Interview: ‘If I Eat, Everybody Eats’: How EXPOSITION Turned Their Discord Server Into A Hub For Indie Creatives
Following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a significant surge in online communities. As cities and countries began to enforce lockdowns, people were looking for different outlets to occupy their time and adjust to the “new normal.” Discord, a popular social media platform, became a home for thousands of users. Amongst those users were a number of singers, producers, and songwriters–introducing EXPOSITION. This ever-growing community works to provide the necessary resources for primarily Asian indie acts to enter the industry and make their dreams a reality. HALSUG had the opportunity to chat with the creative heads behind this community and what they hope to accomplish together.
EXPOSITION is the love child of fallen Discord servers that Aeon Wang, Co-Founder/CEO, and Chris Vitori, Co-Founder/Creative Director, would frequent. Both artist managers noticed that there was a lot of talent in these spaces but little guidance and resources to help propel them to the next level. Aeon stated, “A lot of people aren’t really willing to take on that leadership role. There are more people who want to be in the forefront. Chris and I were like, “You know what? We’ll do the administrative side of things.” As they started to connect and extend their relationships with each other, these chats soon dwindled. Aeon and Chris realized the potential that the people in these spaces had and committed to keeping the friendships alive in some way. The duo soon became a trio after Chris connected with Josh Gong, head of PR and Marketing, on social media. While Josh was working as the Promotion Director for his college radio station, the two crossed paths. Since then, these three have been leading EXPOSITION into amazing opportunities, and well, the rest is history.
The name EXPOSITION originally came from Aeon, a music major who studied classical music and took inspiration from his studies to develop the collective’s name. “A sonata has three sections: exposition, development, and recapitulation. Exposition is the first impression. The start of something new.” Aeon exclaimed. While engagement in these Discord communities began to slow down, and rooms soon were left inactive, there was an opportunity for something new to rise from those ashes.
With Aeon, Chris, and Josh located in different parts of North America, community members (including Aleebi, melatonin boy, and BNZA) are also spread worldwide. This inclusivity opens the door for collaboration, inspiration, and connection. Members currently range in ages from 15 to late 20’s, all bringing their individuality to the table. Josh believes the wide range contributes to the attitude [EXPO] has as a whole. “We have unwavering optimism that I think comes from the youth. We’re crazy enough to believe that we can do whatever we want. Fuck all those boundaries.”
“The fact that we started as a Discord server is our biggest flex. It’s literally something from nothing. Our independence and do-it-yourself nature sets us apart from others.”
- Josh Gong
When deciding on which artists to work with, what are some qualities or traits you look for? Are there any limitations to the genres that you want to work with?
Aeon: The best word I can use is dedication. Although we're friends, we’re all trying to make it, and that takes dedication and hard work. That’s a quality we all look for. Also, not having an ego.
Josh: Because we are fostering talent, a lot of talent is still developing. We want to offer the tools for them to level up in terms of production, songwriting, and growing as an artist. We don’t want to gatekeep. Personality is also a key trait. Are you easy to work with? Are you efficient? Those are things we take into consideration.
Chris: When working with artists, I always check their music or demos that they send. I look for something that has potential or room for improvement and development, regardless of the genre they work in.
What challenges have you experienced, or what challenges do you anticipate will occur in the future while trying to highlight Asian creatives in the Western industry?
Chris: One of the challenges we face as an independent music collective in a scene full of major labels is that there is a lot of gatekeeping that sometimes makes it hard for us to get the resources, editorials, and media coverage we need.
Aeon: Digging for opportunities and finding opportunities that are not Asian-specific. For example, rather than playing for the NBA halftime show, we [Asian creatives] would be playing at the NBA halftime show on Asian Heritage Month. It’s hard to find those opportunities, but hopefully, things will shift where that doesn’t matter.
Who are some of your biggest influences in the industry (business-wise or music-wise)?
Chris: My main role models are DPR, especially DPR REM. It's mind-blowing and really inspiring to see how they started and where they are now.
Aeon: Jay Park. He beat all the odds. He started his own hip-hop label [AOMG, followed by H1GHR Music and More Vision] and lifted all of these artists up. Sik-k, pH-1, Big Naughty, and more. He [Jay Park] had a vision as a businessman. I’m looking at the kingdom he built, and that’s very inspiring.
Josh: [In my opinion], he [Jay Park] also contributed to Asian American identity in the mainstream. It made me cautious about Asian American issues in general and the sort of stigma that we faced historically. The other influence is definitely 88rising. They had so many off-the-wall ideas, and they were never ashamed because they believed in what they were doing. The independence and creative freedom they express is inspiring.
EXPOSITION recently dropped a single titled “CAR” with Keydom and AidEn. Can you talk about this collaboration?
Aeon: This collaboration will be our third single for EXPOSITION’s compilation album. Keydom produced the track and had 1 verse on there. He posted [the track] on our channel called Open Verse, and he was like, “Does anyone want to hop on this?” AidEn [17-year-old South Korean rapper] dropped a crazy verse, and when we heard it, we loved it. The track is within the tune of R&B and Hip-Hop.
Chris: We really liked the general vibe of the song, and a week later, AidEn responded with a verse. For us, that was the missing piece that made the song perfect for us to release as an EXPOSITION project. This collaboration was interesting because Keydom is Serbian- Vietnamese based in Germany, and AidEn is Korean-based in Incheon, which demonstrates EXPOSITION's diversity.
Photo Courtesy of EXPOSITION
What are some of EXPOSITION’s biggest accomplishments so far?
Aeon: The live performances we’ve been doing. A lot of these artists are performing for the first time in front of large crowds. They started out doing their own thing on TikTok and Discord. For them to be able to showcase their talent to thousands of people is very much an accomplishment. I’m proud of them for what they’ve done.
Josh: For me, the biggest thing has been the community. Watching it grow, watching people go out of their way to represent EXPOSITION. When something happens for someone in EXPOSITION, there is so much excitement within everyone. We want to make sure everyone gets their flowers and make sure the community has longevity. We’re young. We're kind of reckless. We’ll figure it out!
Chris: EXPOSITION's biggest accomplishment, in my opinion, is taking over all cities for Korean artist GEMINI's North American tour. Music-wise, it was when our first collaboration single, “flyaway,” debuted on all the Spotify New Music Friday playlists in Asia.
Where do you hope EXPOSITION is in five years?
Aeon: If I eat, everybody eats. I want everyone to succeed, and I want everyone to get rewarded for their hard work. Essentially, everyone taking wins.
Chris: We hope to see EXPOSITION grow on a global scale, but most importantly, we aim to support more independent Asian artists from all around the world.
Josh: Never losing the wholesomeness and community. Not just supporting people with millions of listeners but everyone who is talented. Supporting artists from every caliber and continuing to be a platform for other artists.
Do you have any messages for Asian creatives who are just starting out or want to pursue their dreams but feel that they don’t have a place in the Western industry?
Aeon: Don’t work so hard to please people who won’t give you validation. Some people won’t even give you a chance. Forget about those people. There are tons of people out there that will give your music a listen. Just put yourself out there to be discovered.
Chris: Never stop trying. It may not be perfect from the start, but with patience and ambition, you will achieve all your goals. There are many resources, stories, podcasts, and interviews that can give you information and help, but always trust and follow your heart.
Josh: Follow your dreams and go where your heart takes you. Those who come from an immigrant background are more pressured to take certain roles. I’m a firm believer that if you set yourself out to do something and you know what steps to take, you can get to your goals.
There is a lot of talent the world still needs to see and great music it needs to hear. With a collaboration album set to be released in the second half of 2023 as well as some showcases happening in the summer, EXPOSITION is tapped in and ready to give us something to talk about. Who are some of your favorite artists in EXPOSITION? Let us know by commenting below or sending us a tweet @halsugofficial.
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