SOUND OF SOUND OFF SOUND OFFF

Definition: sound off

the absence or turning off of sound to speak up in a loud voice (source)

SOUND OFFF is a cultural channel+space dedicated to spotlighting Asian Americans in the modern music industry.

As Asian Americans, we are diverse and significant, but traditionally scarce in being united or represented.

Internally as musicians, we have historically preferred to avoid the “Asian” characterization, not wishing ourselves or our work to be labeled, boxed in or commodified by our ethnic background, even when appreciating our heritage.

Externally, in western contexts, our images and cultures easily become exoticized, dismissed and confounded, from gazes often laced with subconscious skepticism and confusion as to what “marketable” category we fall into.

This site (formerly AsiAM, for “Asian Americans in Music” and pronounced “As I Am”) began so that members of the AAPI music community could be seen exactly for who they were; no more, no less, except less of an “other.”

SOUND OFFF continues this mission, recognizing the emerging presence of a community that has long struggled with issues of identity, invisibility and erasure.

Amidst the evershifting landscape, we acknowledge the complexity of these burgeoning voices as themselves and as an action, of the “on” and the “off” and the spectrum between, and of the still-murky spaces from existence to acceptance for Asian Americans in the music industry. In supporting the discovery and connecting of these creatives, SOUND OFFF aims to widen the consciousness of Asian Americans in music, both within and without the community.

Through sharing releases and in-depth interviews, SOUND OFFF aims to spotlight the creators and creations of the burgeoning Asian American music population. Our interest lies in the wide range of AsAm music professionals, from artists to songwriters to musicians to engineers to producers, forging careers in today’s modern music environment.

Follow us @thesoundofff and tag #soundofff online to tell us what AsAm music creatives we need to know.

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. We exist to support Asian American musicians and do our best to point back to original/creator sources. If you see an incorrect or inferior source, or for whatever reason as a creator prefer your material not to be on this site, please do not hesitate to let us know.