J Moment
Jay Chou

Mandopop king Jay Chou’s (right) last two albums were not among his strongest. And this is a fact that a collection of music videos for Exclamation Mark (2011) and The Era (2010) will not change.
They work best when they have a sense of fun about them, such as on Free Tutorial Video, a country- and-western tinged number staged with group choreography in a school setting that rolls along with rollicking energy.
For catchy dance track Enchanting Melody, Chou turns to an unlikely source for inspiration – cerebral Hollywood thriller Inception (2010).
While the animated video for Exclamation Mark unfolds like a violent video game and reminds one of how the record seems to aim at younger listeners, the live-action-cartoon vibe of Hydrophobic Sailor was more successful.
Some songs are let down by the videos. The mid-tempo Long Time No See flits easily between Mandarin and Minnan and is a highlight on The Era but is given an overly cutesy treatment complete with a dancing robot.
The making-of bonus snippets feature Chou acting directorial on set or speaking directly to the viewer. Check out the making of Free Tutorial Video for a glimpse of his mother.

The Story Of Billy
Wilber Pan

Free Now
Equator 2

It is always a sign of desperation when soap operas turn to multiple personality disorder as a plot device.
But even though the title track of Wilber Pan’s new album is inspired by The Minds Of Billy Milligan (1981), a book about a real-life criminal with the disorder, there is nothing desperate about the resulting electronic stomper.
The 32-year-old singer-songwriter has even designated different personalities for different parts of the song.
He warns at one point: “Ignorant you, please be careful, because I might not be able to endure/Too much, too much.”
The lively fast-paced tracks are the stronger ones here, so pay attention to Live Broadcast and Get It.
Given his thin voice, Pan should stay away from ballads as they tend to show up his limitations.
And the tune for English ballad Baby Tonight is not so great that we need to hear it again with Mandarin lyrics on Don’t Wanna Wake Up. The album may not always work but at least no one can accuse Pan of playing it safe.
Neither are the guys of the collective called Equator 2 afraid of taking risks.
Out of the 10 tracks, only two are credited to the quartet. They include the opening title track which has a laidback summery vibe to it: “La la la la oh oh oh, shorts, singlet and slippers/La la la la oh oh oh, talked the night away without realising it.”
The others are credited to the individual members – Jeff Wu, Sega Lu, Strong and Johney – and it is quite a mixed bag of material from folksy love ballad (Actually She Knows) to rap-rock (Li Bai’s Voice) to slice-of-life number (Watching Movies) to pop oddity (John’s Magic Medicine).
This is a record with multiple personalities no doubt.
(ST)