Eli Chi
Issue No. 22 • Spring 2021
Artist Statement
I created this song to help process the grief I’ve been feeling since the shootings that took place in Atlanta last month. I’ve been not only sitting with that grief, but also trying to process the onslaught of anti-trans legislation that is currently being passed in states across this country. It has me thinking a lot about what it means to be trans and Asian in this current moment.
RELEASE is a track that was inspired by my breathing exercises I used to calm my anxiety one night as I was trying to go to bed. I was experiencing a lot of headaches that week and breathing fully and deeply helped re-ground and calm me to sleep.
What came of it is this spacey, meditative track that gave me the release I needed: a good cry. Crying is something that has become harder for me to do since being on testosterone. For the first several years on hormones, it was hard for me to cry, or I just couldn’t. Within the last few years I’ve been able to cry again, however, it’s still hard. Creating this song broke me open and allowed me to cry and release in all the ways my body needed to.
Artist Bio
Chico Chi aka Eli Chi (he/they) is a queer and non-binary transmasculine DJ, creative, and fashionistx who believes in the power of art and fashion as a means to sharing our stories. Chico, which means boy in Spanish, is an ode to Chi’s trans identity and Chinese-Cuban roots. This hyphenated identity and his family’s complex diaspora is an ongoing exploration that influences his music, art, and fashion.
Chi was born and raised on the East Coast and grew up in the Midwest. He is currently based in Oakland, CA.