Lil Mariko is a Meme Queen

The internet sensation has created some of the most viral bangers in collaboration with top-tier artists that span from Rico Nasty, Dorian Electra, Full Tac, Zheani, Mood Killer, and more. Just recently, she released an epic list of eleven tracks that sounds like a can of Four Loko is screaming at you.

Her debut EP dropped back in March 2021 and she’s nowhere near being close to finished. The artist is currently working on more vomit-inducing, cringe-worthy singles to pierce fan’s ears.

office magazine caught up with the up-and-coming musical genius to discuss her journey into a male-dominated industry as an Asian Woman, the impact of the internet, music, and more.

Check out the interview below.

Your music is very reflective of today's generation, I mean, the song titles are so catchy and the lyricism is so playful 一 could you tell me about how you conceptualize your vision? How do you come up with your ideas?

I guess how I sort of come up with the ideas for my music, honestly, is just scrolling through the internet and just finding like, dumb as fuck memes or just life experiences. Like, what pisses me off today or finding things that I think are funny. I’ll just write them down in my notes and Jared and I will get in the studio together and, I'll tell him and reference music that I'm listening to currently. Then we'll kind of build a beat off of that and then we find a concept that fits the beat. I'll do the song writing and he'll kind of help me with the melodies and I guess that's kind of our writing process.

Your songs can be labelled as a crossover between ear splitting and hypnotic sounds and It’s a peculiar combination of metal, hyper pop, and techno. What do you think makes this such an irresistible combination for both you and your listeners?

Honestly, I'm still baffled that people listen to my music unironically! I feel like Jared and I are doing something that’s new 一 in terms of combining all of these specific elements together. I haven't really come across a whole lot of other artists that are doing techno and trap or pop and like metal, it’s rolled into one, big, cluster fuck of songs. I guess just like, we’re just trying to be as unhinged as possible when it comes to the lyrics and just having absolutely no filter.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the all encompassing themes of your music seems to explore the embracement of sex positivity, gender equality, and identity. Why are these elements important for you to explore?

I feel like when I go into making music, I'm really just drawing from personal experience as an Asian woman in the United States. We have all of the negative stereotypes that we face and of course, my music ends up kind of like going into that realm of sex positivity. Growing up, I never really had that experience when it came to that. I guess now, as an adult, I have the freedom to talk about whatever I want.

Going off of that, as a female asian-american producing music, what has your experience been like in the industry so far? Have you run into any obstacles or has it been a smooth experience?

So far I've been really fortunate to have a very smooth experience. I know obviously, I see the critique of people online and that's inevitable and that's totally fine, or even seeing people trying to put me in a box. For Asian women, it's like the stereotype is you're either like this submissive person or you're like this like dragon lady dominatrix, there's no in between. I think for the most part, a lot of the people who've been listening to my music, I think resonate with the general message and my experience that I put into music. So yeah, I think so far it's been pretty amazing.

You’ve had a handful of top-tier collaborations with Dorian Electra, Full Tac, Zheani, Rico Nasty and more. How have these collaborations shaped your sound and do you have any upcoming collaborations that you can tell us about?

I mean, they've all been like people that I've looked up to heavily in terms of making music. Before I even started making anything new for people that I had already drawn influence from. Being on a track with any one of them has been amazing and all of them have such amazing musical talent. As for upcoming collaborations, there's stuff in the works, but nothing is for sure, but I'll be moving to LA soon. So, I look forward to working with a lot more people because I'll actually be in the space to do so. I can't really say yet because nothing's really set in stone quite yet, but look forward to upcoming things!

You have a new album in the works, will you be exploring similar themes?

Yeah, definitely! I mean, in my upcoming projects that I'd like to work on, one thing I'd like to focus on is sort of solidifying my sound and just like refining things a bit. I think for the most part, whatever I have coming next, will probably be within the same universe.

Is it challenging for you to divert your listeners' understanding of what you choose to portray yourself as online? Do you ever feel sexualized?

For sure. I feel that a lot as an Asian person on the internet nowadays and people always sexualize you to an extent. It’s a little dehumanizing, but it is what it is and I guess at this point in my life, I've come to terms with it instead of being too discouraged by it. I like to draw power from it, like, hey, let me take these idiots' money for sexualizing me, hell yeah!

You’re part of a generation that exists in the age of social media, like TikTok, Instagram, and all of these other outlets that amplify peoples voices. Would you prefer to have lived in a different era or are you content with existing in this generation?

I mean, I feel like people who say ‘I was born in the wrong generation’ like, I don't know, that seems so stupid to me because especially as like a minority it's like where I am right now is like the best possible situation I could be in. I definitely am really grateful for where social media has taken us because it has empowered so many people to finally have an impact and a voice. Especially when it comes to music, because before you had so many doors that you'd have to go through in order to make it to quote on quote, popular music. I’m just really grateful for social media because I definitely wouldn't be in the position I am today without it.

Talk to me about your newest single: Boring.

Four Loko reached out to us and I thought that was fucking wild because Four Loko, I feel like, out of all like drink brands that could have reached out to me, Four Loko definitely has the most fucking chaotic evil energy. So, I was like, ah! How suitable for my brand? For the song, I drew a lot of inspiration from growing up around a lot of the really insufferable people. Especially in high school where anything outside of their norm would make them uncomfortable. But yeah, it’s just a really epic song about very boring people!

Aside from music, you also dabble in artwork and I have to say, your pieces are so beautiful. When did you get into art?

I feel like I've always been into art since I was little. I got more serious about it in high school and then ended up going to Pratt Institute. I feel like just studying art and growing up, all the art has taught me how to convey and translate what I'm feeling into something physical, like music or art and any other medium.

What can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects?

Well, up next, my plan is to just release a bunch of singles and start working on making music videos for the previous projects. The next thing I'm planning is a video for catboys! I'm very excited for that because I'm going to make a very fucking stupid music video. It's in the style of a drill song so I obviously need to do a drill type music video where I'm standing with people twerking and holding guns! There's no big projects coming up, but we'll be putting out singles in the next year or so.

Music

Jesse Jo Stark Is in a Genre of Her Own

April 19, 2024

In the midst of a total solar eclipse, I got the chance to talk about music and style with Jesse Jo Stark.

As I’m on the phone with her from New York, Stark is on a tour bus with The Veronicas, driving through the Colorado mountains to enjoy some time off in between shows. The Veronicas have just started their Gothic Summer North American Tour, and Stark is opening the show. What’s special about this tour for the lifelong music obsessive is the sense of powerful feminine energy encapsulating the tour. “We just started [tour], but it’s been really lovely. I’m obsessed with the fact that we’re all women — it feels like a very powerful crew. The Veronicas are lovely, the crowds have been so fun, and the venues are beautiful. It’s gonna be a good month.”

Photography Sophia-Liv Maguire
Styling Marc Eram
Interview Angelina Hazzouri
Talent Jesse Jo Stark
Hair Antoine Martinez with PARADIS using Roz Hair
Makeup Sydney Szramowski
Photo Assistants Mia O’Neal, Rashaun Richardson
BTS Ms Josephine
Creative Producer Olivia Roper-Caldbeck

This is Stark’s second time touring since the release of her full-length debut album DOOMED in late 2022, which was very well received and led to Stark’s first sold-out international headlining tour on behalf of the album. Previous to her solo tour, she’s opened for various notable acts, such as Guns N’ Roses and Jane’s Addiction. I asked Stark, who’s been writing and playing music since age 11, what it was like to prepare for her first sold-out headlining tour. Unsurprisingly, before any tour, Stark goes into what she describes as “bootcamp mode” — dancing every day, vocal training, rehearsing with her band, and of course, working on her outfits. “That’s the sort of homework I love,” she says, smiling. (Even though we’re on the phone, I can tell she’s smiling when she talks about the outfit part. I’d smile too if I had her tour closet.)

What’s unique about Stark as a musician is that she has ultimately created her own universe by embracing every aspect of her creative upbringing, her raw talent, her fascinating influences, and her unwavering beliefs in not needing to fit into a certain box when it comes to her art. She creative-directs and styles all her own looks, referencing an ever-evolving list of influences that range from Vegas showgirls to Halloween to old films to her parents in the 90s. “I think when I was younger, I had this rebellion against what I was made from,” she tells me, “but now it’s just my blood. I constantly reflect on my childhood and everything I was taught and everything I saw. My brother and sister and I are constantly pulling influences from our parents from the past. I think, more than ever, I’m heavily influenced by them.”

Stark, the daughter of founders and owners of the self-made American fashion brand Chrome Hearts, and now its creative director and designer, is someone who always knew what she liked, but as she describes it, had to ‘go through the motions’ that come with growing up and knowing one’s identity. Today, her self-efficacy is palpable — and it’s inspiring.

...when I was younger, I had this rebellion against what I was made from, but now it’s just my blood.

When she’s on tour, Stark is growing with herself and with her art — she’s not afraid to take life as it comes and learn through the process. With every show, regardless of whether it was on her DOOMED tour or this tour with The Veronicas, Stark understands the importance of human connection through music. Seeing faces of music lovers like herself, meeting those who have traveled to see her, and visiting familiar and unfamiliar cities has reminded her that she loves being on the road. “The growth that happens on tour is so important to me as an artist.” Sometimes we have to leave behind what’s familiar in order to rediscover what’s important, and Stark is a proponent of this growth mindset.

Growth doesn’t just happen on tour with Stark — this evolution of herself happens within genre as well, and for Stark there’s no such thing. Since her first release Driftwood in 2017, the artist’s sound has shifted year after year, but in a harmonious way that still feels central to her gothic Americana roots. When asked if she’ll experiment with genre in the future, Stark confidently answers, “I think I’ve only experimented with genre. I don’t think anyone knows what genre I am.” (She calls herself a “horrific hillbilly” — a perfect descriptor.) Steadfast in her belief that we as humans can constantly evolve in our work, Stark thinks it’s antiquated to fit yourself into a certain box and focus on one specific trade in order to succeed. “If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time. I want to experience different things.”

Since Driftwood, a two-song EP rooted in rock and country, Stark has experimented with more robust beats and 808s on DOOMED, and her most recent single “skeleton” features a softer, grungier punk sound. Without fitting into a specific genre, Stark’s music is undoubtedly and wholeheartedly her own, transcending the boundaries of what many artists struggle with when finding their sound. “I don’t think we should have to label ourselves in any way, shape, or form; so I’m not going to. I will continue to make all types of different music.” Fuck yeah.

If you look at us as people, we’re seasoned. We change all the time.

This goes beyond just music — in terms of her personal style, the same mentality applies. We discuss the idea that clothing and dressing is a sort of playground, and personal style comes from within. Stark isn’t about following trends, but rather, she thinks it’s important to tap into different stylistic elements that amplify who we are at our cores. On her DOOMED tour, Stark wore a lot of leather and stuck to a fairly dark color palette. Right now, she’s into more bourgeois satin and lace, experimenting with different textures and wearing things that feel slightly daintier and more delicate. On this current tour with the Veronicas, Stark is making it more of a point to take everything in — absorbing inspiration from every city, writing songs on the road, recording video on a friend’s super 8 camera, styling and wearing new outfits, learning and performing new covers — ultimately growing through the whole experience.

It’s endearing and inspiring how well Stark knows herself. A Los Angeles native, she proudly tells me that the tour finishes on May 5 in her hometown, a show that she’s especially excited for. While we can’t predict what thoughtfully-curated outfit she’ll wear or what songs will be performed, with new music already underway, one thing is clear: Jesse Jo Stark is just getting started.

Music

9lives' Latest Single Continues to Push Sigilkore

April 19, 2024

The versatile artist, producer, and pioneer of the sigilkore genre, 9lives, has recently unveiled his latest single "CANADA" featuring jnhygs. In less than two years since his emergence onto the music scene, 9lives has carved out an impressive niche for himself as a prominent figure within the digitally-driven sigilkore movement. "CANADA" sees him teaming up once again with experimental dance artist jnhygs, following their successful collaboration on "XTAYALIVE".

With aspirations to establish himself within the mainstream arena of experimental music production and artistry, 9lives is blending his distinct dark production style with collaborations with a diverse array of influential artists who trust him to create innovative sonic landscapes. "CANADA" marks his second release of 2024, as 9lives continues to champion the burgeoning sigilkore movement, pushing the boundaries of genre, evolving into a multifaceted artist, and solidifying his status as a rising star with an expanding audience.

Image by Connor Pritchard

Reflecting on their latest project, 9lives shares, “In early 2023 jnhygs found my music and we started chatting through TikTok, releasing our first song together called "XTAYALIVE"." He adds, We’ve been friends since this song had a viral moment, and fans have been heavily requesting for us to work together again all over our videos.” Describing their creative process, he explains, “I sent a bunch of new ideas to jnhygs via Discord and she sent back vocals to “CANADA”, which I then used to create melodic layers and extra percussion to complete the song.

Music

Eclipsed at Vampire Weekend

April 16, 2024

It had been about a week since the goosebump-inducing communal howls at the moon, as it covered the sun through a cloudy Austin, Texas sky, left me needing to take a seat—suspended in awe of the totality of the event and the synergistic break from routine. I overheard someone say, “I mean, it feels like we’re all going to die, but in a way that’s okay, you know?" under the shadow of the eclipse's peak, ceremoniously brought in as the band performed “Jonathan Low,” (in Vampire Weekend's familiar ironic hue) a track they wrote for the third movie in the Twilight series, Eclipse.

It had been five years since the band had released an album. In celebration of their latest album, "Only God Was Above Us," ticket holders wrapped the streets in blocks outside the venue for the band’s first Stateside show in about two years. Event managers searched to replenish the venue’s stock of eclipse glasses, while the band prepped a show reminiscent of 'getting the boys back together again'.

Words and photography by Rianne Akindele

In between newly released songs like “Classical” and “Capricorn”, the boys filled the almost two-hour-long show with old favorites like “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, “Diane Young” and a genre evolved rendition of “Sunflower” as the crowd danced barefoot feeling the Earth’s energy intertwined with their own and the vibrations from the amps on stage. People stole glances at the imminently darkening sky, artists doodled, friends grabbed onto each other to scream the lyrics in each other’s faces, and onlookers from the highest level of the parking garage across the street cheered on in a symphony of nostalgia and anticipation.

Adding to the layers of the celestial afternoon, the band invited to the stage the likes of Thomas Mars from Phoenix, Dave 1 from Chromeo, and guitarist Brian Robert Jones, inducing further levels of indie revival euphoria.

As the show drew to its close, and the zydeco/country-rock “Cocaine Cowboys” medley fiddled through the air, a conversation could be picked up between two sisters in search of their Lyft driver through closed-off streets,

“I wish this happened more often.”
“Eclipses or shows like this?”
“Both.”

It’s moments like these that remind us of our shared humanity and the power of collective experiences; a gathering of souls under the same sky, sharing the joy of music and a wonder of the stars above. Perhaps it’s the rarity that allowed such transcendence, reverence, and gratitude to be felt. Either way, what a beautiful moment in time it was.

Here are a few shots from the Monday afternoon: