Formula Indie Sessions Interview with AdjeLead
What is your earliest memory connected to music?
When I was two years old, I was dancing to Michael Jackson’s music and the moment was video taped and pictured. Behind, it is MJ’s Yokohama live in 1987 on screen.
How did your passion for creating music begin?
When I met my 3rd grade teacher, who played guitar and sang, the relationship with him led me to discover the Beatles. I always told him he looked like John Lennon and he always responded that I was the only person to tell him that (He appreciated it). I started playing guitar in 4th grade, learnt chords, and joined a big band as a drummer in 5th grade. Started studying music academically including the piano and percussion at 16 y.o. Enrolled in a music college and started writing a song.
What’s the story behind your current music project?
I assume all men experience some hair loss as they age. So I decided to shave it. If you shave your hair as an Asian man, the only choice to be some kind of a musical star figure is a monk. AdjeLead is pronounced as Ah-juh-Lii, in Chinese letter 阿闍梨, meaning a high ranked monk. I am studying music in discipline and experienced a lot of things even in the dark side. So, I changed one letter to 暗闍梨, meaning a dark monk. I am the monk that pops from the dark side.
How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music before?
Meticulous, beautiful, funky, big fat 80s, classically educated, rock, pop, pink-colored, EDM
What is one thing you’ve learned that completely changed the way you make music?
Studying all the classical piano scale (I bet 24 keys, major and minor)
What tools, instruments, or software are essential in your creative process?
Piano, Logic X
Which indie artist or song are you loving right now?
Brook Colucci (@RockAngel_, the drummer)
How have your personal experiences influenced your music and artistic vision?
The life in NYC influenced me a lot. The current struggling and anger made me understand 90s hip hop music such as B.I.G, Snoop Dogg, Lady of Rage.
What emotions or messages do you hope listeners take from your work?
I want them to know my music is well composed and structured, even if it is EDM or pop. I have created a writing method and genere, pre-med, meaning premeditated. It is well planned, composed based on academic music study and legends such as MJ, B.I.G, The Beatles etc.
What’s the most important lesson music has taught you so far?
It is money consuming, never pays a rent, but keeps you alive when at rock bottom.
What is a dream venue or festival you would love to perform at?
Venue: Madison Square Garden
Festival: Ultra, Summertine Ball, SXSW
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Michael Jackson, Machine Gun Kelly (met in 2008 b4 famous), B.I.G. John Lennon, Carlos Santana. Diddy. I grew up listening to them. I met MGK in Cleveland in 2008 and at the Apollo audition in NYC in 2009.
Where can our listeners follow and support your music? (Website,Spotify, IG, links)
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/7wLwXZlOpDIH8BfCIKQPMI?si=DoVYLeHTQfSJe3Ak0CoVbg
Instagram (coming soon)
Looking toward the future, what’s your dream for the next chapter of your musical journey?
Superstar
What do you hope listeners will discover about you along the way?
I want to encourage people with alopecia or any other issues which occurred unexpectedly that you can still come to my show and be a pop monk. Recently one of my friends developed vitiligo (MJ disease.) You never know what’s gonna happen in life.
If you want here you can add a representative Youtube video to insert below the interview 🙂
None but thank you.
