Yuching Huang - The Crystal Hum Yuching Huang
Pickup currently unavailable at Record Corner
The Crystal Hum is the debut vinyl release by Taiwan-based artist Yuching Huang and her first release for Night School. A beguiling dreamscape of crackles, spluttering, love-struck Casios presided over by the the spectral vocal and guitar work of Huang, Yuching sings love songs at the end of this world and the beginning of the next. Recorded during a hiatus from her group Aemong (a duo with artist Henrique Uba) in Berlin, these songs elevate Huang’s unique vocal style and grasp of atmospherics. The Crystal Hum deconstructs balladry, Garage, guitar music and reforms it into a unified ghostly otherworld version of these languages.
The Crystal Hum thrums with buried desire, trails of nocturnal reverb seeping out of apartment windows, diaristic vocal performances and deeply emotive, evocative Western-style strings. Formulated by Yuching Huang after periods of frustration and experimentation, the album is an exercise in minimalism and paring back, with some tracks like JohnJohn featuring little else than an elastic bass, spring reverb trails, an interjecting vocal and swelling, dislocated synths. The effect is spellbinding, the soundtrack to getting lost in the labyrinthine, closed streets of Venice, Taipei, Hong Kong, or mirror versions of them in the imagination.
On opener Fly! Little Black Thing, a subterranean funk bassline roots Huang’s singing, a rudimentary, unreliable beat floundering in whimsy underneath. Demure, dream Dance music, Huang references classic lo fi experimenters Suicide and Arthur Russell as well as Night School label mates The Space Lady and Ela Orleans. In fact, after the release of Aemong’s third album Crimson, Huang credits the direction of The Crystal Hum to being enchanted by The Space Lady’s Greatest Hits, the landmark lo-fi recording made by Susan Dietrich Schneider in 1990. The new, minimalist approach to her sound world reveals and shrouds in equal measure. On the heart-melter Love, a sultry mid-tempo Casio + bass backing drops into the ether with Huang’s vocal swimming in preternatural void before emerging anew, in awe at the world. Every chord change heralds new perspectives, every guitar flurry swells and drips emotion, nothing is wasted and space billows out from between the grooves.
Huang never reveals more than necessary, making this an in-between love album: the right amount of mystery and darkened mirror shines wanely on The Crystal Hum while remaining fragile and vulnerable in the sweet spots. Turning over in pillowing smoke and night in the dark corners, Huang sings in both Mandarin and English. The songs speak of earthly matters seemingly at the edge of dissipating into nothing. Distorted, beguiling Sambas warble like sweating dancehalls in an imagined Lynchian 60s, as on Thoughts. Closer You, An Illusion warps a classic 60s Girlgroup bassline beloved of the likes of Les Rallizes Denudes into a slight ballad on the edge of the void, held back by the teary-eyed, wistful and enveloping vocal cooed by Huang. Each song feels like a love song dedicated to the bits between worlds, between beats, the negative space between people where desires, feelings and loss hangs in the air, resolute and unresolved.
Product information
Shipping
KMRIA Records use Royal Mail to send all deliveries. All prices are per Royal Mail set pricing structure.
NOTE: 1 LP weighs approx. 0.23 Kg and 1 Single weighs approx. 0.60kg. 5 LPs therefore, can be sent for under 2KG.
United Kingdom
- Singles/7”: £2.52, Signed 2nd Class Royal Mail
- LPs and 10”: £4 for up to 2kg and less than £50 – Signed 2nd Class Royal Mail
- LPs and 10”: £5.10 for up to 2kg and between £51 and £150 – Tracked 48 Signed
- LPS and 10”: £12.00 for up to 2kg and over £150 – Royal Mail Special Delivery
- For Packages above 2kg (6 plus records) – £10.95 up to 5kg and 15.95 from 5k to 10k
Delivery is by Parcel Force
Europe
- Singles/7” : £8.45, Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
- LPs and 10”: £11.50 for up to 2kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
- For Packages above 2kg (6 plus records) – £18.75 up to 10kg.
Delivery is by Parcel Force
World Zone 1
United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, India, China, Japan, Hong Kong, Israel, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Vietnam.
- Singles/LPs/10”: £14.00 up to 1.5kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
- Singles/LPs/10”: £18.00 over 1.5kg and less than 2kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
- For Packages above 2kg (6 plus records) – £35 up to 10kg.
Delivery is by Parcel Force
World Zone 2
Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Fiji.
- Singles/LPs/10”: £15.00 up to 1.5kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
- Singles/LPs/10”: £21.50 over 1.5kg and less than 2kg and less than £500 – Royal Mail Signed and Tracked
- For Packages above 2kg (6 plus records) – £43 up to 10kg.
Delivery is by Parcel Force
Returns and Cancellation Policy
At Record Corner, we are committed to ensuring your satisfaction with every purchase you make. We understand that circumstances may change, and you might need to cancel an order or return a product. Our Returns and Cancellation Policy is designed to provide you with clear guidelines and information on your rights and responsibilities when it comes to cancelling orders and returning goods under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation & Additional Charges) Regulations. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the key points outlined below.
Right to Cancel
Under the Consumer Contracts Regulations, you have the right to cancel your order for goods. This right begins the moment you place your order and lasts for 14 days from the day you receive the goods.
Cancellation Deadline
To meet the cancellation deadline, kindly notify us of your decision to cancel your order before the 14-day cancellation period expires. You can contact us via email or phone to initiate the cancellation process.
Returning Goods
If you decide to cancel your order, you are responsible for taking reasonable care of the goods while they are in your possession. To complete the return process, send the goods back to our contact address at your own expense. Exceptions apply if we delivered the item in error, or if the item is damaged or defective.
Cost of Recovery
In case the returned goods are not received within the specified conditions, we reserve the right to charge you for the direct costs incurred in recovering the goods.
Refunds
Once you have notified us of your decision to cancel the order, any payments made will be promptly refunded to you. You can expect the refund to be processed within 14 days of your cancellation.
Items Not Eligible for Cancellation or Return
Certain goods and services are exempt from the right to cancel, including prescription medicines, personalized goods, rapidly perishable items, and more. Please refer to our policy for a comprehensive list of non-cancelable and non-returnable items.
Forfeiture of Cancellation Right
Your right to cancel may be forfeited if you unseal goods that are not suitable for return due to hygiene or health reasons, unseal sealed audio/video recordings or software, or combine goods with other items to make them inseparable.
At Record Corner, we value your satisfaction and aim to make your shopping experience as smooth as possible. Our Returns and Cancellation Policy ensures transparency and fairness in all interactions. If you have any questions or concerns about cancelling an order or returning goods, our dedicated customer service team is here to assist you.
Please note that specific regulations and details may vary based on your location and the applicable laws. For a detailed understanding of our policy and your rights, we recommend reviewing our complete Returns and Cancellation Policy or contacting our customer service representatives.
Remember that your satisfaction is our priority, and we are here to help you at every step of the way.