An animator/graphic designer by profession, Mental Chung wanted to express that creativity when he launched his music career eight years ago.

He called his sound Reggae Barque, which can be heard on The Psychic Realm, the St Ann artiste’s first album.

Released on October 10, it contains six songs which Mental Chung produced for his Art Creed Records.

“The songs come from new age spiritual concepts surrounding the hidden forces and ones guiding us in life,” he reasoned. “I went for a more mainstream, youthful sound that has elements of reggae, soul and dancehall.”

Quinting Pink Pinch is the only song from the project released to date. The Psychic Realm’s songs are driven by ethereal beats conjured by Stephen Dajure and Aye Psycho.

Their rhythms complement what Mental Chung describes as “playful, militant and thought-provoking” music.

Born Reinardo Chung, he got his creative start as an animator almost 20 years ago with Bad Influence, an eight-minute, dancehall-inspired film released in 2010. It won an award at the Reggae Film Festival which was held in May 2011 in Kingston.

Mental Chung’s stocks rose even more with the Dutty Bwoy series, which was driven by his love for dancehall culture. It has animated cameos by stars like Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, and Usain Bolt.

Lead, Blaze It, and Talk Back are some of the songs that announced Mental Chung’s music career.

— Howard Campbell