- A compilation showcasing a golden era of Vietnamese club music—the present.
- High energy is one of the defining qualities of Vietnamese nightlife. Whether it's roadside bars or downtown afterhours, parties are known to extend into late afternoon without dropping a notch in intensity levels. The country's commercial hub, Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon), has a particularly voracious appetite for hard dance music. In the past, that usually meant a local form of gabber-laced EDM known as vinahouse, manyao (techno variations of Mandarin pop) or trance, though more fine-tuned options have emerged in recent years as a younger generation of passionate producers dive into leftfield electronics.
Some of these fresh faces are on the debut offering from Saigon collective Nhạc Gãy. Its fourteen-track compilation, Nhạc Gãy Tổng Hợp Số 1, features both local and diasporic Vietnamese artists whose limber, undulating rhythms should loosen limbs and leave bodies writhing. The term "gãy" roughly translates to "broken," as Anh Phi, one of the crew's co-founders, explained over email. It's typically used when someone gets messy or too wasted at a party—but always in a fun-loving sense. This joyful nature comes through viscerally on the LP. Ranging from banging breakbeats to deconstructed folk, these tracks imbue an experimental yet playful spirit that encapsulates the Saigon crowds.
The album eases into pulsating rave with Attiss Ngo's "Sáu Con Chuột," a peak-time anthem where conversational vocals ebb and swell harmoniously in a framework of industrial techno. Nodey's "49 Days Of Quarantine Before Freedom," meanwhile, incorporates a Vietnamese oboe (kèn đám ma) that's normally heard at funerals and Vinahouse—a pairing of old and new that's reminiscent of Gabber Modus Operandi's spliced arrangements.
Another highlight comes from Dan Nguyen, AKA Demonslayer, who's previously released on Hong Kong label Silk Road Sounds. On "Di Di," he plays around with looped samples and distorted bass in a freeform manner that floats between deconstructed club and breaks. This mutant style eventually morphs into explosive drum & bass on the album's closing track, Kim Dürbeck's "Nước Mắm Is My Holy Water."
In line with the breakneck pace of Vietnam's pre-pandemic weekends, Nhạc Gãy Tổng Hợp Số 1 radiates vigor and sass from start to finish without intermission. It's a thrilling ride but never overwhelming or too dark. Deadly on the dance floor but bursting with zest and charm, Nhạc Gãy Tổng Hợp Số 1 is a sonic snapshot of Vietnam's vibrancy.
Tracklist01. Tiny Giant - Ngày Mới
02. Mess. - Mắt Buồn
03. Attiss Ngo - Sáu Con Chuột
04. Larria - Undercover
05. Nodey - 49 Days Of Quarantine Before Freedom
06. Puppy Ri0t - Ai Cũng Làm Được
07. Tran Uy Duc - Won't U Give Up
08. Demonslayer - Di Di
09. Nammy Wams - Deu Me Bo
10. Thierry Phung - Breakdown
11. Anh Phi - Nói Thì Nói
12. ELEK ft. Tommy - Dãy
13. Dustin NGO 春風 - WTF Is Going On ?!!
14. Kim Dürbeck - Nước Mắm Is My Holy Water