Saigon Soul Revival return with an album that represents both a musical and emotional homecoming. Their single “Ai Thật Lòng Yêu Ai” was recently included in the permanent exhibition of the Philharmonie de Paris (Cité de la musique / Paris) – a remarkable recognition of the band’s cultural impact.

Now they return — quite literally — with their new album “Chốn Ta Về” (THE PLACE WE RETURN TO). Producecd by Jan Hagenkötter and recorded once again in Ho Chi Minh City, the album blends Vietnamese musical heritage with contemporary global influences…or as Nguyễn Anh Minh, singer and songwriter of the new material, explains:

“Through love, loss, distance or time, many of us lose our way. Everyone has their own path back home. ‘Chốn Ta Về,’ which means ‘The Place We Return To,’ tells stories of personal struggles and discoveries in the search for one’s place in life.”

Musically, SSR build on their 2024 album “Mối Lương Duyên,” while expanding their sonic spectrum through the inclusion of additional traditional instruments such as the T’rung (a bamboo xylophone from Vietnam’s Central Highlands) and the Sáo Trúc (bamboo flute), featured among others in the album’s only pre-1975 cover song “Hoạ Mi Ca” (Mộng Long)

The album also features two renowned Vietnamese guest musicians: Đinh Nhật Minh, a young Vietnamese virtuoso who combines traditional Vietnamese instruments (including the Sáo Trúc) with contemporary sounds, and Trần Mạnh Tuấn widely regarded as Vietnam’s most prominent jazz saxophonist and founder of Saigon’s oldest jazz club “ Sax ´n´Art” He contributed a solo to the soul/R&B track “Ơ Kìa, Em Ơi.”

As on their previous two albums and many live performances, Ms. Nguyễn Thị Hải Phượng can again be heard on selected tracks playing Đàn Tranh & Đàn Bầu. SSR guitarist “Indy Laville” also returns to the Đàn Nguyệt, including on the single “Trúc Xinh.”

The album’s only instrumental track, “Lý Qua Dub,” demonstrates how seamlessly Vietnamese and Western musical traditions can merge, as it is built upon a traditional melody. Broader regional influences appear in “Khúc Tình Yên Vui,” whose musical references can also be found in Cambodia, Thailand and among the Cham minority in Vietnam.

Naturally, the album also reflects musical influences that reached Vietnam from abroad. Latin American styles such as Tango and Cha-Cha-Cha have long been popular in Vietnam. The track “Chachacha Ngây Thơ” pays tribute to the latter.

The graphic concept of the album and its singles draws on Mid-century Vietnamese modernist graphic design with Cubist influences. (đồ họa hiện đại), This tradition emerged from the École des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine, where Western modernism merged with local printmaking techniques. Reimagined here to connect historical design language with contemporary visual sensibilities.

When asked what kind of music Saigon Soul Revival represent, the band often responds with “Global Pop” — or simply “Soul” and “Rock.” – rooted in Vietnamese culture yet open to the world.
The album was recorded and mixed fully analog at the newly opened “In The Box Studios” in Saigon by the band’s longtime engineer Benjamin James.

The making of the album is documented in the upcoming film “That Saigon Soul Sound” by filmmaker Louis Corallo and the Cake Collective.

Additionally, the band contributed music to the official “James Bond Video Game “007 First Light” and recorded a new arrangement of “Sài Gòn (Đẹp Lắm”) for the documentary „Y Vân: The Lost Sounds of Saigon. 

TRACKLIST :

1 Thiên Đường Đón Anh

2 Trúc Xinh

3 Độc Huyền Cầm Oán Khúc

4 Tình Điên

5 Lý Qua Dub

6 Ta Về Với Ta

7 Khúc Tình Yên Vui

8 Hoạ Mi Ca

9 Lụy Tình

10 Ơ Kìa, Em Ơi!

11 Chachacha Ngây Thơ