Brisbane based independent record label Lempicka Records has announced the signing of a recording deal with Singaporean acoustic artist and international online YouTube sensation Ling Kai.

Besides becoming recognised locally in Singapore as an emerging artist whose expressive voice and catchy guitar lines mark her as a talent to watch, Ling Kai has already seen her heartfelt songs touch audiences right across the globe.

Through her Youtube channel, where Ling is best known by the username "ling86", she has struck a major chord with the posting of her original song "Larkin Step" which quickly garnered over one million views after being featured on the sites main page in December 2007.

Ling soon after experienced the positives and negatives of such rapid online popularity. Hundreds of emails flooded her inbox daily, ranging from outpourings of support to outrageous racist diatribes.

The most unfortunate occurrence however, was the hacking of her account by cyber-vandals whose actions soon lead to the accounts suspension. Ling remained unable to access her account and her many fans were left unable to view her videos until Youtube intervened in April 2008.

Although Ling received many recording deal offers from major labels she ultimately rejected them to avoid the requirements for her to conform to a certain mould determined by corporate interests and expectations.

However, when approached by independent label Lempicka Records, who, in Ling's own words, proved to be "refreshingly un-cronied, selfish or corporate" she choose to sign a recording deal with them because the labels offer provided her with a "nice way to break through the limits I put on myself and my music."

No time has been wasted, and since early July Ling has been busying herself with the recording of her debut EP in Singapore's Shtung Studio.

Ling will be traveling to Australia next week to put the finishing touches on the recording and mark her Down Under live debut with a string of promotional shows in Brisbane. Scheduled shows include Queen St Mall 18th July, The Troubadour 19th July and the UQ Red Room 23rd July.

Matthew Hoffman, founder of Lempicka Records says that Ling Kai is a "talented songwriter who has the ability to connect with audiences all across the world" and is "honoured Lempicka Records has been chosen by Ling to represent her despite the interest of bigger labels".

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