Girl at the Rock Shows

I am all about all things interesting and new. Although music from Taiwan isn’t anything super new to me (I hear music from all over the world), music rooted in the Amis Indigenous traditions is absolutely something I have never dabbled in. I’m not going to get into the history of the Amis Indigenous tribe; you can do a deep dive on that if you want, but let’s go ahead and dig into this album that reflects on the history (both good and bad) of Taiwan’s indigenous people.

“Masa’opo” kicks this album off with the sound of bells. Think Christmas, but without as much cheese behind it. As the bells start to linger, an epic bass line with a serious groove takes over, before the vocals usher in Outlet Drift’s signature sound. In case you’re wondering, I did not learn this language overnight. The only reason I know what these songs are about is because of the English translation that the band has on their Bandcamp page, but that’s not the point of this album. I was instantly touched by the balance of traditional and modern that can be felt in this song (and the rest of the album). It’s not a game of tug of war, more like these two worlds and styles living in cohesive unison together.

“Aka Sawaden” is absolutely drenched in swagger. It sounds a little psychedelic, like something that belonged on Woodstock, but, at the same time, there is, again, that signature swagger that Outlet Drift has in everything they do. I could hear this song being an opening track for a band like Red Hot Chili Peppers, but at the same time, I could see this song ringing through an arena and stand on its own. This song serves as a rallying cry. It begs people not to abandon their culture. “Don’t abandon our ancestors / Don’t abandon our culture / Don’t abandon our songs /Don’t abandon our language.” The way these lines are sung throughout this song really captured my soul, and although clearly written for the Amis people, it’s a message that we should all take to heart and remember because, at the end of the day, our culture is what makes us individuals and unique. It’s what makes life fun and, in my mind, gives us a deeper meaning.

The third track on this album is “Komaen Ti’ ti’.” There’s a heaviness and darkness that surrounds this song, which makes sense. It’s about Taiwan’s Martial Law era, when Indigenous people were not allowed to speak their native language. You can feel the frustration that this caused throughout this five-minute song, but you can also feel the heartbreak that came from generations not knowing the native language. Although I caught onto these darker lines throughout the song, there’s no denying the infectious energy that Outlet Drift puts at the forefront.

I really like the playfulness behind “Lotong” (also known as “The Monkey”). I mean, it makes sense, right? Monkeys are playful, so this song should have a vibe to match it. I’ll be honest, I had a hard time following along with the lyrics during this song, but not for the reason you might think. The storytelling throughout this track is one of those things that you feel. It’s almost like a rap or hip-hop style but with interesting phrasing and tones. Although one of the shorter songs on this album, at just under four minutes long, this was one that I listened to a couple of times simply because I found it all so interesting, and I loved being lost in an unknown world, if only for a few minutes.

I was a bit surprised when I realized that “O Fades” started playing and all of the lyrics are in English. I thought I would be relieved to finally have a song where I could understand every part of it, but, truthfully, I wasn’t. I think I was enjoying being introduced to a completely new world of abstract-to-me sounds and ideas, and that this was a bit of a shock to the system, but I realized that, although in English, this song felt like the rest of the tracks I had listened to. Gritty vocals mixed with a groovy bass line and intricate and delicate instrumentation around it all. I feel like this is a good example of why I said that this band doesn’t seem to play tug-of-war with the two worlds they find themselves in. Although the lyrics are in English, there are clearly still nods to their traditional roots, and I love how the two elements mold together throughout this nearly eight-minute-long song.

Although I am very anti-hunting (you know, that whole vegetarian life), I was captivated by “Mi’adopay” (or, in English, “Hunter”). This song tells the story of a kid asking their uncle to go out hunting. You can sense a tension that comes with the chase of hunting. Okay, kind of talking out of my butt on that, as I have never gone hunting, but it’s a sense of tension that I suspect would be there. The song starts slowly and steadily, as if stalking the prey, but speeds up at the end. Does this kid and their uncle ever catch the prey? Take a listen for yourself and you tell me!

I’m not surprised that “Kitiw” has a super fluid texture to it. The English translation of this song is “The Keeper of Flowing Water,” and I love how you can feel that throughout this track. Again, Outlet Drift can not get away from their signature groove feeling, but there is definitely something more organic about the vocals in this track. They seem to flow from note to note rather than just shift. It’s a super cool effect that is subtle, but when you catch onto it, it will surely blow your mind.

This entire album, although addressing serious topics, has been remarkably fun and light-hearted. I almost forgot the possibility that there could be a slightly darker side to this band, but I was quickly reminded when “Faelohay a’Orip” took over my speakers. Although this isn’t as dark as a Marilyn Manson track or as slow and somber as an ambient or emo track, there’s something distinctly darker about this song. I love the first line of the track “mataraway ko fades mamalahedaway to ko orip.” Not only do these words and sounds create a beautiful line to follow, but the translation really hit me down to my core. “Afraid the storm will come
and life will fade away.” Let that sink in for a minute. Simple, yet powerful, and I feel like this opening phrase really sets the stage for the beauty within this track.

There is so much hate in the world these days, and no matter how hard you try, I feel like we all have those moments of hate. “Fotol Minko” reminds you not to do this. I love the way that this song reminds you to be friends. It reminds you that, at the end of the day, we are all just people trying to get through this thing called life. Our languages may be different, but if we use music, we can all communicate clearly and beautifully together. This album and Outlet Drift in general are proof of that. I do not know much about the Amis people (although I plan on going on a deep dive between sets at my shows tonight), and I only understood some of the words and songs from this album due to the English translation provided by the band, but I feel like that’s not the reason I felt a sense of beauty behind this album. I felt beauty because I could feel the joy, the passion, and the fire that came with every song on this album. Things are wild out there. They are dark, scary, and, at times, absolutely terrible, but if you keep a song in your head, I promise there’s always at least a small light shining somewhere in your world.

The final track on this album, “Sakasinanot,” expands on this idea. Sakasinanot is a “Song of Peace,” and something seemed to happen as this song took over my house, body, and soul. I felt muscles relax that haven’t relaxed in weeks. I felt the stress of figuring out how I’m going to get through two shows tonight melt away. The outside world that seems to be going absolutely insane was no longer there. For three and a half minutes, it was just me, my cats, and Outlet Drift, and, for those three minutes, I just sat at my desk and cried. I’m not a particularly emotional person, but I think I feel a profound depth in music that there are times when I can only surrender to the raw emotion it evokes from my soul, and this was one of those times. There are no words in this song, only pure beauty and peace. What a hell of a way to end a truly amazing album.

Tl;dr – ‘Masonolay i Cepo’ from Outlet Drift is unlike anything you’ve ever heard before and anything you’ll ever hear again. It introduces you to a whole new world but also makes that world accessible through the power of music. From the history lesson that comes through on this album to the reminder that, at the end of the day, we are all human and need to be a little bit nicer to each other and the world in general, there’s a lot to take away from this album. It may leave you in tears, maybe leave you confused, maybe leave you with an extra pep in your step, but one thing that’s for sure is you will never forget the first time you heard this album.

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