Blood Lotus’ “Middle Of The Night” transforms traditional Asian music into an expansive mélange

“The process of listening is really such a profound act, as it requires an attentiveness,” says Blood Lotus (aka Hannah Wu). Analysing, engaging, and listening to music with intent appears to be the backbone of her artistic journey. On “Middle Of The Night”, she puts forth a multi-genre approach to the concept of Asia-futurism: electronic, avant-pop and R&B. The song, and its accompanying video, places itself into a larger picture of exploring the coalescing relationship between traditional music histories with contemporary electronic music. “Middle Of The Night” is a breakup song at its core, tracking the conflict between letting go or returning to a relationship that’s reached a clear end. The music video, directed by David Tse with inspiration from Asian new wave cinema, reflects the emotional outpour felt in the hotel room Wu wrote the song in. Transposing pentatonic scales from musical histories across Asia into vocal melodies suitable for an electronic palette, and playing the guzheng – a traditional Chinese plucked instrument – turned an emotionally rich breakup story into a love letter to Wu’s relationship with her heritage. Spending her childhood between New Zealand an...