And now you know we’re only getting closer

Losing all the focus, loving you is hopeless

When this is over

Will we be haunted by how it ends?

When this is over

Will we remember how it was back then?

–Dabin, “When This Is Over”

Kintsugi 金継ぎ (“golden joinery”) is the Japanese art of mending broken pieces together with gold between the cracks so that the new product is more beautiful than the original. A technique used in pottery, this concept doesn’t try to hide chips and imperfections; rather, it enhances where the ceramic broke by repairing it with powdered gold in its seams. Kintsugi tells you falling apart—shattering, even—is okay, because there is beauty in brokenness.

In my dreams, I see you all alone again

Through the seams, I wish I could’ve gone where you had gone

Wait just a minute

Am I awake or am I asleep?

Is it fate that I’m seeing that’s keeping you away from me

How do I know if I’m sober still?

How can I tell if the world I see is real?

Into the dawn with you I’d do it again

With you I’d do it again

–Dabin, “Again”

Inspired by this concept, Dabin released his album Between Broken in 2021. A musical and artistic masterpiece of 13 songs that explore the grief, anger, and regret of heartbreak, Dabin treats the heart as a vessel for storytelling.

So goodbye again

To the one that I relied on the most

In the moment wish I tried

When you were leaving, hate that I

Gave no reason we should fight for this

Now there’s an empty space on your side of the bed

I filled it with strangers since you left

I’ve been running in my sleep just to find you in my arms

–Dabin, “Holding On”

What makes him my favorite artist is how he weaves lyrics, acoustics, and production to tell a story larger than any single song he releases. Dabin’s many talents as a songwriter, musician, and performer all inform his art and allow part of his soul to connect with others. A single word or a phrase from one song inspires a whole new song, creating a discography that is woven together with threads you can feel, but loosely enough so that there is space for the listener’s own emotions. As a creative and a writer, Dabin’s Between Broken inspires me to bring more dimensionality and interconnectedness to my own work, and pushes me to rethink how art can be used as a device for collaboration and connection.

It’s midnight

We’ve been out here for hours underneath the starlight

And I’m tired, but I don’t wanna close my eyes

‘Cause I might miss this, time is going way too fast

I’m kinda blinking, this all will be in our past

Wait a second, while I take a picture in my head

I wanna save this moment forever

‘Cause it’ll fade away

And I just wanna remember

The way the light hits your face

–Dabin, “Remember”

Although it’s been two years since the album’s release, I still find myself returning to it. Dabin was, and continues to be, one of my favorite EDM artists that introduced me to the genre with his previous album Wild Youth as I was beginning to find myself. Most importantly, Between Broken was a source of comfort during the darkest years of my life that I could turn to when the world around me was too painful to bear alone. Dabin has since collaborated with some of my other favorite artists such as Slander, Illenium, Seven Lions, Said The Sky, and Kai Wachi. I’ve been blessed with seeing him live three times, and I’m eternally grateful for the opportunity to have witnessed his journey from touring Between Broken in Terminal 5 to performing on the stage at the Electric Zoo music festival. I will always be a Dabin fan, and am eagerly awaiting his next album.

Sometimes it feels like I don’t belong here

Roots can’t take hold ‘cause I didn’t fit

Can’t see the way out through all my tears

I know they always say hold on for better days

I didn’t think that I could make it

Came close to giving up everyday

The fact I’m here is kind of amazing

Funny how destiny brought out the best in me

So darling why don’t we get high on love

And let it in, feel the flood of everything tonight

Surrender ‘til it’s all too much

I’m giving in to the rush

No, I’ve never been so alive

–Dabin, “Alive x Starbright–Between Broken Live Edit”