Nam Hoang Tran

Artist Statement: Astraea.wav was conceived during a weeklong Orlando visit after relocating to New Orleans in June of this year. Having landed a service industry job, the physicality of my lengthy shifts depleted any desire to engage with personal projects. For months I wrestled with this reality since my impetus for moving had been creative revitalization given the city’s artistic vibrancy. Returning home offered momentary relief from the bustle; one which proved highly beneficial as I was allowed to create freely. Listening back, I can still hear the exhaustion/frustration in the bittersweet undercurrent running throughout. A sort of melancholic hope(full/less)ness. Feelings of dissatisfaction arise with slightly less regularity now and during those moments the track’s vocal sample comes to mind: “I wanted you to make time, make time. Yes, I know and am doing my best. Surely that must count for something

Nam Hoang Tran is a multidisciplinary artist living in New Orleans. His work appears in Posit, The Brooklyn Review, ANMLY, New Delta Review, Tagvverk, Always Crashing, and Diode, among others. W/ Henry Goldkamp, he co-edits TILT - a journal of intermedia poetics.