mui zyu

Multifaceted artist mui zyu merges the confessional tone of a singer/songwriter with skewed indie-electronic textures that weave in traditional Chinese instrumentation alongside club-ready or headphone-suited rhythms. London-based and of Chinese heritage, she addressed questions of identity and self-acceptance on her first full-length effort, Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century, which appeared in 2023, before shifting focus to wider existential concerns and the pursuit of purpose on nothing or something to die for, her initial outing recorded in a professional studio and released in 2024.

Born Eva Liu in Belfast to parents who had emigrated from Hong Kong, she was already living in London and leading the indie-rock trio Dama Scout when she issued her earliest material as mui zyu in 2021. That July, Father/Daughter Records put out her debut EP, a wonderful thing vomits, which presented her distinctive blend of acoustic and electric instruments with synthesized elements, light vocals, and introspective, autobiographical words. The EP was tracked in a domestic setting and given its final mix by fellow Dama Scout member Luciano Rossi. Rossi also joined her as co-producer on the full-length Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century, an album that examined Liu’s own cultural background and sense of self while extending the sonic approach of the earlier release through her affinity for video-game soundtracks and film scores that highlight traditional Chinese instruments; Father/Daughter issued the record in February 2023.

For her follow-up, Liu directed attention toward global conditions. Once more collaborating with Rossi, she ventured beyond her usual domestic workspace for the first time, booking sessions at Middle Farm Studios in Devon; the expanded instrumental options available there encouraged further sonic exploration on nothing or something to die for, which arrived in May 2024. ~ Marcy Donelson