrial noise and stretched strings make much of the EP sound like faulty wiring in an abandoned supermarket of the future, creating a disquieting atmosphere that successfully evokes the ghostly sentiments alluded to in the title.

We salute Snoblind for this foray into the depths of their musical subconscious, but at the same time we secretly hope for a quick return to those block-rocking beats on which they built their reputation. It is what they do best.

Hamish McKenzie

Download Phantom Cartography at www snoblind.com/pc/pc.zip - Time Out Hong Kong