70s Chinese martial arts meets footwork on FINGERGAP’s latest mind-bending EP
‘Emergencies among Lakes and Rivers’ reimagines the forgotten traditional sound into the contemporary
Hong Kong footwork producer FINGERGAP is back with a fresh fusion of bouncy beats and 70s nostalgia on his new EP, ‘Emergencies among Lakes and Rivers’.
Released under Holunjeng Records, the five-track project flips traditional martial arts soundtracks on their head, injecting them with the frenetic energy of footwork and juke.
From the 1960s until the 1980s, martial arts shows dominated the airwaves in Chinese-speaking communities. Their fantastical fight scenes, gravity-defying choreography, and dramatic scores left an indelible mark on both local and diaspora Sinophone cultures.
With ‘Emergencies among Lakes and Rivers’, FINGERGAP pays homage to this golden era by slicing and dicing these beloved scores into the framework of contemporary footwork, creating a vivid collision of the past and present.
As FINGERGAP expertly manipulates era-specific samples, he keeps the DNA of the martial arts scores intact, whilst expertly pairing it with off-kilter percussion, bizarre vocal chops and a plethora of organised chaos.
Our pick is the closer, ‘Laughter in the Vast Sea’. The track is a balancing act between delicate, intricate percussion and lush, dreamlike soundscapes. According to FINGERGAP, the track “reimagines the morning vibes of the original into a nocturnal soundscape”.
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The accompanying lo-fi video nails the vibe, featuring hazy, VHS-style shots of serene lakeside scenery, traditional attire, and a retro Walkman, all set against the backdrop of misty mountains and flowing water.
It’s a surreal visual trip that perfectly complements FINGERGAP’s warped reworkings of classic sounds.
The EP is unlike anything else this year, with its only parallel being FINGERGAP’s own 2022 release, which we named one of the top projects of the year.
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His ongoing mission to blend footwork’s frenetic 160 BPM tempos with the sentimental stylings of Canto-pop is taking shape in exhilarating ways, inviting new audiences to experience Cantonese music through the lens of modern club culture.
Purchase FINGERGAP’s ‘Emergencies among Lakes and Rivers’ here.
Henry Cooper is a Writer at Mixmag Asia. Follow him on Instagram.
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