"I just wanna make art that’s hard to make, that tells honest stories, and that means something – anything. As long as I feel like I’m turning out stuff that’s challenged me in some way to materialise it, then I’m growing, and that’s a success worth obtaining."
TRAKTIVIST is essentially a collection of stories & storytellers through art. Through these interviews, our aim is to give each artist the ability to provide a glimpse of their art, dynamic experiences, and life perspectives.
Who are you and what do you do?
Paul Chin – designer to some, producer to others, friend to all.
In five words, how would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard it?
The EDM equivalent of folk music. EmoDeeEm, is the term coined by Turntable Lab.
Tell us a story of transformation; musical, identity, or something that has played a key role in change in your life.
In chronological order:
➼ My mom put me in piano lessons at 4 and never let me quit
➼ I became a Christian, and grew up in church
➼ I learnt and played a bunch of instruments in school bands
➼ I moved to Costa Rica after high school, where I had to really take ownership of my musicianship since I had no structured lessons for the two years I was there
➼ I grew to hate my thesis program in undergrad, so I really dove into my music as a form of escapism
➼ I met a girl and fell in love with her
➼ I struggled to find work as designer for a long time, so I really started pushing my DJing to supplement income
➼ I had to leave Canada, due to some immigration woes
➼ I got engaged to said girl
These are all the key life events (as far as I can remember) that pretty much constitute the lens through which I view the world and, as such, guide my music-making.
Describe a place, either geographically, socially, or emotionally that has driven, or continues to drive, your creative process.
Toronto. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted in life. The one place in the world that vibrates at the same frequency as me, right now.
How does the “Asian American” identity play out in your musical universe?
I'm not really sure it does. I mean, ethnic and national identities are equally communally understood, as well as what the members of those communities make of it, so it may or may not be present for me on any given day. That said, I’m the least asian-looking asian, and Canada’s immigration policies have made it abundantly clear what they think of me, sooooo...
Describe your community. How do you make your community?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Especially being so far removed from my closest friends in various communities (design, music, church, etc.), I’m finding it very hard to be away from them, and very hard to maintain those ties in the midst of the emotional struggle. There’s definitely something to be said about physical proximity, even as we have all these incredible tools to stay linked through digital means. Personally, I prefer to talk, empathise, collaborate, and even fight with people in my life when I can look into their eyes.
What is your personal definition of success? What are your keys to success as an artist?
I just wanna make art that’s hard to make, that tells honest stories, and that means something – anything. As long as I feel like I’m turning out stuff that’s challenged me in some way to materialise it, then I’m growing, and that’s a success worth obtaining. Having people like my stuff is a great bonus, but I really hope those people have made the decision to like my stuff even after some of it’s made them uncomfortable.
If you were given the opportunity to create a world, what would be in that world?
Man, I don’t know! I think, ideally, it’d be a world identical to this one in its potential for unbelievable creativity, but it’d be a world where people talk to each other more. Where people say what’s really on their minds, and recognise that humility – recognising your own faults – is not weakness.
What’s your motto or an advice you that live by?
Make something, make anything. God can still live in the broken things, and there’s grace for when you get it wrong.
Paul Chin is currently working on his album, as well as remixes for Mieke, Sophia Danai, and LEO37.
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Discover more about Paul Chin:
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/ohyeahpaulchin
Facebook: https://facebook.com/ohyeahpaulchin
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ohyeahpaulchin
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ohyeahpaulchin
Bandcamp: https://music.ohyeahpaulchin.com
Tumblr: https://ohyeahpaulchin.com