Creative Work

Music for Mirrors was conceived as a soundtrack for a non-existent film that travels through fantastical and vibrant, but superficial Oriental settings. The tracks work together to transfer the listener into the most beautiful places they can imagine of the East, while taking advantage of stereotypes and misconceptions they might hold to ground these images in their own absurdity—the absurdity of the West’s view of the Eastern world and its cultures, that is. As a whole, the intent is to encourage the listener to reflect on their own Orientalist perceptions.

Places in My Mind grounds the mock-soundtrack’s opening in a still, serene environment. The piece reminisces on the tradition of new-age music through its vague feeling of “zen” and through its eclectic ensemble of synthesizers, piano and Eastern instruments. The piece encourages reflection on New-Age Orientalist desire listeners may have internalized as a consequence of the imported elements of Eastern spirituality and the cultural hold of the new-age movement. 

In direct contrast to the structural and instrumental minimalism of the opening track, Prosperity takes the listener through a lively, dynamic scene of Chinese Lunar New Year. Taking instruments through different atmospheric effects, the movement of the piece simulates the dense sensory experience of watching a dragon parade or walking through a busy street. Granular textures mimic fine-grained sensory experiences such as smells from flowers and food of open-air markets. The track represents a superficial view, rather than the authenticity of Asian traditions. 

Inspired by Van Dyke Parks’ Palm Tree and Moon, which pictures a Chinese migrant reminiscing on a distant homeland as they stare out across the Pacific, An Ocean Away conveys a migrant’s longing for an old and beloved landscape. The musical orientalisms, over swelling, wave-like pads, guide the viewer to a romanticized image of the Pacific horizon—a direct subversion of the westward-looking dream. As the only piece on the soundtrack “told” from the perspective of an Asian migrant in California, An Ocean Away contrasts the geo-spatial perspective of the rest of the soundtrack.

Dream Pool Reflection takes the listener to a stereotypical Oriental garden. The piece is inspired by the Chinese Garden at Honolulu Airport and its superficial imitation of Chinese arboretums.

Golden Summit takes the mock-soundtrack to its conclusion by mocking musical tropes that back climactic fight-scenes in Kung-fu movies.