Name: TC:KYLIE
Nationality: Hong Kong
Occupation: Composer, keyboard player
Current release: TC:KYLIE and her band The Hourglass will release their debut EP RE:birth on March 20th 2025 via Légère.
Topic I rarely get to talk about: The album cover and vinyl sleeve, designed by renowned Hong Kong illustrator Don Mak, draw inspiration from The Beatles’ iconic cover. The artwork shows me crossing Abbey Road Studios, symbolizing Hongkongers’ transition from neon-lit streets to boldly embracing a new chapter in the UK.
Recommendation for Hong Kong: I highly recommend visiting the old towns of To Kwa Wan in Hong Kong, a neighborhood rich in history, resilience, and cultural nostalgia. Unlike the city’s gleaming skyscrapers, To Kwa Wan preserves authentic Hong Kong heritage, with its low-rise tong lau buildings, mom-and-pop eateries, and hidden artisanal workshops that have withstood decades of urban transformation.
Wandering through its narrow alleys and vintage signage-lined streets, you’ll uncover local teahouses, century-old noodle shops, and traditional jade carving stores, offering a glimpse into the city’s working-class roots. The old town street views, infused with British colonial influence, are also highlighted in my album cover, capturing To Kwa Wan’s unique blend of East and West. Despite rapid redevelopment, the area still echoes with the voices of past generations. For those seeking to experience Hong Kong beyond its commercial veneer, To Kwa Wan’s old town stands as a living testament to its cultural identity.

If you enjoyed this TC:KYLIE interview and would like to know more about her music, visit her on Instagram. The Hourglass also have an Instagram account.



What were some of the musical experiences which planted a seed for your interest in jazz?

Inspired by Shaun Martin and Robert Glasper, I was drawn to their sophisticated harmonies, rich chord progressions, and innovative fusion of jazz with contemporary elements. Their music, particularly Glasper’s seamless blend of hip-hop, R&B, and jazz improvisation, opened my ears to a more modern and expressive approach to jazz.
 
As my musical journey progressed, I delved into Japanese acid jazz, captivated by its high-energy grooves, syncopated rhythms, and vibrant brass arrangements. I became an avid follower of bands like Fox Capture Plan, Jabberloop, Toconoma, Jizue, and Bohemianvoodoo, each bringing a unique character to the genre. Fox Capture Plan’s cinematic textures, Jabberloop’s explosive horn lines, and Toconoma’s laid-back yet intricate grooves deeply resonated with me, further refining my musical aesthetic.
 
One of my most unforgettable experiences was witnessing Toconoma’s “tocojaws” Live in Hong Kong in 2018. Experiencing their tight interplay, dynamic transitions, and electrifying stage presence firsthand was profoundly inspiring, reinforcing my passion for jazz fusion. Their live improvisation and seamless chemistry showcased an unparalleled level of musicianship, setting a benchmark for my own artistic aspirations.
 
What does the term jazz mean today, would you say?

Jazz today is a boundary-pushing, ever-evolving art form that embraces both tradition and innovation. While classic jazz legends like Chet Baker and Oscar Peterson laid its foundation, modern jazz spans nu-jazz, jazztronica, and fusion, blending genres like hip-hop, electronic, and funk. Musicians now infuse their cultural heritage into jazz, creating unique subgenres.

For instance, Japanese acid jazz showcases intricate grooves, cinematic harmonies, and vibrant brass arrangements, as seen in bands like Jabberloop and Toconoma. Bands like Fox Capture Plan also master the addition of a string ensemble or even an orchestra.
 


As of today, what kind of materials, ideas, and technologies are particularly stimulating for you?

I find AI-driven virtual musicians, particularly Logic Pro’s AI drummer, incredibly stimulating for song arrangement. This tool enhances creativity by generating eight distinct drum patterns, which I can further refine by manually adjusting kick, snare, and cymbal placements. Its dynamic control, humanization, and intensity adjustments allow for realistic, expressive drum performances, making it an invaluable tool for experimenting with rhythmic textures and refining groove variations.
 
I am eager to see more advanced AI musicians emerge in the market. For instance, if my project features a solid rhythm section with piano comping, I envision AI being capable of generating demo brass lines or dynamic band hits tailored to the arrangement. Additionally, AI-driven tools could intelligently add ornaments, articulations, and expressive nuances to horn sections based on my MIDI drafts.

As a pianist-focused arranger, I am not as familiar with brass instrumentation, so AI-powered assistance would streamline the creative process, ensuring authentic, stylistically accurate horn arrangements. The same shall be applied to scoring.
 
Where do most of your inspirations to create come from – rather from internal impulses or external ones? Which current social / political / ecological or other developments make you feel like you need to respond as an artist?

Previously a news documentary journalist in Hong Kong, I specialized in weaving human narratives within intricate political landscapes, which shaped my deep appreciation for storytelling and cultural identity. This narrative-driven approach now influences my composition and arrangement, allowing me to translate emotions, history, and societal themes into music.
 
I also engage with society through live performances, using music as a medium for reflection and dialogue. For instance, during my headline gig at London Jazz Festival 2024, I incorporated a solo piano rendition of Eason Chan’s “Crying in the Party,” seamlessly layering it with soundscapes from pivotal Hong Kong social and political events. These included archival audio from the 2019 protests, which I personally recorded—moments that resonated globally and captured international media attention.

Through this, I strive to preserve and amplify the voices of my hometown, blending musical expression with historical consciousness.
 
Music has become a lot more global, and incorporating elements from other parts of the world or the musical spectrum is commonplace. Do you still think there are city scenes with a distinct, unique sound? How does your local scene influence your work?

Hong Kong’s Cantopop heritage is a distinct fusion of East and West, blending Chinese melodies, Western harmonies, and jazz-inflected progressions, shaped by the city’s cosmopolitan identity. While globalized music trends continue to evolve, Cantopop’s cinematic compositions, poignant storytelling, and emotionally charged delivery remain uniquely Hong Kong.
 


My work draws from this signature soundscape, infusing Cantopop lyricism and rich orchestration into jazz fusion arrangements. Stage 命定舞台 pays tribute by opening with a piano solo referencing Eason Chan’s 每一個明天, encapsulating resilience and hope—a defining theme in Cantopop.

Beyond this, Hong Kong’s underground jazz and indie crossover scenes further shape my voice, preserving a distinct sonic identity that thrives amid today’s globalized music landscape.
 
What role do electronic tools and instruments play for your creative process?

My MIDI keytar, in particular, plays a pivotal role in shaping my sound. Using Omnisphere’s diverse synthesizer patches, I craft textures that blend jazz fusion, nostalgia, and video game-inspired energy.
 
For instance, in my reimagination of Joe Hisaishi’s “Merry-Go-Round of Life” with a jazz big band, I incorporate intricate harmonies, rhythmic variation, and cinematic storytelling. A defining moment is my keytar solo, heavily inspired by the fast-paced, synth-driven soundtracks of classic video games like Sonic the Hedgehog (1991), injecting retro gaming vibrancy into the arrangement.
 
Similarly, in Sea 海の彼岸, bold horn-led rhythms mirror the adrenaline of a Mario Kart race, while my bandmate Victor Wu’s AKAI EWI wind synth channels the pioneering fusion energy of Casiopea.
 
Thanks to technological advances, collaboration has become a lot easier. What have been some of the most fruitful collaborations for you recently and what approaches to and modes of collaboration currently seem best to you?

Collaboration thrives on storytelling, shared vision, and technological accessibility, and my recent project Nightingale 小夜啼鳥, recorded at Abbey Road Studios, exemplifies this.

The piece reinterprets The Nightingale and the Emperor through a dynamic duet between British violinist Natasha Petrović and multi-instrumentalist Victor Wu from Hong Kong, illustrating the Emperor’s journey from awe to neglect, culminating in bittersweet redemption.
 
Jazz has always had an interesting relationship between honouring its roots and exploring the unknown. What does the balance between these two poles look like in your music?

For me, jazz is about respecting tradition while pushing sonic boundaries, and my composition Rebirth 重生 embodies this balance. Inspired by Life of Pi, it mirrors the uncertainty of life’s journey, blending jazz improvisation with post-rock intensity.
 
The piece opens with odd time signatures and hypnotic phrasing, reminiscent of Chick Corea’s Spain, paying homage to jazz’s rhythmic and harmonic complexity. However, its second half takes an unexpected turn, drawing from the emotive, crescendo-driven storytelling of Japanese post-rock band Toe.
 
This fusion of jazz fusion’s technical brilliance and post-rock’s cathartic release creates a powerful narrative, resonating with the Hong Kong diaspora in the UK—a testament to resilience, unity, and sonic exploration.
 
 How much potential for something “new” is there still in jazz? What could this “new” look like?

While subgenres like Japanese Acid Jazz and Latin Jazz have gained global recognition for their distinct regional flavors, the rise of globalization and digital innovation is pushing jazz into new territories. I envision a future where Cantonpop elements—known for poetic lyricism, sentimental melodies, and cinematic orchestration—are infused into jazz fusion, creating a distinctly Hong Kong sound. This would be akin to how Brazilian Bossa Nova or Afrobeat jazz emerged as regional subgenres with global appeal.
 
Beyond cultural integration, technology is redefining jazz’s sonic landscape. With the rise of nu-jazz and jazztronica, electronic elements, synthesizers, and AI-generated compositions are shaping the genre’s modern identity. But most importantly, the rise of AI underscores the irreplaceable value of storytelling. While technology can replicate harmonies and compositions, it cannot authentically capture human experiences, emotions, and cultural narratives.
 
Jazz has traditionally been harmonically driven, rather than a tool for cultural succession. However, reflecting on my early career as a journalist covering political and social events in Hong Kong, I realize that people often associate these moments with Cantonpop, not jazz. So why not?

If jazz embraces storytelling with local identity and historical depth, it can transcend being purely a musical form and become a vessel for cultural memory and social expression, proving that jazz’s evolution is far from over.
 
For many artists, life-changing musical experiences take place live. How do you see that yourself?
 
In 2024, headlining the EFG London Jazz Festival, performing two additional shows, and supporting Butcher Brown at a sold-out Jazz Café on their EU tour were defining milestones that deepened my connection with live audiences.

[Read our Butcher Brown interview]
 
Performing my debut instrumental jazz fusion album, recorded between the UK and Taiwan, further solidified my belief in live music’s impact. My reinterpretation of Joe Hisaishi’s Merry-Go-Round of Life, set to release on limited colored vinyl on March 20, has garnered international media interest from Japan, Italy, Germany, and Hong Kong.
 
The energy of a live stage fuels my creative evolution, as seen in the response to my single Rebirth, which has aired on radio in France, the USA, Luxembourg, the UK, and Australia.
 
How, would you say are your live performances and your recording projects connected at the moment? How do they mutually influence and feed off each other?

Given that my music is instrumental, storytelling becomes less explicit. Unlike vocalists who can articulate narratives through lyrics, I rely on texture, phrasing, and sonic motifs to convey emotion and meaning.

For instance, I cannot simply verbalize my childhood experiences or my early career as a journalist, so I integrate archival audio from the 2019 Hong Kong protests, which I personally recorded. These historically charged soundscapes—featured in my headline performance at London Jazz Festival 2024—evoke a visceral connection, amplifying the underlying themes of my music.
 
However, I believe these recordings should remain exclusive to live performances rather than being embedded in studio releases. Live settings provide a transient, immersive context where audience engagement and spontaneity shape the moment, making the incorporation of such audio deeply impactful.

In contrast, a recorded version would lack the immediacy and emotional resonance that make these elements so powerful on stage.
 
Are there approaches, artists, festivals, labels, spaces or anyone/-thing else out there who you feel deserve a shout out for taking jazz into the future?

Canadian keyboardist Anomalie is at the forefront of modern jazz innovation, seamlessly merging jazz improvisation with electronic elements. His fusion of complex harmonies, groove-heavy rhythms, and lush synth textures pushes jazz beyond its acoustic roots.

[Read our Anomalie interview]
 
What sets him apart is his real-time digital manipulation, where he triggers loops, sequences, and sound design elements while improvising live. His use of MIDI controllers and synthesizer patches expands jazz’s sonic palette, bridging jazz fusion, electronic, and funk.
 
By integrating electronic tools into both composition and performance, Anomalie redefines how jazz can embrace technology while preserving its improvisational essence, paving the way for the genre’s evolution in an increasingly digital world.
 
The Montreux Festival intends to preserve its archive of recordings for future generations. Do you personally feels it's important that everything should remain available forever - or is there something to be said for letting beautiful moments pass and linger in the memories of those that experienced them?

For me, music serves as a historical marker. My headline performance at London Jazz Festival 2024, where I incorporated archival audio from the 2019 Hong Kong protests, was designed to preserve lived experiences through sound, not just for artistic expression but as a sonic documentation of history.

Balancing preservation and impermanence keeps music both rooted in history and alive in the present.