We invite you into the world of Yunyu’s Twisted Tales, starting with the first single ‘Dorothy’. Yunyu, a triple j Unearthed singer-songwriter teams up with New York Times #1 Bestseller Manga Artist Queenie Chan and leading animators the Common ist [Thailand] to produce a multi-media music experience which sends Dorothy to the outer limits of space. But this time Dorothy’s shoes will never bring her home. She is a lost cosmonaut in outer space.
Launched on Friday 2 March, the release was immediately picked up by AIR for their feature artist for the week. This relatively unknown artist has now clocked up 2000+ hits on Youtube & Vimeo and been tweeted by sci-fi and twit-celebrity Neil Gaiman sending the video worldwide. A testament to how quality visual story-telling combining the arts and music can transcend the usual boundaries of breaking a new musician.
Take the time to view ‘Dorothy’ by Yunyu and check out a chat with her discussing her career so far.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
An inventor and/or a storyteller
What was your introduction to music?
You mean how I started learning music? I was plonked onto the piano at 3 and was only allowed to play songs written by people suffering from a condition known as rigor mortis – you know…dead people? Radio was strictly controlled so if it wasn’t Mandarin or Dialect folksongs, then it was Richard Clayderman or Michael Jackson. Scary times.
When did you know you would work in the music industry?
When I won Triple J’s Unearthed.
Who are your influences?
I view my music as 4 minute stories, so for that, I’m listing my favourite storytellers who have heavily influenced my songwriting. They are Akira Kurosawa, Jin Yong, Li Bi Hwa, Isaac Asimov, Rod Serling, Strugatsky brothers, Haruki Murakami, Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis.
Musically, I listen to everything from Shoshana Damari to The Clash to Yuki Kajiura to Billie Holiday. I can’t actually find discernable patterns in my iTunes collection…or a timeline for that matter.
What other jobs have you had while forging your career in music?
My drone jobs involve pushing paper…then more paper and then more paper. Sometimes I’m not even sure what the paper is for…but I push it anyways and I’m told that this is a good thing… So I push paper and, in return, I get cake.
Can you describe an “average” working day for you?
Wake 7.30am. Practice vocals/ zither or piano. Check blogs for strange things, collect stories about strange things. Take 1 hour train ride to studio. See strange people on trains…collect stories of strange people on trains, promise to write songs about them. Reach studio, work with my manager/ producer Lee on the tunes. Meetings with collaborators (in situ, online on phone) of Twisted Tales, keep up to date on projects. Come home…talk to spiderlings on Social Networks (actually I do that randomly through the day). Watch/ listen to random YouTube clips of music and animation for a coupla hours…work with my webmaster on site upgrades, blog, read comic etc etc sleep at 2am.
What’s the one thing – piece of equipment, toy, security blanket, – you can’t work without?
My internetz. Please don’t take my internet.
What gets you fired up?
People who lack imagination.
Who in the industry most inspires you?
Those who keep their minds and hearts open and want to do something a little different and challenging and awesome.
What in the industry do you despair about?
A lack of imagination when it comes to the possibilities of music.
What is the best thing about your job?
Songwriting is cheap therapy …
What’s the worst?
…until you include recording costs.
What are the top three skills you need to be a musician?
Not sure…but I’ll tell you what has served me well as a singer songwriter.
1) Know how to tell a tale, 2) Know how to hypnotise the audience with your tale 3) keep practicing your instruments and your reality distortion field.
What advice would you give anyone looking to break into the business?
It’s a hard business. So have a sense of humour, work very hard, keep working to get better and don’t believe your own hype. We’re in the business of illusions after all.
What are you listening to at the moment?
I just finished watching Battlestar Gallactica, which means I have Bear McCreary’s music on repeat until I have fully consumed it. Voodoo Daddy, Duke Ellington, Igor Stravinsky and Diamanda Galas also on my list… don’t ask. This is why the tales are twisted.
What’s your dream gig?
I’d like to be invited to perform at a space station. Will also settle for a vomit comet (you know that awesome plane that flies in a parabola and you’re all weightless and astronauts use this for zero gravity training?)
What’ve been some of your career highlights so far?
In order of backward occurrence…since it’s hard to pick…
Meeting many wonderful creators who bring the universe of Twisted Tales to life. Queenie Chan, The Commonist, , Coolshite, Lucid Edge, my band, my producer, Michael Letho the man with the mix, my team especially Chryss & Miranda, Kwikweb, folks at Madman and MGM (list still growing).
See first episode here
Getting the support of both Madman Entertainment and MGM for Twisted Tales.
Meeting my manager, Lee McIver at Singapore International Arts Festival where I played – who helped find and grow the universe of Twisted Tales happen.
Being blogged about by Neil Gaiman and Warren Ellis.
Making a video clip with Matt Carter. – Lenore’s Song. Go see! Made of photographs
Winning Triple J’s unearthed.
When do you know you’ve made it?
When we get invited to play in the ISS International Space Station or Tian Gong1…ok…more importantly…no more need for drone jobs! YAY!
