Meet the Mentor | aekasora
Photo courtesy of aekasora.
The COUNTERCLOCK Arts Collective is an online, 8-week fellowship program that allows creative writers, visual artists, and musicians to explore, illuminate, and grow through collaborating on interdisciplinary projects. Learn more about the Arts Collective here. For the next weeks leading up to the application deadline, we will be featuring mini-interviews with 2020 mentors.
About the Mentor
aekasora is an Indian-American lo-fi musician from Virginia. His music, both deeply nostalgic and magically whimsical, is inspired by artists like Nujabes and Jdilla. His previous albums include “runaway dream“ (2017), “Simple Things” (2018), “Lofi Series” (2017), and “Lofi Series Vol. 2” (2017), accruing over 4 million listens collectively across Spotify and Soundcloud. You can listen to his music here and here.
CAC: Could you briefly introduce yourself and your discipline? Why did you choose this discipline?
A: I’m aekasora, a first-generation Indian-American born and raised in Virginia. As a hobby, I have been making music for over 7 years now. I decided to try my hand at making music after I first discovered Nujabes, who has been one of the most significant influences in both my music and personal life.
CAC: Why do you make lo-fi music? When did you realize it was something you wanted to pursue?
A: I began listening to artists like Nujabes and Jdilla in high school, and that was when I began making music that tried to follow their style. I don’t think it was until I listened to Harbor LP by Tomppabeats that I consciously focused on a lo-fi theme in my music. I loved the sound, so I began focusing on it for all of my tracks.
CAC: Can you discuss the last project(s) that have meant the most to you? This can be an album, song, or another musical initiative.
A: One of the most important initiatives that I had the opportunity to participate in was a feedback session with 9th Wonder. This session included sitting down with 9th Wonder and having him listen to my music, giving feedback where needed. Another part of the session included a competition with other artists at a local music venue. The three-day initiative exposed me to other musicians in my local area and gave me new ideas on how to proceed with my music.
CAC: What are you currently working on in your artistic life?
A: I am currently working on a new lo-fi album, and hope to have it completed by the end of this summer. I recently released a compilation album called “Runaway Dream.” It includes tracks that were not previously available for download.
CAC: Can you briefly discuss your creation of the works “path of the wind” and “one day in japan”? How does an idea come to fruition through your process?
A: Both tracks are sampled based, and both began with feelings of nostalgia. I decided to create “path of the wind” simply because I am a fan of Studio Ghibli. “one day in japan” came about in a similar fashion when I was listening to the soundtrack of Samurai Champloo. When I’m listening to music that inspires me, I try to create something that evokes the emotions I experience when I’m listening to it, whether it be nostalgia or something different.
CAC: Why did you decide to mentor for the 2020 Arts Collective?
A: I felt it would be a great opportunity to connect with like-minded musicians. Coming off a hiatus in making music, this might inspire some of my future work.
CAC: Is there anything else you would like us to know?
A: You can out my SoundCloud here!
Sarah Feng is the editor-in-chief of COUNTERCLOCK Journal and the director of the Arts Collective. Her creative writing has been awarded by the Poetry Society of the United Kingdom, the National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the Adroit Prizes in Prose & Poetry, NCTE, the Critical Pass Review, American High School Poets, the Leyla Beban Young Author’s Foundation, Teen Vogue, and the New York Times. She plays piano and dabbles in charcoals, and she thinks rhythm and light and lyric pulse in every field of the creative arts – if you can call them distinct fields at all. In other words, she has faith in the power of the interdisciplinary arts and their persistence in our memories and minds. She studies at Yale University.