I’d never heard of JakoJako or the Dragon Bridge in Vietnam, which is the inspiration for this soothing slice of minimalist techno by the Berlin-based electronic artist.

It’s a wonderfully tranquil and mesmerising tune filled with glistening arpeggios and lush modular textures described, aptly, as “pointillist electronica.”

The 666-metre suspension bridge, Cầu Rồng – the longest suspernsion bridge in Vietnam – is known as the Dragon Bridge because it was designed to breathe fire and water every weekend.

JakoJako is the stage name of Sibel Koçer whose tune, and her forthcoming album, Tết 41, were inspired by her first journey to Vietnam and her reflections on the country. “I wrote this track in Da Nang on the day the Dragon Bridge spit fire,” she recalls.

“It was pretty spectacular and special for the people there and us, especially as we were there in 2024, the year of the dragon. After watching, we went home, and I wrote that tune.”

Koçer says she wanted to collect the atmospheres of Vietnam, and strip them back to her language – electronic music – while finding a deeper understanding of her family’s roots and culture in the country.

“I don’t have huge ties to the traditions of my Vietnamese family, so being able to experience them with my mother, and then bring the Lunar Celebration – the colourful flowers, food and customs – back to Europe through music has helped me realise how important this side of my heritage is.”

The music was created using just a Eurorack and a Waldorf Iridium Core, which means nothing to me but must make sense to anyone with an understanding of electronic music. While normally she would have a computer to mix and arrange the record, the effects and sequencers of the gear became her tools instead.

She expands; “The more you play with a single machine the more you get to know it. You’ll get muscle memory and play it more like an actual instrument, instead of treating it as a tool.”