Midnight Radio
Inspired by the Electrifying Mojo, Midnight Radio is a short burst of late-night reverberations, inspirations, and a five-track mixtape delivered ’round midnight on the 1st and 15th of each month.
Some episodes will be available in partial form as a podcast. Many will not. But every episode of Midnight Radio will always be available in its full Technicolor glory at jamesreeves.co.
Midnight Radio
MR 19: Exit the Tiger
When visiting a Taoist temple, you enter through the east door, the mouth of the dragon, which is good luck. After performing your rituals and prayers, you exit through the west, the deadly mouth of the tiger, because now you’re protected from danger. Never enter through the middle door. That’s for gods.
In 2016, the NYC-based guitarist Hewson Chen discovered the homesick ballads his father recorded after emigrating from Taiwan. He set them to music and called it Taiwanese Folk Style, and it’s a remarkable collaboration across generations—and one of the most delightful albums I’ve heard in years.
Two weeks ago, my friend P. turned me on to Yu Ching, a Taiwanese musician who serves chilled shots of shoegaze. I’ve also been steeping myself in Alex Zhang Hungtai’s extensive catalog, especially his work as Dirty Beaches, a patron saint of Death Prom.
So tonight’s episode is dedicated to the Taiwan-related music that has been soundtracking my slow rainy runs along the Tansui River, where clouds are draped over the mountains on the horizon, and all of those ancient landscape scrolls suddenly make perfect sense. I also realized that the pylons of the interstate looked like Shinto shrines before I accidentally ran up the exit ramp. But they don’t make landscape scrolls about that.
High walls surround the Confucian temple because you must work for the knowledge within.
- Yu Ching - Love
The Crystal Hum | Night School, 2024 | Bandcamp - 姚苏蓉 (Yao Su-jung) - 磁性的迷惑 (Magnetic Seduction)
MMI, 1969 | More - James Chen - Summer in Taiwan
Taiwanese Folk Style | Moon Glyph, 2016 | Bandcamp - Dirty Beaches - Low Rider / I Dream in Neon
Cassette/Drifters | Zoo Music, 2008/2012 | Bandcamp - James Chen - Don’t Be Discouraged
Taiwanese Folk Style | Moon Glyph, 2016 | Bandcamp - Yu Ching - 桑桑 (Sun Sun)
Planetes Records, 2024 | Bandcamp - Alex Zhang Hungtai & Tseng Kuo Hung - Ten Swords
Longone | 2020 | Bandcamp
Also contains the sounds of elderly people doing circulatory exercises in Da’an Park, the recording from an aggressive ice cream vendor, and the usual bits of static and tuning. And as always, plenty of reverb.
Enjoy life and get the full Midnight Radio experience delivered directly to your inbox ’round midnight on the 1st and 15th of each month.
