DJ, violinist and producer Olivia Dawn Mok, who goes by Xiaolin, reveals her five favourite tracks
It's hard to forget the exuberant joy of hearing one of Xiaolin's mixes for the first time. Euphoric synths and immersive production underpin a sound that reaches across the genre spectrum and deliver tracks that feel exhilarating and unexpected, blurring the lines between classical and electronic music. Olivia Dawn Mok's journey from music lessons as a child to embarking upon a prestigious conservatoire education to causing dancefloors to pulse with energy the world over is a lesson in perseverance and following your passion.
She began learning violin and piano at five years old, and at ten was performing solos alongside an orchestra. After graduating from both The Juilliard School and Berklee College of Music, Mok was listed alongside pop star Charlie Puth as one of the “30 Under 30” most successful Berklee alumni for her collaborations across genres.
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However, her career diverged from classical music after she went to her first music festival and watched a set by British electronic producer Jamie XX. "It was amazing; I'd never seen that level of production and this one person was doing a live set of original music and visuals. It dawned on me that in classical music, to produce a big sound you’d need an entire orchestra, but in electronic music you can do that with just one person. You can create a world for people with just your equipment."
"I was almost in tears at this show," she adds. "I realised: this is what I want to do."
Here, Mok shares her five favourite tracks guaranteed to brighten her day:
'Plastic Love' - Mariya Takeuchi
This song is special to me because not only is it one of the most classic 80s Japanese city pop tunes, it represents my growth and development between 2020 and 2021. Music is memories. I like to encapsulate my life experiences into songs so I can always go back to them and remember what I've been through. Last year was the most crucial developmental year for me musically, and I will never forget the lessons I've learnt and the knowledge that I've accumulated. Anita Mui does a great cover of this tune, in a very unique way, but I still quite prefer the original bubblier version.