โFusion of Coloursโ (June 21, 2025) is the first album to belong to the MFDM genre. Multi-Faceted DIY Music (MFDM) is an emerging music genre and creative philosophy coined by Sydney-based independent artist Shu Lee in 2025. It is characterised by polygenre hybridity, a series of multilingual songs across an album and a creative DIY autonomy across all aspects of music production. Check out the exclusive interview below:
1. Your roots can often shape your journey. Can you share a story or moment from your early life that had a significant impact on your path into music?
Shu Lee: My passion for songs probably began because my dad used to sing and play the guitar as a hobby. On top of that he used to buy Mando/Cantopop and Blues compact discs and I would dig them up and play them since those songs appealed to me. One day he decided he would introduce the C, F and G chord to me on the guitar and the rest is history.
2. Did your musical journey begin with formal training, or was it more of a personal exploration? How has that shaped your unique approach to your craft?
Shu Lee:My love for music definately began years before my classical piano training since I can remember the song โCareless Whsipersโ from a trip to Genting Highlands (Malaysia) when I was 4. My parents put me through classical piano lessons at 9 years old, which I then did 4 years of. After that it was guitar lessons for 6 months and then it was drums for about 6 weeks. After that, I explored music on my own by listening to my favourite genres such as European classical, Mando/Cantopop and world religious music. So, the obsession began independent of the technical skills that I would later develop with the help of tutors and myself. The result was just a big mix, from east to west and vice versa, of all of the above. I was torn between loving all styles, so I could never stick to just one.
3. Who were some of the most influential figures in your early musical life, and how did they inspire your sound? Also, whatโs the story behind choosing the name โShu Leeโ?
Shu Lee: Chuck Berry, The Ventures, MLTR, Silverchair, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Cranberries, Linkin Park, RHCP, Bob Marley and Smashing Pumpkins. โSHUโ is the Chinese word for โbookโ and the Arabic word for โwhat?โ I was a bit of a bookworm at school as well as being a grunge rocker with long hair just like my idols back in the 90s. โLeeโ is just the family name well-recognised in both the English speaking and Asian communities. So, again, it is a blended play of cultural symbols; easy to remember and easily accessible to everyone. According to some, Iโm a โpolyglot,โ and I like to learn new languages as another โhobbyโ of mine.
4. What do you believe sets your music apart? How would you describe your sound to someone discovering you for the first time, and what emotions or experiences do you hope to evoke in your listeners?
Shu Lee: MFDM (Multifaceted DIY Muisic) is the simple acronym to describe it:ย 9 genres, 9 languages and 9 themes, created by one DIY guy in his own garage, rolled out across one album. Thatโs what makes it different. I hope we can all feel the longing, loneliness, kindness, patience, respect, dedication, gentleness, resilience, tenacity, rawness, struggle, confusion, contradiction, frustration, empathy, the spirit of the underdog, the spirit of art, the spirit of cinema, the spirit of philosophy, absurdity, comedy, surprise, love, joy and peace.
5. Music often transcends entertainment. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
Shu Lee:
Youโre definately right to say that music is more than entertainment. As a tool, it has been historically significant for politics, cultural and spiritual activities. But I am no activist. I am simply an โartistโ in the broad sense of the word. Apart from music, I host a philosophy podcast and have a collection of over 70 short films that I have produced over the years all in the name of having a โhobby.โ I also see these cultural acitivites as educational since my children are involved. Plus it is a healthy way to develop oneโs relationship with oneโs own children.
6. Do you feel the rewards of your musical career match the energy and passion you invest in it, or are there different kinds of fulfillment youโre still seeking?
Shu Lee: To be honest, I donโt have a โmusic careerโ per se and I am not seeking one. I love my day job and aim to keep music as my hobby. The energy and passion I invest into my music probably far outweigh what I get back in terms of tangible or financial rewards. However, making music in itself is a reward. When I sit down and spontaneously create new riffs and melodies, thatโs where I feel dopamine and magic.ย I also appreciate reading the reviews written by professional music journalists about my album, since it is in a psycho-social, philosophical and semi-academic literary sense, the only way to know if all that hard work put in actually resonated with those who have the ability to be impartial and are within the field.
7. Can you walk us through your creative process? From the first spark of an idea to the finished track, whatโs the most essential part of your process, and how do collaboration or external influences shape your work?
Shu Lee: My first two community-known projects were gospel rap albums in collaboration with a mate of mine back in the early 2000s. My first solo album, recorded mostly in my bedroom, features two tracks where a couple of high school mates played bass and lead guitar. So, itโs not to say that I have never collaborated with others or that I try to avoid that process. Itโs just that with my lifestyle after I had my own family, the focus became more about exploring my personal vision. Sometimes, a tune just drops in my head and I have to make a quick snippet recording to reference later. Sometimes, I write out the lyrics inspired by real life events or feelings like writing a poem and later tweak it to suit the music that I create for it on the spot while mucking around on the keyboard or guitar.
8. Whatโs been the most challenging hurdle in either your personal life or music career, and how has it shaped you as an artist?
Shu Lee: Feeling lonely and having to be a responsible husband and father even when I have people around me who love and support me, โfamily dynamicsโ, I guess. Itโs an uphill battle at times. This frustrates me but also in some absurd way has the ability to inspire me and my songwriting.
9. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
Shu Lee: Both are important. Fans should understand the backstory and message behind each song if they have access to that info and if they have the time to do so. Because this is important for me the artist since I put in so much work into it. They are also free to interpret the song as they wish as it is themselves who are listening. This helps them enjoy the songs for themselves. I can understand that not everyone is privy to the ins and outs of what artists go through.ย
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