Mindy Meng Wang 王萌 x Tim Shiel - Hidden Qi 隐.气

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After the release of their debut collaborative single,“Sleeping Tiger On The Bund 蓄势待发”, Mindy Meng Wang 王萌, and Tim Shiel return today with their latest single & video, “Hidden Qi 隐.气”. Released via not-for-profit label, Music In Exile, the track brings audiences one step closer to their newly announced collaborative EP, Nervous Energy 一触即发, due March 12.

Introduced with a calming drone melody, “Hidden Qi 隐.气” opens up a dreamlike soundscape, fuelled by looped guzheng tones, steady beats and psychedelic guitar licks. Premiered via Gorilla vs. Bear the video is similarly hypnotising, finding the perfect meeting point between traditional and contemporary to showcase the harmonious existence of these disparate contexts and influences. Directed by Athina Wilson and produced by Yang Chen (Eye To Eye), the visual showcases Mindy’s traditional performance, further developing the ongoing narrative of how the East and West can intersect or collide with one another.

Mindy on the release: “‘Hidden Qi 隐.气’ is filled with powerful, firm but flexible energy. Like the inner strength - Qi of a Kung Fu master in the legend, the Qi hidden flows in his body is free but controlled, like the qualities of mountains, rocks, stars, and rivers...The whole song takes people to a dreamland surrounded by clouds and mist, as if you are floating in the clouds and you saw a martial arts master practising from afar. He jumps so light and moves so fast and sometimes disappears in the trees, the energy wave of his Qi shocked petals off the flower...flying in the sky...”.

Tim on the release: “‘Hidden Qi 隐.气’ introduces a sound that I love that feels unique to the guzheng - which is the sound of a slowly evolving drone, that shifts and squeaks with a beautifully organic quality. I was led by Mindy's technique for this song perhaps most of all, trying to supplement her sound with a simple boom-bap inspired beat and psychedelic guitar flourishes. Midway through the song, it shifts into a cinematic space recalling the 70s film soundtracks of John Barry, Janko Nilovic or even Morricone”.

“Hidden Qi 隐.气” is the second taster of the collaborators’ forthcoming EP, Nervous Energy一触即发, arriving on March 12. Just last month, the world was introduced to the pairing through their debut single together, “Sleeping Tiger On The Bund 蓄势待发”. Premiered on Double J, the single saw nationwide acclaim across the airwaves, with additions from FBi, RTR, 2SER and SYN, as well as online love from NME, Deafen County and a premiere from Purple Sneakers.

Over the course of 2020, the duo worked ceaselessly on developing new material in spite of ever changing COVID restrictions. First recorded by Mindy on her 21-string traditional guzheng and then shared with Tim via the internet to be reworked, the result is something neither had imagined possible. What developed was a collection of tracks that oscillate from breakbeat to minimal house influences and laid-back dub and pop sounds, underpinned throughout by an acoustic instrument almost two metres long and thousands of years old.

Mindy Meng Wang and Tim Shiel 'Nervous Energy 一触即发' out March 12th, 2021 via Music in Exile and Above Board (UK/EU).
musicinexile.com.au