In this Hong Kong name, the surname is Liu. In accordance with Hong Kong custom, the Western-style name is Iris Liu and the Chinese-style name is Liu Wing-sum.
Iris Liu Wing-sum (Chinese:廖頴琛), also known by her stage name iii, is a Hong Kong singer and film score composer. She formed an experimental band SoundTube with Dipsy Ha in 2014, and debuted as a soloist in 2020 after the band's dissolvement with the single "I". She ventured into film score composition the same year, contributing to films including Hand Rolled Cigarette (2020), A Guilty Conscience, Time Still Turns the Pages (both 2023), and Night King (2026). She received a nomination for Best Original Film Score in the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards for Time Still Turns the Pages.
Biography
Liu was born in the 1990s.[1] She studied composition at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts,[2] citing her decision to study music was inspired by listening to a radio drama composed by singer-songwriter Ivana Wong during secondary school, which motivated her to write music like Wong's.[1][2] During her time at HKAPA, she was a member of the jazz band society and began learning singing in university.[1] She formed the experimental band SoundTube with her classmate Dipsy Ha at the end of 2014, where Liu served as the vocalist and Ha as the pianist and trumpeter.[3][4] The band performed at festivals including Taipei Music Nonstop and Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco,[5] but disbanded in 2019 after Ha had a child and could no longer dedicate as much time to music.[1][3] Liu then pursued independent ventures and debuted as a soloist in 2020 under the stage name "iii", which derives from the three "i"s in her English name Iris Liu and the pronunciation is similar to "I" and "Eye".[1] She released her debut single "I" in the same year,[6] followed by her first album EYEEYEEYE and her debut live concert "EYE EYE EYE-iii Iris Liu Live 2021" in November 2021.[5]
In 2020, Liu also began composing film scores, debuting with Chan Kin-long's Hand Rolled Cigarette.[7][8] She met Hanz Au, her future frequent collaborator, while working on short film scores through referrals from her HKAPA classmates, and together they scored a short film by Wong Fei-pang.[7][8] They were introduced to Chan Kin-long through his City University classmate Jolyon Cheung, and formed Crash Music Production in 2020, a company named to reflect their contrasting musical styles and the creative clashes and chemistry involved in their collaboration.[7][8] Liu also composed trailer music for the 2021 film Anita,[2] and collaborated with On Chan, releasing the non-album single "Thunderless" in 2022.[9] Following Hand Rolled Cigarette, Liu and Au received numerous film scoring offers, and they have cited the score's positive reception within the industry established their signature style.[7][8] From 2022 to 2023, they collaborated on films such as Let It Ghost[zh], A Guilty Conscience, Yum Investigation[zh], It Remains[zh], Dust to Dust[zh], and Time Still Turns the Pages, as well as the ViuTV series Left On Read[zh].[7][8] They were nominated for Best Original Film Score in the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards for Time Still Turns the Pages,[10] and they have been invited to serve as music directors for the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards in 2025.[7]
