Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Weijun Chen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Weijun thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

Last year, I had the great pleasure and honor to score “Two Girls,” a Chinese horror thriller directed by Fangqi Liu. The film focuses on two female leads who are trapped in an old house in two simultaneous timelines. Fighting for survival, the pair uncovers the dark secret of this house and the twisted human desire behind it. Set in the rural southeast region of China, the film showcases creepy wooden masks and dolls at every corner, which are props used in a local operatic performing tradition called Nanyin. Because of this setting and art style, the director and I decide to lean heavily into this local music tradition in addition to the usual horror tropes. We often emphasize the term “ethnic horror music” to highlight we aim to achieve. Sinister ambience is blended seamlessly with traditional Nanyin elements, such as traditional wind and string instruments as well as vocal incantations. As a result, the overall soundscape is unsettling, yet strangely familiar and localized. The music never attempts to grab the spotlight, but creeps in unconformably at opportune moments as each character descends further into the dark side of human psyche. Nevertheless, the final act of the film is both tragic and tender after the truth is revealed. The music finally shifts its tone there. A sorrowful and longing melody emerges, yet still understated, still introspective.

Scoring “Two Girls” is especially meaningful for me because it challenges me to explore new sonic possibilities. The director encourages me to never settle on the generic horror sounds and techniques, but to experiment, to “fail,” until we find just the right soundscape for any given scene. Moreover, this film is a big departure from the more bombastic video game music that I am known for in recent years, and it opens doors for a more diverse range of projects in the future.

I would like to invite the readers to check out the official soundtrack on all major streaming platforms.

Weijun, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started my music training on the piano at the age of six. From the very beginning, I realized that I was never satisfied to play the notes in front of me. Instead, I wanted to be the person to put the notes on the page for others to play, as naïve as I was at the time, not knowing a single thing about composing. That quickly changed after I met my first composition teacher. With his guidance and recommendation, I auditioned for the prestigious pre-college division at the Shanghai Conservatory, where I started my professional training as a composer at the age of thirteen in a specialized environment. Little did I know at the time, this journey would later take me to the United States and beyond, where I eventually obtained my bachelor’s degree at the Eastman School of Music and my doctorate at the University at Buffalo.

My music background was entirely focused on contemporary concert music. With a systematic and rigorous curriculum, I studied harmony, counterpoint, musical forms, and 20th-century repertoire. Despite later moving to the media world which I will talk about later, I am always appreciative of my classical training. It laid a strong foundation, taught me the importance of craftsmanship, and opened my ears to a new world of sonic possibilities. More importantly, I had the opportunity to work with world-class musicians and hear my music performed on a regular basis during my studies. As one of my teachers once said, things we learn from the rehearsals are often more valuable than any textbook or lecture.

As I mentioned above, my long journey eventually took me from the concert music world to the media music world. However, I never see it as a transition, but a natural evolution of my music making. Even without direct visual elements, my concert works always have a narrative quality. Media music simply offers me the opportunity to bring such quality to the center stage. These days, I still maintain an active profile in the concert world, while you can hear my music in movie theaters, in streaming shows, in video games, and everywhere in between.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, there are three aspects. First, it is always an unforgettable experience when your music comes to life near the end of the process. Composers often spend months and sometimes years, isolated in a studio environment where we write and revise over and over again on any given project. When everything finally comes together on a recording stage after all the hard work, it is impossible to describe the satisfaction and thrill.

Yet music means very little if nobody listens to it. It always brings me great joy when I get to share what I create with others. For example, I have the honor to score a series of showcases for the massively popular video game Wuthering Waves. There is an active creator community who make reaction videos after each release, and I always enjoy seeing their expressions and hearing their thoughts on my music.

Lastly, it is always rewarding to meet like-minded people, whether they are fellow composers, directors, audio designers, or simply music lovers. It is always a privilege to learn from others and contribute to each other’s creative visions, whether through projects, collaborations, or simply casual conversations.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

As I mentioned earlier, modern music making process can often be taxing and isolating. And when things get difficult, I often remind myself why I start this journey in the first place. In the end, it is my passion for music and my desire to connect with others that drive me forward every day. Time is a limited and precious commodity. If someone takes a bit of time out of their busy schedule and listen to what I create, I would be very grateful. And if the music resonates with the listener in any way, it would be my utmost honor and greatest motivation.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.weijunchen.com/