Episode

Sui Zhen: Sleepless at SXSW

The innovative Chinese-Malaysian-Australian artist discusses her role in confronting SXSW's controversies, tackling motherhood on tour, and her ambitious new song, "Sleepless."

Today, the Spotlight shines On Chinese-Malaysian Australian artist, musician and creative producer, Sui Zhen.

This is the first of two episodes I recorded on-site at the SXSW Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas.

This year’s edition of South By Southwest has been the subject of controversy related to event’s work with the US Army and several weapons manufacturers as sponsors for various programming segments throughout, and the reactions — including withdrawals from and boycotts of the event — by artists.

Sui Zhen spoke in both personal and general ways about the different options available to artists. She discussed who the protests help and harm and how, as an artist visiting through an arts visa, she had binding commitments tied to her participation in the festival. There is also a case for artists to use SXSW’s platform to stay engaged and present their points of view.

This was not why Sui Zhen joined us. We got together to talk about her compelling new work, the 13-minute piece “Sleepless.” To quote from the artist’s website, “Sleepless” is “‘about grief and persevering through it… first conceived in 2018, as a stream-of-consciousness response to her mother’s passing. The catharsis of musical improvisation served as a refuge, a way to navigate the fog of sleepless nights and immense pain. The track has evolved gradually, transforming through reiteration and further losses… the piece stretches out like a horizon, more a landscape than a song, mirroring the way grief warps our perception of time.”

We did get to discuss her work, though not to the extent intended. But we agreed that we had the conversation that needed to be had. Enjoy.

(all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from Sui Zhen's latest single, "Sleepless")

Dig Deeper

• Visit Sui Zhen at suizhen.com.au
• Listen to Sui Zhen's latest release, "Sleepless," on Bandcamp or on your streaming platform of choice
• Follow Sui Zhen on Instagram, Facebook, SoundCloud, and YouTube
• Listen to episodes of Sui Zhen's monthly radio show on NTS Radio
• See Sui Zhen's Instagram statement on on SXSW and Free Palestine Movement
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• Dark Mofo 2018 lineup: Laurie Anderson, St Vincent and a festival of 'dangerous thoughts'
• Taiwan psych-rock duo Mong Tong releases new EP ahead of 1st US tour
• Death, data and digital doppelgangers: Sui Zhen's uncanny valley

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