Born in Belfast to immigrant parents from Hong Kong, raised in the south of England, singer and producer Eva Liu first emerged in 2017, fronting London/Glasgow art-rock trio Dama Scout. Covid lockdowns put the band’s plans on hold, while rising racism against people of east and south-east Asian heritage during that period led to Liu writing songs to process it all. In 2021 she put out her first solo EP, A Wonderful Thing Vomits, under the moniker Mui Zyu, her childhood pet name (in Cantonese it means “little sister pig”).
Liu’s work has the surreal sweetness that such a name might suggest. Her 2023 debut album, Rotten Bun for an Eggless Century, features her enchanting vocals over lo-fi pop that occasionally descends into distortion, interspersed with the glowing textures of traditional Chinese instrumentation. The record explores her heritage and identity – in interviews, Liu has spoken about growing up isolated, feeling like she had to assimilate into white Britishness.
Her newly released second album, the odd, magical Nothing or Something to Die For, toys with a sense of discovery that’s more outward and cosmic (references include 2001: A Space Odyssey). Tracks such as Speak Up, Sponge are eerie and disconcertingly slow; elsewhere, as on The Mould, a propulsive, exuberant warmth charges through. Making playful pop that’s left-field and tender, dissonant and melodic all at once, Mui Zyu has crafted her own absurd, beautiful home.
Nothing or Something to Die For is out now on Father/Daughter. Mui Zyu tours the UK until 31 October
