Meuko! Meuko! and her '無形將軍 Invisible General' are set to storm Europe with their captivating dreamscapes

One of the brightest rising stars from East Asia, Meuko! Meuko!, presents a new kind of audiovisual show titled '無形將軍 Invisible General' in collaboration with Taipei-based new media art collective, NONEYE. The experimental music producer and live performer is known for her knack of combining disciplines of improvisation along with conceptual ideas of noise and sounds that lead to her somewhat ritualistic and spiritual performances.

In a Mixmag Asia exclusive interview, Meuko! Meuko! shares her anticipation on her upcoming performances in Europe for this latest project. “It's been two years, glad to be back in Europe! This time I invited NONEYE to work on my new A/V project "無形將軍 Invisible General" together again, as well as a co-op with the newcomer XTRUX from Taipei. I always feel excited and lucky to have an opportunity to show Taipei and Asian subcultures to the world and check out different artworks from talent around the world,” she mentions.

Tagging along NONEYE for this project, Meuko! Meuko! offers yet another otherworldly experience for her audiences through the creation of futuristic game spaces. Fusing together computer graphics and the notion of interactive gaming, '無形將軍 Invisible General' also includes Taiwan’s spiritual landscapes and cityscapes, touching on techno-animism, a display of urban decay enveloped by flourishing greenery and the contrast of tradition and modern technology.

“Invisible General also means ‘the invisible public, the invisible general’. It gathers the destroyed bodies and souls in the digital world, as well as the invisible emotions and connections between individuals and the public from the perspective of the creators' survival mindset, and then converts them as strength to fight against personal fragility as well as the oppression by invisible messages or visible violence from the post-tech society. Let’s make ‘Invisible General’ a force to break through the dilemma and a sci-fi fable for the world,” replies the artist when asked about the message behind her latest A/V offering.

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NONEYE is linked to NAXS Corp.; a network embedded art collective residing in Taiwan. Initiated by the co-founder and technical director of NAXS Corp., Yi Kuo, NONEYE focuses on the ever-evolving, contrasting interactions and experiences between posthuman myths and animist rituals. We can’t imagine a more perfect pairing for Meuko! Meuko! and her avant-garde vision.

In fact, the two have a long history of working side by side. Going as far back as 2017, Meuko! Meuko! has had her A/V sets brought to life by the visual and installation group, allowing them to be presented at both clubs and festivals including Taiwan Biennale 2020, Sónar (Hong Kong), Primavera Sounds (Spain), Transmediale (Germany), Soft Centre (Australia) and many more. All together, more than 20 countries throughout the course of their collaboration.

“As a developmental follow-up of ‘鬼島 Ghost Island’, the new project ‘無形將軍 Invisible General’ is having the same theme as my previous creations "Ghost Island", "AFTERLIFE" and "0SELVES" - online identity and cyber myths, to explore our generation and the online culture today,” explains the artist.

Speaking of‘鬼島 Ghost Island’, Meuko! Meuko! explains how inspiration came through the fact that Taiwan is often described as a “Ghost Island” by its anxious and repressed youth. Referencing her dreamscape, NAXS Corp then designed a dystopian realm infused with abandoned statues, floating ruins, hieroglyphics and stray dogs. They even went as far as 3D-scanning the surroundings of the artists’s childhood home for a more personal touch on the project.

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Having extensively traveled overseas for her performances, Meuko! Meuko! shares with us her thoughts on the difference between performing in Taiwan and Europe. “Electronic music addresses body politics, queer and gender identity which proves that rave culture is a good way for preaching freedom and self-identity, it has motivated me a lot. I feel very grateful to grow up in Taiwan; it is the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage. I often play my DJ sets at Club FINAL TAIPEI; audiences there are being their authentic selves freely, which makes me feel comfortable.”

She adds that “Every time I travel to Europe, I always learn a lot from the local music festivals and events. They are professional and the audiences are enthusiastic; I'm glad to have some of them come chat with me after my performances because I also learn a lot from them.”

Get to know more about Meuko! Meuko! and her otherworldly aesthetic via her website here.