The real life monster behind Maungawhau
I Am A Monster's album Maungawhau was one of my favourites last week. Let's meet the person behind all of it.
It started about a month or so ago.
I went along to a small rock gig headlined by Palmerston North metalcore outfit Bad Schematics; I went along alone and kind of just chilled out around the fringes of the moshpit (such as it was) and enjoyed the show.
During the second act, I glanced over and spotted a familiar face: Sy Fong, a former work colleague who had moved on to bigger and better things, one of which, he told me, was nearing completion - an album he had been working on for half a decade that was releasing in a few short weeks.
Sy asked if I would listen to it. I agreed and tempered my expectations, having not realised when we worked together that my former colleague was even a musician. As it turns out, Sy is a helluva musician, and the album is brilliant.
Here is the review I posted on Friday:
I Am A Monster is the solo project of Auckland musician Sy Fong, a multi-instrumentalist who has put this album together from scratch using nothing but his nous as a composer, carefully layering tracks to create an ambient, heavy collection of tracks that suit his own personal style.
Named for his home turf of Mount Eden, Auckland, Maungawhau is just eight tracks, each somewhere between 5 and 7 minutes long, that are more like symphonies in miniature. Thrashy guitar stands as the backbone, with a wide variety of instruments layered on top to suit the mood - bass and drums, but also organs, strings, even what sounds like a xylophone to open the album.
Fong’s vocal generally sits back in the mix, meaning it takes effort to hear what he is singing, dissonant melodies rising from the depths of the instrumentation. “The Sound Of Water Sinking Deeper” is a highlight here, staccato riffage giving way to an old fashioned thrash riff.
“Walking In The Fog” is another highlight, clocking in at over seven minutes, but showing of Fong’s skill as a composer, the use of dynamic and dimension as it moves from acoustic ballad to its brutal ending.
I really enjoyed Maungawhau, a refreshing and unique album from the Kiwi scene. Recommended.
I really liked Maungawhau, its vibe, its sound, its style.
After hearing the album - and then listening to it another half dozen times over the past couple of weeks - I had to know more. So I fired a bunch of questions through to the man, the monster, behind I Am A Monster.
So, first of all, what inspired you to name the album Maungawhau?
The name Maungawhau is a homage to Mt Eden. It is my grounding place. I walked up weekly, listening to podcasts & music etc. Nature speaks the truth.
You’ve mentioned to me that you self-made the record; how long did that take? And what was the first song finished for Maungawhau?
The album took about 6 years. Initially, I was writing tunes hopefully to play it with a band in the future & lockdown happened so I have decided to do everything myself as a challenge. The first song written was Home Is Where The Wind Blows. I actually don't remember which song was completed first .
What does the writing and recording process look like for an album like this?
My process is basically recording the main guitar riffs for each of the songs & other instruments will follow. I would record as many ideas as I can on my DAW every session & Lego it in the next session. I do a lot of micro sessions as I have a day job. My efficient time frame is 1.5hrs. I have to relearn all my instruments as I felt I needed to get better. That's why it took 6 years.
The vocals are quite minimalist - but the sense I get is that, lyrically, some of the songs are quite personal to you.
All the songs are personal. “You Are A Dream” is about an amazing person that I am very much into, and she is younger than me. She doesn't feel the same way as I do even though we are close. It felt like maybe in the next life we will be together. That's my take. And “Home is Where The Wind Blows” was inspired by the fact that I can't go back to Singapore as I didn't complete my reservist military situation, even though I have a kiwi passport now. I am afraid to go back or get stuck at Singapore customs.
“The Sound Of Water Sinking Deeper” sounds especially vulnerable.
[That song] is about a drowning experience in the pool with my mum and godmother. It is the bastard child of the album. It is different from most of the songs in the album. Weird transitions, dark lyrics & the melody took me a while to get use to.
Lastly, what are you listening to at the moment?
Currently, listening to Ulcerate, Spiritbox & DJ Marky at work.
I Am A Monster’s debut album Maungawhau is available now on your streaming platform of choice, and via Bandcamp.
Kia ora and thanks for reading, everyone - make sure you check out Maungawhau, and support local music.
Mā te wā,
Chris