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The musical roots of producer\/DJ\/recording artist Tokimonsta extend in some fascinating directions. Jennifer Lee is Tokimonsta, and though her music is generally classified as electronica and instrumental hip-hop, she comes from a classical background. That musical foundation is something she seems to distance herself from and embrace in equal measure.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I was playing classical piano, the restrictions and rules didn\u2019t interest me very much,\u201d she says. \u201cWhat I did love about the classical pieces themselves is how they really told a story.\u201d Lee notes that classical music generally avoids repetition; that aesthetic \u2013 somewhat unique within the world of dance and electronic pop \u2013 is something she takes to mind in her own music.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really like when my music is able to take someone on a journey and tell a story,\u201d Lee says, \u201cand has peaks and valleys of emotion. I wouldn\u2019t be making the music I do today if I didn\u2019t have that classical background.\u201d In her own music \u2013 showcased on more than a dozen singles, 5 EPs and 5 full-length albums including the new Lune Rouge<\/i> \u2013 she finds that beats and melody coexist naturally.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I create a song, I don\u2019t start off with just one piece,\u201d Lee says. She tends to sequence pieces as she goes along, allowing her to create balance. \u201cObviously, there are always first and second drafts,\u201d she says. \u201cSo whenever I have too many ideas going on at once, there\u2019s a refining process afterward: ‘Okay. Song sounds a little frantic. I\u2019m gonna need to go and take some aspects away or let that thing breathe and create room.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Working within a constantly-innovating genre means that learning never stops. \u201cWhen you make electronic music, or when you\u2019re a producer, so much of it is [about] how well you know your tools,\u201d Lee says. \u201cAnd even if you know your tools, new ones come out. And then it’s about how well you know those.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tokimonsta is one of the headlining artists for this year’s Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival (see separate article); she tops the bill the festival’s opening night at House of Yes. And the varied, unpredictable nature of her music is reflected in her approach to that set. \u201cI don’t want to give too much away,\u201d Lee says. But she allows that \u201cYou\u2019ll be able to go to deep places as well as move your feet around.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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