Rabbit Monster on the Loose

California-born DJ TOKiMONSTA (Jennifer Lee) is a sculptor of space who uses sound as her tool. Between trip-hop, lo-fi beats, classic sampling methods and uniquely mixed collaborations, Lee creates art — immersive, emotive and abstract.

Lee has a knack for fusing uncomfortable time signatures into streams of melody that unexpectedly blend better than your mother’s cookie dough. For seven years she has incorporated her past as a classical pianist with her lust to experiment amongst the newest sounds in the West Coast beat scene.

Her hometown of Los Angeles is where Lee sprouted her technical and creative roots. As she independently mixed more samples, her drive landed the attention of local label Brainfeeder. She was signed onto the label and churned out her debut EP, Midnight Menu, in 2010. By 2016, Lee had laid down three full-length albums and countless singles, as well as founding her own music collective, Young Art Records.

Lee has collaborated with artists all across the synth board, from R&B lush Kelly Rowland to contemporary electronic artists Yuna and Anderson .Paak. Lee adds a haunting yet controlled chaos of melody and rhythm to the tracks of every artist she works with.

Behind her laptop and a vast array of mixboards — sometimes even donning a pair of bunny ears as homage to her alias, which translates into “rabbit” (Korean) and “monster” (uhm, English slang) — Lee throws in hollowed-out drops, racing beats and efflorescent melodies. She guides you from one emotion to the next throughout her playlists, and creates a space between songs that leaves you lingering in transition.

TOKiMONSTA’s “Lune Rouge World Tour” with KINGDOM, KINGJET and KAMI plays 9 pm Tuesday, Sept. 19, at WOW Hall; $18 advance, $20 door.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!