In celebration of East and South East Asian Heritage Month, the non-profit community group ESEA Music has launched a significant project known as a series of Writing Camps.
These camps serve the dual purpose of strengthening the sense of kinship among East and South East Asian (ESEA) creators in the UK and providing opportunities for collaboration between established artists and emerging talent within the ESEA music community. The first fruit of this project is the release of the collaborative single "I LUV MY LIFE," produced by Congee and featuring six other artists: iamkyami, Jason Kwan, Josie Man, Lucy Tun, Tascha Jerawan, and Vishal Chopra.
The ESEA Music Writing Camp received funding from The Supporting Act Foundation's inaugural Community Grant program through WeTransfer. The initiative was spearheaded by artist-producer and music industry professional kityiu grace in collaboration with British Burmese artist Lucy Tun. These writing camps aim to bring together musicians from diverse backgrounds and genres to create music collaboratively.
The music produced during these sessions will be released to reinvest in the ESEA Music community, supporting its growth and development. Tiger Hagino Reid, the founder of ESEA Music, explained,
"The objective of the writing camp was to bring together the many talented artists within ESEA Music to create music together. The writing camps are at the core of ESEA Music's vision for the future, in which we are providing ESEA artists opportunities for collaboration, session work, producing experience, and songwriting skills."
ESEA Music, which stands for 'Every Sound Every Action,' is a non-profit community group established in 2021 by and for UK-based East & Southeast Asian music industry professionals and artists. Its membership comprises over 350 members, including prominent artists like Rina Sawayama, Yunè Pinku, Lucinda Chua, Andrew Hung (F*ck Buttons), LVRA, Matt Tong (Algiers / Bloc Party), Miso Extra, Sarah Bonito (Kero Kero Bonito), and Meyy, along with professionals from major industry players like Spotify, Sony, Apple Music, Universal, BBC, [PIAS], Warp, 4AD, AWAL, Ninja Tune, TaP Music, and more.
Beyond providing a supportive network and a sense of belonging, ESEA Music is dedicated to increasing the presence and awareness of ESEA professionals and artists within the UK music industry, as well as mentoring the next generation of ESEA talents. The community is committed to respecting the diversity within the ESEA community and stands in solidarity with other POC (People of Color) communities. Inspired by grassroots and established groups like Eastern Margins, Asian American Collective, and Black Artist Database, ESEA Music plays a vital role in representing and empowering UK-based ESEA music industry professionals and artists, both in the present and the future.
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