TOKiMONSTA bounces back from surgery


Photo courtesy of John Michael Fulton

Born and raised in Los Angeles County, Jennifer Lee is known internationally for her DJ and music production abilities under the stage name TOKiMONSTA. While a great deal of electronic music enthusiasts know of her music and high-profile collaborations such as Thirsty Fish, Kool Keith, MDNR and Anderson.Paak, many of her fans are unaware of the medical challenges she has faced and overcome.

Pitchfork recently reported on Lee’s experience with Moyamoya disease, a Japanese word meaning “puff of smoke.” Moyamoya is an uncommon yet severe condition in which the carotid artery in the brain is obstructed, reducing blood flow to the brain. If untreated, Moyamoya may result in an aneurysm or mini-stroke. Keeping the diagnosis within her personal circle, Lee took time off from playing festivals and creating music to undergo surgery, which upon completion was successful, but came with serious repercussions. Things that had always come so naturally for Lee — walking, speech and especially music — suddenly became foreign and difficult. After allowing herself time to recover, these abilities came back and led to the completion of her fifth album Lune Rouge.

Not only has TOKiMONSTA fully regained her music-making ability, but to add to her accomplishments, just three months after her surgery in January 2016, she played a set in the Sahara tent both weekends of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The album, set for release on Oct. 4, derives its authenticity from the raw emotions of overcoming a seemingly unsurpassable challenge. The album opens with “Lune,” an entirely instrumental track, which highlights Lee’s classical musical training in its grace and simplicity.

Flowing directly into the second track, compelling beats complement softer, angelic vocals on “Rouge,” where more melody-focused “Rose’s Thorn” gives Lee the freedom to explore a variety of sounds, all of which add a great deal of depth. Lee invokes some of her Korean lineage in the song “Bibimbap,” which features sounds that resemble a gayageum, a traditional Korean string instrument.

The song that most evidently reflects how Lee’s recent personal experiences have influenced her music is single “Don’t Call Me” where the opening lyrics are: “Hey, I never thought this love could go so wrong / And so it did and you know that I moved on / I never heard from you for so long,” likely referring to her breakup.

“My boyfriend broke up with me — after my surgery, after taking care of me,” Lee said in an interview with Pitchfork. “That moment was probably the worst I’ve ever felt in my entire life. But that sadness allowed me to regain some clarity. I knew I had to overcome it.”

As a whole, Lune Rouge demonstrates Lee’s diverse skill set as a producer. Each of the 11 tracks on the album exemplifies a different style, from Korean-influenced “Bibimbap” to hip-hop and rap influenced “NO WAY,” featuring Isaiah Rashad, Joey Purp and Ambré Perkins.

For those who want to witness the magic and have the pleasure of listening to the album before it is released, she will perform at the Wiltern on Friday.