DJ Sparrow’s Inspirations and New EP

DJ Sparrow talks about making his underrated new project, BLUE, and what’s next for him!

For those who have not heard your music before, how would you describe it to them? How would you finish the sentence “DJ Sparrow is ___” or “DJ Sparrow’s music is ___”?

I would like to express that my music is strong on the outside but sad and tender on the inside. My music has sharp and strong drumming but tends to have a minor chord tone or melody. 

How did you choose your stage name?

My stage name [is from] practicing dancing with my friends when I was in high school. My friends were like, “What nickname do you want to use? Oh? You look like a sparrow!”

What career would you be pursuing today if it could not be music-related?

I can't think of what other jobs I would do. Because I got hurt while [dancing], I started DJing. When I was DJing [with other artists’ music] and saw people excited, I wondered what it would be like to listen to my [own] songs and see people being moved and excited, so I [started producing] music. 

Who and/or what inspires your music the most?

There are countless people who have inspired me, but two of them are THEY. and Tone Stith. Their sharp and sophisticated sounds catch [my attention]. In particular, THEY.'s drums are hard and powerful, but the chord tones and melodies somehow make my heart cry.

I [find] a lot of inspiration from the sounds of movies these days. For example, nothing fills the [scene] more than trees shaking in the forest, [or] the sound of the sea. I don't think I have better pieces of inspiration than movies. Actually, movies are one of the hobbies that I can't leave out [of] my daily life. I've been watching movies often with my family since I was young, and I think movies have naturally [stayed] a part of my life.

What is the meaning behind the name of your new EP, BLUE? 

BLUE has many meanings. First, my favorite color is blue. Second, the music I make is mostly R&B, [which is] “Rhythm and Blues.” Third, I looked up another meaning of “blue,” and it means “depressing,” so I named this EP BLUE because I thought the name would be right.

A lot of your previous single and album cover artworks are very bright and colorful. Did you purposefully choose a darker style for the cover of BLUE? 

I wanted to shoot the cover artwork without [the viewer] knowing whether it was in the forest or not. I contacted the stylist Bang Sung-hyun, who helped me during the [making of the] first EP. My stylist friend wanted to do this kind of mood, so I came up with the styling [for it]. I don't know if it was intentional, but I think the artwork was naturally [dimmed]. 

Lastly, is there anything else you want to say about yourself or your music?

I want to say thank you to each and every listener, and that you can look forward to the remaining six months of 2024. This EP is not the end. A collaborative album with a producer named Lotty is [being] prepared. We're working really hard on it, so please look forward to it. I'm so excited to play it for you.

Check out BLUE here!

Answers have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. Photos courtesy of DJ Sparrow.