Hi Rob! I’m so excited for the chance to interview you about your music and about what it’s like to be creative as a Leo.
We worked together for a while so I feel like I got to know you in a work context. Psyched to be able to ask you questions about your other life.
Leo is a sign that is a bit playful, a bit fun. Sometimes a little dramatic. I noticed that you mix a lot of fairytale-esque sounds with suspenseful and dramatic ones. Do you think about nostalgia when you compose at all?
People tell me i’m a soft Leo! I don’t think I’m personally very dramatic, but musically enjoy being playful, and enjoy the drama. I got a lot of feedback from my recent album release show at Elsewhere that it felt like a theatrical production. My most dramatic performance was one of my first performances— a long time ago I did a show in the basement of Trans Pecos where I threw a steak at the wall screaming about the flesh of the white man and it exploded. I’ve never done that one again but I always try to add an element of surprise to every show.
I like playing with nostalgia in music— either ramping nostaligia to 200% or giving the expectation of nostalgia and ripping the rug out from underneath. On my song N1FWM off Untitled (Chinese Man with Flame), I start out with a recording of Teresa Teng’s The Moon Represents My Heart and then harshly transition to a dark, distorted beat.
Nostalgia for me is difficult feeling to describe— I feel it a lot when I watch movies, so I think nostalgia comes out for me most in my film scoring work.
You’re also a Scorpio Moon, which is pretty different than a Leo Sun. Leo Sun is a domicile Sun while Scorpio Moon is a Moon in fall. I noticed that a lot of your performances are pretty punk while your sounds for films really bring out a more fun nostalgia feeling. Is there a difference between composing as Robert Ouyang Rusli and performing as OHYUNG? Which is more fun for you to do?
My personal OHYUNG music is very experimental and goes off in whatever direction my brain is feeling at the time-- but as a film composer I’m both bringing my own ideas for the music while supporting the director’s vision, which is a large difference. Definitely tapping into a different part of my brain— but I’ve always loved telling stories through music and so film scoring feels very natural to me.
OHYUNG is fun and challenging because it’s a personal exploration for me. My stage shows are a huge cathartic release, I’m pretty sure my soul left my body at my album release show. I’m hoping to do more but because of covid it’s difficult. I’ve always found it hard to express myself the way I feel, so working through gender, anxiety, and certain emotions through my OHYUNG art helps me grow. Also I love to collaborate with friends and bring them on stage, so it also feels like cultivating community.
Composing for film is fun because it’s so collaborative and I’m always learning— every film I work on is different and requires something unique, which keeps me learning and generating new sounds. There’s also the magic feeling of seeing all the components of a film come together after a tremendous effort.
Do you tend to work alone as a Leo or do you like to collaborate with other people?
Perhaps my most leo trait, I usually work alone. I like featuring other artists, but that’s often after I get the music to a point I feel great about it. I’m trying to get better at collaborating from the beginning of the process but it’s hard for me because my brain has very specific ideas of what I like and don’t like. I did have one really successful collaboration, the album GODLESS with my roommate Matt Evans, but this was after two years of living together, talking about music together, protesting together, and doing mutual aid together.
As a film composer I’m a good collaborator though as the roles are well defined— I’m bringing my ideas to the table but my job is to fulfill the director’s vision and create what works in harmony with the rest of all the other film elements.
Can you give any advice to young Leos who are interested in making music who might be reading this?
Oh god, I don’t know. I’m still looking for an old Leo to drop knowledge on me. I’d say make music from the heart that feels authentic to you (don’t lie to yourself!). Don’t take yourself too seriously. I think I started understanding myself a lot better when I stopped trying to be super confident and embraced being a lil weird softie ^_^
