The Cultural Connection: Eileen Yoon & Mantis Hands

Taiwanese-American techno producer Mantis Hands and Korean-American director Eileen Yoon join forces for Mantis Hands’ latest video for “I’m So”, released in August 2023. Based in NYC, Mantis Hands masterfully blends classical and bedroom-techno influences, crafting a unique sonic universe that reflects the dichotomy of city nightlife and everyday tranquillity. Meanwhile, Eileen Yoon, renowned for her narrative, commercial, and music video work, weaves a visual tale through the bustling streets of Seoul, capturing the essence of longing and love.

The 16 mm-shot music video, complementing Mantis Hands’ romantic soundscape, beautifully mirrors the imperfections of human emotion, offering a poignant journey through the interconnected realms of sound and vision. KALTBLUT caught up with both artists to talk about the song and the video as part of our #TheCulturalConnection-interview-series.

KALTBLUT: You’re blending different genres, as well as traditional instruments, to create your distinct sound. How did you find that niche for yourself?

Mantis Hands: I love texture! When I make a melody, I’m really listening to the texture of it. How one note interacts harmonically with the next is really important to me. I also listen to a lot of ambient music and Gregorian chants, and of course, a lot of house and techno. So, I think it’s fair to say there’s a direct link between what I listen to and what I make.

KALTBLUT: Do you feel it’s easier to bring emotions across without vocals?

Mantis Hands: Having vocals is definitely easier! But when I hear an expressive loop, I can listen to it forever. When I first started “I’m So”, I listened to the loop for hours. But in this song, I don’t think there are five seconds in the song that doesn’t have a vocal sample! The texture of a human voice is a singular experience, and I love getting to play with fresh-off-the-press vocals.

KALTBLUT: Eileen, what is your approach in bringing such complex and subtle feelings across without dialogue?

Eileen: It’s interesting because the main actress, Jenny, is a friend from high school and is not an actor — but I knew she would be the perfect fit. My approach to these situations is to give the actor a scenario to think about. I ask them to pull out a memory that evokes a feeling I want to portray. For some of these scenes, I asked her to think about someone she misses. And though this was a romantic music video, she was thinking about all her friends that weren’t in Korea any more, and that’s how she got to the performance that you see.

KALTBLUT: The video was filmed in Seoul. What emotions does the city bring up for yourself?

Mantis Hands: “I’m So” really conveys a feeling of nostalgia for me. It has a yearning and a kind of hope when there’s loss. The video captures that and our main character in the landscape of the city. I can let Eileen speak about how she related her hometown with the song!

Eileen: Seoul is where I grew up, and I left when I was 18. It’s definitely a difficult feeling to pinpoint every time I go back. So much development happens, and many of my childhood locations don’t exist any more. And when I go back, it’s a sense of not belonging and belonging. I feel so at peace since it’s the motherland. The food nourishes me and the environment is familiar. I know the city so well because it’s my home.

But because of my American schooling and now my career being in the States, it’s hard not to feel like an outsider. Now when I go back as a working adult, I find myself wanting to prove that I was born and raised in Korea when I don’t need to. It’s bittersweet to be back and to be able to capture places that were important to me in my developmental years.

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KALTBLUT: What made you choose Seoul to film the video?

Eileen: I was going to Seoul for a wedding, and Kev and I were bouncing ideas to each other before I left. I’ve always wanted to shoot something on film in Korea, and so I thought why not! The video was shot in my neighbourhood and in locations I always thought were beautiful in my teenage years.

KALTBLUT: The video is shot on 16 mm. Why did you decide to go with a more “vintage” look?

Eileen: Shooting on film is a special experience—it’s like unwrapping a gift once the film is developed. The element of unpredictability on set adds a layer of excitement, and the joy that comes from discovering the happy accidents, unique textures, and rich colours in the developed scans is incomparable. And past the technicalities, it’s also a nod to the nostalgic and beautifully imperfect nature of human love. It was also an ode to all the Hong Kong and Taiwanese films I love so much.

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