By Oscar Fermin | January 17, 2023
The Red Lantern party, a Lunar New Year celebration that brings together different social, musical, and artistic nightlife cultures, seeks to strengthen the pride around the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community within NYC nightlife. It will showcase the diverse and colorful culture, history, and traditions of the AAPI community through curated displays and decorations and carefully selected musical artists. Featuring a array of talented artists from electronic music DJ Amy, Connie Yin, known for her deep, fluid mix of forward-thinking 4/4 styles and her defined rhythmic sensibility, Dalton Taylor, known for blending an old-school sound with new-school sensibilities to create a diverse repertoire that appeals to open-minded music tastes, to classically trained pianist and violinist, Vivian Wang This event will showcase cutting-edge sound and inspire a transformative experience within our Brooklyn community. Let’s come together to celebrate the Lunar New Year as we light up the night with the roundness of lanterns symbolizing harmony and unity.
Learn more about the artists on the line up:
Amy Jor
Lunar Animal: Earth Tiger
Background: Chinese (Hong Kong)
Amy started getting into music around 8th grade. She grew up with strict Chinese parents who, like many traditional families, forced her to learn piano at a young age. When she was 14, she started finding herself lost in electronic music, going to shows at Pacha, and at 15, she started interning for a DJ/production school in Manhattan called TPA studios. She sat in on DJ workshops and sound design classes which jump started her career. Shortly after, she attended SAE Institute in NY to study recording, mixing, mastering, and post-production. While she has a wide appreciation for different genres of music, from deep house to dubstep, her primary focus as an artist is in House, Minimal, breakbeat, and acid. She has opened for artists like Tinlicker, Steve Darko, and Tara Brooks, at venues like, House of Yes, Knockdown Center, and Elsewhere.
Growing up Asian in a predominantly white area, Amy did not really fit in school. However, she loves how close knit her family is and takes pride in the culture of Chinese food. “I love how my family cooks together. The food is always so good and pretty healthy. I really enjoy how usually there’s always like a million side dishes and everyone shares. What she loves most about the BK music scene is that no matter what subgenre you are currently into, there is a little scene that you can find and become part of.
Connie
Lunar Animal: Wood Rat
Background: Chinese American
Connie got into DJing later in her musical career after she came back from Ibiza in 2001 with a dream to share music with the world. Within a year of this realization, she was playing all over NYC. She grew to be a resident DJ for ReSolute, one of the world’s hottest underground parties, and has toured across the globe from Brazil to Dubai. She began producing in 2009 under the moniker “Constar.” Through all her accomplishments, she seeks to inspire other women to enter the world of DJing, having privately trained 15 students to-date. Beyond her career as a DJ, Connie has written songs and drummed for a post punk band Jilted Lover, played bass guitar with pop-punk band Brickflip, and created a techno synthpop band called Chic Choc.
Her pride in being a Chinese American stems from the core values of the culture. She is a firm believer in discipline and hard work to achieve goals and the humble nature of success. She loved the Brooklyn scene’s diversity. “It is truly beautiful and inspiring. I learned so much from it and it keeps me motivated and interested in music.” – Connie Yin.
Dalton Taylor
Lunar Animal: Wood Dog
Background: Korean
Dalton found music at a young age playing various instruments. His parents had an extensive record collection that he used to sift through. Upon coming to NYC from Nebraska to study fashion, he entered his journey as a DJ, playing renowned Manhattan venues like Le Bain. Dalton blends an old school sound with a wide range of new school sensibilities, reflecting on the open mindedness of modern music tastes. Dalton has since entered the Brooklyn scene with a bang, playing venues like Quantum, Kings Hall at Avant Gardner, and many more. Digging further into the Brooklyn scene has allowed his taste music taste to dive further underground. As a diligent ‘crate-digger,’ Dalton has a talent in unearthed sounds that shake the dance floor.
His pride in being Korean American was sparked by his move to NYC in his 20’s, where he was given the opportunity to explore East Asian Culture in an accessible way for the first time EVER! His favorite part about being a DJ in the Brooklyn Scene are the tight knit communities that surround different sounds. There is unity yet there is diversity and opportunities for everyone.
Like Mee
Lunar Animal: Water Rooster
Background: Chinese American (Malaysian and Taiwanese)
Like Mee has always had a deep connection with music growing up. He played in a Church band as a drummer, guitarist, and vocalist. DJing became a passion senior year of high-school, as he discovered electronic music for the first time–starting from his bedroom and going on to playing graduation events and for his college fraternity and sorority events and formals in Chicago. He found a way to incorporate Electronic music in an era of open-format DJs keeping a mainstream crowd dancing to anything other than top-40 music, keeping his balance between mainstream and underground in hopes to draw people closer to the center. Like Mee represents a point of inflection that stimulates the mind to question further the status quo and the middle ground/balance is the key to life. The stage has since evolved to NY venues like Superior Ingredients and Quantum opening for artists like Chelina Manuhutu, LP Giobbi,
and Eskuche. His latest and greatest set has been at Elements Music Festival
Over the years, Like Mee’s identity and pride with being Asian American has strengthened. Growing up on Long Island, he did not want to identify as Asian due to the fact that it was not considered the cool thing. He began to realize that there are many things to learn from all cultures. He is proud of the Chinese cultural focus on others rather than building up the ego and the self. The communal aspect that we can be less so that others can be more, or that we can all enjoy together.
Vivian Wang
Lunar Animal: Wood Ox
Background: Chinese
Having been classically trained in piano at a young age, Vivian has always found music to be therapeutic. Combining that with the energy of the dancefloor, it was only natural that she would become a DJ after discovering the electronic scene. She has since performed across NYC, sharing the decks with artists like Juan Atkins, Danny Tenaglia, and Seth Troxler, and recently performed at MOMA as well as internationally in Berlin and Istanbul. To Vivian, there is no better feeling than the cathartic experience of sharing energy through music and playing her own tracks for the crowd. Beijing born, Vivian took a solo ride to the US at only 4 years of age, escaping turmoil in China during the protests of Tianmen Square. She then met her parents in Cleaveland, Ohio where she grew up.
Vivian struggled with a yearning to belong while growing up in Ohio. It wasn’t until she took a Far Eastern Asian history class till she realized how rich the culture and history of the region is. Today, she takes it upon herself to keep updated on Asian/Asian American influences on modern day culture, politics, music, and beyond. She loves being a part of one of the most dynamic and thriving music scenes in Brooklyn. Here, she sees a space for new artists to start and grow their careers.
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