Prairie WWWW
About the band
Prairie WWWW is a five-piece experimental rock/folk band formed in Taipei, Taiwan in 2010. Its music combines poetry, folk, ambient and tribal elements. The band seeks inspiration from the might of nature, and with a mixture of sounds and visual arts in their performances, they manage to bring forward to their audiences the experience of their unique soundscape visually and aurally. The four Ws in Prairie’s band name is muted, serving as a pictogram for a waveform, as well as the imagery of the grass that blowing in the wind.
"Formosan Dream'' is the latest single album by Prairie WWWW in 2020. Three songs “Formosan Dream", "Whales’ Bones" and "Shells" are inspired by Taiwanese lost cultures, including prehistoric relics, ethnic groups, legendary species, and languages that are about to disappear. Prairie WWWW tells a story about memories from Formosa island which "were passed away" and "about to pass away.” On the first and third track “Formosan Dream" and "Shells", they attempt to put more melody lines on double synthesizers, double lead chantings, and to deconstruct the electronic beat and rhythm.
Second track "Whales’ Bones" experiments with sound collage and environmental sounds, building a bridge between the first and the last dreamy pieces. Stumbled in this dream of Formosa island and self-seeking illusion, Prairie WWWW put forward this question of self-inquiry: What are we? Where are we from? Where will we go? The cruelty and the beauty of this island are revealed in constant inquiries: perhaps Symbiosism and Pluralism are our temporary answers to the future; the awakening has just begun.