Bohkeh

Do you remember going to the candy store as a kid? Everything was so radiant and colorful, and you'd end up walking out of there with a jawbreaker or some other disgusting nonsense. RJ Lim's music as Bohkeh is just like that, except it's not disgusting nonsense because it doesn't rot your teeth. What's better than indulgence without consequences?

A few weeks ago we premiered Bohkeh's debut single "Cotton Damn," and it's a pleasure to now present the entire Cotton EP. For the most part the EP is a maximalist sugar rush, full of toylike synths, whooping vocals, and jittery beats. There are calmer moments too, specifically the nice Bibio-esque digression in the middle of "Kissing Faded." Cotton is clearly about having fun; listen below and get yourself some. - Earmilk

The music of this young artist from LA, nicknamed Bohkeh, is an absolute MUST to discover! mixing cute sounds and melodies that take over your mind and force you to dance! Once again, we decided to talk to him and go into the world of Bohkeh. You will discover below what inspires and what motivates him to do what he does.

Working on a EP that will be released soon, he even spent time for us to make TreeHouse Vibes an extraordinary mini-mix!

TREEHOUSE: Can you introduce yourself and your world a bit?

BOHKEH: Hello my name is Rj Lim, born and raised on the outskirts of Los Angeles, CA. I am basically some dude that messes around with Ableton and a few plugins that makeS cute noises and what not hah! I have a Siberian Husky that howls at me every morning when she needs to pee roughly around 7am ugghh... Her blue eyes remind me to do what I love and I'm currently in the process of doing it.

TREEHOUSE: Why and how did you start making music?

BOHKEH: Well, I know music is gonna be one of those things that'll always be imbedded in my life. I started from singing lots of karaoke when I was younger. I received a drum set as a birthday present when I was 11 years old, and in high school I decided to pick up an electric guitar, because I was in love with alternative rock and emo bands. I was also in my high school show choir, it was awesome!

Now I'm doing this, composing and writing my own tracks. Its great to utilize what I've learned from all these years and actually have people enjoying it, its an amazing feeling.

TREEHOUSE : Have you got special inspirations?

BOHKEH : I do browse on Soundcloud a lot so I probably unknowingly grab inspirations here and there. But I have to say, in high school I loved listening to bands like Hellogoodbye. Their album "Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!" is probably one of my favorite albums. They keep their melodies and leads very bright and colorful. I guess you can say thats where my happy vibes come from. If you haven't heard their album, I highly suggest it. Automatic day maker.

TREEHOUSE: Your music makes people dance, is that your goal?

BOHKEH : YES!! Actually, however people want to feel with it to be honest. If it means they're goggling into space with my music playing, I'm totally okay with that haha! Imagine? That'd be so awesome to have a crowd just standing still daydreaming while playing a live set, I would think the music is definitely stimulating more than just body movement.

TREEHOUSE : What are your plans for the future ? I saw you're working on an EP, do you have any exclusive information for us?

BOHKEH : I would love to support acts that are on tour and hopefully have a mini tour for myself! I lack a management team so its very difficult for me to focus on music and business at the same time. I do plan on releasing an EP very soon which is TBA. Im currently working on it and it’s been a pretty rough ride. You will be expecting nothing less than happy, this album is more complex than my music has ever been, so I'm very excited to share it!

TREEHOUSE : What does the word "vibe" makes you think about?

BOHKEH : Makes me think of good times with friends and food! I freakin love food, especially sushi and ramen.


TREEHOUSE : Any funny stories to share with us?

BOHKEH : My friends and I tried doing a challenge where we all drink 1 gallon of milk.. We're so stupid I don't know why we even tried haha. Half way we were puking out the milk but we insisted on going, so it was like a cycle of drinking and puking, drinking and puking, drinking and puking.... Haha more of a disgusting story. I MISS MY FRIENDS.

Big thanks to Bohkeh for taking part in this interview and also gracing us with his mini – mix. The first edition of ‘TreeHouse meets’ guest mixes and what a way to start. - Treehouse Vibes

LA-based Rj Lim, better known as Bohkeh (pronounced BO-kay), is a bedroom producer at heart. A strong proponent of finding music in the inspiration around your everyday life, Bohkeh makes some very happy, danceable music with what is available to him. This week, about a year after the release of Bright, his appropriately-titled rookie EP, Bohkeh will release his sophomore contribution, Cotton, and we had the opportunity to chat with him. Read through for his thoughts on music, the EP, and life in general.

Hey Bohkeh, how’s it going? What have you been up to recently?

Hi Bohdi! Everything is going good my dude, just finished my second EP called ‘Cotton’ which I’m super stoked to release. For now I’m just working on collabs with some exciting artists and vocalists. I’m also in the process of booking shows here and there so my hands are still pretty full at the moment.

Whose music/art is making you really excited right now?

I like old school funk/jazz so I would say this 80’s Japanese band called Casiopea. Their music and watching them perform gets me really excited at the moment because I can learn and grab ideas from them. They’re sorta influencing my style of music right now so you might hear some pretty cool stuff from me in the near future. - Smoothie Tunes

Becoming a full-time musician isn't the easiest decision to make, but Bohkeh has made the leap of faith and isn't turning back. The Los Angeles-based producer originally impressed the EARMILK writing staff previously with his adorable remix of "Fireflies" by Owl City, as well as with his Cotton EP and he is continuing to do-so with his brand new mini-album Café. The six-track record is filled with delightfully sweet and sample heavy songs that are perfect for the end of summer.

Why is it called Café? Local coffee shops were literally a get away from where I usually work, my room. Otherwise, I'd probably go crazy. A Café would basically be my office for the day, and I'm probably speaking for many people. The difference between these tracks and my previous records was that they weren't planned. I usually plan out what mood/feel I want for my music but all of that was disregarded this time around. I felt like the experience of just working for myself – from managing to booking – put a lot of emotion to the writing for this project.

Café, despite the songs being unplanned, blends smoothly for its less-than 20 minute duration. The album goes from track to track with ease and feels cohesive with its light and bubbly sound. Notable mentions on the record are "Doesn't Matter Where", which samples the Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen collaboration "Good Time", and "Tell Ya Somethin'", which samples another Jepsen track "I Really Like You" in ways where the songs have been given a little more life and bounce. However, the standout song "Here Comes Beautiful (Study Break)" is a short-but-sweet instrumental track opening with gentle piano chords that seamlessly melt into slow drum beats. Sit back, relax and let this delightful album warm you up – like any café should. - Earmilk

Not quite sure what's happening in the world of music and memes, but Owl City's smash hit "Fireflies" has resurfaced and artists are striking while the iron is hot. Bohkeh happens to be one of them. The LA-based producer has managed to make this adorable tune even cuter with his new remix of the early 2000s classic.

Bohkeh channels Animal Crossing-esque sounds to blend in with "Fireflies" lyrics. The remix pops and twinkles with light synths and hints of what sounds like jingle bells. The remix doesn't fall back on the original; Bohkeh moulds Owl City's track into his own and brings it into a new light. It's a fresh perspective on the single and isn't part of the meme-baiting "Fireflies" has suddenly fallen into. Let's hope this Owl City revival continues with adorable remixes such as this one. - Earmilk

It's a Sunday morning and scrolling through SoundCloud for that perfect upbeat tune is a priority for your soul. You see Bohkeh released a new remix, so instinctively you click play. Once you hear the glossy vocals of Aanysa, and the rhythmic drums chime in, already somehow it makes the sun shine brighter and instantly your atmosphere is lighter. SoCal's Bohkeh puts a groovy funk twist on Snakehip's "Burn Break Crash." Blast this in your car, room, earphones...doesn't matter where or when for a track this catchy and smooth, cause you are already on the path to involuntary dancing once you hear the first beat drop. Below share and listen to Bohkeh's remix of "Burn Break Crash"! - Melting Of Age

Bohkeh is back again and this time he has a sweet thrilling track to share with us all. Featuring blissful vocals by Baechel, their new collab, "Sky," is a pop-y and bubbly tune that will cast a smile on your face. Full of textures and frothy synths, the two friends generated a combination of future classic and pop beats within the track. Just like the music video, the track's charming and colorful qualities is what makes it so unique. You might just catch yourself humming this bubbly anthem once you take a listen!

Below check out the Artist Q&A with Bohkeh talking all about his newest release with Baechel! Enjoy!

1) Can you tell us about how this collab came to be?

My good friend, Raychel Yu (Baechel) and I have been talking about collaborating and showcasing her voice for quite some time. After a while of just communicating and thinking of ideas, we finally got together and started recording!

2) What was the creative process like when collaborating on such a fun song?

Well, I personally like making music alone, so I went ahead and wrote this track just as practice for melodies. I really dug the melody and chord progression, so I continued to pursue it. After having the skeleton of the track, I sent it out to Raychel so she can do her magic in writing lyrics. We then got together to polish up the lyrics, record and complete the overall track!

3) What was the inspiration behind "Sky"? How about when it came to the lyrics?

Sky came about when we were discussing lyrics. We were actually having a hard time thinking about what to name this song to be honest! hahah! Raychel and I wanted something very simple and universal, so we picked it out from her phrase "cotton candy skies." We felt like it was perfect, short and sweet.

4) What do you hope listeners will feel when listening to "Sky"?

I really just want my listeners to feel good after every song I write to be honest. We want people to feel what it's like to have a crush and to have those butterflies in your stomach when you think about that someone. During the drop, we just want them to express themselves and just go crazy! It's a fun song, so I want them to express their feelings in their own unique ways. - Melting Of Age