Photo by Jessica Dunn Rovinelli
Brooklyn-based composer and artist OHYUNG's FADER Mix holds the gravity of a prayer.
It does, after all, begin and end with Christian hymns, a tongue in cheek framing given that its titled HRT — the acronym for Hormone Replacement Therapy — the exact sort of care that the Christian right is attempting to make impossible across the country.
"For me personally, coming to terms with my identity as trans and starting HRT felt like some sort of religious devotion, a giving up of controlling my life and stepping towards faith," OHYUNG tells The FADER. "[In my FADER Mix I took] audio from a Christian hymn on youtube and irreverently replacing words from my perspective of transness as liberation. 'I thank god I am free, free, free from this world of sin. I've been washed in the blood of [HRT] I've been born again.'"
That revery and resonance can be heard on the mix, which exclusively features trans artists, modulating between epic ambient soundscapes, moments of pop delirium, tingly noise music, indie rock, and every genre variant in between.
The Mix is a strong reflection of OHYUNG's entire diverse artistry which spans genres and forms. She's well regarded for her memorably whimsical scores for indie darling projects like Julio Torres's film Problemista and his HBO series Fantasmas, and Eva Victor's Sorry, Baby. And in the past two years she's released two divergent, yet equally moving projects: a spectral experimental rock album You Are Always On My Mind (2025) and a deep and spacious ambient record IOWA (2026), a somewhat homage to Bruce Springstein's Nebraska.
OHYUNG's FADER Mix is available to stream on Soundcloud, Youtube, and Mixcloud. Check out the Mix's tracklist and read an interview with her below.
OHYUNG's FADER Mix Tracklist:
“Mutant” - Arca
“all dolls go to heaven” - OHYUNG
“I am the pipe I hit myself with” - aya
“Experimental Skin” - Jane Remover
“Have You Ever” (ft. Cae Monae) - Ariel Zetina x Jane Remover [Mix]
“PRESSURE” - TYGAPAW
“Detransitioning” - Ubea
“Same” - More Eaze and claire rousay
“Queen of this Shit” - Quay Dash
“Lotic - “001.01”
“21 Times” - Natalia Catalan
“prphtbrd (ft. Concrete Husband) - MIZU
“Belle Alliance” - Juliana Huxtable
“fighting / warm up” - Lucy Liyou
“uru uru golden child E DJ edit” - Chuquimamani-Condori
“Devocion, Pt. 2” - Manitas Nerviosas
“Thatorchia” - Ethel Cain
“Psychoboost” (feat Danny Brown) - Jane Remover
“Philautia” - samlrc
“[as in most(bimbo it out)]” - Disinblud
“People’s Faces” - Kae Tempest
“Aura” - Holland Andrews
“silver through the grass like nothing” - Yuniya Edi Kwon
“Rapture” - ANONHI
“Just Like We Never Said Goodbye” - SOPHIE
THE FADER: You wear many creative and musical hats. What does DJing bring out in you creatively, as opposed to composition or songwriting?
OHYUNG: I like trying to approach DJing similarly to writing music. In composition you have to figure out how to get from one feeling to a different emotion, and doing those emotional shifts with songs that are already their own recordings is an interesting exercise that leads to a lot of interesting combinations. Also every recorded song comes with its own history and connection to the world, so it's fun to think about those aspects as well when selecting and arranging songs!
Your latest record is ambient. What attracted you to that genre and practice?
I started writing ambient music during lockdown in 2020. I was living with my friend Ben Seretan at the time who really opened me up to the genre. I enjoy stretching time, and it's nice to not focus on song structures, and dive into subtle sounds stretched out and creating textural ladders.
What’s the first set you ever played?
I started as a resident at the Lot Radio back in 2021 but I wouldn't say I knew how to DJ, it was mostly selecting experimental asian diasporic music for my little radio show. The first proper DJ set I did was in the basement of a DIY venue called Hell in Iowa City where I hosted a hardcore techno rave.
What DJs or artists inspire you?
The first DJ to really inspire me was Total Freedom back in the late 2010s (now known as Bobby Beethoven). I'm not sure if there's been a DJ since that has captured joy and experimentation in the way he did for me. I love all of Chuquimamani Condori's NTS mixes.
How has your local scene shaped your artistry?
My local scene in NYC have given me inspiration in all parts of my life- — queerness, musicality, and models for how to be a community-forward artist. My first opportunities to perform and gain confidence were here in Brooklyn and Queens. I owe a lot to the people around me.
What’s the most memorable set you’ve ever played?
Hard to say… I recently DJ'd in Seoul, South Korea where I have a lot of fans of my score for the Japanese film Happyend. Whenever I played a song from the film everyone went wild which I've never experienced before. But I think a lot about my very first set in the basement of Hell in Iowa City where hardcore punk kids showed up and didn't really know how to dance to hardcore techno but were really feeling it so they would start windmilling their arms like crazy.
How would you describe your FADER mix?
It’s a mix of music by all trans artists across all genres— ambient, rap, glitch, experimental classical, hyperpop, country, noise, spoken word/poetry, folk. I did a lot of custom remixes for this, overlapping different songs and transitions.
Where did you record the mix? Describe your surroundings
I put it together in my home studio. I live in a railroad apartment in Crown Heights. On my left is my bed, on my right are windows to the street. It’s spring and the trees are just beginning to bud.
Beyond DJing and music, what's an interest you have that may surprise people?
I love basketball!