Interviewee - REBEARTH
iCUBED.us interviewer - Margaret Chen
Date: September 2010

iCUBED.us: How did you come to choose life as a musician? Did you start prior to going to music school ... were you always banging on pots and pans, and singing in the shower as a wee-toddler?

REBEARTH: I was originally the painter kid in school. Art played and plays one of the biggest roles in my life. I believe it has something to do with the need to express and the remedy that comes from expressing or reflecting through expression. I also started playing the drums when I was around 10/11 years old, and was playing for bands as a teen. I started actually making music when I was around 16 though. A huge inspiration and the person who got me started to write music was 'Ohms'. He was my roommate in high school in Montreal. He introduced me to a Keyboard that could record up to four tracks (a whole new concept to me at that time) and shortly after that, he got a computer and had a basic multi-track recording software where I watched him chop up samples and write drum loops and bass lines. He was also writing music with another schoolmate 'Rah' who was only writing lyrics at that time. Watching them do their thing, I quickly picked it up and was writing music and lyrics too. We became close friends and later formed a Independent Record Label called "Nocturnalight" which Rah and Ohms both still run. They still write music together too and are called RahOhms.

iCUBED.us: So tell us about the first piece of, or type of, music that really inspired or moved you? You mentioned Nomadic Massive, tell our readers "Why" not just "What"...

REBEARTH: Well, I didn't meet Nomadic Massive until after I finished music school, so that is a whole different story there.

But as I think back, one song that reached me in a totally different way was "Final Home" by DJ Krush. I remember hearing that tune late at night on TV when I was around 12/13... I was going through some of the darkest periods of my life back then too. But the mood of the music, the rhythm, the soul... within those couple of minutes, everything just made sense and felt right. It was like this music understands me and vice versa. It was also that song which introduced me to a music that was fusing many types of my favorite genres.

iCUBED.us: What do you think of all these TV programs capitalizing on 'talent'? Do you watch any of the IDOL programs, are you a follower? And, do you think they are a GOOD way to FIND TALENT? Have you tried out for one? ... Why, or why not?

REBEARTH: I am not a follower of IDOL programs (actually I don't have TV at home) but I have watched a few idol episodes before. In my opinion, talent is not just someone who can sing well. I'm sure there are many people who can sing amazingly on the show but there is no way any of them can re-sing a better version of a song by let's say "Nina Simone" or "Etta James". If anyone sang a song like the original artists did, then they would be a copy and in my opinion, there's not much talent there. So to answer your question, I think idol shows could be a possible way to find talent, but are better for finding good singers that want to make it in the pop industry. On that same note, I haven't tried out for any of those shows because I don't plan to be a pop artist or be famous. I just want to make a living expressing my art and spreading my music all while staying true to myself and anyone who's tuning in.

iCUBED.us: What prompted you to start recording and was that in Canada or Hong Kong? Tell us about setting up your own studio, what's involved, is it advisable for anyone to do, or WHAT "special skills" must you have - things like affinity for electronics, a degree in computer science...

REBEARTH: There are many types of studios. Nowadays, just having a computer in a room can be a studio. It all depends on what you need the studio for. Some people just need a space to produce music while others may need it to record vocals and instruments too. My studio here in Hong Kong is a project studio where I can produce/compose music as well as record vocals and small instruments like guitars etc. Other then some Porous Absorbers and Bass Traps that I bought, I built everything (including a sound insulated wall, sound reinforced windows, sound diffusers and absorbers etc.) from scratch.

There are many ways to set up your own studio space and some methods are more efficient then others. you can always go on the internet and surf forums to find out more about setting up your own studio so anyone who's serious about making music should check it out. There are also some great magazines out there that can give you tips so look out for magazines such as "Sound On Sound" who provide amazing tips and reviews from professionals.

Having extra knowledge is always an advantage for setting up your studio space. For example, having renovation or building skills or electronics skills can help save money. But in my opinion, one of the most important things worth knowing about is sound acoustics. This will help a great deal when it comes to controlling the sound in your space whether it be for recording or for setting up an accurate listening space.

In the end, I think the most important thing is to have the will to make the best with what you got. If you have talent, then regardless of how poor the quality is, people will hear it and feel it. Trust me, most of us who start out in music start with basically nothing. I did too.

iCUBED.us: How does a musician make ends meet? Is it a good living? Do you recommend this as a career...

REBEARTH: There are many different ways of making ends meet when doing music. It also depends on what it is you do specifically for example, a person who focuses on playing an instrument would go a different route to surviving then lets say a singer or songwriter. Also, every musicians goals are different. For some people, fame and fortune are their goals and surrendering their artistic freedom and giving up their individuality and self for that is not a problem. These artists would mostly concentrate on getting noticed and getting signed by a major record label. On the other hand, you have independent artists like me. I want to keep my individuality, independence and freedom to express myself. Getting recognized is difficult when you don't have a major label managing your funds and promoting your music but in the end, I wouldn't sacrifice and give up my music/art for all that. Currently, to make ends meet, I also hold down another job and do the best I can to make as much music and perform when possible.

I recommend any career to anyone who believes it's right for them (except war). If you are passionate about making or playing music then of course music is a career for you. But if you are in it for the money, the fame and all that hype, then be prepared cause if you fail in achieving those things, or once you lose those things, then you will end up very miserable. Also, many artists who make it famous in the end and are not making the music they like or the music that truly represents themselves. For these artists, even with all that fame etc, they're very unhappy and miserable too. For me, just making music and art is happiness and of course I need money to carry on doing it, but the process and struggle to make that money doesn't become a burden since dreams are only reached by working towards them. No shortcuts. If ever a day comes where I am left with absolutely nothing except something that I can use to express my thoughts and feelings with. I know I'd be happy and would still have reason to continue living. I can't say the same if the situation was flipped the other way around.

iCUBED.us: What response did you have to your first album? What has promoting it been like?

REBEARTH: The responses I got for my first EP album "Diverge 2 Antimatter" were very honest, humbling and inspiring. Since I was making a type of music that no one was familiar to, I wasn't really sure what kind of crowd I would attract but after releasing the album and promoting it, I learned that many people were very open to new types of music and that there were people who really understood and felt it. This really encouraged me to dig deeper into my own type of sound that I'm still growing and evolving. Since I sold most of the albums in person and on the streets, in subways, in universities etc, I really enjoyed the experience of sharing my music and surviving off my own creations. It was definitely one of the happiest times of my life.

iCUBED.us: Why did you move back to Hong Kong?

REBEARTH: Let's just say I started to grow in a different direction and decided to move out of Montreal. I also wanted to spread my music further and thought Hong Kong would be a good place to start since this is where i
I'm originally from. Another reason I moved to Hong Kong is to train myself. It's like swimming upstream or running with weights strapped to your arms and legs. It's very tiring at first, but after a while your body and mind becomes used to the extra resistance; once those weights are taken off, you're moving so much faster it's like you're flying or floating. Spreading my music in a place where the masses believe in trends and gimmickry is very difficult. But I like the training.

iCUBED.us: How is the music scene different in Hong Kong compared to Canada?

REBEARTH: The music scene in Hong Kong is completely different from Canada or other countries. There is only one main industry in Hong Kong and that's the Canto Pop industry. There are barely any Independent labels here in Hong Kong and even they are mostly doing pop music. Obviously, there is a pop industry in Canada too but even so, there are also many Independent labels allowing a constant flow of different kinds of music to be released. Here though, many musicians/artists are in it for the fame, attention and money (and they want it quick). I guess that's why all the artists seem to conform to the narrowness of music here and also why the majority of music still being released and consumed in Hong Kong are either ballads that sound like they're from the 80's or songs ripped off commercial hits in the states and sung in Chinese. With that said though, I don't see Hong Kong as a hopeless place. There may not be many artists honestly expressing themselves, spreading underground/good music and trying to make a difference here, but there are 'some' and we haven't given up yet. (Shout out's to Kongkrete Bass, Heavy, f.gov, Neurotic WKY, Ultra Lounge, Nina, Tattoo Temple - just to name a few)

iCUBED.us: What messages do you wish to convey in your music and why? How is it personal to you?

REBEARTH: I guess one of the main messages I try to convey through my music is how everything is fixable. For example, the remedy to negativity and anger is positivity and compassion. There's always room for improvement and through uniting each other like music does, great changes can actually take place in this world. The reason why I convey this message is basically the same reason why this message is personal to me. It is because this is the way I am; this is my purpose. I believe everyone is born for a purpose. When I was young, not only did I feel out of place, but I also went through many dark experiences which eventually led me to leave home and grow up on my own. I guess you can say I was a very angry, depressed and lost person when I was young, but all that changed when I stopped running away and started actually facing myself and finding my purpose.

iCUBED.us: Tell me about the albums you are working on.

REBEARTH: I am currently finalizing my second album called "Revolver 1: "odd SAM goes around light"" which is expected to be released sometime before the year ends. It's the first part of a dual-album project so expect "Revolver 2" to come out sometime next year.

iCUBED.us: Is there anywhere readers can go to hear you in person? And what the right description for your style of music?

REBEARTH: Yeah, please ask readers to check my web pages for updates and posts for show dates and new material.
Some mentions I do get about my style of music are, "conscious hip-hop, trip hop, downtempo, jazz, world/tribal..." also, another genre name that emerges here and there is "urban electronica". I never really knew what that meant though but it sounds rather fitting I guess.

Here are some links to the people I mentioned above:

Kongkrete Bass - www.kongkretebass.com
f.gov - www.fdotgov.com
Heavy - www.myspace.com/heavyhongkong
Neurotic WKY - www.myspace.com/neuroticwky
Tattoo Temple - www.tattootemple.hk
Nina - www.myspace.com/ninaisnimbus

www.myspace.com/rebearth
www.facebook.com/pages/rebearth/8819530030?ref=sgm

Return to INTRODUCTORY ARTICLE
"REBEARTH" a Musical Artist and Wordsmith ... by Margaret Chen

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