Sunset Rollercoaster

Sunset Rollercoaster (Chinese: 落日飛車 Luòrì fēichē) is a 5-piece jazz-influenced synth-pop band from Taipei, Taiwan, consisting of Kuo-Hung Tseng (vocals, guitar), Hung-Li Chen (bass), Shao-Hsuan Wang (keyboard), Tsun-Lung Lo (drums), and Hao-Ting Huang (saxophone)—previously with Shih-Wei Huang (percussion). The name originated from a Photo Booth picture the group had taken for their MySpace profile in 2009, which had a rollercoaster in front of a sunset as the background.[1][2] The band mostly sings in English, despite being based in a Mandarin-speaking country, which, according to lead singer Kuo Kuo, is to allow them to speak indirectly and allow audiences to discern their own meaning.[3]

Sunset Rollercoaster
Background information
OriginTaipei, Taiwan
GenresJazz, funk, disco, synth-pop
Years active2009–2011, 2015–present
Members
  • Kuo-Hung Tseng (vocals, guitar)
  • Hung-Li Chen (bass)
  • Shao-Hsuan Wang (keyboard)
  • Tsun-Lung Lo (drums)
  • Hao-Ting Huang (saxophone)
Past membersShih-Wei Huang (percussion)
Websitesunsetrollercoaster.com
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese落日飛車

History

The idea for the band was inspired by Velvet Underground videos that lead singer Kuo found on the internet. The band formed in 2009 as a trio composed of Tseng Kuo Hung, Kevin Lee, and Lo Zun Long; they released their debut album Bossa Nova in 2011, but then disbanded shortly afterward. Singer Kuo Kuo and drummer Lo Tsun formed another band, Forests, which had a different, much darker sound. Sunset Rollercoaster reformed in 2015[4] and released their second album Cassa Nova in 2018.[5] In 2019, the band released the EP Vanilla Villa, which revolves around the story of an alien who loves a human whom it wants to take to a villa.[6]

The band played at the Summer Sonic music festival in Japan in 2011.[7] After their hiatus, they performed at SummerStage in Central Park, New York City, as part of the Taiwanese Waves music festival in 2017.[3] They recorded a live studio session at Audiotree in 2018, the first Taiwanese band to do so.[8] The band toured North America as part of the "Business Trip Tour" in 2018.[9][10]

In early 2020, Kuo-Hung Tseng wrote in Los Angeles lyrics for Soft Storm and recorded in part with Ned Doheny.[11] Their 2020 album Soft Storm was named the 4th best album in Asia in 2020 by NME.[12]

They composed 3 songs featured in the anime Sonny Boy.

Discography

Studio albums
  • Bossa Nova (2011)
  • Cassa Nova (2018)
  • Soft Storm (2020)

Extended play
  • Jinji Kikko (2016)
  • Vanilla Villa (2019)

Singles
  • Villa (Jerry Paper Remix) (2019)
  • 我是一隻魚 I’m a fish (cover, 2019)
  • Candlelight (feat. Oh Hyuk, 2020)
  • 小薇 (cover, 2021)
  • 忘情水 (cover, 2021)
  • Coffee's on Me (2021)
  • Let There Be Light Again (2021)
  • 滾石40 滾石撞樂隊 40團拚經典 - 愛錯 (cover, 2021)
  • 金牛座的牢騷 (cover, 2022)
  • Little Balcony (2022)
  • Jellyfish (feat. Michael Seyer, 2022)
  • Impossible Isle (2022)
  • Levia (2023)
  • Balloon (cover/remake, 2023)

Awards
Year Award Category Recipients Result Ref.
2018 9th Golden Indie Music Awards Best Album Cassa Nova Nominated [13]
Best Band Sunset Rollercoaster Nominated
Best Musician Tseng Kuo-Hung Nominated
2019 30th Golden Melody Awards Best Music Video Namso, Youkim ("Slow") Won [14][15]
Best Band Sunset Rollercoaster Nominated
2021 32nd Golden Melody Awards Best Band Sunset Rollercoaster Won [16][17]

References
  1. Vukmanovic, Iris (October 14, 2019). "Review: Sunset Rollercoaster's Pie Shop concert was out of this world". The Diamondback. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  2. Vukmanovic, Iris (October 3, 2019). "Preview: Taiwanese Sunset Rollercoaster performing to sold-out show in D.C." The Diamondback. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  3. Milano, Brett (September 21, 2018). "Sunset Rollercoaster swoops through '80s synth-pop". Boston Herald. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  4. Fisher, Rachel (December 3, 2018). "Get to Know the Dreamy 5-Member Band Sunset Rollercoaster". WIUX. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  5. Raygoza, Isabela (August 10, 2016). "Riding the Taiwanese Soul Whirlwind with Sunset Rollercoaster". Bandcamp. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  6. Martin, Clare (May 1, 2019). "Daily Dose: Sunset Rollercoaster, "Villa"". Paste. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  7. "SUNSET ROLLERCOASTER". Summer Sonic.
  8. "落日飛車 Sunset Rollercoaster". Audiotree.
  9. Lindsay, Cam (October 17, 2020). "Sunset Rollercoaster Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto ON, October 16". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  10. Ely, Paulette (October 10, 2019). "Sunset Rollercoaster- Villa (Jerry Paper Remix)". Flaunt. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  11. "SOFT STORM, by Sunset Rollercoaster". Sunset Rollercoaster 落日飛車. Retrieved 2021-09-26.
  12. "The 25 best Asian albums of 2020". NME. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  13. "第9屆金音創作獎入圍名單" [9th Golden Indie Awards Nominees]. Ministry of Culture, Taiwan. September 17, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  14. "第30屆金曲獎流行音樂類入圍名單" [30th Golden Melody Awards Nominees]. Ministry of Culture, Taiwan. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  15. "第30屆金曲獎流行音樂類得獎名單" [30th Golden Melody Awards Winners]. Ministry of Culture, Taiwan. June 29, 2019. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  16. TTV. "第32屆金曲獎頒獎典禮 - 入圍暨得獎名單" [30th Golden Melody Awards Winners]. Ministry of Culture, Taiwan (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  17. Chiang, Yi-ching (August 21, 2021). "Indie quintet Sunset Rollercoaster wins best band at Golden Melody Awards". Focus Taiwan. Retrieved August 24, 2021.


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