TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Standing on a busy freeway bridge on the outskirts of Taipei City, Chen Yufu (陳郁夫) reflects on the many obstacles along the way to debuting his latest album at a listening party packed with local media.
One challenge was a highway accident that left him with a fear of driving and severe anxiety—not the qualities one would expect from the leader of successful indie groups that performed to large audiences like Crocodelia (鱷魚迷幻) and Yufu & the Velvet Impressionism.
As fate would have it, Yufu had to turn inward for inspiration for his next album, a daunting task for a musician accustomed to collaborating with band members and a faithful music scene to create new music.
“I had a highway accident two years ago during COVID, which led to severe anxiety towards everything. I started having sleep apnea and felt extremely depressed to the point I stopped eating and hid from everything. I thought I would never be an artist anymore and could only record songs without being able to perform them publicly.”

Making matters worse, Yufu’s home studio, a DIY project in his family’s garage, faced complaints from neighbors, forcing him to scale back dramatically. The closure of the studio was a blow to an artist who relied on recording at home, and a major setback for Yufu, who hoped to achieve musical success by the age of 30.
With the home studio shuttered, Yufu found himself broke and halfway through recording his debut soul album, “Heal Me Good.” Feeling lost, he took a month-long break and traveled with his Japanese wife, Fumi, to her hometown of Iwate, Japan.
“In Taiwan, the idea of being a musician is a little frowned upon, especially within my family. Making music, especially the genre of pure vintage-styled soul, is also very lonesome. So, I thought quitting music would make me a happier person. And honestly, it was such a relief at first as I felt lighter and calmer, but never really alive.”
The trip gave Yufu the time and space to think. During a visit to a neighborhood jazz bar with Fumi’s uncle, he found inspiration again. “Fumi’s uncle sat us down, and he said, ‘Do not stop making art and music; be patient and keep on.’”
Yufu said he was surprised by these words, as neither he nor his wife had mentioned his intention to quit music. The advice proved therapeutic and felt like a sign to return to Taiwan and finish his album.

Winding road for musical prodigy
Before turning to soul music, Yufu was well-known in Taiwan’s indie music scene for his band Crocodelia (鱷魚迷幻), which debuted the “Out of the Swamp” EP in 2017. The band gained prominence in Taiwan’s psychedelic music scene and toured China before disbanding, with a final reunion performance at The Wall in 2022.
Yufu explained that stepping away from psychedelic music allowed him to reconnect with his childhood love: American soul music.
One of the few luxuries Yufu and his brother enjoyed in their strict household was access to American soul and funk records, often bootlegged Taiwanese CDs of artists like Barry White and The Spinners. His parents encouraged this music, believing it would improve their English.
“When I was a kid, I was forced by my parents to go to an English-only Christian youth camp even though my family was not religious at all. This made me feel comfortable hanging out with all kinds of foreigners who were always singing songs and playing different instruments. This has had a big impact on my composing music as well.”
This upbringing, however, made Yufu an outlier in Taiwan’s indie scene, as he had little familiarity with Mandopop or other local genres.
Yufu’s fluency in English eventually led to work as an English teacher specializing in working with children. While it provided a fallback option, he said, “I never loved this job, and it never gave me a sense of being born to do this.”
Yufu began learning guitar and composing music as a college student, leading indie bands and performing at major music festivals such as Simple Life. After his bands disbanded, he turned to soul music, the genre that felt most natural and familiar.
His debut album, “Heal Me Good,” is inspired by soul music from 1974-1975, incorporating elements of funk and disco. Yufu plays guitar, flute, congas, and vocals on the album, in addition to handling production work.
The album explores themes of pain, salvation, and the complexities of love. At a listening event on Thursday (Jan. 2), Yufu said, “Soul music is healing for the soul; it is a very human form of music that very few people can hate.”
Yufu hopes the album will resonate in the US and Europe. Last year, its first single, “Honey If You’re Extra,” received over 200,000 streams in Europe. The second single, “When?” has been covered by respected American soul music outlets such as SoulTracks and The Urban Music Scene.
With plans for a tour in April, Yufu aims to bring his deeply personal album to wider audiences through new arrangements and live performances. Stream the album here.