2. My proudest personal accomplishment: around the end
of 2017 I really wanted to develop the new hobby of
producing and recording music. After a lot of practice
and hundreds of songs that I had written, recorded and
produced myself, I finally released the full length EP
“Century Avenue” under the name of Yung Chloroplast
in 2020 on Spotify. All album art and promotional
content was also created by me.
Personal Achievement
https://open.spotify.com/album/75tnsG0jgulApNbVuCufoC?
si=_33W_57nQS-xDOc695NMuA
3. My biggest regret of all time: not learning an instrument as
a child. I realised that I am infatuated with not just music
but communicating feelings and thoughts through artistic
mediums. After I learned how to use photoshop, I knew it
wasn’t hard to master digital programs even though they
look complicated. Logic Pro X allowed me to attempt my
own style of music without the need to learn instruments;
on the right is just a section of my hardrive filled with
songs I have either scrapped or completed but never
released.
After learning the basics
of combining melodies
with drumbeats, it was
time that I experimented
recording my own
vocals to make a full
song.
Creating Music
4. Whilst constructing the album I understood that I enjoy having complete creative control over the projects
that I am working on. These are past experiments for singles/album covers for the Yung Chloroplast
album release made using photography and Photoshop, the final choice of the purple album cover was
made as the picture I took of my friend in the cinema watching a Marvel movie with whipped cream on
his face thematically encaptured the youthful spirit that I wanted to portray in the Century Avenue EP.
Design Process
5. Mentality
Reflecting on the final product of the album made me realise that
making music really changed my life, I never thought about how
when I am passionate and determined about my work I will fully
remove myself of distractions to complete it. Even though I love
the company of my friends and family, I am completely
comfortable being alone and sinking hours and hours into these
creative projects. It’s so different from communicating my thoughts
verbally as I can be so much more intricate with what I want to
express. I genuinely think that this hobby has made me more
mindful about my mental wellbeing.
6. Making the album is one part of the process but promoting it and getting
people to listen to it is a whole different story. Just having an album
which I believe is high quality cannot create a lasting audience that will
come back to your music. With the help of my friends Kjell and Dylan,
we filmed a short promotional clip which might be memorable when
reposted on social medias like instagram. We also had a photoshoot for
additional album art. I am now more willing to explore new ways of story
telling, not just through graphic design and music.
New Mediums
Click to play promotional video
7. The release of the album further changed my perspective on the world around me when Spotify statistics
had shown me that the EP was played in 31 different countries. Not only did this blow my mind but it
displayed a great level of interaction as people have messaged me from other countries saying that they
love my music. Of course living all these years in China I am exposed to a wide range of cultures but
meeting new people online through mutual love for music and art is an eye opening experience.
International Reach
8. Inspirations &
Finding My Own
Sound
Even after the release of the EP I
think that I have so much more to
improve, I will always acknowledge
the artists who have inspired me in
the creation process. I value
originality so much more now that I
realise how difficult it is to create a
style or a sound which had not
been done before. The search for
my own signature style is a journey
that I will never get bored of.
Don’t Forget About Me, Demos
Dominic FIke
Ballads 1
Joji
Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World
Lil Uzi Vert
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kanye West
GINGER
Brockhampton
Cat Heaven
Roy Blair
9. Self Improvement
The sense that I have improved myself as an artist and as a person
pushes me to continue. Even though I know deep down that if I had 0
listeners and followers, I would still be making music everyday, it feels
gratifying that there is some sort of recognition for the grind that I put
into this hobby of mine. I noticed that what really counts is the work
that doesn’t get seen and the experimentation that I have done in
Logic Pro X. There is a huge entrepreneurial side of being an artist or
musician which isn’t seen by the public eye, uploading your own music
and creations is like running your own business where it becomes
more successful if marketed correctly to the target audience.
