Maekan

In the face of the sharing economy, the modern idea of a hotel has largely been upended and put on the defensive. When on-demand rental places offer a plethora of choices in prime neighborhoods and with potentially more competitive prices, it pushes hoteliers to reimagine what role they should play as fosterers of hospitality and community. RYSE is a modern hotel concept borne out of Jason Schlabach and Leo Moon’s vision. Together, the two have drawn from their wealth of different cultural and business experience to create globally-unique and locally-relevant experiences. Several cultural pillars are well-represented within the confines of RYSE, ranging from world-class cuisine by San Francisco’s Tartine and David Thompson’s Long Chim, and local fashion retail heavyweight WORKSOUT. Script & Narration by Eugene Kan Audio by

The philosophy behind Outlier may not be abundantly clear but several moments spent with their product or their visuals should evoke something. A moment of intrigue. A sense of movement. It takes a bit of dedication and experience with the brand but with it comes the ability to draw out a series of characteristics that exude a sense of innovation and value. The products they create, which is careful not to present itself as fashion, unite an understanding of design and technical function. Hosted by Eugene Kan Photos by Collin Hughes See the whole story here. What is MAEKAN?

It was an off chance that MAEKAN connected with fashion designer and DJ turned ceramicist Sloane Angell. It’s funny how things manage to work themselves out. At the time, MAEKAN had just moved into a new office and the lingering odor from a fresh coat of paint had various people ritualistically (or desperately?) reaching for a stick of incense every day. Generally speaking, acquiring the incense is easy and effortless. It’s readily available in most “lifestyle shops,” and can range from branded and pretentious, to downright cheap and accessible. What doesn’t really factor in until after the fact is the holder. Call it ingenuity or simply being on a #startupbudget, Eugene basically poked a hole in a plastic film canister(Eugene actual --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

Back in Summer 2017, Elphick took a trip to North America to visit friend and fellow producer Tee (who helped to produce our Sounds of Hong Kong and Sounds of Tokyo stories). Following his stays in Toronto and New York, he decided to drop by Philadelphia to meet with DJ Matthew Law, who Elphick had met in Hong Kong a few years prior to MAEKAN’s inception. In the catch-up that followed, Matthew shared a bit about his past and progression as a DJ and the block parties in the musically rich city that cross genres and unite generations of locals. Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by

Every day is a culmination of all our past experiences. Seemingly innocuous moments snowball with major life-altering events to shape how we look and perceive the world around us. For Matt McCormick, the tattoo turned fine artist wasn’t somebody who entered the world of art with everything figured out. The early stages of life afforded him access to the art world courtesy of his parents, but it didn’t result in a clearly defined path from adolescence to professional artist.  Hosted by Kevin Chau Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Alex Maeland & Eugene Kan See the whole story here. What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

When you hear the term “pro athlete,” it’s understandable you’d think almost exclusively of the superstars on TV playing before sold-out audiences in the major leagues. But what if the athletes were getting paid to play for different teams by-the-match and in venues that swing between urban gymnasiums and rainy asphalt courts in the boonies? Welcome to the world of Wild Ball. Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by To Cheuk Yin See the whole story here. What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We're about learning, partici --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

As a native of Hong Kong, I’m confronted with the duplicity of being a creative in a market full of opportunity, but with little structure to support it. Hong Kong is vexing in that it’s a globalized financial and cultural center similar to New York and London, but unlike those cities, it still lacks on the cultural front. The underground creative industry, far removed from the fine art and luxury fashion arenas Hong Kong has long been renowned for, is young. The city’s imagination is often limited by a cultural attachment to convenience at the expense of passion. The overwhelming problem of exorbitant rent benefits the landlords only, and an archaic system makes innovation difficult. And yet, artists are fighting, and optimism remains. Each works towards unlocking the city’s full creative potential. Text & Narration by Keshia Hannam

Cody Hudson is a mutual friend that has become in many ways, the artist who’s everybody’s friend. It’s hard not to like the soft-spoken artist based in Chicago. He carries himself with this outward calm that frankly puts you at ease. His work itself feels intimately connected with himself as an individual. It’s about putting something out and not getting caught up in the details. His process is both liberating and calming despite the loose lines. Cody’s path has often been guided by curiosity. It’s been his passion to learn and take on new experiences that have served as his guiding principles towards life. Hosted by Eugene Kan Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Chris Da Canha See the whole story 

In this story, Nate chats with NY-based photographers Emanuel Hahn and Andrew Kung. While both have a large body of experience with commercial work, the two left the big city behind for a few weeks in October 2017 to personally connect with a community in the South that’s been rooted there for generations, but remains largely misunderstood—if known at all—by the rest of America. Part photojournalism project, part personal exploration of racial and regional identity, The Mississippi Delta Chinese is audiovisual narrative that captures the co --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

Earlier this year, we paid a visit to friend, long-time collaborator and neighbor Arthur Bray, better known as Yeti. A native Hong Konger that attended university in the UK, his career as a DJ developed through weekend trips throughout the country and its diverse club scene and alongside his partner in crime, his twin brother Tom. We sat down in his Tai Kok Tsui apartment and studio to hear about how far he’s come and the evolution of his role in music, what things look like down the line and of course, the you-couldn’t-make-this-up tale of the college roommate that inspired his name. Script by Nate Kan Narration by Kevin Chau Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Christopher Lim See the whole story here. < --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

Joan Wong worked at Penguin Random House in New York for the past five years as a book cover designer. Among her well-known work are the paperback covers of the Crazy Rich Asians series by Kevin Kwan, Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s We Should All Be Feminists. She could easily have stayed at her job indefinitely and followed a fairly predictable path of success as a designer. However, in evaluating her next steps, this plan sounded a little too safe. She decided to leave her full time job in order to embark on a year long trip around the world that began in October 2017. Production & Narration by Charis Poon Illustration by Joan Wong Audio by Elphick Wo See the whole story 

Bohan Phoenix was born in Hubei, China and moved to the United States when he was eleven. Fast forward to his first forays into producing music full time after graduating from NYU, Bohan found himself wondering what his persona should be as an entertainer. He looked up to Eminem, Tupac, and Jin—but their paths weren’t directly applicable to his trajectory. Not until Bohan took ownership of his heritage and put that into his work was he able to find the kind of success he could get excited about. Now, the blend of cultures that makes up Bohan’s personality and music is putting him at the forefront of the Chinese hip-hop scene. Production & Narration by Elphick Wo Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Cheuk-Yin To See the whole story 

In our latest MAEKAN Session, we moved the show to London and discussed the topic of “Authenticity in Media.” London has been an inspiration to the team for some time. The city has been an important driver of globally-relevant subcultures with a keen understanding of the world of media. This relationship has always been a delicate balance that they seem to understand. Moderated by Eugene Kan Panelists featuring Tom Brandhorst, Ari Stein, and Iona Goulder Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Giles Smith See the whole story here. What is MAEKAN? < --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

Sara Aiko founded Curated Kyoto, a travel boutique based in Kyoto, Japan, in March 2017 on her birthday. She had previously worked at a media company promoting Kyoto, but knew that there was so much more to the city than what they were in the business of advertising. Sara wants to share aspects of her city that aren’t as well known as Kyoto’s famous landmarks. Landmarks like Fushimi Inari Shrine with its iconic vermillion torii gates and Ginkaku-ji, a Zen temple known as the Silver Pavilion, receive many visitors all year round, and they are beautiful symbolic sites, but Sara believes more attention should be paid to other parts of the city too. Curated Kyoto introduces a new way for travelers to enjoy Kyoto from a creative perspective. Production & narration by Charis Poon Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Mi --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

In our first Sights & Sounds of 2018, we hear from Melbourne-based Jean-Paul McAllan, better known as ThirdCulture. Born in the States but raised in Japan and Hong Kong, he has never felt inseparably linked to a specific location, but rather carries a mix of curiosity and readiness wherever his travels take him. He treats his craft as meditation, pract --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

There’s been a bit of excitement around MAEKAN with Alex opening his first-ever photo exhibition, “Flower,” at McNamara Art Projects. The show, as the name suggests, revolves around still life botanical photos that may or may not be of the illicit variety. “Flower” is not meant to be any sort of hard-stanced commentary on cannabis in a region of the world where it’s frowned upon. Instead, for Alex it was about bringing friends together to work together on a passion project. It drew in the likes of Mike Cherman of Chinatown Market, and Ariel Stark-Benz of --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

Photography can mean a lot of different things today. Is it more ephemeral and about capturing the trivial parts of life? Is it about something more artful and considered? Is it about documenting and providing memories that will certainly outlive us? You could say that most of the photography we experience is largely forgettable and disposable. Random selfies and product placements dominate much of our feeds. For photographer Brian Kelley, his initial start in professional photography focused more on the world of streetwear and skateboarding. However, it was the process of still life photography that pulled him into a unique genre that flies in the face of what’s expected in modern times. Text & Narration by Eugene Kan Audio --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

When you've spent most of your life writing for eyes, the transition to scripts written for podcasts and audio stories can sometimes be a bit challenging. But with the right resources and a bit of practice, you eventually find yourself developing a writing voice you didn't know you had. In this Building the Brand, Charis and Nate discuss some of the challenges of writing for the ear and about some of the best practices they've learned writing for MAEKAN's listeners since inception. Hosted by Charis Poon & Nate Kan Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Alex Maeland What is MAEKAN? MAEKAN is a membership-based publication and community focused on the sights and sounds of creative culture. We --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

The mention of Japanese culture calls to mind any number of things, ranging from Pokémon and Nintendo to kimonos and Noh theatre. Japan is full of niche cultural products that are often specific to certain prefectures and certain eras, but to an outsider located elsewhere, only the more popular exports make it through. Even with the best intentions of a person seeking to learn more, the lack of translated Japanese-English websites and media can prevent deeper understanding. Hikaru Komura, who prefers to go by Hiki, started a blog in 2009 to practice her English after she returned to Tokyo from her overseas studies. The blog quickly gained a global following and Hiki started fielding comments and questions about Japan and Japanese products. At the time, Hiki dreamed up an online store as a quick solution for her readers looking to acquire hard-to-find things from Japanes --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/maekan/support

When trap music is highlighted in the context of China and especially in English, the discussion often wanders into focusing on the showy garish side, before writing off the burgeoning scene as a shallow imitation of the popular North American genre. But in this story, Eugene sits down with David Zhou and Lucas Farrar, who set the record straight on the Chinese hip hop scene, specifically as it pertains to Chengdu and Chongqing, the two rival cities building the scene from the ground up and laying claim to the title of China’s hip-hop capital. Hosted by Eugene Kan, David Zhou & Lucas Farrar Audio by Elphick Wo Photos by Lucas Farrar See the whole story here. What is MAEKAN?