A musical journey
Andrew Hung is a British producer, songwriter and founder of the band Fuck Buttons. The band, as well as Hung, are very electronic-based. Now with Hung’s solo album Devastations, he takes his audience on another musical journey. There might be only eight tracks on the album, but don’t think it will be a short trip into Hung’s musical genius.
Devastations begins with a “Battle.” The futuristic sounds and beats are mixed with minimal vocals, and it really feels like a little trip through the galaxy. The quirky sounds stimulate the listener’s imagination in just the right places. People should close their eyes while they listen to it to fully enjoy the experience called “Battle.” The same principle can be applied to the song “Space.” Of course, a song that is literally called space will feature a space theme. But if you think you know what the track is going to sound like, just wait and see; you might be surprised.
The next track after “Battle” is “Promise.” Starting with similar space-like vibes and an organ that continues throughout the song, Hung delivers some new wave-esque vocals. He masterfully mixes new elements with some old-school ‘80s vibes. The slow guitar in the middle of the song adds another sophisticated layer to the song that is unexpected but very much welcome.
A complete change of style awaits with “Brother.” Hard punk beats made of fast guitars and harsh drums change up the calm space-like atmosphere of the previous two songs. Mixing in some disrupting deeper tones, Hung shows the audience to expect the unexpected. If The Velvet Underground would make music today, this might be their sound, a wild combination of sounds, tones and vocals leading to an explosive outcome.
With “Colour,” the audience gets back into calmer waters. Close your eyes; you might be in Europe right now. This just leads back on how much this album feels like a trip/journey around the world, universe and through different realms. Song number five is very “Light,” at least at the beginning of the song. Ever wondered what it feels like to float around in the air like a fluffy little cloud? Well, “Light” might be the answer. But there might be a little thunder coming upright when the audience least expects it.
Okay, so now the listener has been in space, in Europe, in the air as a cloud, so let’s take a dive into the “Wave.” The piano in the background is very wave-like and adds great value to the atmosphere of the entire song, which is rather contained and slow. Through the song, the piano comes and goes steadily, just like a wave in the ocean.
Time to say “Goodbye,” with the last track on the album. The audience once again meets the same quirky beats of the previous track, “Space,” but features a very interesting guitar solo that almost reminds one of ’70s beach rock.
When listening to Devastations for the first time, it’s probably best to go in as blindly as possible because it will make the experience this album provides for its listener so much more powerful and weird and exciting. Hung shows the world how a good electronic album should be: an experience and a journey in unexpected places.
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