Today we’d like to introduce you to Paolo Sayo.
Hi Paolo, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I previously spoke with Voyage LA about my activities as a painter but am now merging that skill with my new darkwave/post-punk musical project, called ‘ment_apart’ in anticipation of my first release on September 26th, titled ‘Apparition’. This project has been in the planning stages for years but really started coming together around the Fall of 2024 as times of uncertainty drove me to write, record, and produce my own music. The sound is largely shaped by shoegaze subgenre influences from the UK and Japan like Slowdive and Kinoko Teikoku; alongside 80s hits like New Order and Depeche Mode; but also by post-punk acts from post-Soviet Eastern Europe like Molchat Doma that drive a darker atmosphere and brutalist tone. Ment_apart is simply an inverse of ‘apartment’, which is where I recorded all of my music and sounds like being ‘meant to be apart’ from someone you care for.
I grew up in an era of shared optimism felt from the recovery of the global financial crisis during the 2010s, which then faded away with the malaise brought on by a hypercapitalist post-global pandemic recovery that is still exacerbating the reduction of the middle class. Since then, I’ve had personal relationships end with heartbreak, friendships that disappeared with suicide, and those whom I’ve helped console away from mental health crises. My first single, ‘Apparition’ touches on the feeling or memory of a loved one who has faded away, but we still try to cling on to the hope that we’ll at least be haunted by them in our thoughts.
Music and painting for me, is a medium of connection on what we all feel as the world descends further into ideological extremism, while still romanticising the hope that our communities will find the compassion to pull each other out of their personal darkness. Much of my work experience has been in healthcare as I’ve worked alongside hospice organizations and hospitals where death and burnout are a part of daily life. One of my upcoming songs called ‘Wilt’ for an upcoming EP release for later in the year came from my feelings of powerlessness when someone I deeply cared for underwent a period of mental trauma and eventually received the help they needed, but only after navigating our under-supported healthcare system.
Along with the fear of the political unknown over the past year, my city of Los Angeles has encountered devastating fires at the start of 2025 and even raids against the deeply ingrained immigrant communities that we rely on and are part of. I think it is inevitable that the people of LA have to endure their own individual struggles. I try to compose music that thematically reflects the collective darkness that we feel, while still conveying a sense of empathy, compassion, and romance in a cynical world to whomever chooses to listen. Rather than appealing to those who stick their heads in the sand, I make music for an audience who shares the awareness and fears that I do, and it has become a series of cathartic love letters to them. Upon hearing my compositions, I hope I can connect with those who don’t look away from the darkness, but find their place in it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest issue was learning how to mix my recordings so they can sound decent enough when you put all the instruments, beats, and vocals together. I also had to relearn some basic music theory concepts since I haven’t played music seriously in a while.
Much of the struggles in my relationships and witnessing how the world is today helped drive my songwriting ideation. What I wanted to avoid doing was to make my lyrics specific to myself or who I was writing about. In the end, I still wanted to make sure that the listener could relate with the sense of grief, longing, or rage that I allude to in my music. It’s not just about me showing off my music as an artist, but to share these experiences and emotions with each other. I do hope someone out there can find some catharsis when they hear my music.
I think identity also plays a huge role as I try to find my place in our every-changing society as an Asian American. I think alternative post-punk/darkwave as a genre is still underrepresented by the Asian diaspora as many of its listeners and artists typically have Hispanic or European roots.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an artist who’s aiming to bridge my passions of painting and creating music in one major project that would follow me throughout my life. I’ve been an oil painter for many years, working on commissions or practicing concepts for myself. I’ve also learned music while growing up. ‘ment_apart’ allows me to combine this self-driven project to put all of myself into.
I create all the primary visuals that accompany the music I compose, while I record the instruments, beats, and vocals myself. From songwriting to producing the final mix, I share my humanity to whoever wants to listen and view my work. This is absolutely a counter to the increasing use of generative AI in creative industries that only mimic or remove the human presence from art.
I am quite proud that I was able to learn the basics of mixing and production myself over the past year, with some guidance from my longtime friend and audio engineer, Emilio Zoen who also masters my tracks once they’re ready for the world.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
In maintaining my humanistic approach, building a sense of community with fellow artists and audiences who can relate is essential to knowing that I’ve made an impact with my work. They can reach out to me on social media or at shows once I start performing publicly. I have friends who themselves are dipping their feet into creating their own music and I’ve offered to pass my production knowledge and even help them mix their song demos. I would love to keep being a part of that for a wider community of local artists.
My Spotify and Apple Music, as well as presence in other music streaming platforms will be up by the end of September!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ment-apart.bandcamp.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ment_apart/
- Other: https://paolosayo.com
Image Credits
Paolo Sayo
