Featured Studio Recordings

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In August 2018, I was approached by Urbana '18 Student Missions Conference Gospel in Action Director Barnabas Lin from InterVarsity to undertake a large-scale musical project. For Urbana '18, the Gospel in Action performance invited all 10,000+ attendees to partake in a unique spiritual experience. The Dome in the America's Center in St. Louis was transformed into the city of Babylon as described in the Book of Revelation, where the superficial riches and disturbing consumption nature of Babylon were revealed. The purpose of this project was to demonstrate through the performing arts that there is a need for repentance and healing in a broken world, especially one whose suffering the church often ignores.

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For this original composition, I recorded 20 of my own violin tracks and incorporated 68 separate instruments and samples. After nearly 100 hours of recording, mixing, and mastering this track, "The Maddening Wine" was performed on December 30, 2018, and the music was visually brought to life by 200 dancers on the arena floor.

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Notes about the Piece:

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While reflecting on John’s visions in Revelation 16-17, I was struck by how the earthly kings and the worldly riches of the great city contrasted with the long-time suffering of God’s people and resources. I realized that we all too often become intoxicated by the “Maddening Wine” of our own humanity. We may marvel at the skyscrapers we have built, the technology that brings us the world at our fingertips, and the rich and powerful people who do as they please simply by saying so. However, we may not want to notice the suffering people who were displaced to make room for those skyscrapers, the people whose perfect Internet profiles are a cover-up for lonely despair, and the weak and powerless who have given up hope that anyone will speak up to help them. Ultimately, we must choose – do we ignore injustices and damaging social systems in order to reap the benefits of our world’s accomplishments, or do we opt into compassion for others at the expense of our own comfort?

In this composition, I explore this idea through the “Dies Irae” theme. The “Dies Irae,” or “Day of Wrath” in Latin, is a classic hymn that alludes to the coming Day of Judgment, where we must all face the consequences for the choices we make in our lives. It is first presented as a subtle warning in a major key at the beginning of the piece, where the music depicts the marvelous awe of Babylon, the great city. As time passes, the reality of suffering amidst a broken world becomes impossible to ignore. As the music grows in dissonance, the “Dies Irae” emerges in its true minor key form. At that time, we must ask ourselves – what path will we choose? Are we willing to risk everything to follow Jesus?  

Album Art by Shin Maeng, Instagram @shinhappens