IN BRITISH DIRECTOR Michael Anderson's sci-fi movie Logan's Run, the all-powerful computers that rule the world in 2274 have decreed that humans must die at the age of 30 as a form of population control. But some people try to escape their fate by running away.
Local alternative musician Alok Leung admits to being a devotee of the 1976 classic, which has provided the inspiration and title for one of the tracks on his new album. But even though he has reached 30, Leung isn't running away from anything - the album represents a return to his noisy rock'n'roll roots after a journey through experimentalism and electronica.
Leung's aural equivalent of the movie recalls 90s shoegazing outfits such as My Bloody Valentine, and is a fitting addition to his third solo album, 29 Minutes from the End. The album - a follow-up to last year's 31 Minutes to Midnight - will be released on Saturday with a gig at Central's Amnesia club, with rock outfit UNiXX and post-punk rockers Elf Fatima as supporting acts.
Sipping a black coffee at the Hong Kong Arts Centre cafe and sporting a goatee, shaved head and black-framed glasses, Leung says Logan's Run - a shorter version of which featured on this year's Come Out and Play compilation of local indie bands - is the most satisfying music he's produced.
'The movie was thought-provoking,' Leung says. 'It made me think that if you've an idea, you should go for it.'
The new record, like its predecessor, was inspired by Leung's sadness over an incident that occurred about five years ago that he refuses to discuss. But unlike his previous solo albums and those released by his experimental electro group Slow Tech Riddim, in 29 Minutes from the End, Leung adopts more of a 'band sound' complete with loads of noisy guitar. 'I used a lot of authentic instruments this time,' he says. 'I'm more serious. The previous ones were just for fun.'