livesets (sun/moon/body)

A real pleasure to have the extremely gifted @xiaolinmusic from Hongkong for our fourth SoundSculptors episode 😍 She crafted a beautiful trip through many different moods and styles, capturing our musical heart and soul. It's such an interesting story accompanied by high skill not only in the electronic but also in the instrumental parts. Ambient, Downtempo, old school gamy sound, cantonese pop music vibes and more interesting colours appear in this versatile journey. Real earcandy 🍭

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More about Xiaolin ~

Xiaolin (曉霖) is a DJ, producer, vinyl collector and classically-trained musician from Hong Kong. Driven by a relentless curiosity for warm sounds, complex emotions and colourful textures, she enjoys crafting magnetic sets that draw audiences in, while her live ambient sets reveal the more contemplative side of her natural musicality as a former concert violinist.

Xiaolin spent a decade studying classical violin, jazz, world music and electronic composition at Juilliard (BM’14) and Berklee Valencia (MM ’15/’16), where she played in Batucada/jazz bands and began collecting records under her mentor, Nacho Marco. Having spent two years in London just before the pandemic, she developed an interest in UK underground culture and Detroit electro.

Inspired by sounds from the the mid 80’s-early 00’s, her love for video games, anime, nature as well as a respect for her Cantonese roots, Xiaolin’s analog synth-heavy productions range from gritty acid house and breaks with earthy percussion to tripped-out electro, bassy groovers and raw downtempo ambience that invoke deeper feelings of romantic adventure with a dreamy, theatrical touch.  

Despite her ever-evolving nature, Xiaolin’s ethereal-yet-raw sound remains a signature throughout all productions.

Xiaolin is sensitive to the dancefloor and crafts an intuitive journey unbound by genre, digging deep to discover dynamic connections.  Her energetic, acid-laden selections explore the vast in-between of house and techno, while her original live set has three formats: “Sun” for daytime settings, “Moon” for meditative settings and “Body” for nightclub settings.

Releases include two EP’s on 宀 Records, a collaborative track on Klasse Wrecks “Michaelsoft", VA contributions on 20/20 Vision (Exit Planet Earth – “Helium”), Polychrome Audio (“Diffraction EP”) and Harmony Rec (upcoming), as well as three 80’s Cantonese disco tribute EP’s on Sound Metaphors’ “Bless You” imprint (A&R by Jane Fitz).

Xiaolin's ‘HEX’ residency at 宀 (Hong Kong) has seen her invite & play alongside guests such as Polygonia, Mary Lake, Peach, Merve, Vlada, Joe Delon, Closet Yi, Jesse You, Maara etc.  She hosts a bimonthly show on Baihui Radio China and has done guest mixes on EYA, Test Pressing, The Mudd Show, The Lot Radio, NTS and Balamii amongst others.  

Recent highlights include Boiler Room (Singapore), Blitz Club (Unchained), and Panorama Bar on live set as part of Sound Metaphors’ 9-year-anniversary event (coinciding with the release of her second EP on Bless You), with upcoming sets at Wonderfruit Festival and Womb Tokyo.  She will make her Rainbow Disco Club live set debut with Kuniyuki Takahashi in April 2025.

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Follow Xiaolin
https://soundcloud.com/xiaolinmusic
https://www.instagram.com/oliviaxiaolin
https://ra.co/dj/xiaolin

More music from her
Bandcamp (Tower Moment EP)
https://xiaolin.bandcamp.com/album/tower-moment-ep
Bandcamp (MIHN002 EP)
https://xiaolin.bandcamp.com/album/mihn002

SoundSculptors No 4 - Xiaolin 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦

Xiaolin's exclusive live mix for RDC 2025 podcast:

The reason I love to do live set is that it’s a completely different approach from DJing - while DJ focuses on adapting to the crowd and the room, liveset is a raw expression from the heart, music that was created in the comfort of home and studio - kind of feels like: “this is all I’ve got, love it or leave it.”  My livesets normally focus on 3 different kinds of energy:  Sun energy, Moon energy and Body (Earth) energy.  This 1-hour liveset was originally designed for Sound Metaphors’ 9-year Anniversary at Panorama Bar, drawing from Sun energy - it is driven by joy, romance, warmth and a shared feeling of “things are gonna be okay… we have each other, let’s go on a fun journey together”.  I used Juno60, Korg Minilogue for sequences, Linn Drum & 909 samples, RD-05 for live melodies and pads, plus Ableton Push, midi keyboard, electric violin and vocal.  There are a few alternate (live set only) versions of released materials, and a few unreleased collab materials, as well as of course the “Moods Of Love” Canto series released on Bless You.  The first Cantonese vocal track in the liveset will be the third vinyl release coming end of this month (BLESSYOU029).  It is a cover version of Tina Lau’s “Half A Dream/半個夢” from 1987, but completely redone from scratch with a different take and original vocal.  There will be a few different versions including a club version and Mogwaa’s Latin-style remix.  I hope you enjoy it!

RDC 084 - Xiaolin (live)

Recording of Kuniyuki & Xiaolin's opening live set at RDC Stage on Sunday morning.

RDC 090 - Kuniyuki & Xiaolin (live) at Rainbow Disco Club 2025

This live set, entitled MEMORIES, was created for and performed at Draaimolen, compiled with original synthesis and samples, field recordings, instruments and vocals.
MEMORIES is a journey dedicated to love and loss - a reflection on time, an ode to the process of becoming, and a gentle reminder that this too, shall pass.
Special thanks to Mayo and Reggie for idea contributions, and Sound Metaphors for the support on “Shi Hou” (BLESSYOU026).
Original recorded spoken word by Reggie The Leaf:

"In existence you are written by history
You have become through pieces of unraveling future
You are no different than most ways of being
Nothing special in the present but shit,
What simple wonder to be
Be of your bones, your breasts
Your eyes, nails, soul, woman, look
You are strength, temperamental joy
Cradled in arms that loved you first taught peace
Through every lesson learned, you are
Sincerity, you are this
DNA, you are
Intrinsic memory
Intrinsic love, lust, all things that
Make us good.

You are a mind of matter, you are
Cosmic, cosmos in all sensibilities
You are of blood that fought, and I mean
Fights, and battles, and persists
You are unquestionably of love, of divine, sacred womanhood
You are built by armour, hammer, molded tirelessly through callous hands
Carried, crafted, priceless worth
Protection, softness, obnoxious power,
Paradox, calm and complexity
You are, you are, you are
All me, all mine, here I am, here
I am constructed beyond lightning
Yet here we are
Yet here you are
So what simple wonder to be
And only to be.

Me, you, us, together.
One.”  - Reggie The Leaf

Xiaolin live at Draaimolen Festival 2025

borderless journey in eternal dream

[宀 / sound metaphors~bless you / harmony rec / polychrome audio / 2020vision~exit planet earth / klasse wrecks / welt discos / trommel / qeone]

DJ/LIVE
asia & middle east:  samy@mihn.hk
uk & europe: peter@klsbookings.com
ww/production:  whoisxiaolin@gmail.com