Here is a hidden gem from the 1990s, a sparkling cyber-ambient-Mandarin pop collection produced by Henry Kawahara, the master of cyber-occult music, with silky vocals from Shanghai-born vocalist Xiao Yun Wu. Originally released on CD in 1994 on Kawahara’s own HMD label, the Xiao Yun project was launched by Kawahara and his trusted colleague Keisuke Oki, who plays keyboards on the album. Kawahara handled the production, along with guitar, keyboards and programming. And of course, the crowning glory is the voice of Xiao Yun: lovely, floating, ethereal. The singer arranged the songs, which range from versions of previously released Kawahara solo pieces to Mandarin pop classics. All songs are given Kawahara’s cyber-occult sheen, which may evoke visions of the cosmopolitan Asia of near-future science fiction. Available on vinyl and digital download, this album will transport you, via 1994, to a sparkling future.

Xiao Yun are
Xiao Yun Wu: vocals
Henry Kawahara: keyboards, guitars and computer programming
Support: Keisuke Oki (keyboards) and Keiichi Hasegawa (percussion)
Produced and engineered by Henry Kawahara
Arranged by Henry Kawahara and Xiao Yun
Recorded at Ecosystem Sonic Division/Fukuoka, 1993-1994