5 Questions With Japanese Musician Zombie-Chang Ahead of Oct 25 Gig

"I want to drink milk tea when I'm in China!" proclaims Japanese anti-folk and anti-EDM musician Zombie-Chang when we ask her what she's most excited about doing during her short stint here. That zest for new experiences is also evident in her music videos, where the technicolor, beat, and (probably) fairy dust-powered Zombie-Chang (real name: Meirin Yung) darts around, unable to stay still for want of missing out.

Genres have long since lost their authority as musicians push and broaden the boundaries of each possible categorical pocket with all manner of added prefixes and suffixes. Zombie-Chang is no exception. Her "anti" title is not intended as a rebellion or rejection of folk, but more like an old-fashioned film negative, where everything is reversed, and she's able to frame the genres that inspire her and see them afresh. As such, her music has been labeled as "language of the people" and promoted as electropop. Eclectic, sure, but what are the songs about? Zombie-Chang admits that her albums are full of memories and songs about personal experiences. Her palette is covered in saturated colors alongside a mix of minimal electronic and live beats (think: the White Stripes turned '80s synth-pop band).

Zombie-Chang hopes that her first tour through China will act as a catalyst to learn Mandarin, explaining "If I speak Chinese, please applaud." That tour begins at Beijing's own Omni Space before winding down south to perform in Shanghai and Kunming. Ahead of her tour, we asked Zombie-Chang five quickfire questions.

When did you get into music and what inspired you?
When I was 10, I wanted to sing. When I was 16, I decided to live from music.

What or who inspired you to make music?
Maybe it was love.

Do you prefer working by yourself or collaborating with other artists?
I like making music alone. 

Your latest album involves many more live instruments while your previous albums are purely electronic. What motivated that change?
I made my earlier albums by myself, but on the latest one, I got to work with other talented musicians. 

How is the contemporary Japanese music industry?
It looks very friendly and welcoming, but everyone is making music with their opponents on their minds. 

Zombie-Chang will perform with Siamese Cats at Omni Space on Oct 25. Tickets are RMB 180 advance or RMB 280 on the door and can be purchased here

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Images: ototoy.jpspice.epluc.jpqetic.jp, courtesy of the organizer