Frison’s Innovative ‘Daydream’ EP Widens the Horizons of Electronic Music

Writing, surfing the internet, and going through our email are just some of the things we do on a regular day at our office. It was during one of these activities that we became acquainted with an exceptionally talented individual named Jake Jeong, better known as Frison. As soon as we accessed the link to his Spotify Artist profile, we realized we were in for a big surprise. The aural and visual cues provide the impression that this artist has everything under control.

Frison, an electronic music producer based in Los Angeles, got our heads bobbing here at the office. We started off the conversation with him by asking him some questions, but it eventually turned into an interview format. After learning about his varied experiences and the artists who have had an impact on him, it is very clear that this person has great taste in music and is aware of what it takes to be a musician.

Can you tell us more about the “Daydream” EP, including what served as the creative inspiration behind it as well as how the artwork visually and sonically complements the songs?

‘Daydream’ is a project that was a long time coming for me. In a nutshell, the EP is about feeling out of reach from your fullest potential. There was a point in my life for several years where I was working on music, but had a very hard time finishing songs. I think I have a pretty high standard for my own music, and everything I was writing wasn’t up to that standard which was really frustrating (in hindsight, something I much needed to go through). People around me knew I was doing music this whole time but I didn’t have much to show for it, which added to the internal pressure. I also had a few singles and remixes that did well previously but to me, I wasn’t super attached to them either.

The title of the EP comes from many moments ‘daydreaming’ thinking if I’ll ever write something I’ll be happy with. Fast forward a couple years, I ended up writing this EP that I’m really proud of. It showcases my love for electronic music and is sonically inspired by my favorite musicians (Madeon, Flume, Porter and the like) as well as other styles outside EDM that I really love (jazz, funk, orchestral film/video game scores).

For the artwork – I wanted each piece to reflect each song title with a vibrant, dazzling color scheme, and I’m still ecstatic about how they turned out. All of the art is made by Ishaq Fashim and I couldn’t have picked anyone better for it. 

Overall I’m very happy with how the EP turned out and I’m excited for what will come next. I quite like the melodic, funky vibe I write a lot in and will probably continue building on that.

Do you ever envision yourself in front of an audience playing the music that you’ve created? Do you ever consider the possibility of becoming a DJ, given that you specialize in the field of electronic music? 

I’ve visualized what my live performance would look like – it will definitely involve keys as that’s my main instrument. DJing is something I’d love to do though ideally I’d like to keep my live and DJ sets separate – the live sets will show a better representation of my artistry and sound, whereas DJ sets will be more dark and club-friendly, which will include the music that I also love.

Given your Korean ancestry and frequent travel between Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Did having multiple cultural qualities influence your musical style? 

Culturally I think I’m a good half and half of Asian and American – I was born in Korea and grew up in Hong Kong, and moved to America for college onwards. That being said, the music I listened to growing up was pretty Western. I spent a lot of my teenage years listening to electronic music based in the US, so I would say that holds the main influence for my music. 

The tune from your EP titled “Galaxy” is what we consider to be our absolute favorite of the bunch. Even though it may sound cliche to ask, we are quite interested in learning more about the creative process that went behind it. 

“Galaxy” is my favorite too. It’s also the song that probably took the longest to write.

My creative process varies per song but I’ll usually write a drop idea first and then work backwards to fill the rest. Though for this track I actually had a different idea for the drop that I ended up replacing in the end because it just didn’t work.

The lyrics reflect the feelings I was going through during my low period of not writing much music. It’s about knowing you have the ability but not having the work to show for it – “like I’ll never get to show what I can be?” and “I’m up against the things I wanna be”. It evolves from that phase into my current mindset where I’m a lot more confident about my artistry.

You are certainly aware of what you are doing, despite the fact that the music industry is one of the most difficult industries to break into. What motivates you, Frison, to work even harder, and is there anyone to whom you feel you owe a debt of gratitude for the encouragement they’ve given you? 

My main motivation comes from a constant desire to improve, and my love for electronic music. It’s my biggest passion and I want to write the best music that I can for myself and no one else. There’s also a lot of producers around me working hard to pursue their dreams and that really motivates me too. Surrounding yourself with the right people is totally cliche but true. And of course, I’m eternally grateful for my family and friends that continuously support what I do – I wouldn’t be who I am without them.