Tokimonsta chats with Tommy Codling about her upcoming album ‘Lune Rouge’ and the trauma that inspired it.

‘Lune Rouge’ is “hands down the most personal record that I have,” says Jessica Lee, aka Tokimonsta, about her new album.

The LA producer and DJ says the record was born from the struggles she faced while dealing with a serious medical condition. “What I went through forced me to look at myself and my own mortality, because, you know, I didn’t know if I was going to make it through…it was a difficult journey to get back to where I am now.”

“I was given this kind of renewed perception on what my music is, and that’s whatever makes me happy…I don’t care what anyone says, this album to me brought me great joy, and, you know, a lot of the hardship that I went through was saved by the creation of a lot of these songs. ”

Lee’s positivity was transferred to listeners via her Boiler Room set at Oxford Art Factory last month. She says the room was “lit” and receptive to some of her more experimental choices.

Music that exists outside the mainstream is something that Lee is passionate about, and one of the primary reasons she started her own label, Young Art Records, in 2014. “The main objective of Young Art was to find artists that I really love and that I think deserve more attention to create a platform for them.”

Listen to the full interview above.