Polartropica has released single Golden Soul that the track details the struggle of a friend who is now missing, after becoming addicted to opioid after being prescribed from a doctor for back pain.
Polartropica is the music endeavor of Los Angeles based, whimsical space-pop artist, Ihui (eeway) Cherise Wu. Born in Taiwan yet raised in California, Wu successfully combines quirky pop melodies, futuristic synths and classical string arrangements, creating a genre of bubblegum psychedelia that you’ve never heard before.
Polartropica derived after Wu heard a song which couldn’t be defined by a genre – ‘Polartropic’ by Mark Foster. Admiring the contrast between both ‘polar’ and ‘tropical’, Wu decided to formulate a place where things can exist where they don’t belong. 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.
Integrating 90’s pop, classical arrangements and intergalactic space-pop, Polartropica is guaranteed to feed your imagination, with their eccentric and distinguished sound. Check out Golden Soul below!
We managed to catch up with the artist as she talked about her latest single and more!
So how has the initial response been for Golden Soul?
Initial response has been wonderful! Everyone has been so kind – I’ve had a lot of folks reach out to tell me they love the song and appreciate the powerful message, and even some that tell me it hits close to home. All of it means so much, thank you!
Can you tell us something about the single no one else knows?
This was the last track I finished with my producer/engineer wizard friend C.M. Rodriguez before he moved to Tulsa. We made Crystal Ramen, Olympia and Golden Soul together while he was in Los Angeles in his Silver Lake home studio 🙂 The rest of the new forthcoming album was recorded in Tulsa, OK! We’ll be finishing it this summer! TEAM TULSA!
Will you be releasing an EP/Album this year at all?
The new album will be released late this year or early next at the latest!
If you could work with any band on a new song, who would it be and why?
It would be a dream-come-true to work on a new track with Tina Guo because she slays SO HARD, both as a cellist and composer. The track would be epic hot fire!!!
What’s the alternative scene like in LA at the moment?
There has been an active movement these past years to highlight diversity and representation in the scene – we still have a ways to go but it’s been so refreshing to see organizations like Play Like A Girl, Girlschool, Moonroom, Sid the Cat, ON3 Management and Girl Underground Music curating showcases, festivals, clinics that have really made the alternative scene in LA so rich and full of love and sense of community.
What was the first gig you went to?
It was either The Nutcracker or Wynton Marsalis with the San Jose Symphony.
Will you be touring at all this year?
We will be playing some dates in the southwest late summer/fall and Europe next year after the album is out!
What do you get up to in your spare time when not working on music?
I love looking at plants/cacti, movies with friends, trying new foods, going to shows, and surfing – I lived in San Diego for a while and got spoiled. I don’t get to go out to the water as much as I would like, but my best surfer girls Dora and Gabi are both moving back to California so we’ll definitely be making the time to surf it up!!!