Do you know "Touming Magazine"? (in English)

This note introduces Asian indie bands from countries like Chinese, Taiwan and South Korea.

If you would like to read this article in Japanese, please click here.(この記事の日本語版はこちらからどうぞ。)

Suppose you want to listen to different music, but don't know what to listen to. In that case, I recommend Asian bands because Asian indie bands are similar to Japanese rock music and is easier to listen to than Western music.

In this note, I will be introduce Taiwan's "Touming Magazine" (透明雜誌). They are one of the most easy-to-listen-to rock bands among Asian bands.

1. What is "Touming Magazine"?

They are a four-member band formed in Taipei in 2006, and they represent the Taiwanese indie rock scene.

Their names are

・洪申豪 Hong Shenhao (Vocal / Guitar)
・張盛文 Zhang Shengwen (Guitar)
・薛名宏 Xue Minghong (Bass)
・唐世杰 Tang Shijie (Drums)

Hong Shenhao has started a new band called "VOOID" in 2016.
The band name is similar to the Number Girl's "Tomei Shojo(透明少女)" in Japan. 

According to Tower Records' online article, they are influenced by Number Girl, Pixies, Sonic Youth, Superchunk, Cap'n Jazz, Weezer, etc.

They have released three CDs.

・ 透明雜誌 4 TRACKS EP（2007/Touming Magazine 4 TRACKS EP）
・ 我們的靈魂樂 (2010 / Japanese title: Our Soul Music)
・ 透明雜誌FOREVER EP (2012/Touming Magazine FOREVER EP)

I especially recommend the "Touming Magazine forever EP" in 2012.
If you wonder which CDs to listen to, please listen to Touming Magazine forever EP. You can listen to it on YouTube and Spotify. (Currently not available on Apple Music.)

2. Let's think about Touming Magazine based on "Touming Magazine Forever EP"

Next, Let's think about what kind of band they are and what type of music they are based on "Touming Magazine FOREVER EP."

I was very shocked to listen to these works for the first time when I was 16. At first, I felt the sounds like Japanese bands, and I did not think it was by a Taiwanese band.

They are said to be the Number Girl of Taiwan, but the sound feels like "Sparta Locals" and "Ging Nang Boyz" in Japan. Touming Magazine FOREVER EP is an album with a mixture of intense and quiet songs.

When you listen to it, you can regain lost memories, and it takes you to nostalgic worlds. Even if you don't have good memories, you can feel nostalgia.

I think that what is common between Number Girl and Ging Nang Boyz is that they express their honest feelings without putting on airs.
Touming Magazine also expresses its honest feelings and emotions, and therefore, easy to listen to.

Next, I will introduce the recommended songs in this EP.

① Touming Magazine FOREVER

“Touming Magazine FOREVER,” is the title and lead song of this EP. The guitar riff in the intro makes me feel excited and adolescent, and the first drum sounds make me feel the beginning of this song, and the song leads to the first verse. The guitar riff in the middle part of the first verse repeats the same phrase. This is a point which makes you feel nostalgic. You can feel youthful and sweet sorrow. The guitar solo after that is excellent.
The last climax is a slow rhythm, and it makes you feel sentimental. This part is similar to "透明少女(Tomei Syojyo)" of Number Girl. I thought the lyric  "We are forever young" seemed to be for everyone, not only them.

Also, there was a Japanese translation of the lyrics of this song in a comment on YouTube, so I translated it into English.

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In the usual afternoon,
每一個普通的下午

You want to get out of the room right away, but it's raining heavily outside.
每個看起來就快下雨的下午 你想要立刻從這個房間中消失

However, you ran out in the rain and ran for a long time with all your strength.
用盡全力在雨中跑好幾個小時

You know that feeling well.
你知道這種感覺很好

You yourself know that you want that feeling.
你知道你想要這樣

Even if you fall, get injured, disappointed and shed tears,
就算會跌到受傷流淚失望

It doesn't matter.
也沒什麼大不了

Let's go out together.
就這樣衝出去吧

Let's go out and run into the outside world.
就去跟全世界打架

You and I will be injured all over the body,
然後我和你帶著滿身的傷

I'll sleep with you.
靠著彼此睡著

Even if I leave you someday,
有天我會離開

I hope that a smile will remain on your face.
我希望臉上有微笑

You said,
你說

" We are forever young."

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Until I saw this comment, I was listening barely knowing what the lyrics meant, but when I learned the lyrics, my impression changed. 

Until then, I thought the meaning of "We are forever young !!!" in the lyrics was about young men singing about their own youth.

However, I found that it contained a kind and sweet message along the lines of, "I will keep supporting you so that you don't stop, and wish you smile and happiness." Also, I reinterpreted it as it was a saying that "You and I should be much younger." I love these lyrics because they have the kind, painful sad but straightforward feeling of the Number Girl-style rock sound.

② Noraneko (It means "Stray cat")

"Noraneko", the second song on the EP. The first guitar melody is perfect. I can't play the theme of this song on the guitar, but it makes me want to imitate playing. It's a song that feels hot but crisp. I got the image that a sweaty high school boy on a sports club drinking pop.

③ Beer is waiting

"Beer is waiting", the third song on the EP. This song is also crisp, but it's not too cool, which is comfortable for me. I feel that the drum pattern of this song is similar to the drum pattern of andymori's music (a Japanese rock band). I like the guitar solos of this song very much. I think that the pattern ends suddenly at the end is also similar to andymori.

④ come together, tomorrow night

"come together, tomorrow night", the fifth song on the EP. I think this is different from Number Girl or andymori, but similar to Ging Nang BOYZ, the song starts from shouting, and the drum phrase is also similar to Ging Nang BOYZ.

As started above, I feel that this Touming Magazine FOREVER EP is influences by various artists and contains elements. It includes six songs, but it is an EP that you can enjoy multiple colors of Touming Magazine because it is rich in content and influenced by many genres.

3. Current Touming Magazine

It seems that Touming Magazine has not released any works since 2012, but in December 2020, "我們的靈魂樂" (Our Soul Music) which was released in 2010 will be re-released as a 10th-anniversary vinyl record version.

However, it will not be easy to buy as the disc sold out on each site. I tried to place a order, but it was already sold out. So you can see that Touming Magazine is still prevent in 2020. This is because they have incorporated the music  styles of many rock bands such as Number Girl, Pixies, etc. 

In addition, they have grown and transformed such styles to create their original style which is "Touming Magazine". I think this is because they have a lot of respect for music and rock bands. This makes me, have a lot of respect for Touming Magazine.

"Our Soul Music" is also excellent; please try it out. You can listen to it on YouTube ( requires membership of YouTube Music Premium).

As more Asian music evolves, the value of Touming Magazine's work will continue to grow. Music lovers and those who are interested in listening to Asian music should listen to Touming Magazine!

References

「台湾発の注目バンド、透明雜誌が新録EPを日本でメジャー・リリース.」『TOWER RECORDS ONLINE』2012年5月17日tower.jp/article/news/2012/05/17/n06

「透明雜誌.」『ウィキペディア』
ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%80%8F%E6%98%8E%E9%9B%9C%E8%AA%8C

"Asian Indie Rock" Playlist on Spotify.(made by me)

Please listen to it!↓