Wu Bai says it took solitude, sleepless nights and even starvation to keep his muse alive. While recording his latest album, Space Bomb, the Taiwanese rocker locked himself in a recording studio with six electric guitars and a copy of Robert Charles Wilson's sci-fi novel Spin, which he sourced for inspiration.
'If you want something to be proud of, there's always a price to pay. When I came out of the studio, I wanted to throw my new album into everyone's face and force them to listen,' says Wu.
When he left the studio after two months, Wu had lost about 10kg and suffered from insomnia.
But he has never tired of surprising his fans with new styles, looks and ideas. This can often backfire on pop singers, but Wu has always nailed it without losing his following. Over the course of more than 20 studio albums, Wu has moved from hard-edged blues rock to electronica, while also fusing old Taiwanese folk with Japanese enka and traditional Chinese ballads.
After a two-year hiatus following his last release, You Are My Flower, Wu returns with his sci-fi concept album in which he steps away from his signature nasal crooning and opts for futuristic synthesisers, catchy vibrato tremolo and some funky beats.
'For years I've tried to avoid repeating myself and I've always wanted to destroy people's image of me. The changes may have surprised my fans, but I believe that's the charm and power of rock 'n' roll,' says the 41-year-old singer.