太平 pacific by dongyi

This piece is the soundtrack for the first chapter, Lion △ Moon △ Sea, of the art project team moon–tide–island, formed by producer / artist Lai Yen-Hsun, producer Pei-Ju Lin, and music director dongyi.

The work draws its motif from the Okinawan lion mask, combining the history of Ryukyuan(琉球人, ウチナンチュ) settlers on Heping Island (和平島) in Keelung, Taiwan, with stories of voyaging and settlement by torai-jin (migrants from overseas), to create a new composition.

The character “嶼” means a small island rising from the waves, and is pronounced the same as “與” (meaning “and”). In this work, it is represented by the symbol “△,” serving as a visual metaphor linking island to island, story to story.

The deep resonance of the double bass, the thin and piercing breath of the Japanese shō, and the vibrations of metal and drums intertwine to unfold a mythical soundscape.

*The soundtrack work was invited and exhibited for two weeks in June 2025 at Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts.

dongyi revives ancient asian echoes, cast into an alchemical furnace and resting in a fermenting jar, fusing into acidic folk songs.