Being on the go a lot as an artist, what place or activity makes you feel most connected to home, what do you do to re-set?
I think for me it’s very important to keep my mornings quite similar, just starting the day off in a normal way wherever you are. A big part also is having people around me who I know, and care about. Just acts like an anchor in the middle of the whirlwind.
Do you have a place, in particular, you enjoy spending your time?
I’m quite a homebody to be honest, but I really enjoy those odd days where you just find yourself wandering around, window shopping and listening to music. I love these really random spots, that people just stumble upon.
Tell us a little about the creation of your first solo EP “Bluff”.
Bluff was made during the last lockdown, and I guess unintentionally it had this hankering for energy and nightlife. It was the first time I felt quite confident in a body of music though, and also what gaged the first interest of me on an industry level, so it was quite a turning point.
Who are your main influences as an artist and who shaped your style as a DJ?
I think as a DJ I kind of just wing it, every time I just try and do a little better. As an artist, so many people have inspired me in small ways that it’s hard to pinpoint. I remember Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Cocteau Twins, all these songs just charged with effort and emotion, really inspiring me through the sheer feeling they would give the listener.
What motivated the shift from listening to creating music yourself?
Since I was a kid, I always tried my hand at everything. So if I liked a sculpture, I’d try and do one. Same with music, I was just curious if I’d be any good. It was also something that seemed to fit me well, just sitting alone with headphones on, kind of between worlds, messing about with guitars and synths on GarageBand. And once the ball got rolling, it became this really love way to spend time, and a way to release or expel these feelings out of yourself.
Who do you wish to reach with your music?
I think wise-listeners, and what I mean by that is people who are really into looking for the Easter eggs, and hidden meaning within projects. People who are willing to put in the effort to really understand what a song is trying to say.
Tell us about your heritage. How has your background inspired you, and possibly shaped your music style?
I’m a born & raised Londoner, but I’m Malaysian-Irish. Irish music was such a distinct memory as a child, at the end of the night people would play instruments and sing, or listening to the bands play with flutes and violins and drums. It felt very folky and timeless.
Also living in London, you’re exposed to the best and most bizarre music, whether that be a ambient, jazz fusion nights or seeing a giant band doing a tour. Having that kind of crash course, deep dive into sounds allowed me to be more experimental, because I’m reminded that no matter how strange it gets, there’s always an audience for it.
Outgoing elements of fashion are frequently visible in your style, what’s your relationship with your clothes, and does it influence you as a DJ?
I do love clothes, particular flipped or reworked vintage stuff. I think it’s an essential part at creating a character, or trying to communicate who you are externally. I don’t know if it specifically aids DJ’ing but it certainly helps with the confidence factor.
Tell us about your collaboration with logic1000, how did that come into place?
That happened very early on in my entry into the music industry, I think our managers had gotten in touch, and it was during lockdown so we did all over email which was a really interesting way of doing it. I think since it was such a strange time, the pressure was off, so it felt quite smooth-flowing.
What are your future goals regarding your career right now?
I just really want to craft an interesting world, and creating palpable messages. And for my own sake, I’m just curious how far I can push my own abilities, whether that be in production, vocals or performance.
What genre would you categorize your current style of music into?
It’s always changing! The new EP ‘Babylon IX’ I would say is a trance/breakbeat/ambient project. And the things I’m creating now would be much more experimental, but still in the same field.
What do you listen to when you’re not creating your own music?
I swing spectrums a lot, so sometimes it’s complete alternative rock, or Latin music from the 60’s, or the crooners, or weird ambient stuff. But generally I find it’s quite rare that I listen to modern day music, I’ve always just had an obsession with the rawness, and non-compressed or auto-tuned, sounds that occurred kind of pre-2000’s.
What’s your current favorite track or DJ?
I’ve been enjoying Dj’ing the song Waters Edge by Rudolf C. But on the listener side, I’ve done another dive into a Norwegian/German duo called Easter.
Tell us something about you that no one knows, what contributes to your individual character and makes you unique?
I find it impossible to decipher what I’m feeling, I always feel or think things in a strange sort of yarn ball. But I think that helps the way I write because instead of one specific notion, it kind ends up like a swirl of a million thoughts or feelings at once, which I think in many cases is how peoples brains work, so it resonates.
Yune Pinku / Closely
Credits:
Artist: yune pinku / @yune.pinku
Photography: Charles Wang / @charleswangggg
Creative dir & Interview : Fee-Marie Löbel / @feetasticcc
Stylist: Alice Lipizzi / @strafiko
Make-up: Monique Gold / @moniquegoldmakeup
Hair: Frances de Havas / @francesdehavas
Photo assistant: Ansen Shen / @syl_ono
Styling assistant: Sophie Wray / @awesome.soph55
Makeup assistant: Alyona Kundryk / @alainaamua