Described by the band’s bassist Joshua Frank as “a complete statement about what Gong Gong Gong is as a band,” ‘Ride Your Horse’ travels on a mesmeric groove that evolves in unexpected ways across its sections, which were inspired, as guitarist/vocalist Tom Ng explains, by classical Chinese structures:
“Playing this song, I feel like I’m the last Cantonese cowboy in the galaxy,” says Ng. “The different sections of “Ride Your Horse” were inspired a bit by the structure of classical Chinese writing: 起承轉合, or “introduction, elucidation of the theme, transition to another viewpoint and conclusion.”
The track is accompanied by a video co-directed by Frank and shot in the Beijing neighborhoods where he and Ng live. A documentary filmmaker, Frank intends for the video to depict the “unrelenting” nature while capturing its humour and humanity.
“The video for ‘Ride Your Horse’ was shot in the Beijing neighborhoods where we live and hang out,” Frank explains. “It was directed by myself and Liu Yi, a good friend of Tom and I, who is an artist and filmmaker living here.
“I’ve been wanting to make a video that paired kung fu movements with our music, emphasizing the dance-like qualities of both. The shiny metal sword and wooden staff mirror the materials of our guitars, and I think the martial arts and music balance a sense of being brutal and graceful at the same time.
You can pick up a copy of Gong Gong Gong’s debut HERE.
- Fire Track: Children’s Crusade – “Man-Gun” - September 26, 2024
- Fire Track: Frankie And The Witch Fingers – “Bonehead” - September 25, 2024
- Skirts – “Run” [Video] - September 24, 2024