At17
| Company type | Music duo |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Eman Lam, Ellen Joyce Loo |
| Defunct | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong , Hong Kong |
| Products | Music albums, live concerts, DVDs, published works |
| Owner | People Mountain People Sea |
at17, a duo from Hong Kong composed of Eman Lam and Ellen Joyce Loo, was an all-female band known for blending folktronica with Cantopop. Their career was overseen by the label People Mountain People Sea.
Biography
Loo and Lam first crossed paths during the "Original Music 2000" contest organized by Tom Lee Music in Hong Kong, where Lam secured 2nd place and Loo earned 3rd. Following the competition, they toured various university campuses throughout Hong Kong. In 2001, Anthony Wong Yiu-ming, chairman of the production company People Mountain People Sea, discovered them and officially signed the pair on 1 January 2002, marking the formation of at17.
In 2005, the duo appeared at the Hong Kong Festival held in Amsterdam. Between April 2006 and March 2007, they took on roles as hosts for the weekly music program Jade Solid Gold on TVB, where they also showcased live performances regularly.
Their inaugural large-scale concert, Sing Sing Sing 2006, took place at AsiaWorld–Expo on 30 September 2006. Subsequently, from March through May 2007, they conducted a series of intimate live sessions titled Just the two of us at the Shouson Theatre within the Hong Kong Arts Centre, featuring renditions of songs originally performed by other artists.
Both members were deeply involved in writing and producing their music. Loo contributed with guitar and piano skills, while Lam played guitar along with various percussion instruments. Their musical approach is best categorized as folktronica.
The group ceased activities in 2010 when Loo embarked on a solo career.
Tragically, Loo passed away at age 32 on 5 August 2018 after falling from her apartment located in Happy Valley, Hong Kong.
About the name
The name at17 was derived from Janis Ian’s song "At Seventeen", a poignant exploration of teenage emotions and insecurities, reflecting one of Lam’s musical inspirations. Many tracks by at17 resonate with themes related to adolescent girls’ feelings, often conveyed through an uplifting perspective influenced by Ian’s work.
Albums
- Meow Meow Meow (Released 19 December 2002)
- KissKissKiss (Released 24 December 2003)
- 903 California Red: Eleven Fires Concert (Released 10 September 2004)
- Twins x at17 Live in Music (Released 23 September 2005)
- Bian Bian Bian (Released 28 November 2005)
- Sing Sing Sing E.P. (Released 30 September 2006)
- Sing Sing Sing Live in Concert 2006 (Released 7 December 2006)
- Threesome + at17 (2002–2007 New + Best Collection) (Released 20 March 2007)
- Over The Rainbow (Released 15 July 2008)
- Over The Rainbow Vol.2 (Released 24 October 2008)
- Over The Rainbow Vol.3 (Released 17 April 2009)
- Over The Rainbow Vol.4 (Released 15 September 2009)
- Just the two of us... until we meet again live (Released 2 July 2010)
DVD Releases
- 903 California Red: Eleven Fires Concert (Released on 10 September 2004)
- Twins x at17 Live in Music (Released on 23 September 2005)
- Sing Sing Sing Live in Concert 2006 (Released December 2006)
Published Works
- I learned the chords at seventeen, a compilation featuring 22 original guitar scores of at17's songs, meticulously transcribed by Ellen Joyce Loo using standard notation and guitar tablature. This was published in 2005 by People Mountain People Sea / Kubrick, based in Hong Kong.
- Do I have problem or not? (我有冇問題?), a prose anthology authored by at17, released in Chinese by Youth Culture, Hong Kong, in 2005.
Related Topics
External Resources
- Cantopop musical groups
- Cantonese-language singers
- Musical groups established in 2002
- Musical groups disbanded in 2010
- Hong Kong all-female bands
- Folktronica musicians
- LGBTQ-themed musical groups
- 2002 establishments in Hong Kong
- 2010 disestablishments in Hong Kong
- Female musical duos
- Musical groups disestablished in 2010