In this final episode of Firelight Chats for 2024, Jaime Cham coded his way to the Spacelab to chat with Kane & Mocha about tech, engineering, coding, AI, the startup world, running a successful company, and otherwise reflecting on the collage of memories he's managed to create thus far in life.

Jaime also shared his thoughts, insights, and stories about a recent trip to his first musical festival, the family kung fu lore, growing up in Panama, going to college in another country at the age of 16, his father's intervention, the PicCollage story, the state and evolution of the Taiwan ecosystem, his fears and excitement about AI development, fathering in the modern age, riding the waves of nature, and hoping to never miss another big boat again.

Jaime Cham is a 3rd generation Chinese-Panamanian with deep personal and professional ties to Taiwan. He holds degrees in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech & Stanford University, and is the Co-Founder & CTO of the company behind PicCollage.

In this episode of Firelight Chats, the BlckTeeth duo swung by the Spacelab to chat with Kane & Mocha by the fireside about life, music, collaborations, and more. After a 3-week residency making music with indigenous groups in Taitung in August, the two returned to Taipei for another month of performances, work, and play. This episode was recorded two days before their flight back out to Philly.

The duo share their respective background stories, how they met, experimenting in the shed, laying down roots in the basement, the story behind the name, performing on rooftops, hosting sold-out events on yachts named after Benjamin Franklin, creating RnB After Dark and other musical series, connecting with Taiwan, working with various Indigenous groups and artists, what keeps them motivated, and what the future holds.

BlckTeeth is a dynamic production and DJ duo out of Philadelphia, composed of Elijah Black & Justin Powis. The duo are music, culture, and experience curators and are known for their signature events: The Boat Jawn & RnB After Dark.

In this episode of Firelight Chats, Anna Yang tuned into the Spacelab to chat with Kane & Mocha about art, authenticity, and creating a supportive ecosystem for creatives to experiment. Anna shares stories from her vast library of books, which include memories from a broken childhood, winning global competitions, achieving success, encountering failures, getting stuck in Taiwan during Covid, bouts with depression, discovering psychedelics, and her enduring belief that advertising & creativity have the power to move cultures.

Anna also shares stories about memorable projects, important people, the entrepreneurial journey, chance encounters, secrets of advertising, drinking moonshine & sipping on Tequila, bronze apples & white lies, autism, toxic thoughts, killing the ego, and the vulnerability & power of love. Anna also reveals some of her hopes and plans for the future, including a forthcoming retreat to Iceland, which promises to be yet another long trip.

Anna Yang is a Chinese American art director, creative maestro, and founder. She is a winner of the prestigious Cannes Young Lions competition, has worked at JWT & W+K, and is a creative partner at The Right Kind, LuckySparks, and Room Temperature. Anna is a graduate of UBC and will soon undertake graduate studies at NYU.

In this episode of Firelight Chats, Keril Victor crooned his way to the Spacelab to chat with Kane & Mocha about his home island of St. Lucia, his adopted home of Taiwan, and everything R&B. Keril shares stories about childhood dreams, the island life, honeymoon spots, similarities and differences with Taiwan, the challenges of learning Chinese, studying at a top university, teaching English, performing again, the Jungle Voice experience, and the making of his latest album.

Keril also shares stories about facing racism, the hard life in the music industry, the inspirations in his life, singing a song for his mother on TV, the benefits & perils of sudden fame & recognition, the departure of money, the arrival of success, the story & concept behind his album & each of the tracks, and his plans for the future. And when the mood beckons, Keril also sings several acapella teasers.

Keril Victor is originally from St. Lucia but has been living and working in Taiwan for the past decade. He arrived in Taiwan on a MOFA scholarship, is a graduate of NCCU, and was a finalist of a nationally televised singing competition. In October of 2023, Keril 韋喆 released his debut solo R&B album, entitled The Departure.

In this episode of Firelight Chats, Charlie Chen sparked his way to the Spacelab to chat Netflix dramas, film, animation, documentaries, and more with Kane & Mocha. Fresh off the recent release of "Let's Talk about Chu", Charlie shares stories about developing the script, inspirational trips to 金山 & Joshua Tree, filming during Covid, the importance of music, putting out fires & staying nimble, intimacy coaches, locking down the right talent, remote directing through iPads, trusting his gut & supporting his director.

Charlie also shares stories about growing up in a mix of cultures, languages, education systems, and religions; culture shocks & expanding his view; early film & theater memories; returning to Taiwan after college; teaching English & working for his family's maternity wear company; deciding to start his production company; and working with his brother, best friends, & a lucky cast of talented teammates.

Charlie Chen was born in Los Angeles, grew up in Taichung, went to boarding school in Boston & college in Seattle, and has spent the past decade+ growing his business out of Taipei. He is the co-founder of LuckySparks, one of two production companies behind the recent hit Netflix global series, "Let's Talk About Chu" (愛愛內含光).

In this episode of Firelight Chats, Derrick Lin riffed his way to the Spacelab to chat with Kane & Mocha by the fireside about life, language, music, bass, touring, and more. Derrick shares some deep & personal stories about cancer, confronting death, inspirational figures in his life, his passion for music, learning from legends, working to elevate the game in Taiwan, vital rituals, memorable concerts, and musical orgasms.

Derrick also talks about getting his start at the legendary Brown Sugar club, transitioning to SMEXY, joining the Taipei Professional Orchestra, the production process behind the TPO's recently released debut album, Twisting Roots, his imminent China tour with Anpu, and his upcoming Australia tour with his band ZyTheWay.

Derrick Lin is the band leader and bassist of the house band at SMEXY, a smart & sexy live music venue in Taipei. Derrick is also a founding member of the TPO jazz big band, ZyTheWay, and plays with some of the biggest jazz and pop talents in Taiwan.

In this episode of Firelight Chats, James Hush engineered his way to the Spacelab to chat with Kane & Mocha about tech, engineering, metal music, enterprise sales, customer service, stand up comedy, hosting events, weddings, and more.

James shares stories about thinking inside the box, moving to LA to chase fame & fortune, entering the startup world, the Louis Vuitton method of sales & marketing, being in a metal band, taking stand up comedy classes, his process of writing jokes, his first time bombing on stage, and swiping right & meeting his wife. He also shares his thoughts and insights about AI, ChatGPT, LLMs; his fear of virtual gf/bf technology; and his goals for parenting and raising his children.

James Hush is originally from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, but is now living in Taiwan on a Gold Card visa. He has worked for Microsoft, GoGuardian, the NFL, Remo.co, and is currently working remotely for Daily.co. He also co-hosts Taiwan Digital Drinks, a meetup for tech-oriented professionals in Taiwan.

In this episode of Firelight Chats, Diogo Pinheiro smooth jazzed his way to the Spacelab to chat with Kane & Mocha about his epic life story from rags to musical riches. Diogo shares stories about growing up in the rough suburbs of São Paulo, playing in the church orchestra, finding the saxophone at the age of 6, experiencing a near-death experience at age 11, his mother's wisdom & faith, getting his first job because of English, and the improbable story of eventually making it to the magical kingdom.

Diogo also shares deep stories about being robbed and kidnapped at gunpoint, losing his car & musical instruments, chance encounters through YouTube, falling in love at first sight with Taiwan, meeting amazing people, crying a lot, and how he got his chance to work with the King of Mandopop himself. Diogo also explains why God is Good, why he cannot not be grateful, and why respect, good vibes, and happiness are so important.

Diogo Pinheiro is a smooth jazz saxophonist originally from São Paulo, Brazil and currently based out of Taipei, Taiwan where he resides on an Artist Visa. When not performing at various events & performances around Taiwan & beyond, Diogo can be found traveling all around the globe as part of Jay Chou's Carnival World Tour.

In this episode of Firelight Chats, Jim Geddes directed his way to the Spacelab to chat with Kane & Mocha by the fireside about jazz big bands, musicals, cruise ship touring, and more. From a small town in Wisconsin, Jim recounts his story of happening upon the saxophone, thinking of music as a way to travel the globe, working at Disney World, living the cruise ship life, visiting 48 out of 50 states on the musical theater circuit, the craziest things he saw while on the road, his favorite musicals, and finally making his way to Taiwan.

Jim also shares stories about working with his idols, learning from legends, forming Taiwan's preeminent jazz big band during the early days of Covid, performing during National Day with the President right behind him and the firework show synced to his music, the arduous process behind the recording of the TPO's first album, his love of indigenous culture, his deep desire to give back to Taiwan, and his thoughts about the current and future prospects for the Taiwan jazz and music scene.

Jim Geddes is a multiple woodwinds player, the founder and director of the TPO - Taipei Professional's Orchestra - is a member of the ZyTheWay band, and can be found touring, performing, and collaborating with top musicians both within Taiwan and internationally. The TPO's debut album, Twisting Roots, was recently released and can be found on various streaming platforms.

In this episode of Firelight Chats, Ivan Yanakov struck his way to the Spacelab to chat with Kane & Mocha about piano, music, freedom, and life. From his childhood in communist Bulgaria, Ivan takes the audience on a whirlwind tour through the French alps, over to the US, back across the pond to London, and all around Asia. He shares stories about pivotal skiing accidents, childhood letters to dictators, enormous protests, seeing the free world for the first time, learning English, great professors, immersing in cultures, 2-year trips to the other side, forgetting clothing, dragon's lair studios, whiskey libraries, evolving as a conductor, leading a chamber orchestra, memorable performances, great venues, and putting together an ensemble of 2 classical and 2 jazz pianists.

Ivan also shares stories and his thoughts about a wide variety of topics, including his connection to Bach, his appreciation of Liszt, the difficulty of Rachmaninoff, the balance of art and craft, the creative process, government censorship and VPNs, the importance of freedom & fast internet connections, golden ages, the classical music scene in Taiwan, and the karaoke uncles that stand in the way of progress.

Ivan Yanakov is an award-winning Bulgarian-born pianist and conductor. He is a graduate of Mannes College of Music in NYC and has performed at some of the most prestigious concert halls around the world, across four continents. Ivan currently resides in Taipei on a Gold Card visa.