Polartropica is the music endeavor of Los Angeles based, dreamyspace-pop artist, Ihui (eeway) Cherise Wu. Born in Taiwan yet raised in California, Wu has created a fantastical dreamland, successfully combining quirky pop melodies, futuristic synths and classical string arrangements, resulting in a genre of ethereal fantasy dream rock that you’ve never heard before.
Polartropica fuses elements of complete opposites together with the outcome resulting in a unique, ethereal sound that defies all sonic worlds. Using both organic and synthetic instruments, Wu conceived a visionary dream world for listeners to escape to. Wu professes, “I wanted to create a healing, inspiring and empowering space with just the right amount of disco-party!”
Her debut album, Dreams Come True, perfectly encapsulates Polartropica’s entire ethos, creating a soundtrack to her very own magical intergalactic space. Wu shares, “I get to play and work with some of the most incredibly wonderful people in the entire universe, and we always try to have as much fun as possible.” Sonically the album is a delicious concoction of dreamy synth rock, fueled by stories of people, animals, world news and Wu’s experiences as a queer Asian-American living in California.
The single “In Another Life” narrates karmic love and the feeling you get when meeting someone for the first time, but it instantly feels like a lifetime. The track features gliding honey-dipped vocals over laid back beats. Then there is “Can’t Hold Us Back”, which acts as a reminder of the love and power we have within us when faced with oppressive forces. Delightfully eccentric “Crystal Ramen” details the painful process of detaching from a relationship, idea or belief that no longer serves you. “Crystal Ramen” showcases Polartropica’s kaleidoscope of soundscapes, stunningly warm yet sporadic, palpable and experimental. Finally, the empowering “Solidarity” emphasizes the importance of listening and supporting one another. “Don’t let them divide us, we can accomplish incredible things when we fight together and support one another”, expresses the songwriter.
Written with the intention to allow listeners to let their imagination run wild, Wu hopes her music creates little escapes from reality for anyone that is looking for a mini vacation. Having been crowned LA Weekly’s ‘Best Indie Pop Band of 2019’, as well as landing acclaim from the likes of Billboard and LADYGUNN, among others, Polartropica is an artist to watch.
https://polartropica.bandcamp.com/
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