SUNSET ROLLERCOASTER 落日飛車

(I do not own the rights to any images used.)

Describing themselves as a “Subtropical Love” Band, I am ecstatic to bring to the Menu my first Song Soup post on Sunset Rollercoaster!

Sunset Rollercoaster; a five member band from Taipei,Taiwan.

Many fans have described the Band’s genre and sound as jazzy-funk, synth-pop and even romantic shoegaze. Their genre and sound are still unique nonetheless, forming songs however they please in the moment by ear. Members include Lead singer and guitarist Tseng Kuo-Heng, Bassist Chen Hung-Li, Drummer Lo Tsun-Lung, Keyboardist Wang Shao-Hsuan, and Saxophonist Huang Hao-Ting. Touring all over from China and Japan to Europe and America, Sunset Rollercoaster has made a permanent mark with their outstanding uniqueness and talent in the ears of many.

History of Sunset Rollercoaster:

Sunset Rollercoaster was originally formed in 2009 by Tseng Kuo-Heng, Chen Hung-Li, and Lo Tsun-Lung. The inspiration behind their name comes from a PhotoBooth picture application on the old Macbook computers, where they had taken a picture for their MySpace band profile. The PhotoBooth application had a background option to make it look as though they were riding on an actual roller coaster. After choosing this for their Picture on MySpace, a sunset image on the profile’s background gave inspiration along with the picture for the Band name; Sunset Rollercoaster.

Shortly after releasing their first album titled “BOSSA NOVA” in 2011, the band went on a five year hiatus due to military duties, pursuing education, and other projects as well. They reformed again in 2015, adding new members and recording the “Jinji Kikko” EP that winter, releasing it in spring of 2016. Since then Sunset Rollercoaster has went on to create and put out more of their beautiful works including the “CASSA NOVA” album in 2018, the “VANILLA VILLA” EP, “Villa” (Jerry Paper Remix), “我是一隻魚 I’m a fish” (Cover) in 2019, and their most recent album “SOFT STORM” in 2020. The band has been part of features as well and has some of their own singles such as “Coffee’s on me” and “Let There Be Light Again” in 2021. Sunset Rollercoaster was nominated at the 2018 and 2019 Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan for best band, winning this category in 2021. Currently they are on tour in Europe with recently announced tour dates for America as well.

Other Album and EP Facts:

“BOSSA NOVA (2011)”- 12 Songs. “Jinji Kikko (2016)”- 3 Songs. “CASSA NOVA (2018)”- 9 Songs. “VANILLA VILLA EP (2019)”- 3 Songs. “SOFT STORM (2020)”- 9 Songs. Tseng (lead singer and guitarist) has talked about many musical inspirations along the way like The Strokes and The Zombies because of their “Lo-Fi feels”, with Brazilian composer and singer Antônio Carlos Brasilerio de Almeida Jobim’s (Tom Jobim) nine song studio album “Stone Flower” having a big impact on their sound.

Jinji Kikko and CASSA NOVA:

The Jinji Kikko EP was inspired by the Psychedelic soul sound of American singer Shuggie Otis and other early funkadelic artists. “Jinji” came from Bossa Nova artist Antônio Carlos Jobim’s song “Pindi”, when in the 70’s a soul singer named Jon Lucien changed the pronunciation with his accent to “Jinji”. “Jinji” means baby in Mandarin, making the song title translation “My Jinji” from Sunset Rollercoaster’s “Jinji Kikko” EP “My Baby”.

“CASSA NOVA” is more synth heavy and groovy- trying to mash French musician Serge Gainsbourg and Prince together and Phil Collins with Japanese electronic band Yellow Magic Orchestra, getting chord progression inspiration from American Saxophonist John Coltrane.

Both the “Jinji Kikko” and “CASSA NOVA” projects are individual in sound, however they combine in a storyline where Jinji Kikko is a woman and Cassa Nova is a man. Cassa Nova is in love with Jinji Kikko, Tseng in an interview with Dylan Amirio from The Jakarta Post saying “the whole EP [Jinji Kikko] is a love story about two lovers who were separated from each other but discovered that they can travel through time to find one another”.

Concluding Statements from the Chef:

Sunset Rollercoaster is one of my all time favorite bands, it was so exciting to learn more about their history and be able to share with you too! Their song “My Jinji” was the first one I had ever heard from them, it was like I stepped into a dream. Hopefully you check them out because you definitely won’t regret it- I recommend their live performance on Audiotree Live recorded in Chicago of “I Know You Know I Love You” (and all of their other music of course). I will be seeing Sunset Rollercoaster in October for my birthday- CAN’T WAIT! Stick around for more music and artist articles in the future!

-Chef Gracie