m.ina

When I first met min.a over the phone, it was instantly clear to me that she’s a real artist with a lot to say. In her latest EP hi-fi, min.a combines unorthodox sounds with an easy-to-listen-to voice to create a velvety soundscape with irresistible melodies. She is unapologetically bold, refreshing, and her music carries a unique sound unlike anything I’ve been hearing in the realm of soft pop/rock. Throughout the four tracks, you can’t help but be taken aback by how seamlessly her songs melt together. needless to say, I’ll be impatiently anticipating her next release.

Talking about the inspirations behind the EP and what it is like to navigate an industry that operates on a who-you-know basis, here is what min.a has had to say:

min.a: I hate the fucking word “networking”. I think it’s so shallow. You should just want to become friends with people instead of being like “oh, can I take this from you?” Once people like you they’ll introduce you to other people. If you have a strong connection with somebody they’re going to want to help you in any way they can.

Hashika: It’s definitely thrown around a lot. You said your experiences in Berlin really shaped this EP. Wanna delve into that a little bit?

min.a: I think being there with such a small group of people, as the weeks went by I couldn’t stop thinking “why am I not getting incredibly close with other people?” That was something that - not that I wanted to but just kind of came out - in the song “Here For You” because I felt like people would only talk to me if they wanted to know tips for music or they wanted to make music with me instead of being “do you want to hang out?”

Being in a new relationship and trying to navigate that whilst being in a new country was difficult. You become prone to getting into arguments just because you crave your own personal space and you don’t know how to process that and end up taking it out on someone else. I dealt with that and translated these issues into music in this EP. It was how I talked about it.

min.a: hi-fi is definitely different from anything I’ve ever put out before. It came about more organically and is just a very cohesive piece. My previous EP included a lot of vocal chops and glitching while this one feels complete. It’s less production heavy. “Get It Now” was the most fun to make, being able to really showcase more of my vocal range and work on a track that’s drum-heavy and has a bold and epic personality. hi-fi definitely is stronger and advanced sonically and I invested so much energy and time into really perfecting these four songs.

Hashika: I hear you. I can’t even imagine how intensive the process must be to put out a record like this, fine-tuning it until the very last minute before you put it out into the whole world. You can’t take it back after it’s out there.

min.a: I’ve picked up a lot of skills in terms of mixing and recording techniques. I mix and master my own songs. It never feels real to say “yes, I’m a female producer” but I’m beginning to own it.

Imposter syndrome definitely kicks in being an Asian American. I don’t know if I’m good enough, you know? It’s already difficult being a female and on top of that, a person of color. There’s no Asian American that's out there who I can be like, ‘that’s my bitch!’