More information about Ming & Ping can be found at www.mingping.com [Ming & Ping] Though heralded by some as the first, full-blown pop icons of the MP3 age, enigmatic, Hong Kong-born twins Ming & Ping have never been interested in becoming American- style rock stars. Rather, they "just are", forging their kinetic synthesizer creations and dazzling, digital music videos in the quiet seclusion of their San Francisco apartment, diligently realizing their shared creative vision. Simple and honest in personality yet, intellectually and musically, some of the most complex and subtle thinkers one could hope to meet, Ming & Ping have, through their curious charisma, attracted a devoted cult of fans and a talented circle of collaborators - filmmakers, producers, photographers, etc. Despite the gathering buzz around their music, videos, and live performances, introspective instrumentalist Ping and rambunctious frontman Ming appear blissfully indifferent to - or wholly unconscious of - their status as a cultural phenomenon on the verge. On their debut LP MingPing.com (Omega Point Records), the instinctively fashionable siblings demonstrate the energy, charm, and intelligence that inform all their projects. The opening single "A.I." charges along on driving synthesizer lines while the brothers trade off on vocals with eerie, robotic detachment. "Mission Control" and "City Lies" have a similarly icy sheen while, at the opposite end of the musical spectrum, Ming & Ping warm up Coldplay's "Yellow" quite nicely with warm synthesizer pads and sunny harmonies. Equally uplifting is their original "The Bright Sunlight", retains the same relaxed vibe, coupled with a sense of lyrical wonderment ("People forget / like children remember / seasick / and slow to wake"). Meanwhile, scattered throughout the album are various session outtakes and studio chatter that provide additional, highly candid insight into the brothers' creative and personal chemistry. Of course, for the undiluted Ming & Ping experience, one has to see them live, or at least watch some of their videos. Costume changes, a slew of extras, satirical skits, props, and lighting... the brothers enlist all these and more in the cause of entertaining live audiences. True children of the digital revolution, Ming & Ping keep their stage show on the technological cutting edge, from webcasting their performances to synchronized video projection/dance routines. But the brothers' embrace of technology is not to be confused with dependence on gadgetry - when Ping (the more technically inclined of the two) found himself stuck in HK during the SARS quarantine of 2003, Ming honored a previous live commitment with a solo acoustic guitar set. With a sound that fits in nicely alongside synthpop revisionists/revivalists The Postal Service, Adult., and The Faint, intense visuals that set a new standard for underground acts, and a double dose of understated star power, Ming & Ping stand poised to conquer the world... without even trying.