[EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] All-Around Artist, Gen Neo!

We have been following Gen Neo since he first competed in Kollaboration Boston back in 2011; now seeing his amazing success in Asia, we requested an interview which he happily agreed to.

Gen Neo is an all-around artist who showcases his skills in producing, songwriting and singing. He recently released his first EP Dimensions which we recommend a full listen.

He answers questions about his EP, his favorite songs which he has produced and describes his music.

Check out our interview with Gen Neo below.

Interview:

HYPNOTICASIA: Please introduce yourself to the HypnoticAsia readers.
Gen Neo: Hello guys, it’s Gen Neo, your friendly neighborhood musician.

HYPNOTICASIA: How would you describe your music to those who haven’t heard it before?
Gen Neo: I would say my current music is basically alternative R&B and definitely Mainstream R&B, but I have been trying not to think about genres recently and just let whatever feels good to me lead the way.

HYPNOTICASIA: What or who inspired you to pursue a musical career? When did you decide to follow this path? Who are your biggest musical influences and what aspects of them do you admire most?
Gen Neo: I would say I have had a lot of experiences. There are individuals or production teams I look up to since a young age such as producers like The Underdogs, Neptunes, Timbaland, Malay etc. Growing up in Singapore had also exposed me to many languages and different music. I would spend hours just dissecting the different elements in the record. My biggest inspiration that started all this would probably be my parents who listened to all kinds of music and exposed me to music since I was a kid, starting off with piano when I was 3.

HYPNOTICASIA: In 2011, you competed in Kollaboration Boston; what would you say you have gained from this experience?
Gen Neo: How did you guys know this haha. It was great and I have since been friends with Eric Nam who had been a huge part of Kollaboration Boston. It was more an experience to me than a competition, I was with good friend including the ones that started the now disbanded Noizebank production team. We had no fear, looking back it might have been slightly embarrassing but I say that with much love.

HYPNOTICASIA: You have collaborated with many artists, including Amber, Henry, Casper and more. What was it like collaborating with these artists?
Gen Neo: These collaborations are mainly with artists that have already been my close friends for a long time, so it didn’t feel unnatural or commercial. Just music loving people getting together and supporting what we all like to do.

HYPNOTICASIA: You have written plenty of music for various artists, which would you say is your favorite and why?
Gen Neo: I would have to say “그리워요” [“Girlfriend”] with Henry and also “No love” for 4 minute. I actually wrote and produced the very first draft of “그리워요” 4 years ago, to see it achieve the kind of success that it had in Korea, in addition to Henry’s onscreen variety show success as a foreigner is immensely satisfying. In this industry the music that is sold to the audience is mainly controlled by current trends and certain decision-making people that want to stick to the business model which had already been working, which makes sense. However since 3 years ago there was a huge shift away from music that we would call “factory music”, resulting in more benefit for production that involves much more skill and time invested in, and also more independent artists and smaller labels.

HYPNOTICASIA: We know you used to release your own music via YouTube a while back; were you thinking of releasing some of those tracks again if you haven’t already?
Gen Neo: My current music is also released on my YouTube! I had left my Korean company to form an independent company with 2 other Singaporean friends who take care of management. We put our own money down and started working hard. I still handle all the content output. As for the older tracks I don’t think anyone would be able to find it online, I would prefer to release music that I have done recently and to push forward, worrying about quality and all that, but if there was an overwhelming request to put older tracks out I would definitely consider it.

HYPNOTICASIA: Which do you prefer? Releasing music in English or in Mandarin?
Gen Neo: Both, when the time is right.

HYPNOTICASIA: We have seen you grow from being a YouTube star to now releasing your first EP, Dimensions. What has the journey been like for you?
Gen Neo: I don’t think I was ever a YouTube star, I would be honored to be one but honestly I was just dabbling and having fun with friends, the real start came when I started uploading Chinese covers that I had re-arranged, after my departure from the previous label. It had been an uphill climb and still is, many times I have been disappointed right after what I would have considered a milestone. I am also used to doing things alone, but this industry isn’t something just one person can tackle so I definitely need all the help I can get.

HYPNOTICASIA: What was your inspiration for writing the songs on your latest EP?
Gen Neo: More than inspiration I have written a lot of songs, so it was more like which ones represented me now and how I wanted to present it to the audience.

HYPNOTICASIA: If you can recommend one song off Dimensions, which would it be and why?
Gen Neo: Very hard question, can I suggest all of them? Haha it’s a short listen, but it’s a complete journey

HYPNOTICASIA: Is there an artist you’d like to collaborate with or write for that you haven’t already?
Gen Neo: I’ve written for a lot of the major labels in Korea but I took some time off (apart from helping Henry and Amber) I would like to be able to sit in a studio and knock songs out and learn from so many people. I think working with higher brothers would be awesome.

HYPNOTICASIA: What does your music playlist look like? What songs can we find on it?
Gen Neo: Kehlani, H.E.R, Syd, Tank, Bryson Tiller, SZA, Drake, and old school r&b or even 90’s r&b. It’s a lot, I like to skip around.

HYPNOTICASIA: What can we expect from you in terms of music and releases?
Gen Neo: I will be putting out another single before the end of this year, it’s gonna be awesome. After that I hope to get more exposure so I can get to see people who like my kind of music more often.

HYPNOTICASIA: Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans or readers of HypnoticAsia?
Gen Neo: I never had a target audience or region, but seeing that I have such an international spread of following is so interesting and awesome. Thank you for being there and being so supportive! I hope people who love music in general and the Chinese audience get to see me more often. Also thank you HypnoticAsia for always supporting and having me!

Fun Questions:

HYPNOTICASIA: The last thing I do before I sleep is…
Gen Neo: Look at my phone

HYPNOTICASIA: My most prized possession is…
Gen Neo: My laptop

HYPNOTICASIA: My biggest pet peeve is…
Gen Neo: “Most-Satisfying Video” headline, in fact this interview should be called “Most Satisfying Interview”.

HYPNOTICASIA: The celebrity I would like to meet is…
Gen Neo: Jackie Chan

HYPNOTICASIA: My favorite time of day is…
Gen Neo: 2am vibing to music

HYPNOTICASIA: My ideal date would be…
Gen Neo: hmmmm..

HYPNOTICASIA: My catchphrase would be….
Gen Neo: Stop…. Sugar (Listen to his song “Stop Sugar”)

HYPNOTICASIA: The song that should play when I enter the room is…
Gen Neo: The single that is coming out before the end of the year.

HYPNOTICASIA: The best way to cheer me up when I’m down is…
Gen Neo: To sing to me

Watch his latest music video!