Our first Sharp FM mix of 2026 comes courtesy of artist
@maia_ruth_lee ! Maia’s multidisciplinary practice spans photography, video, painting, and sculpture. Using translation as an apparatus, Maia transmutes her works between mediums, connecting themes of borders, community, and, notably, language. Her mix for Sharp FM, titled Anza, is a colorful compilation of gayo, the precursor to K-pop.
“In 60s and 70s Korea, a lot of Western pop and rock songs—Beatles hits, surf rock, Motown, psychedelic jams—were often reborn with Korean lyrics. Melodies stayed, words changed, and the music, often unlicensed, gave birth to something entirely new. Many of these tracks survived only through bootlegs and collector tapes, hovering between homage and adaptation.”
This liminality also succinctly defines Alpes, our newest typeface collaboratively released in sans and mono styles with
@imageformat . Today, the album cover format must nimbly scale from digital thumbnail to physical vinyl jacket (and often even larger), and it was an apt testing space for this high-contrast grotesk, with Maia’s full name allowing its condensed proportions to shine even within a compact frame.
The timing of this mix is serendipitous, too. In March of 2018, Maia released her first mix on cassette through
@bunnyjrtapes , a music label established by fellow artist Jezenia Romero. Exactly seven years later, it felt fitting to ask Jezenia to collaborate on a very limited run of cassettes of Anza, which includes a special track exclusive to the physical release. Cassettes are available only through
@bunnyjrtapes and the preorder is linked in bio.
Mix and photo by
@maia_ruth_lee
Design & programming by
@justinhuntsloane
Production & programming by
@xox.naja
Cassette production by
@bunnyjrtapes 
![Hello Los Angeles ️ !I put my welding skills to the test and modded out my bass clarinet for a very special round of performances with my sister @jazzygirl______ for her upcoming thesis show. There are 4 shows and you can’t miss it !“Transcription and Counterpoint” performance schedule —>Performances April 3rd, 4th and 9th at 8pmMatinee show April 8th at 3pmat New Wight Gallery at UCLA Broad Art Center@ucla_art[**NOTE : opening reception is April 2nd but we are not performing on the opening ]Ensemble :@bunnyjrtapes@maricon.999@lambs_vault@donovan.novo@jbirdtbird@managerofthisacct@amy.strings](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6747316214396267613317_0_840edb63967575dd55b687a947e67f7c.jpg?o=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&h=c67d32947e96c29aeba47bfffc9fd497)
