Harvesting energy for the Fall

Throwback photos: a few moments from Labor Day 2016 weekend when I moved back to LA from SF.

It’s been eight years (!!!) since I’ve moved back home to LA after 10 years of living in the Bay Area. I moved back Labor Day weekend in 2016. My whole family and even Kiwi our sweet Jindo pup who was only 5 at the time road tripped up to help me pack up my things. After a weekend hopping around the city, we drove back down together. It was a bittersweet, emotional weekend to say goodbye to a place I had essentially grown up in during my formative years. It was during this transition that I started my blog and newsletter. What a journey it’s been these past eight years, cultivating new roots back in LA. Despite some breaks in between the years, I continue to write and for that I’m grateful.

When a new month approaches in the year, I also like to look up its spiritual meaning or what it represents. Learning about each month’s themes and meanings helps provide a framework of guidance, grounding, motivation and energy to channel towards various parts of my life.

As summer transitions into autumn, September represents change and transition–what must I let go in order to make space for new beginnings? 

Known as the harvest month, September also signifies growth and abundance–what have I harvested and worked hard through this past year that allows me pause and grace to celebrate and revel in gratitude?

Summer highlight: 임윤찬 Yunchan Lim at the Hollywood Bowl

“I made up my mind that I will live my life only for the sake of music, and I decided that I will give up everything for music… I wanted my music to become deeper, and if that desire reached the audience, I’m satisfied.” —Yunchan Lim 임윤찬 

What a beautiful and powerful statement from 20-year-old Korean pianist Yunchan Lim. I had the privilege of seeing him perform with the LA Philharmonic and legendary conductor and music director of the LA Phil, Gustavo Dudamel at the Hollywood Bowl on Thursday.

My mom of course was the first person to put me onto Yunchan so we went together. I attribute my love for music and concerts to her so this was special. We were so excited for the concert we bought tickets as soon as they released back in May for the Summer season at the Bowl. One of my favorite things about summers in LA are concerts at the iconic Hollywood Bowl.

Yunchan’s performance was beautiful and mesmerizing. I felt joy and pride in seeing a young Korean musician showcasing his talents while the audience sat quietly entranced as he played Beethoven’s Piano concerto No.5, “Emperor.” You could palpably feel everyone’s minds being blown by his exceptional talent, myself included.

Born in Siheung, Korea, he enrolled in piano lessons at 7 which I read is considered a bit later compared to other piano prodigies who begin learning at a younger age. He went on to become the youngest winner ever of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at the age of 18. I highly recommend watching Yunchan’s winning performance from that competition even if for a moment. The amount of hours of practice and dedication to arrive at this stage at only 20 years old is admirable and remarkable. Even though I never continued my piano lessons, watching him perform was motivation for me to continue to nurture my own creative pursuits and passions.. Never give up y’all!

August gems playlist round-up:

Listen to the full playlist here.

That Mexican OT ft. Curren$y and LE$ - 1982
Texas rapper That Mexican OT is one of my favorite discoveries from last year. My dearest bff Chrystal put me onto his hit song “Johnny Dang” that put him further into the spotlight. I love his flow, and I’ve also been enjoying the Texas Technician album he released in May and of course his collab with Denzel Curry on “Black Flag Freestyle.” “1982” is another cruise-worthy single.

Billy Lemos & spilltab - Chip Away
Billy Lemos is a talented producer born and raised in Iowa and currently based in LA.I love his production style—creative, unique beats woven through interesting textures and samples that allow the featured artist to also shine in harmony. I love this one in collaboration with spilltab. It reminds me of the end of summer or something I’d play as the sun is setting.

Yaeji - booboo
I remember catching a clip of Yaeji dropping “booboo” during her Boiler Room Brooklyn Mirage set and was instantly hooked by its energy. I love her inclusions of singing in Korean like when she sings repeatedly in the intro, “If you’re sleepy, go home.” “booboo” feels like a reminder that summer isn’t over yet (we still have until September 22), and it features a sample of the hook from her 2017 hit, “raingurl.” It was interesting to read about what she processed after all the success she experienced following “raingurl.” Via Stereogum, she shared: “i think with anything — a little breathing room, a little break — distance makes the heart grow fonder. with the overpowering attention that came from “raingurl,” i took a break from clubbing, dance music, and the underground scene, but in that time away from it all, it’s allowed me to gain new perspective and a deeper appreciation for it. this year is the 10-year mark for many of the parties my friends and i used to go to, so “booboo” coming out now feels like full circle moment. and with my closest friends — who i’ve witnessed grow as DJs and start their own labels, throwing parties & having fun, all while creating a radical and safe space, it’s been so fun being their cheerleader and now rejoining them in the club, front right!” I’ve been a long-time fan of Yaeji, and she just seems like the coolest person. I hope to work with her one day.

SUMIN and Slom - Just a Breakup
I’m digging SUMIN and Slom’s “Just a Breakup” intro track off their MINISERIES 2 album which is a delightful adventure to listen through that draws influences from hip hop to electronic to jazz and of course K-Pop. I love the influence of Brazilian bossa nova in this song “Just a Breakup” in particular. SUMIN is a multifaceted artist, singer-songwriter and producer who’s produced for BTS, Red Velvet and more. Slom is a talented producer who was born in the Bay Area but moved to Korea when he was a child. He’s been producing for many artists in the Korean hip hop scene like Zion.T. The effortless collaboration between these two greats on MINISERIES 2 has me going back to explore their first MINISERIES album.

Whilewesleep - Act II, Scene IV
Whilewesleep is a reminder that the youth are doing more than all right. They’re doing great. I love this song especially the grungy chorus and instrumental breakdown at the end. This one is a particular personal gem because it’s only been in recent years that I got to reconnect with Seb Yu, the main singer and guitarist of Whilewesleep. Seb is my sweet cousin Jenny’s son, but I like to call him my nephew. It’s been a special experience to reunite and bond over our shared love for music. I’m so proud to support him. Hearing him navigate through the last years of high school and embark on his college journey all while hearing the music he’s creating and performing at some shows I’ve gotten to attend have been healing even for me. It’s helped me reconnect with my inner teen to let her know she’s turning out more than all right too. Please support young artists, bands and musicians in your local communities!

Catch you in the Fall,
Jane Shin

Springing forward

Happy Saturday, it's been a while since I've written. It's officially Spring, a new season, which means new opportunities to set goals, let go of things that are holding you back and start things anew. You can choose to at any moment in time of course, but I love how the changing of the seasons is an opportunity to step back, make the changes you need and move forward. "To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose..."

How's everything with you?

At this point, I feel that with every letter I write, I'll be celebrating the next anniversary of my return to LA. It's nearing 7 months so far. It only feels appropriate to mention until it gets old and/or I feel more settled in. There are a lot of moving parts, but suffice to say, I'm loving it and learning a lot. Here's a recap with the latest on my end.

I wrote a few things in these past few months:

• Most recently, I interviewed Little Simz for Mass Appeal. I wanted to capture her reflections on the growth she's experienced over the years, in light of the release of her second album Stillness in Wonderland and as she continues to remain independent. She's a star. I'm grateful to continue to support her as I reflect on my own growth over the years.
• I wrote about and premiered a track "Sleeping on Gold" by producer Park Ave, notably known for co-produing Isaiah Rashad's single "Park" from The Sun's Tirade. Check out the story and interview compilation.
• I contributed a post on setting up your first online release for Stem's blog which is geared towards articles on artist development and support. If you haven't heard of Stem, they help make it easier for artists to get paid online. Check it out.
• I wrote artist profiles on my good friend and artist Mark Redito and Seoul-based singer-songwriter and producer Neon Bunny in support of the recent Likido showcase that happened at the Globe Theater last weekend.

New beginnings:

• I started a new gig at Spotify as a creative writer and producer on their Video Originals team. I write, pitch and help shape creative concepts for videos centered on artist content. New videos are delivered every Friday to the Rap Caviar playlist on Spotify which is where they're starting to test out videos. I'm excited to flex my writing skills in another way and use more creative muscle.  Shows and events:

I've been to a handful of shows since I last wrote to you on Valentine's Day (it's been a minute!) 

• 2/19: Noname and Ravyn Lenae at The Regent. Noname's Telefone was one of my favorites last year, so it was a treat to see her live. In the middle of her set, she donned a glittery, red custom cape and wore red sunnies. I felt like I was in the presence of a queen. Ravyn Lenae was lovely as well. I particularly liked that she took the time to share the significance behind each song. She also envisions color ways for each of her songs, so it was a treat to imagine them while listening and watching her perform. 
• 2/25: (Re)present: Black women in front of and behind the camera: Dana Washington, Kayla Reefer, Oriana Koren and Sophia Nahli Allison. I appreciated the time and energy these incredibly talented women took to share about their work, perspectives and the challenges they face in the industry where they are underrepresented, highlighting the importance of raising visibility of black women in media, both in front of and behind the camera. Representation matters. This was held at Las Fotos Project, which is a great non-profit photography program in LA geared towards positively influencing and supporting teenage girls facing adversity in LA. 
• 2/25: Quentin Miller at The Airliner. Quentin Miller is an Atlanta-based rapper who's collaborated with Drake on If You're Reading This It's Too Late. Check out this recent track produced by Childish Major called "Darkside" that's a good one to bump to in the car.
• 2/26: Good Posture turns 1.5. Artist Theo Martins, whom I've written about in a previous letter, celebrated 1.5 years of his line. He's also opening up a cereal bar at an awesome shop called Virgil Normal worth checking out if you're ever visiting LA.
• 3/7: Isaiah Rashad at The Observatory. Drove down to The Observatory in Santa Ana for the first time to catch Isaiah Rashad on one of his last stops of The Lil Sunny Tour. Cheers to Zay for selling out every single one of his shows on the tour that started in January.
• 3/19: The Laundromat at Lock & Key - This is a little party that happens every Sunday evening at the bar Lock & Key in Koreatown. My friend Modi just recently made his DJing debut as Coach Bombay (if you know the reference, you know what's up) so I had to come out to support. It's a chill, kick-back style where you can hear good tunes, eat and drink to your heart's content to conclude the weekend on a good note.
• 3/20: Little Simz at The Echoplex. What more can I say about Little Simz? If you haven't seen her live yet, please do yourself a favor. She blows a lot of rappers out of the water when it comes to live performances. As she mentioned in her interview with me about her spare time, she truly uses her spare time to tour all over the world. 
• 3/23: Yeek, KeithCharles Spacebar, and DUCKWRTH at The Bootleg Theater. This was a fun show. Yeek is one of my new favorite artists because of the way he blends both indie and hip hop together. His songs will both get you in the feels and make you want to dance. One of my favorites from Awful Records' KeithCharles Spacebar is the song "About Me" in what I feel is a statement about our interactions on social media–"You heard about me but don't know nothing about me." DUCKWRTH's energy draws you in immediately, and he was truly made for the stage. 
• 3/24: Likido showcase with Princess Nokia, Seiho, Bae Tokyo, Neon Bunny, DJ Clickbait and Mark Redito at The Globe Theatre. Likido's mission is to promote underrepresented groups and build an inclusive space within the electronic and dance music scene. This particular showcase was special because of the different acts on the lineup, from rappers like Princess Nokia to Japanese dance music producers like Seiho. The diversity of the lineup was reflected in the crowd as well. Hats off to Mark for creating and organizing these important showcases in music.

Health and wellness:

• I've been cruising on the skateboard whenever I have a chance to. I'd like to expand my skills and land some tricks, but for now, finding balance is good too.
• I heard on a podcast recently that a good trick to relaxing and letting go is to wish other people happiness and you'll feel lighter. Think of some people that may have frustrated you or stirred some of your emotions. Wish them happiness and you'll feel your mood uplift instantly.  

And finally, everyone's seen Kendrick Lamar's new video, "Humble," right? 

All right, this is a substantial update since I hadn't written in more than a month! I hope to find a good rhythm to keep this going. I'm contemplating whether it makes sense to move this content to a blog for ultimately better reading. Let me know if you've got any thoughts on that and feel free to drop in to say hey.

p.s. You can also find me on Twitter, SoundCloud and Instagram.