Kloxii Li (Kloh-shee-Lee) is a Chinese music producer/artist native in Hunan who operates across her adoptive hometown of Los Angeles and Berlin. Her sound oscillates between leftfield experimental pop utilizing her vocalizations of creative bilingual writing and trip-hop/textural beats with a foundation of ambient ethereal soundscapes. Li’s productions have found their way into Tricky’s False Idols label, Lex Records, Sound Blanc by Modern Sky Records, as well as landing her an artist residency at Acud Macht Neu for Amplify Berlin with Marie Davidson. Kloxii also co-hosts her own radio show ‘Near Momentary’ with Hinako Omori on Worldwide FM and HKC where they explore their roots through a variety of Asian music and poetry.
As you are based far away from the place of your origin – Hunan, China – it’s very interesting how you see life in Los Angeles and Berlin… How have those places and your roots influenced you?
After traveling back and forth between cities for 4 years I’ve realised life between LA and Berlin is like a double-edged sword. I lived on both sides of the extreme in terms of weather and culture and at the same time, I’ve also experienced the best of both worlds. On the positive side, living constantly on the move provides me with new inspiration and ideas when I arrive somewhere and start indulging in new experiences. The downside is that it takes a while to settle into new environments and get the creative flow in action. My sound is definitely influenced by my environment and the constant state of motion in my life. Moving at a young age from China to the West and experiencing a completely different culture has also motivated me to search inwards (and outwards) for my own heritage and how it contrasts against the new culture I find myself in. Searching for a sense of familiarity in the unfamiliar is something that I deal with constantly.
Tell us about your musical influences & how your journey with music started to be a main part of your life.
Growing up in China there was limited Western music and we got exposed mainly to Chinese country folk songs and some Cantonese pop songs. Only until the 2000s did I start listening to a Chinese artist called Faye Wong, who is sort of a mixture of The Cranberries and Cocteau Twins. Her style had a lasting impact on me but I had no clue who Cocteau Twins or The Cranberries were until I migrated to the U.S. I would say my music is my own personal take on experimental pop but my sound definitely draws upon genres like trip-hop, synth-pop, and post-punk.
Unlike many other stories I’ve heard, I did not start learning about making music when I was a teenager, I actually started in my late 20s . As an immigrant, it took me longer to learn and understand myself in the new environment I was in, as I had to focus on my survival instinct for years and learn about the new place and culture. After I graduated I worked in the fashion design industry for many years. Hustlin a 9 to 5 job in the creative field dimmed my spirit and gave me anxiety issues and felt I was not being my true self . It took this for me to realize I was heading towards a dead end. I needed another way to express myself and release all the pain and trauma I’ve experienced. The first thing I thought of was trying out producing music and I went for it. At the time I had zero experience but long story short ever since I started this musical journey everything has turned out to be magical for me. It’s been challenging but a rewarding journey of healing and introspection.
请告诉我们你的音乐影响以及你的音乐之旅如何开始成为你生活的主要部分。
在我在中国的那个时期长大， 西方音乐资源非常有限， 比较多的就是西方的交响乐。我们主要接触的是中国民谣和一些粤语流行歌曲。直到2000 年代， 我才开始听王菲的歌。她对我来说就是“ The Cranberries ” 和“ Cocteau Twins ” 的混合体。她的风格对我产生了持久的影响， 但那个时候我并不知道“ Cocteau Twins ” 或“ The Cranberries ” 是谁， 直到我移民到美国。我可以说我的音乐是我个人对实验流行音乐的一个创作， 但我的声音是被各种流派比如trip – hop , synth pop 和post – punk 影响来摄取灵感。
You developed a vast range of electronic sounds, always remaining strongly coherent & blurring the lines in a very cinematic way. How would you describe your musical landscape yourself?
It’s hard for me to express myself with words sometimes because the meaning of words sometimes is not enough for me to feel the full effect of what I’m trying to express through language. My trilingual background sometimes leads me to mix things up between English, Mandarin and Cantonese. Sometimes I mix all 3 of them to express myself precisely in the way I want. Blurring the lines and edges of different things can lead to new and interesting results whether it’s language or sound. This process helps me open myself in a way in which I can create new ways of self expression whether it’s through singing, spoken word or even sound design. I want to make sounds and sonic landscapes that take the listener to a new place, somewhere strange but with a sense of familiarity. A setting that comes to mind is an eerie but beautiful abandoned castle in a forest. It feels strange and uneasy but at the same time there’s something nostalgic about it that makes me feel at home.
We had the pleasure to listen to your live music performance inside of Kraftwerk, Berlin’s iconic former power plant during the NFT art Berlin event – an extraordinary synthesis of art and electronic music presented by Bright Moments Gallery. It was a blast to see it as a public. How do you memorize it and the preparation of your tools & skills for your show?
Performing at an iconic venue as Kraftwerk was a one of a kind experience. When I attended Berlin Atonal for the first time in 2017 I felt so immersed in this incredible space, so it was an honor to be able to perform there and I want to thank the Bright Moments team for this opportunity. The team put on massive effort and curation for the first IRL NFT minting art experiences in Berlin. The space really give a sense of home and calmness. While I was performing, I was in the zone so much I actually forgot what was going on for a moment in time. The set list I prepared is made up of songs I composed after Atonal in 2017 so it’s kind of a full circle moment for me playing the songs that were inspired by this space. Some of the tracks improvisation in which I remixed the tracks live into new songs that would amplify the vibe I was aiming for.
我们很高兴在柏林N F T 艺术活动期间， 在柏林标志性的前发电厂Kraftwerk内聆 听了你的现场音乐表演–这是由Bright Mom e n t s 画廊呈现的艺术和电子音乐的 非凡综合。作为一个公众， 看到它是一件很开心的事。你是如何感受它的，以及 为你的表演准备工具和技能的?
在K r a f t w e r k 这样一个标志性的场所演出是一种独一无二的体验。当我在2 0 1 7 年第一次参加柏林A t o n a l 音乐节时， 我感到非常沉浸在这个令人难以置信的空间，所以能够在那里表演是一种荣誉， 我想感谢B r i g h t M o m e n t s 团队提供的这个机会。该团队为柏林的第一次真人 NFT艺术体验付出了巨大的努力和策划。这个空间给我一种澎湃和平静感。在我表演的时候，我非常沉浸在这个庞大的环境里，一瞬间我忘记了正在发生的事情可能比较沉醉在自己的表演状态里。我准备的歌是由我参加2 0 1 7 年《A t o n a l 》之后得到灵感的创作组成的。 非常意想不到我能有机会把这个空间启发的歌曲最后可以在这个场地表演出来。还有些曲目是即兴创作的，现场混音成新的歌曲而表现出这个场地的氛围。
What’s your favorite live performance setup? How is the process of picking up your equipment, do you stick to your favorite tools, or rather do you prefer to constantly try some new ones?
My live setup consists of Ableton, a Eurorack effect processor, a Looper, and a Soma Pipe. Through Ableton I am able to have available a variety of stems from my songs and trigger them as I feel in throughout the performance these are then mixed with my vocals through the Soma Pipe and I send different elements of the tracks through multiple channels of outs to the Eurorack and other effects that create an ambiance. This gives my performance a sense of improvisation since I am melding together pieces of different songs of mine but giving a new context in which they can be reinterpreted into new pieces and create new songs. Throughout the performance, I use my looper to retain certain phrases and ideas that came about through the improv and then I repeat the process with them. Again I am creating an atmosphere of unease but with a sense of familiarity.
我的现场表演设备包括A b l e t o n 、一个E u r o r a c k 效果处理器、声音循环器， 和一个Soma Pipe。通过Ableton，我可以从我的歌曲中获得各种素材，并在整个表演过程中根据我的感觉触发这些我创作的音乐素材， 然后通过Soma Pipe与我的人声混合，我有很多不同的声道从a b l e t o n 输出将不同的曲目元素发送到Eurorack来创造氛围的特效。这使我的表演有即兴创作，因为我把我的不同歌曲的片段混合在一起。在这个背景下， 它们可以被重新解释为新的片段，创造出新的歌曲。在整个表演过程中，我还使用一个声音循环器来即兴发声在不停的混音产出新的声音， 一层一层的在录好的声音上叠声音，然后我在重复这个过程来创造一种不安又熟悉的气氛。
You had an opportunity and was chosen for an art residency at Acud Macht Neu for Amplify Berlin with Marie Davidson. How was the experience and how do you see your mentorship as the way to grow?
The Amplify Berlin residency I undertook with Marie Davidson was a key moment in my journey so far. It helped me kickstart the development of my live performance, trying out different gear, techniques and approaches through trial and error and finding a set up that fits my needs. Since the residency started, Marie has become a friend and we’ve kept in touch. I enjoy talking with her about a variety of topics we both enjoy like spirituality and Chinese medicine. Marie is such an authentic and grounded person, she’s great at keeping me on track and reminds me about reflecting over many stages in life. The experience overall was amazing and it’s led to many opportunities since, I’m very grateful to the Amplify team, my co-mentee and Marie for giving me the chance to undertake this unique experience together.
你并被选中在Acud Macht Neu 与Marie Davidson 一起参加 Amplify Berlin 的艺术驻留活动。这段经历如何， 你如何看待你的导师和这次的深造过程?
我与M a r i e D a v i d s o n 一起参加的A m p l i f y B e r l i n 驻场活动是我迄今为止在音乐旅程中的一个关键点。它帮助我启动和学习现场表演的发展， 通过试尝试不同的装备、技术和方法， 并找到适合我需要的设置。自从我开始这个a m p l i f y 的音乐旅程， M a r i e 已经成为一个朋友， 我们现在都一直保持着联系。我们喜欢的各种话题都很相似， 如一些深层的冥想， 心灵鸡汤还有中国文化的中草药保健身体的话题。M a r i e 是一个很真情和接地气的人非常的有正面能量带领我保持正确的方向， 并提醒我在人生的许多阶段进行反思。这个经历总体上是令我惊奇的， 它带来了许多机会， 我非常感谢A m p l i f y 团队、我的合作者J o n 和M a r i e 让我有机会一起进行这个独特的经历。
Tell us more about your radio show ‘Near Momentary’ which you host. How do you envision and plan it ? How do you find & pick the artists for the show?
Near Momentary is a music project and radio show that started together with my lovely friend Hinako Omori who is an amazing Japanese music producer and artist based in London. when we first started connecting it was through Instagram and soon we realized we had similar experiences growing up as Asian immigrants in Western countries and being musicians. We decided to start Near Momentary as a way to explore our cultural heritage within a safe space that we are able to curate and take in different directions accordingly. The main focus of the show is to help us reconnect with our roots and feature artists with similar backgrounds from the Far East and Southeast Asia. For the future we’re looking into expanding the show to include a podcast format where we can also interview different Asian artists and share their stories with our audience.
N e a r m o m e n t a r y 是一个音乐项目和广播节目， 与我的一个好朋友H i n a k o O m o r i 一起开始， 她是一个了不起的日本英国籍音乐制作人和艺术家。当我们第一次开始联系时， 是通过I n s t a g r a m ， 很快我们意识到我们有类似的经历， 作为亚洲移民在西方国家成长的小孩， 我们两个的体验非常相似。所以我们决定创办N e a r M o m e n t a r y ， 作为一个我们的安全的空间来探索我们的文化一种方式， 我们能够相应地策划和采取不同的方向。这个节目的主要重点是帮助我们与我们的文化根源重新联系， 并介绍来自远东和东南亚的具有类似背景的艺术家。对于未来， 我们正在考虑扩大这个节目， 包括参访的形式， 我们也可以采访不同的亚洲艺术家， 与我们的观众分享他们的故事。
This question is a bit tricky and might sound even cheesy… who is your favourite artist ever? Do you have any direct inspiration, which changed your life forever ?
Usually, I find myself liking an artist’s work in different periods of my life. Faye Wong was my first exposure to music that contains a mixture of all the elements I love drawing inspiration from, such as lush ambient landscapes and unique textures & rhythms. Inspirations come from the 90s, and 2000s to trip hop and synth pop.My sound is a distinct mixture of artists like Massive Attack, Depeche Mode, and Faye Wong. These artists have helped shape my sonic palette and influenced how I process sounds and the direction I’ve chosen in my search for a unique sound.
通常我在人生不同阶段时期都会喜欢不同的艺术家和作品。王菲是我第一次接触到的音乐， 它包含了我喜欢的所有元素的混合还有节奏。我的灵感来自于9 0 年代、2 0 0 0 年代的T r i p H o p 和S y n t h P o p 。像M a s s i v e A t t a c k 、D e p e c h e M o d e 和王菲等艺术家。 我几乎就是这些音乐人的混合体。 这些艺术家帮助塑造了我的声音调色板， 以及我决定如何处理声音和在寻找我创作的选择的方向。
If you could choose one place on Earth to go to work on the music project, where would it be and why?
Ableton is loaded with samples. For me it would be a place that ignites a feeling of melancholy and nostalgia. These kinds of places align with my creativity and they match my sound so my inspiration f e e l s boosted by the environment. I feel my music reflects the setting of a foggy abandoned castle in some forest so this would be exactly the kind of place I would love to create in. It’s the sort of place isolated from outside noise and distractions. A place where no one would bother to come or interrupt my creative flow, which gives me a sense of peace to pursue my musical output.
