The dancefloor can be a transformative place, a fact that OHYUNG – aka Lia Ouyang Rusli — knows all too well. Their new album, You Are Always On My Mind, functions as a conversation between their pre-transition self and their post-transition self. This discussion happens through a series of electronic passages that often find refuge in the club, though the nature of this club is yet to be ascertained.
This idea is further explored on recent single, “Dancing on the Soft Knife”, an acknowledgement that things are likely to get worse before they get better but also a reminder that joy can be found even when the darkness seems to cover everything. It evokes euphoric movements and opens up opportunities through which they can candidly express their frustrations and fears while also loosening the burdens imposed upon them by the world. The music rises on soaring synths and a beat that sends locomotive signals to your body; through the music, OHYUNG provokes an acceptance of self and a realization that you are more than what society deems you to be.
“‘Dancing on the Soft Knife’ is set on the verge of self-discovery,” explains OHYUNG. “That moment during transition when you accept the truth of who you are, and plunge into your new life. That self-realization during the rave, while being obliterated by sound and the throngs of people, when you are finally born anew.”
They continue: “And now, under this new regime, I feel that the song takes on a new meaning: in an era where trans people are attacked every day, we’re forced to constantly dance on a knife’s edge. And yet musically, the song’s euphoric quality encourages us, and undercuts this dark sentiment, hinting that we will survive, we will be okay.”
Watch the April Forrest Lin-directed clip below.
You Are Always On My Mind is due out March 28 via NNA Tapes/Phantom Limb. You can pre-order the album here. Follow OHYUNG on Facebook, X and Instagram.
