WHYOCEANS

For a near two decade existence, WHYOCEANS is only now releasing its third album DESERTED SYMPHONY in 2023 six years after its last album "Inmost Dens Of Emilie" emerged in 2017. The album continues down the path of Mogwai influenced post-rock with heavy doses of alternative rock and stellar light and fluffy piano runs which makes it feel like a 90s alt rock band is often jamming with a lounge performer! The album features seven tracks at about 42 minutes so unlike a lot of modern post-rock doesn't take the liberty of eating up every possible second of a modern CDs capability but then again it doesn't look like a CD has been released for this third album.

In many ways DESERTED SYMPHONY is business as usual with the band's ability to meld in traditional Chinese folk music that sounds like a dramatic operatic interlude with sung passages that evoke sniffs of Sigur Ros without the ethereal vocals. The musical procession generally relies on piano melodies to establish followed by a slow build up of guitar parts that culminate in heavy power chord rich crescendoes. The band relies on the established post-rock playbook which for a place like China where all of this is fairly new may be quite satisfying.

For my ears though i find WHYOCEANS to be rather run of the mill offering nothing new to the bloated world of post-rock nor does it excel at delivering a stereotypical album's run very well either. Granted this is a pleasant album that is deserving of a fanbase for those who love the Mogawai model of crafting post-rock but for my personal tastes it's not exactly my favorite stylistic approach. There are no jarring dissonant moments such as on a Godspeed! You Black Emperor or no substantial mood shifts. It's pretty much a straight forward type of album that sounds dated by at least 20 years. Recommended for those who love beautiful piano based classical music in their post-rock. For me it's too much a one-trick pony.

WhyOceans have been around since 2005 and remain one of my favorite instrumental rock bands. Their second release, "Inmost Dens of Emilie," is described as "six stories from six scenes with the same origin," and was recorded primarily in Hong Kong.

While "post-rock" is often ignored by many prog rock fans for being too sleepy or one-dimensional, I've always went out of my way to notice and listen. This is a style of music that shoots down musical instant gratification, aiming instead for what I consider the more emotional receptors in our being. We cannot latch onto the vocal hook or hide in the instant thrills available with more direct rock and roll tools. Instead we are dealing with music that almost commands personal introspection. At the same time, while WhyOceans will also employ some of the narcotic dives and swells so often associated with some of the original post-rock bands, there is much more happening here in the subsets of pastoral beauty, technology, storytelling, and visuals. This is one "post-rock band" more than suitable for active, engaged listening. One should not consider it background music.

Not only is their music cinematic, but the band has mastered the art of video as well. Their video for "Transparent People" is as professional and, more importantly, as breathtaking as 90s European eye-candy films I used to enjoy. Vibrancy, confusion, youth, death, innocence, suffocation, wonder, beauty -- so many adjectives spring to mind while watching it. I'm not that big on video outside of live performance, but this one was completely enjoyable.

On to the album, I love the way piano, flute, and strings are incorporated into the album, often given their own space to shine unaccompanied by the rock instruments, including through the entire beautifully melancholic first track -- a stunning opener that draws you in. These moments, along with some ambient sounds like waves or birds, serve to give the album additional color and personality. When the full band finally arrives nearly halfway through the second number, even then they do so with a light touch at first. Then the layers start to unfold, each member building step by step with exemplary playing and attention to technique, especially noticeable in the some of the guitar warbling and drumming sustain/ring. But beyond the instrument choices and playing techniques, what matters is whether the songs connect with you emotionally and are interesting enough for repeated plays. Big slam dunk on both counts for this listener. The changes in the title track alone, from full, heavy rocking to suddenly veering to a hauntingly quiet melody on a piano are simply breathtaking. It's all so beautifully planned out, nothing sounds forced, but rather like carefully written stories.

So while in some respects, "Emilie" is not radically different from the original hallmarks of the genre they are considered, it is done with such command and beauty that it impresses from start to finish. Another reviewer commented that post-rock has been in descent recently, but that WhyOceans is one band bucking that trend because they are clearly rising. I couldn't agree more with the second part of that thought. WhyOceans have now fully realized their creative talents. "So we start our night" is what they say when they begin another evening of rehearsing, writing, and crafting their sound. This is a band that has been working very hard for many years, not only on this album but on their live sound and visual presentations as well. They have put in the long hours it takes to craft a release like this.

My suggestion is that folks forget about the post-rock label and instead, approach this recording as the fine piece of instrumental rock that it is.

I'm always searching quite haphazardly to hear unique little bands from all over the globe, like a kid in a candy store. That element of buried treasures and sonic travel is one of the few things about the Web that interest me. Aside from music and history hobbies I'd rather be outside or reading a book. WhyOceans was one of those lovely moments finding a band with much to give and who've had little buzz at PA.

WhyOceans are from Macau which is a small peninsula of China near Hong Kong. The band began in or after high school in 2005 and are still together over a decade later, a testament to their friendships and work ethic. They initially were influenced by 60-70s psych and Pink Floyd before drifting into some soundtrack work, and finally the natural progression to post-rock. The fact that they must finish their day jobs before plugging in has not stopped them from growing their talents and fan base. While we may know little of them at PA they have been successful regionally and performed some decent sized gigs in Macau and mainland China, and their CD is well into a second pressing.

Their debut "At Land" was named after a 1944 film by avant-garde filmmaker Maya Deren, an evocative stream-of-consciousness experience. I decided to watch "At Land" and some of Deren's other short films while listening to WhyOceans. Fantastic! One can see why they love Deren and I wonder if she didn't influence Kate Bush and even one of my favorite directors, Antonioni. In any case, the experience was like RanestRane doing their music to film and I recommend it. You can watch Deren's work on YouTube if you can't find a DVD.

While in some ways "At Land" is textbook post-rock, with wave after wave of beautiful emotional swell, you can hear the Floyd influence here and there. In one or two places it is obvious with simulation of Wall era darkness creeping in but in other places it is much more subtle. Aside from the intro the other five tracks are 7-12 minutes long and have the luxury of time to develop into pleasing little instrumental stories. Colorful lead guitar and really nice, varying keyboard textures, even some piano, and minimal vocals (which I appreciate as an instrumental rock fan). They have a wonderful confidence in finding good melody and then using the guitar and keys as equal partners in developing them, unapologetically choosing pleasing sounds over abrasion. The guitars and keys work as a tight knit unit rather than individuals. The rhythm section is inventive and there are some heavy sections that contrast the tranquility for a satisfying active listening, unlike the post-rock which some people think of as "background music" alone. There's even a bit of funky electronica. This is not one dimensional repetition, WhyOceans strives to keep it engaging. And I love the fact that the music truly feels like the product of band collaboration as opposed to the one-guy projects with other people helping out later in the recording.

I was able to enjoy a YouTube documentary of this band (Thank you 24+ Project!) which featured band interviews and footage of them rehearsing and gigging. They are in it for all the right reasons, love of music, and they often win over people who've never heard them before with their live performance. It was also interesting to note that despite how much times have changed, being in a band is a dynamic that remains pretty constant over the decades. Their practice space in Macau didn't look that different from our own despite being separated by decades and half a world.

Loved "At Land" as I often do debut albums, I love hearing youth and that special period when everything is still running on wonder. But these guys probably have a better album in them after five years of becoming more proficient and gigging. In 2015 they have a new bass player and are working on their second album. Don't miss checking out WhyOceans as well as the filmmaker who inspired them. Between 3 and 4 stars, liked it just well enough to round up.

今 晚 練 習 開 始 。 "So we start our night"