The newly formed duo, hopegeist, has just released an EP, and the sound is definitely something that we do not see often in Hong Kong, it is a TRIP. hopegeist is a duo that was formed in February this year, but although they are quite new to the scene, they have played a show in Lamma Island already, opening for the headliner, JUNK!. According to hopegeist, their music is “psychedelic jams with an Indian drone machine”. Personally, I do not really know what an Indian drone machine is, but this EP for sure is psychedelic, and it takes listeners on a long trip filled with ups and downs. The EP itself consists of five songs, some more psychedelic than the others. Do not let this new band fool you, they are bringing a new sound to Hong Kong and they are ready to make some noise, a lot of noise.
I feel like the EP can be separated into three parts. The first song “Four Watt” is a bit similar to the fourth song “Gotta Move rap”, and the second song “round You” is a bit similar to “Good Morning”, and the third song “scattered” is a separate entity that is a journey on its own. “Four Watt” and “Gotta Move rap” are very bass-heavy, with trippy melodies. The melodies itself is a bit psychedelic and odd, but in a good way, they allow listeners to dive into the world of hopegeist right away and to submerge in their universe. “round You” and “Good Morning” are the more mainstream-sounding songs. They are still very bass-heavy, but the melodies are more singable and have longer motifs. I think these two songs are great for you if you are going on a road trip, it sounds like it will be a great fit while driving down a highway, discovering unknown places and hidden gems. The third song, “scattered pages and heartfelt notes haunt the lonely road” is a 10-minute journey. It is heavy, and it takes listeners on a hard-hitting emotional trip that is dark and haunting, not the best to listen to on a lonely night, unless you want something spooky! The song started off being quite quiet, and slowly became louder as the song went on, but in my opinion, it never really reached a climax, which made it sound like a never-ending journey. The vocals, most of the times, are saying the lyrics instead of singing it, which made me feel like as if someone is talking right next to my ears, and it surely felt eerie, adding to the spookiest of the song.
Overall, hopegeist’s debut EP Avec Shruti is a deep and immersive journey, giving Hong Kong listeners a refreshing new sound that is new in the scene. From the bass-heavy, psychedelic grooves of “Four Watt” and “Gotta Move rap” to the melodic and road-trip-ready tracks like “round You” and “Good Morning,” the duo shows off their versatility and creatvity. The haunting and eerie experience of “scattered pages and heartfelt notes haunt the lonely road”, gives listeners a new listening experience, which I can only imagine how daunting will it sound in a live setting. hopegeist is not just music, it is an experience, and this EP is just the beginning of their adventure.
– Matt Lam
The EP is only available on bandcamp.
