Mong Tong is a music duo formed in Taiwan by the musicians and brothers Hom Yu and Jiun Chi. The breadth of musical influences this group embraces is overwhelmingly vast: South Asian folk music, 80s Nintendo soundtracks, psychedelic rock, German electronic music—the list goes on. Perhaps because of this eclecticism, the group felt tempted to create a musical “Epigraphy.”

This latest album is a collection of miniatures, with few pieces exceeding a minute and sixteen seconds. Despite their brevity, these tracks manage to convey a wide range of musical ideas and intriguing expressions.

There’s a strong sense of ancient wisdom and dance rhythms, featuring rich percussion from metal devices, wooden sticks, drums, and digital rainsticks. Accompanying these are electric guitars that sometimes serve as ambient devices, such as in “Strings” and “Birds,” but in other tracks like “Terracotta,” the guitar echoes the style of 80s Mexican rock. Every element in the music has a folkloric, ethnic feel. Although the group is Taiwanese, we hear musical expressions from Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, America, China, and beyond. This global feel may stem from their folkloric nature, reminding me of the famous Mexican architect Luis Barragán, who once said that a truly traditional artist is always universal and contemporary.

A personal favorite on this album is the final track, “Birds.” Here, a beautiful, occasional cloud of delayed guitars floats in space while a melancholic, dancing marimba wanders around. The marimba-like instrument's rhythm is so asymmetrical that it constantly provokes novel interactions with the guitar cloud. Finally, a melodic line is added to fill the gaps between the earthy marimba and the airy guitar. It’s the longest song on the album, the least folkloric, but also the most captivating for me.

If you enjoy folk music or want to explore new cultures, I highly recommend this album and group, with their heavy inspirations from South Asian music.

Author: Martín Cacho

Martín is a video game composer, producer and writer from Sonora, México.