Mental Chung Steps Into The Psychic Realm With Debut Album

St Ann animator and graphic designer Mental Chung has released his debut album, The Psychic Realm, a six-song project he produced for his Art Creed Records label on October 10.The artiste, whose given name is Reinardo Chung, said the songs draw on new age spiritual ideas. “The songs come from new age spiritual concepts surrounding the hidden forces and ones guiding us in life,” he said. “I went for a more mainstream, youthful sound that has elements of reggae, soul and dancehall.”Chung describes his sound as Reggae Barque, a style he has been developing since he launched his music career eight years ago. The album’s rhythms were crafted by Stephen Dajure and Aye Psycho, whose ethereal beats he said complement what he calls “playful, militant and thought-provoking” music.Quinting Pink Pinch is the only song from the project released to date. Earlier songs including Lead, Blaze It and Talk Back announced his music career.Before music, Chung built a reputation as an animator. He got his creative start almost 20 years ago with Bad Influence, an eight-minute, dancehall-inspired film released in 2010 that won an award at the Reggae Film Festival held in May 2011 in Kingston. His profile rose further with the Dutty Bwoy series, driven by his love for dancehall culture, which features animated cameos by stars including Bounty Killer, Beenie Man and Usain Bolt.Chung said he wanted to express that same creativity when he launched his music career eight years ago, and The Psychic Realm now carries that animation background into a six-track reggae, soul and dancehall fusion.