We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Kwon to talk about his new EP Collections. Self-described as a “creative mind-dump,” Collections is available now wherever you stream your music!
Can you talk about the inspiration for your Collections EP?
If we’re talking about music I can’t really pinpoint one specific artist but I would have to say Moderat, Tourist, and Glass Animals were a few. Also all of the music my friends are making would definitely be included!
Why do you describe the project as a “creative mind dump”?
That’s exactly what it was. I started these songs without any direction in mind, it was simply what came to head went down on paper (in my case, Ableton). There was no overthinking during the process, it was just a creative release.
In relation to this, there seems to be a lot of cave imagery in this EP. Can you speak to that?
Absolutely! Back in high school, my teacher made us read a lot of philosophical novels and one book stuck out to me. That book was the Allegory of the Cave by Plato. So when I was putting this project together, the only thing that kept coming to my head were caves, so naturally I stuck with it. Each part represents the world each song resides in. I felt like the visual piece was just as important as the music, so I wanted continuity throughout it.
You’ve talked about “struggling to find a sound,” but with Collections, you seemed to have found it. Can you describe that journey?
So I’ve been making music for the past eight years, and during those eight years there have been a lot of genres that either got introduced or got reimagined. Throughout all of that, as an early stage creator it was hard for me to gravitate and hone onto one thing because there was so much inspirational music being released it was almost a sensory overload. This EP is a milestone for me as it marks the point where indecisiveness left the equation. That is the journey that Collections portrays.
What was it like to work with Manila Killa & Ramzoid? What did those collaborations bring to the EP?
Honestly, I’ve been working with both Manila and Ramzoid for a number of years now and so its been extremely easy creating with them (I also live with Manila so we create music together almost daily). We all have similar tastes in music which always allows for easier sessions. Both Chris (Manila Killa) and Julien (Ramzoid) are exceptional producers and having them on the EP was an honor.
What are your influences?
Calvin Harris, Benny Blanco, Porter Robinson, and Vulfpeck… I could go on [and on]! But these artists stick out to me because of how they’ve successfully carved a path in music so different from one another. Vulfpeck sold out MSG [Madison Square Garden] without any sort of management, Calvin Harris rarely does live shows unless its for his residency in Vegas, Benny has a cooking show, etc etc. It really just goes to show that as long as you are passionate and have determination you can really do anything.
What are you most excited for in the coming year?
Going to be streaming a bunch due to the COVID outbreak so come catch me on Twitch soon!
Saint Audio 