February 2012
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Less than 1 hour aziatix featuring Russell.W on... →
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ARTISTS INSPIRED BY JEFF BUCKLEY | PRODUCER: JAE...
Producer Jae Chong recently spent time with JBIN's own Jaclyn Stewart Young and answered a few questions for us regarding Producing, Writing, Aziatix and his memories and influence from Jeff Buckley !
Jae Chong's professional music career started in the underground hip hop world of Los Angeles during the early 1990s, producing local rap groups such as Baby G, The Funky Few, and Soul Selection. He was one of the three original members of the group "SOLID" (as well as the writer and producer), which was the first R&B group in South Korea with record sales exceeding 4 million. He went on to earn critical acclaim and countless awards and credits for writing and producing for many international superstars.
He was also the first Korean American ever to be nominated for the Best Producer of the Year at the Golden Melody Awards and won various awards for hit albums, two of which were Stanley Huang and Nicky Lee (who he discovered and produced for) who won the Best Male Artist of the Year award at the 2005 and 2006 Golden Melody Awards respectively. 2010, he helped coordinate the collaboration project between JYJ, Kanye West, and Rodney Jerkins.
JBIN: When did you first become interested in music?
JC: I started playing guitar in 1982 when my brother bought an electric guitar. I would sneak it out and play it day and night. I would sit in my room and try to figure out OZZY Osbourne's "BLIZZARD of OZ Z" album by ear all day and night.
JBIN: What instruments do you play & which one is your favorite?
JC: I play the guitar, bass, drums and keyboards. My favorite definitely has to be the guitar. It was my first love.
JBIN: Did you start out as a producer or as a musician first?
JC: I played guitar, bass, and drums in various bands for a long time. That helped me as a producer down the road because I knew how each of those instruments should be played in a piece of music and how they should sound. Later on I also started playing keyboard as a tool to write music.
JBIN: Do you think you will ever go back to performing as a musician?
JC: I would love to. My dream is to play the guitar again in an arena. There's no better feeling than being able to control a HUGE sound with your finger tips.
JBIN: Where does your inspiration come from for your songwriting & producing?
JC: From various things. Mainly from life experiences…happy or sad. They both help me bring different feelings to my songs. Plus, just from listening to a lot of music over the years, I have drawn many influences from different musicians as well.
JBIN: When did you first hear Jeff's music?
JC: The first time I heard him play guitar was back in 1984 when I was in 6th grade. He was in a high school jazz band and they came to my school to perform. I was blown away.
JBIN: Did you ever get to see him perform live once he became a professional musician?
JC: I didn't have the privilege to watch him perform during his days as a professional musicians since I was out in Asia the whole time as an artist myself. I truly wish I did.
JBIN: What kind of influence has he had on you personally or professionally?
JC: He had to be one of the biggest influences in my life both personally and professionally. I got to see him at a very young age and he made such a great impression on me. I was in 6th grade at the time and he was a senior at the same high school which I attended later (Loara High School). He was one of those guys that was not only extremely talented but had a natural born charisma. He was very popular at the school and very well liked. Even at a young age I knew he would grow up to be someone great. He inspired me to practice guitar and pursue music as my career. He showed me that being likable is just as important as being a great musician.
JBIN: Do you have a favorite Jeff Buckley song or album???
JC: "Grace" is definitely my favorite. "Hallelujah" has to be one of my favorites. I was blown away the first time I heard it. I always knew he was a great guitar player but I never knew that he was that great with his vocals. The song has so much depth. There is something about this cover that hits the soul. The first time I heard it it almost brought tears to my eyes.
JBIN: Your latest work is with Aziatix, a group you created as well as produce... can you tell us a bit about them?
JC: AZIATIX is a group that I put together early 2011. It consists of 3 members…Eddie, Flowsik and Nicky who are songwriters as well as performers. We are aiming to introduce them to the global music scene including the US. The first single that they released hit #4 on iTunes US R&B/Soul chart with practically no promotion at all. And in approximately 6 months, their songs have hit #1 in most of Asian countries and have spread all over the world including Europe, South America, and the US.
JBIN: Where can we find out more about Aziatix & their music?
JC: You can find more information at www.aziatix.com We are also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aziatix and Twitter at www.twitter.com/aziatix
JBIN: You have done just about everything there is to do in the music industry, what has been your favorite venture so far and what do you still have on your "to do" list?
JC: My favorite venture definitely has to be AZIATIX. I never had so much fun making music and just traveling around the world. I feel very fortunate to be working with such a fantastic, talented group of guys. As for the "to do" list…I would like to dab more in the movie scoring. I really enjoy working on music for films.
JBIN: What advice would you give to aspiring musicians?
JC: The most important thing about being a professional musician is the "LOVE" for music. You have to love music so much that you are willing to do it for free. Unless you absolutely LOVE music you won't be able to stomach the realities of the music business.
JBIN: What projects are up next for you?
JC: We will be working on another album for AZIATIX and do more promotion in Asia as well as the US. I'm also working on a few songs for local artists in Korea as well as Taiwan. I also just finished scoring a film called "Dear Enemy" which will release very soon all over China. Other than that, for now, my duties of being a father of 2 kids will keep me busy.^^
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DONT YOU GUYS MISS AZIATIX?
ME? ARE U KIDDING ME? OF COURSE I DOOO!! T^T
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January 2012
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“Eddie is the lady’s man”
–
Nicky Lee
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