Wax Chattels Share Hard-Hitting Single / Video 'Cede'

Impossible to pin down Tāmaki Makaurau trio Wax Chattels hold nothing back on 'Cede', the furious third single revealed from Amanda Cheng, Peter Ruddell (Sulfate) and Tom Leggett's hugely anticipated second album Clot. An "indignant confrontation about Cross-Strait relations and self-determination", sung in Cheng's native language Taiwanese Hokkien as well as English, the singer / bassist also directed the cacophonous single's discombobulating domestic visuals in collaboration with Annabel Kean (also assistant editor of this website) and Callum Devlin of Sports Team which you can experience below. Viewers are advised the video features strobe effects.

Amanda Cheng opened up about the urgent themes of 'Cede': “I am angry. Saying “you don’t know who I am” in Taiwanese Hokkien is to say “you don’t get to tell me who I am”. You don’t just scream like this to put on an album — you scream like this because it’s the only thing you can do.

This song is an affront to the near-silent cultural genocide that’s taking place — the censorship, the militant threats — and the international community’s insistence on practicing diplomacy with economics at the front of mind. If it takes a loud song that’s half in an unfamiliar language for people to ask, “what’s that about?”, then so be it.”

I set out to make a video that was unenjoyable to watch; unhinging a domestic, ‘safe’ setting. To contrast the blunt lyrics, the thematic statements in the video are more subtle — there’s a geopolitical narrative there, but you’ll miss it.”

'Clot' is out on Friday 25th September via Captured Tracks & Flying Nun Records, preorders are now available here.