What do you get when you mix ever-changing hair color, sick electronic beats and a passion for music? Key Minor. In this latest Temper Sampler, our in-house music maniac Rochelle Beiersdorfer explores the effervescent world that is Key Minor’s neon domain.
Meet the artist du Sampler: Key Minor, the personification of the electronic, vibrant music she curates
WHO?
When thinking of Key Minor and her aesthetics, the first word that comes to mind is vibrant. Vibrant hair, vibrant outlook on life and vibrant fashion sense. With hair that never stays the same neon shade of the rainbow for long to a profound, high-spirited life philosophy, Key Minor is the personification of the electronic, vibrant music she curates.
An artist manager by day and audiophile for life, Key Minor is a disk jockey who uses her love and knowledge to cleverly create sets tailored to elicit dance fever and command a room’s mood (more on this later).
With such a major, larger-than-life persona and attitude towards DJing, settling on a pseudonym like Key Minor almost seems paradoxical. But there’s a deep-seated significance behind the alias. Key Minor tells Temper that the nickname derives from a little bit of play on pronunciation with her birthname, Yueshi (乐诗| yuè shī in Chinese). “The pronunciation [is] kind of like ‘Yaoshi’ [钥匙| yàoshi] and that’s [how] ‘key (for a lock)’ [is] pronounced in [the] Chinese language,” Key Minor explains, “My family [has liked] to call me Key as a nickname since I was a child.”
And what about “Minor”? Well, this part of the nom de guerre has two meanings.
First, through years of exploring the vast array of genres that the music world has to offer, Key Minor has discovered that she prefers music that is in minor keys over major keys.
Besides preferring tunes with a harmonic three-scale pattern, the term minor for Key Minor also evokes pleasant memories of when she was underage (aka a minor).
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WHAT?
With a few unreleased demos that we here at Temper hope see the light of day sooner than later, the only way to experience one of Key’s sets is in the flesh under synchronized multicolored strobe lights.
Fusing together hypnotic and electronic melodies with full funk undertones, Key Minor’s social media videos illustrate the polychromatic magic that her aural enchantments cast. Examples of this are sets at events such as a few volumes of the Unicat Attacks where partygoers sway and bounce, spellbound by the intently spun electrifying atmosphere.
For Key, a set is more than just an aural collage that sounds nice. Instead, it’s about playing the right music at the precise time to generate the perfect vibe. “A great DJ,” Key Minor tells Temper, “is able to play the right music in the right place for any kind of people.”
Key Minor rules her neon domain
WHEN?
Key’s first time in the DJ booth was in 2021, but her love for the art started much earlier. In her early 20s, Key Minor was a regular weekend warrior at the clubs. “At that time when I was in the club, I found myself strongly curious about what DJs do at the parties,” Key explains, “How they make people dance, why they [use] different genres and BPM…at different places and times.”
This curiosity about how DJs could control a room eventually got the better of her and led Key to hunt down some gear and start experimenting in her bedroom. With the help of friends who were already established DJs, Key honed her skills and ultimately got the chance to display her passion to the world. “Thanks to my DJ friends they gave me a lot of performance experiences. And one day my DJ friend said to me ‘Hey, we’re holding a party of our own label, come and play your set; that would be your first performance! ’ Then I became a DJ.”
From her hair color that never stays one shade for too long to her multi-trend-packing clothing style, Key Minor is a fashionista who boldly expresses her vibrant humanity.
MUSIC AND FASHION
Music and fashion, as far as Key Minor is concerned, are not unrelated. Alternatively, they are two distinct methods for human expression. What does she mean by this?
Well, let’s have her school you: “I think music and fashion have never been separated. Life gives different perceptions and feelings to people in each era, and people record their feelings at that time through music and fashion. Without music, fashion would be a silent picture. Without fashion, the world of music would also be pitch black. Fashion and music together can express the rich and colorful life of human beings.”
From her hair color that never stays one shade for too long to her multi-trend-packing clothing style, Key is a fashionista who boldly expresses her vibrant humanity. But she wasn’t always so flamboyant. “In terms of dressing and dressing up, a few years ago I was in a slump for a while, and I remember that during that time I only wanted to wear black and didn’t want to draw attention to myself,” Key recollects, “I would usually wear black jeans and a trench coat.”
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For Key, black is wrapped in a sense of mystery and, when worn, is a kind of invisibility cloak. But even during this period of wanting to fade into the shadows, Key’s personality still twinkled brightly. “There was always a single item on my body that would express myself, such as a band t-shirt or a commemorative necklace,” she continues.
When asked about her views on fashion specifically, Key believes it to go beyond consumer goods or wearing the hottest trend to show you’re in vogue. For her, fashion is an attitude and an enthusiasm for novelty. “Fashion means you are always open-minded for what is new…an old lady or man who always accept[s] new things she or he is my fashion icon,” Key exclaims, “Age, how you dress, what you do for [a] living, etc., these have nothing to do with fashion. Unless you can find real happiness in what you’re doing.”
As someone who approaches broadening her fashion (and music) horizons with open arms, Key seems to find happiness in what she’s doing, and her look is definitely an extension of this joy. But when gigging, the objective for Key is to spin an aural tapestry to mesmerize–not an outfit. With this “music-first” mindset, Key only has one requirement for her stage attire: danceability. “Actually, there is not much difference between stage [attire] and daily life, but there is something in my mind about stage wear. Wear comfortable enough to dance to the music.”
When gigging, the objective for Key Minor is to spin an aural tapestry to mesmerize–not an outfit
WHERE?
Defining herself as “half Beijinger,” Key has been living in the capital for a decade and is regularly on the bill at parties and events throughout the city.
Currently, Key Minor has a set in the work for early July that will be of cinematic proportions. For more information on this forthcoming party fit for the silver screen, and to stay in the loop on where Key Minor will be weaving the beats, keep an eye on her social media. #scrolldown
WHY?
If you’re a club kid in the big city that enjoys music spun with philosophical intent instead of clogging the airwaves just for the sake of it, then why not!? Key Minor’s sets are well-tailored sonic collages aimed to get you on your feet and busting moves.
So, shake that tail feather!
Follow Key Minor on IG to stay on the beat with where she’ll be bringing the party vibes.
All images come courtesy of Key Minor
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