JIIN’s ‘Cult Hymns’ Sounds Like Desolation, In the Best Way Possible

Photo By Yenny Park

This article originally appeared on Noisey Canada.

Cloaked in a white hoodie two sizes too big in an illegal smoke cafe in Hong Kong, Toronto artist JIIN looks like a scientist as he taps his fingers to a beat soundtracking a silent clip from an old Japanese movie. “Everytime I watch something, I automatically soundtrack it in my mind, and vice versa. It can be a voice note or a weird thing I watched years ago. Probably why I can never sleep.” After years of experimenting with art, Jiin spends his summer in Asia picking up gigs like VJing for Korean artist Xin Seha—though he’s technically on vacation. He pulls up the solo opus he’s recently completed, a very personal solo EP called Cult Hymns, and plays it over his laptop. The sounds emitted from the speakers reminds you of something you would expect to hear in post-apocalyptic ruins. While he plays the music, he cues the accompanying visuals and the silhouetted features of a madman appear behind the white glare of the computer screen.

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Taking inspiration from an array of themes, Jiin stays up at night watching old samurai movies like Sword of Doom, and listening to The Supremes while pairing them with visual concepts that capture the cyberpunk backdrop of Akira. In an age where the internet’s accessibility has nurtured ADHD attention spans and rewards instant gratifications, Jiin takes time to give breath to the details of every beat. What evolves from this type of craft is the ease at which a listener can dive into the song, embracing the setting created by Jiin without needing to be spoon fed the fantasy.

Cult Hymns Boi1da, Jordan Evans, and T Minus

Learning the value of hard work in order to fund his vision, he took up odd jobs playing in video game competitions to win money, and was employed as a server at a Chinese restaurant. If he could just slowly build up the money for equipment, these odd jobs would all be worth it. “My parents knew I was committed to my craft, and even though they weren’t sure of it, there was nothing they could do if I paid for it myself.” After cleaning off lazy susans and beating opponents online, he had saved enough money to strip down his garage and transform it into a sanctuary of creations—without his parent’s consent. After nurturing his own artistry, he left Pickering behind with all the support he needed to go and pursue his artistic dream in the big city.

Nuit Blanche Daniel Caesar Cult Hymns

Within the seven tracks, JIIN—alongside the support of his friends and local Toronto artists Carlo Panuncialman and Norman Wong—has produced and directed a video for “Cult Logic” that mystifies you into a drunken and sultry state. Shot by Kevin Li in Toronto, a new world appears with karaoke subtitles and sensual background dancers transcending the everyday streets and buildings into a place of otherworldly presence. In it, JIIN steps out of the shadows to present a fresh experience for all the senses that challenge mainstream music. Remaining humble, he knows that reaching the top isn’t his goal. “It’s not about making it and stopping, it’s seeing how far it can go, what more can be created.”

Evelyn Kwong is a writer living in Toronto – @EVYSTADIUM