Listen to an otherworldly, spectral playlist from mui zyu

Welcome back to Selections, a series of artist-curated playlists from those in the know.

As mui zyu, Eva Liu – who also fronts art-rock trio Dama Scout – crafts an intricate, fantastical soundworld of ethereal, lo-fi pop that acts as means of personal exploration.

On her debut album Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century, which was recently released via Father/Daughter Records, Liu utilises narratives of fantasy and draws on Chinese folklore to reflect on her own ever-evolving, multi-faceted identity, finding a sense of self-acceptance in this as well as a greater connection to her Hong Kong heritage. The album also offers a transcendent and healing sonic escapism that balances shimmering, melodic ambience with haunting, darker undertones.

In addition to her music both as mui zyu and one-third of Dama Scout, Liu forms part of ESEA Sisters – a collective creating a space of joy and resistance for women, trans, non-binary & genderqueer folks of East and Southeast Asian heritage.

For her Selections playlist, Liu curates a liminal sonic journey akin to that of Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century, spanning dreamy and spectral sounds that range from Lucinda Chua’s delicate, soaring pop to the ritualistic incantations of Lingua Ignota.

“This playlist is inspired by the otherworldly window between sleep and awake that can be blissfully wonderful but is also the gateway to sleep paralysis (for me),” she tells us. “It can be a strange place to be stuck in, and terrifying at times… but at other moments can be quite fantastical and cosmic. These pieces of music conjure up some of the worlds I’ve wandered in that wobbly zone.”