US:WE - "黒潮(kuroshio)" (2xLP)

The 1st album of Taiwan's most passionate band, US:WE, released in 2024 by Deaftouch x 22Records in analog format.

Although they now call themselves US:WE, their original name was “Until Seeing Whale's Eyes”. The sound of their early EPs was heavily influenced by the Japanese scene, but their later EPs were more intense and evolved. I wondered what the sound would be like on the album, but it seems that the band has found its own sound after a change of members. The songs from the earlier EPs are also included, but the impression is different because the sound has also transformed. The band expresses sadness while going back and forth between stillness and movement with a louder groove and a more distorted sound.

I think I can now verbalize what that sadness was. In this sense, the presence of envy is still significant, and I now feel great respect for Screamo and others who branched out in Asia because of envy.

However, US:WE may have understood the influence of envy the most, as they have built and maintained relationships not only with Japan but also with other Asian countries from Taiwan while continuing their activities from the early EPs. Perhaps even more so than they themselves.

tracklist:
01. 黯光 / Dark light
02. 鈣化 / Calcification
03. 雲 / Cloud
04. 懦弱者日記 / A Coward's Diary
05. 彼岸之光 / The other shore of the light
06. 黑潮 / Kuroshio
07. 群鳥夜行 / Birds Flying at Night
08. 三分之ㄧ的天空 / One-third of Sky