Following the release of his his most intimate album yet, 'Olympia-5', on February 20th, Adrian Leung aka Drexler shares his 4th music video from the record, 'Dior' directed by Roy Tsai. 'Olympia-5' began as response to the artist's father's relapse with lymphoma. The resulting project captures moments of reflection, memory, distance, and longing. Its imperfections are intentional, embodying the searching nature of grief and the attempt to find clarity.
We spoke to Drexler about the process creation of the single, its video, as well as the full album.
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Congratulations on a beautiful album, ‘Olympia-5’, I felt the music really soak through me from the start. How does it feel to have this project out in the world?
It feels quite strange, actually. These piano compositions began as small, intimate improvisations that I sent to my dad to comfort him. Sharing them publicly has taken some adjustment. I launched the album with a concert and film screening, and many people told me how much they resonated with it. Some said it made them think of their own families and reflect on similar themes. It kind of blows my mind how music can translate in that way and suddenly take new meaning for the listener.
This album takes the listener through a deeply personal journey, where you are coming to terms and processing your father’s relapse with lymphoma. How does, ‘Dior’, fit into this exploration?
Because these pieces began as improvisations and were recorded so intimately, I think they naturally create a sense of journey. You can almost hear me processing my father’s illness in real time. Dior is named after Christian Dior, because my dad loved fashion and had a lovely collection of ties that I later inherited. The track titles were chosen retrospectively. I wasn’t thinking of specific memories while composing, but the elegant, fluttering quality of the piece seemed to suit that name and memory.
The accompanying film, directed by Roy Tsai, for this song is a compilation of striking imagery of places around Hong Kong with glimpses of colours slowly breaking through. How did the concept for this video fall into place?
Since my dad is from Hong Kong, it felt important to collaborate with a filmmaker from there and to use Hong Kong as the backdrop. With all the filmmakers involved in this project, I wanted to give them a blank canvas to explore. I had brief conversations with Roy about why I wrote the music, touching on ideas of care, distance, nostalgia, family and stillness. He took those themes and drew from his own personal story, which makes the film feel both connected to the album and entirely its own.
*You can read the beautiful director's note on the video below
This film is 1 of 8, to accompany your 16 track album, which generally is quite unheard of for lots of artists to do these days. I can imagine a lot of time and thought aside the music itself went into this project and part of this was driven by the fact you have scored for films. What was the push to have these visual accompaniments to your album?
Honestly, it wasn’t originally planned. But as I work as a film and TV composer, I’m naturally drawn to the relationship between sound and image. I didn’t have a budget for the films, so every contribution from the filmmakers has been in kind. Many of them work in documentary and have a real drive to create meaningful work. They’re empathetic people who want to support good causes. I think the themes of the album resonated with them, which made them want to be involved.
This record was born from grief and connection. Despite these heavy emotions, the project has an overtone of peace and clarity throughout. Was this something you set out to capture intentionally or naturally came about as you composed each piece?
That’s a great question. I didn’t set out with a specific artistic intention beyond wanting the music to bring peace and calm to my dad. Perhaps that’s why the pieces don’t feel aggressive or overly dark. There’s definitely melancholy, but also hope. That sense of hope is something my family has been holding onto throughout his illness.
If it has been, how has the process of approaching and creating this album compared to your previous works? Were there any particular challenges? And is there anything you think you’ll take forward in your creative process?
I feel quite lucky with this album. There was a very clear purpose behind writing it. Instrumentally, it’s primarily piano with subtle electronics, which made the recording and mixing process relatively straightforward. I received funding from Creative Scotland, which allowed me to work with my friend Bobby Williams on mixing and mastering, and with graphic designer Nicole Tan on the artwork. From there, I was incredibly fortunate to have filmmakers believe in the project and generously offer their time and creativity.
I’ve learned that a heartfelt and authentic story can truly draw listeners in. That’s something I’ll definitely carry forward.
Is there anything else ‘Olympia-5’ related we should keep an eye out for?
I’ll be releasing the remaining films weekly, and there are still a few more in development. The launch in Edinburgh marked the first time I performed live as Drexler, and it made me want to do more live shows. Performing feels like the most direct way to connect with people, introduce them to the music and share the story behind it.
