King Luan have been a revolving group of musicians, making music since the early 90s, when members of Sydney Band "The Blue Phoenix" swapped instruments and started making experimental, edgy and fun recordings for the simple enjoyment of it, in stark tangent away from the Blue Phoenix's musical direction, which at the time was under the auspices of a major label recording deal.
A number of gigs around Sydney's indie scene resulted - to critical review - along with a memorable appearance at Sydney's "Black Stump" festival. Some 8 track recordings from the time exist, namely the album "Sire the people are revolting" along with the "Gartagh Karuzud" and "Return of the cassette tape" EPs, the latter literally being a long lost cassette demo by Dick Plick and Dex Pex that one of the band found.
King Luan then morphed into other projects and directions - along with a brief collaboration with Evelyn Duprai and a side-band band called "Rubanapa", a comedic side project "Greg Smeg Clegg" was undertaken by Hex, Dex and Sweet Michelangelo. Later on, Drowning Jester - a vehicle for Dex's more serious musical expression - was created with the help of Hex and David O'Ernest.
Then there was a long long hiatus. Hex joined Melbourne band "The Test Tube Babies" (later releasing music under the name Vertigo) after which Hex and Dex both spent much time outside Australia, reuniting in Brooklyn, NY to create "Buggin'" and "Spacemantis" from the work-in-progress album "Sire there's oil in the North 40".
But it's been the iconic song "There are no Gnomes in Sweden" which has given Hex and Dex's modern incarnation of a King Luan duo, a renewed creative vigour.
Fuelled by insightful observations on European truths, a love of vintage drum machines, analog synths and New Romantic singing, King Luan's latest creations are heralding a bold new direction for the band. We only await with ever more eagerness to see it fully realised.
The first song King Luan recorded, was recorded here: