Cassandra Liu On the Making Of “Chaos Is Me”
What was the creative process like for this particular "Chaos Is Me?"
There was a period of my life seemed really chaotic, and I talked to my friend at a dinner about it. She said Chaos is good, our life is chaotic no matter what. Chaos means change, and the best thing comes out of change. The idea really inspired me and she mentioned Chaos is like all the spectrum crushing together and I really love the concept. I started to have this picture in my head about dark waves and particles and I would love to convey it to music.
The lyrics chorus refers to a classic Chinese philosophical story 'Zhuangzi's Butterfly Dream', meaning sometimes I don't know if we are the butterfly or butterfly turns into us. The song also has a music video. In the M/V, I was an art piece being observed, but throughout the song, I started to move and became the observer.
Can you talk about the recording and production process for "Chaos Is Me?"
The production and recording is all done by me in the bedroom and closet. As a bedroom musician, I need to work with a limited budget and luckily I had a nice walk-in closet when I recorded “Chaos Is Me.” I also enjoy arranging instruments aside from writing lyrics and melodies.
What was your favorite moment in making the music video?
So much talent came in this music video! I find the direct Matan Hamam at a party. He was a film student at NYU and we communicated the ideas and he really loved the concept and turned it into an abstract art piece. He found a great choreographer and the best dancers in NY. I also found the designer of the dresses through social media and contacted her. She is really nice. So I really proud of what came out of this music video, though it’s low budget but we have everything perfect here.
Can you share a bit about your musical background and the journey that led you to where you are today?
I always wanted to be a singer and a performer and never thought about writing songs until 4 years ago. I tried to sharpen my skills and grow my confidence throughout the year and finally I have written the whole album. “Chaos Is Me” is just the first single and debut release from me and more to come. I have been a theatre kid so I love to add drama and imagination to my music. My music sounds all over the place but one thing in common, it brings you to a scene like a movie and makes you imagine.
Where do you find inspiration for your songs or musical ideas?
For the theme of the song, I love history, culture and philosophy. I want to write something different aside from love songs, especially there are so many brilliant artists out there who have written incredible love songs. I’m not confident in writing love songs haha. For the music production and instrumentation, I love fantasy and cinematic stories so each time when I craft songs, I have a picture and scene in my head. I try to find the right instrument to create that mood.
