The Pancakes
The Pancakes is a Hong Kong–based one-girl band consisting of independent singer-songwriter Dejay Choi. The music of the Pancakes is characterised by Dejay's very innocent, almost childlike voice with bright and catchy melodies. Most of the Pancakes' songs have English lyrics, unlike the majority of Hong Kong pop music, where Cantonese is the norm.
History
Dejay Choi, the sole member of the band, graduated from the University of Hong Kong, and Lee Hysan Hall, majoring in translation and German. She worked in the library of the Goethe-Institut Hong Kong prior taking up the profession as a singer-songwriter. Choi participated in several independent bands before founding the Pancakes, such as the Postcard, Ginger Biscuits and Tricycle Rider.Her real Chinese name is unknown to the public, although appears as 蔡明麗 on her 2011 Cantonese album 腦殘遊記.
Choi handles almost everything by herself in the production of her albums, from musical composition, lyrics writing, instruments performance, singing, recording to production, etc. Dejay plays the guitar and keyboard. Furthermore, Dejay has also founded her own record label, Rewind Records, which handles the management and promotion for the Pancakes.
Her song, gum gum gum, written for the film McDull, Prince de la Bun won "Best Original Film Song" at the 24th Hong Kong Film Awards.
Discography
Albums- Les Bonbons Sont Bons.
- Pancakes can panick.
- All already ready.
- Stereo Radio/ Left.
- Stereo Radio/ Right.
- Everyone has a Secret.
- 1,2,3,4,5,6, cheese!.
- Sometimes I just can't remember all the things we did together.
- 腦殘遊記.
- sometimes when we cry.
- Demo Demo No.1
- ok karaoke
- freeplay
- Captain Curtain
- Flying in the blue sky on a frying pan
Composition for advertisements
- Kowloon Motor Bus, July 2000, a
- HSBC Hong Kong credit card, December 2000, patronage.
- San Miguel Beer Division, April 2001, wala wala and 11 unreleased songs.
- China Light and Power, July 2001, the pancakes and the music.
- Qoo soft drink, August 2002, the Qoo song.
- Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department, July 2006, incidental music for public pools advertisement.
- Hong Kong Centre of Health Protection, 2014, in the tune of If You're Happy and You Know It to lyrics giving instructions to stay home if one were to feel sick.
- Hong Kong Arts Centre, theme song for the 14th Hong Kong Independent Short Film & Video Awards, September 2008, 大踏步
- , 2011, 點點點，最啱係我 a song written specially for the advertisement in which telling one where to apply Zihua Embrocation and how.
- Nestle 笨Nana Ice Cream, 2012, the 笨Nana Song.
- Red Bull Soapbox Race Hong Kong, 2012, my super car.
- Nestle 笨Nana, 2013, 三兄弟.
- Nestle 笨Nana, 2014, 變身2姊妹.
- Kia Motors Motors, 2007, tell me the truth before one of us dies' were used on the advertisement "cee'd sporty wagon Spot".
Film
As director
- Looking for true love, – as director, producer and screen script writer.
As voice actor
- My life as McDull, – voice-acting for school teacher Ms Chan.
- McDull, Prince de la Bun, – ut supra.
- McDull, The Alumni, – ut supra.
As composer
- ''Triumph in the Skies''
Publication
- 班門弄戟, Chinese proses collection, published by Kubrick in July 2005.