A light-voiced singer and producer who resettled from China to the United Kingdom when she was a teenage girl, Fifi Rong is a graceful, independent artist who finds inspiration in science. Her music videos are often romantic, cinematic and hypnotizing. To best describe or compare her sound to anyone, Lana Del Rey, Bjork, and Snow Ghosts come to mind. To date, she's collaborated with legendary artists from the UK such as Skepta and Tricky ("If Only I Knew" and "Chinese Interlude"), and she's working on the release of her forthcoming EP, Forbidden Desire. The songstress talks with Myspace about the new EP, her unusual influences and collaborating with Tricky and Skepta. 

Hometown: Beijing, China 

Homebase: London 

How long have you been performing under the name, Fifi Rong? What does it mean? Is it your real name? Did you create music under another name in the past or have you created under another genre of music?

About 5-6 years. Fifi is my English name and Rong is my Chinese name. I never made music under a different name.

What is the overall message you wish to convey with your forthcoming project, Forbidden Desire? How does it differ from your Violently Silently EP? 

Forbidden Desire is a bridge leading to an album that shows my audience to see what I am now; it is the final stage of the formation of my sound, whereas Violently Silently was the beginning of the solidification of my sound; anything before that was me finding my way (had a lot of fun and learned many things in the process).  

Tell us about the current promotion you're doing for the project on PledgeMusic? Are you crowdfunding it? 

PledgeMusic is a direct-to-fan platform, which is a form of crowdfunding that creates a real sense of exclusive community and allows us to connect on another level by sharing behind-the-scenes stuff and exclusive content with my supporters. I ran my first PledgeMusic campaign for my last EP, and it was a great success. I enjoyed it very much, so I've come back to run another one for Forbidden Desire EP, aiming to improve and refine the experience for my pledgers. 

Your sound is "hybrid electronica," and you've implemented several genres into your music such as jazz, dub, hip-hop and more. Are there any other styles or genres you wish to introduce into your music?

Yeah, I'm very open-minded about adding new elements to my existing foundation. I have used anything from classical, soul, bass music to Beijing opera; I'd sample anything as long as my ears like it. 

Which artists, current events or movements are you inspired by these days? Your videos are stunning, fashion-forward, creative and cinematic. Are you interested in (runway) modeling or acting for the big screen?

I'm inspired by things like new discoveries in sciences from quantum physics, astronomy, mind-body science, which cross over nicely into subjects related to spirituality. I'm inspired to write about my inside movement, introspection, emotions, things on my mind, things beyond my mind.  I would be interested in the things you mention, but I highly doubt I'd be any good at them.   

You're originally from the capital of China, Beijing, and now you live in the United Kingdom. At which age did you move to London? Do you travel back to China often? How has living in London changed your sound or individuality? 

I went to a boarding school near Bristol at 16,  followed by a few universities around the country and then settled in London. I do go back to China often, these days, for shows mainly. London means freedom to me. It hasn't changed me but allows me to be myself to a great extent. 

You've collaborated with some of the United Kingdom's biggest artists—Tricky and Skepta to name a few. What was it like to work with those two? Did they tell you what it was like to work with you?

They are very humble about their art and gave me great respect for mine. Tricky said I was a bit of a soldier in regards to my attitude, efficiency, and diligence. 

Do you have any special collaborations in the works or tour news that you could share with us?

Yes, I do have something exciting, but I'm not in a position to reveal it just yet. 

Does Fifi Rong seek to be signed by a major label? Where do you see yourself in 2020?

Fifi is not actively seeking to be signed at all, but she keeps an open mind with an understanding that circumstances change in life. I see myself having fun creating good music that excites and satisfies me in 2020 if I'm still alive and kicking.

Share a fun fact or an early Myspace story.

Tricky first heard the demos I put on Myspace and was very intrigued and encouraged me to do an album to show him. I was thrilled, and so it become an important part of the start of my music journey.

Is there anything else that you want to share with us?

Sign up for my mailing list via fifirong.com for my latest free track "Lost in Music" in high-quality MP3 & Wav. Also, my Pledge campaign for the new EP has just started, so join me via http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/forbidden-desire