NOVEMBER FEATURE: TERRY ZHONG
· Artist Features
Earlier this week, Terry Zhong released his superb debut single with Monstercat, and we can’t stop listening to it. For this track, Terry teamed up with his good friend and well-known Monstercat veteran Conro to bring the new single ''Play It Cool'' to life! The record features Conro’s smooth and vibrant vocals, paired with a mixture of Terry Zhong’s signature vibrant melodies and Conro’s groovy bassline, creating a fun and funky beat that’s sure to get everyone off their feet!
Eager to challenge boundaries, Terry Zhong music mixes elements from genres both East and West, introducing a distinct sound that separates his sound from the rest. Since premiering his 2015 debut single “We Are One” fusing Tropical House with Chinese Pop, Terry has released a flurry of successful records in China. In 2017, his single ”8PM” with Chinese vocalist EnjiA made waves in the Chinese electronic music scene, closely following up with a second collaboration in 2018 with ”靠近 (Needed Vibe).”
Challenging himself further, he closed off 2018 with a hip-hop record with Chinese mega-star & rapper艾热AIR on the Electric Jungle Music Festival anthem “绿色丛林 (Green Jungle)”. In 2019, he released a jersey club banger “叉烧包 (BBQ Pork Dumpling)” made from sampling sounds from his hometown in Guangdong, then returned to his roots again with EnjiA for the third time with a Moombah-Pop record “Fly With Me.”
In spite of all his past work, Monstercat and Terry Zhong only first crossed paths last year in December of 2018, when we hosted a Monstercat stage at Electric Jungle Festival in Shenzhen. It was then when Terry and Justin OH played an impromptu B2B set to close off the Monstercat stage, that he caught our attention and is home to where this story begins.
In March of 2019, we saw Terry again, this time supporting our core members of the family Conro and Tokyo Machine on a Monstercat China Tour. It was during this time the boys really got to know each other, and Terry began talking to us about and sharing his music.
A few weeks later, Terry flew over to visit the Monstercat family in Miami during ULTRA week, then later again at Tomorrowland in Belgium, where he and Conro then began to throw around the idea of working on a track together.
Over the next few months, the music gradually blossomed, and when Conro threw his vocals on the track, “Play it Cool” came to life. When ADE rolled around, we were thrilled to make the announcement that it would be Terry’s debut record with us, and to officially welcome him into the Monstercat family.
When asked for his thoughts on the collaboration, Terry Zhong replied,
“Man, I still can’t believe this is happening. This track is so so so so special to me. I’ve been listening to Conro’s music for the longest time, so just coming from a fan of his this is a such a dream come true. It all started when I got the chance to support him on the Monstercat tour in China earlier this year. Over the next few months, I saw him again in Miami at Ultra, at Tomorrowland in Belgium, then later again at ADE in Amsterdam. Over the year, he’s been like a mentor to me, and I’m so proud that I can now call him not just someone I’ve collaborated on a track together with, but also an amazing friend.
This is my first ever Monstercat release, and this song is for everyone who’s had or has someone they’re really into and are just mustering up the courage to let them know how you feel, reminding yourself to relax and just make a move! It’s a fun, funky track that I hope helps whoever listening to it “play it cool” and go for it! Hope you guys dig it!”
It’s not often an artist debuts with one of our veteran acts as the featured vocalist, in fact, it’s never happened before. But we couldn’t think of a better combination, and are super excited that more fans around the world get to hear Terry’s vibe. He’s got an infectious positive energy and genuine personality, and both of these elements transfer into his music. Make sure to stay tuned to what Terry Zhong has in store for the future!
