Featured EDM Artist of the Week
For this week I wanted to feature a Canadian DJ that specializes in Electronic Dance Music (EDM) specifically Future Bass, Melodic Dubstep, Dance-Pop and much more. Dabin Lee is from Toronto, Canada and he is a JUNO nominated music producer and instrumentalist specializing in piano, drums, and guitar.
Dabin is known for making melodic electronic music that will make you bawl your eyes out at a festival. He is often referred to as a “sadboi artist” because he creates music that are for the “sad boi’s” which I agree with due to many of his songs hitting right in the feels. This musical genius never fails to amaze me when he creates new songs, EP’s, and albums. Dabin has been in the EDM scene since 2011 and after stadium tours with Illenium and collaborating with Said the Sky and William Black, Dabin is making a name for himself.
I first saw Dabin at Contact (2019) held by blueprint events and he was a smaller artist at the time and was placed at the side stages where typically the lesser known DJ’s play. But now at Contact (2023) it seems that he’s going to be performing on the main stage right before the headliner which is a huge deal! He has grown exponentially over the years and has sold out many stops of his recent Sanctuary (2023) tour to the point where he’s holding his own festival in 2024! Dabin gaining popularity and attraction for his music is great to see as a long time fan and I hope more people can appreciate and listen to his music.
One of his very notable works is his five-track acoustic Wild Youth EP which is perfect for a nice morning drive or something to listen to on repeat for a calming atmosphere. The original Wild Youth album is a beauty in itself but the acoustic versions with raw vocals and beautiful instrumentals was executed perfectly. The refinement of his ethereal sound really pulls at peoples heartstrings.
Between Broken (2021) is his most recent full album featuring thirteen songs and it is another deeply emotional moving album that I think everyone deserves to listen to. The album explores the themes of love, heartbreak, loss, but the lyrics overall capture the ups and downs of the human experience. He truly invites listeners to be introspective and reconsider their perspectives and what they can gain from it.
The concept behind ‘Between Broken’ alludes to the idea that we are all just this union of memories and experiences, and more often than not, it’s the negative experiences that shape our character and make us stronger. While it’s easy to let the weight of these negative experiences dictate our sense of self, I think it’s the moments in between these experiences, and how we overcome them, that define us. The time we spend in between is just as valuable as the experience itself. There is inherent value in between the broken moments of our lives and that’s what I wanted to explore in this album.
Dabin
Within this album Dabin draws on influences from other genres, “Forever” leans into indie-alternative, “Ready” has a pop-punk flair, and “Hope it Hurts” features emo vocals. He introduced new genres with this style that doesn’t stray to far from his signature sound. I personally really enjoyed “Smoke Signals,” “Holding On,” and “Starbright” from this album, and loved it even more hearing it live. Dabin touches on subjects I think we could all relate to in some way and I hope that his concept behind the album intrigues some of you to give it a listen. He also has pretty cool merchandise too so if you’re into jerseys check it out!