#octave

Quãng 8

Dropping the Disguise: The Evolution of Punk Band Cút Lộn Towards More Radicality

In recent years, CÚT LỘN has cemented themselves as one of the most recognizable hardcore punk bands to emerge from the Vietnamese underground scene.

Quãng 8

Music Is My Release: Behind the Anger That Fuels the Fiercely Indie Group COCC

“I don’t make happy songs,” says Phúc, the lead singer and guitarist of Saigonese rock group COCC. He and I are sitting in the middle of the band’s “cave” — a homemade recording studio they began putting together ten years ago. “I dreamed about it for a long time,” Phúc says of the studio. “In 2015, when I finished this house, the vision came true. We invest in it all the time, buy a little bit here, buy a little bit there. We’re still adding and improving the system and the equipment.”

Quãng 8

Ly Mí Cường Takes the Sounds of Sáo H'Mông From Hà Giang to International Stages

Born in 2005, Ly Mí Cường has brought sáo Mèo to international music competitions twice in his life — and he managed to take home the first prize both times. Cường’s anchor is always H’Mông culture, the wellspring that has nurtured his soul ever since he first took up the flute of his people, sáo H’Mông.

Quãng 8

The Phenomenal Phonk of Budding Rapper Ci Pi's Fever Dream

Everybody in my university program seems to know Bùi Ngọc Cẩm Phương, though in the music world, she's more popularly known as Ci Pi, a stage name that combines her name’s 2 initials. Be it because of her music or her noticeable Japanese fashion styles, even on campus, Ci Pi’s presence is “vivid” and easy to spot. However, it wasn’t until I knew her personally through a group project that I caught a glimpse of her true self. Despite the edgy appearance with quirky hairstyles and aesthetics, Ci Pi is quiet and calm, and always seems to be immersed in her own world.

Quãng 8

Synths, Dreams, and French Culture: Inside Vietnamese Duo Coïncidence's 1st EP

“When we finally finished the project, I was just like ‘Yay, we’re done!’ Then I went to sleep to go to work tomorrow. I guess life just goes by like that,” recalled Thông, a member of Coïncidence , regarding when he wrapped up production for the band’s debut EP “Không Ngủ Quên.”

Quãng 8

Indie Quintet Whee! Brings Their Eclectic Sounds to the Local Music Scene

Making their debut in the midst of the pandemic with a cryptically named album, Whee! offers listeners a down-to-earth and prismatic experience that draws from the musicians' harmonic bond.

Quãng 8

How An Trần Learns to Embrace the Saxophone and Life in the Limelight

I set up an interview with An Tran at the most awkward time: 11pm on a Sunday.