“High school was when we all had lots of thoughts and reflections. And I felt like I didn’t fit in with the world around me at that time, so I turned to music as my companion,” Aprxel reflects on the period of time where her connection with music began to solidify, which ultimately set her on the path to become a music artist.
Vũ Hà Anh, who goes by the stage name Aprxel (pronounced as “April X-el”), is an experimental R&B artist hailing from Hanoi. She has been making music seriously for four years, but her bond with music started much earlier in her life. “Since I was a child, I’ve listened to a lot of music and often sang along. My mother enjoys singing too, and she has a beautiful voice. So perhaps my affinity for music was influenced by her,” she shares.
Aprxel found interest in R&B and soul genres, and as her bond with music grew stronger during her high school years, she eventually took her first steps in music making by learning music production, recording techniques, etc. on the internet and started uploading her demos on SoundCloud and Instagram.
The EP art of “AM, PM”
Her official debut was in 2020 with a three-track EP called “AM, PM” created in collaboration with Lý Trang, an experimental musician-sound artist with whom Aprxel connected via social media. “The experimental scene back then was small, so it was easy to reach out to artists and share our passion for music. I couldn’t get enough of Lý Trang’s music because it was so distinctive, and she also liked my singing too. Everything clicked and after a while we had an idea of doing this mini-project,” she reminisces.
The creation of “AM, PM” embodied a bedroom musician style. Aprxel recorded using her headphone mic with GarageBand — a beginner-friendly music-making software that lacked the technical aspect to produce high-quality audio — downloaded on her phone. “I had to sit inside my wardrobe to get the best recording environment, and after each session, I always came out drenched in sweat,” she recalls.
The two worked on the project for over three months, Aprxel handled the vocals while Lý Trang focused on producing. The two didn’t even see each other face-to-face during this time, everything was conducted via the internet with demos sent back and forth. The result was an ambient R&B record featuring Aprxel’s soulful, moody vocals, with her hums layered into the atmospheric instrumentals, thus creating soundscapes that wove ambient swells with echoing human voices.
This EP plays an integral part in Aprxel’s musical journey. She named Lý Trang as her largest influence and a mentor, not only in music, but also in life. This project also introduced Aprxel to the underground, experimental artists scene in Hanoi, a community full of young, passionate music makers unafraid of pushing musical boundaries. This carved out the next chapter of her music career, where she joined the alternative hip-hop/sound collage ensemble Mona Evie Collective.
Mona Evie started out as a Tyler, The Creator fanboy group who met online through Facebook and RateYourMusic forums, with Long Trần (Pilgrim Raid), Thiện Vương, Hồng Phước Văn as three primary members. Aprxel later joined the roster along with Gia Đức (Jaduk), Nguyên Nguyễn (NguyendowsXP), with some rotating members such as Spencer Nam Nguyễn and Zach Sch of experimental outfit Rắn Cạp Đuôi, and Lưu Thanh Duy, the guitarist of shoegaze band Nam Thế Giới.
“Each member may have various musical influences that differ from each other, but we share a common passion in trying our hands at a variety of genres,” Aprxel says. Thus, this was an era where Aprxel expanded her range of musical styles.
Aprxel was part of Mona Evie from 2021.
On the group's first full-length album “Chó Ngồi Đáy Giếng,” released in 2022, the lead single ‘Lên Đồn’ showcases Aprxel’s silky vocal harmonizing on a fun, rhythmic hip-hop and R&B fusion beat. Still, in much more melancholic tracks like ‘Omen 300,’ we see Aprxel using music as an outlet for release as she delves into her personal trauma through her lyrics.
Aside from providing vocal performances, at times, Aprxel also contributed to the production. On the album’s grandiose 13-minute closing track ‘Bí và Ngô,’ you can hear her attempts at crafting unconventional instrumentals using the organ and electric guitar.
The album art of “Chó Ngồi Đáy Giếng”
About the group’s diverse style of music, Aprxel explains that “the motto of the group is being as creative as possible, we don’t want to be confined to any particular genre.” She would make music as part of Mona Evie starting from 2021, until she shifted her focus to her individual project in 2023, which was her first ever solo album “Tapetumlucidum<3.”
The title of the album, as confusing as it is, actually reflects the essence of the album. Aprxel came across this phrase while reading an Instagram post about animals and was intrigued by the word “Tape” and “lucid” inside the phrase, as “Tape” is a word used to refer to an album, while “lucid” is an adjective that describes her sound quite well.
Mona Evie on stage.
Furthermore, the phrase “Tapetum Lucidum” is a biological term referring to a tissue layer inside the eyes of certain animals that helps them absorb more light to see better in the dark. So she knew this was a fitting name for her first solo project, as the journey of making this album was a process of looking into herself.
“I have more space for self-expression, it feels more aligned with my identity, and it’s more personal than ever before,” Aprxel shares regarding the making of the album. Beginning production in mid-2022 and released in November 2023, “Tapetumlucidum<3” is the culmination of her 18-month introspective journey, encompassing themes of “nostalgia, memories, woman’s identity and love,” she says.
Sonically, the record blends Aprxel’s sultry, lush vocal performances and ethereal, distorted R&B production. The music video for the second track ‘va’ng9999’ captures the general sound pretty well; it’s like watching vintage, occasionally glitchy VHS tapes and reminiscing about the old days.
“I have more space for self-expression, it feels more aligned with my identity, and it’s more personal than ever before.”
The second half of the album is more experimental, as it reflects a statement in her musical style, her desire to push more boundaries and explore new directions — such as the incorporation of harsh noise and industrial elements in the eighth track, ‘terrorizers.’ The song features production by Lý Trang, and the inclusion of this song, to Aprxel, is “a subtle throwback to my early days of making music with her.”
Aprxel delves into various themes throughout this record. In the opening track ‘<3,’ she touches on love and loss, while ‘planet hollywood’ explores the theme of a girl in a big city. The track ‘terrorizers’ tackles the topic of patriarchy, whereas ‘inanna’ radiates her bold diva energy. The album feels like a collage of snapshots, capturing candid moments and emotions from her memories.
“Looking back, this album is like the culmination of a girl who had been living in Hanoi for 23 years,” she says. “Hanoi, with its humid weather, square-shaped concrete, raised me throughout these years, and this album is a closure to a big chapter in my life, allowing for a new one to unfold.” This new chapter followed Aprxel’s decision to leave Hanoi and move to Saigon.
“Hanoi has been my home for more than twenty years, which is a really long time, so I want to venture to a new area. I feel like doing so will be better for my personal growth,” she explains. Throughout the process of making “Tapetumlucidum<3,” aside from going through an emotional journey, Aprxel was also grinding hard on her day job as a graphic designer to save money to relocate. Around three months after the album’s release, she packed her belongings to move to Saigon, beginning a new era in her life.
Settling in Saigon, meeting new friends, acquaintances, music personalities, etc. Aprxel is already focusing on making new music. She recently premiered the music video for her new single, ‘CUBA.’ Where we see her exploring the Saigon Zoo, motor biking along the Nhiêu Lộc Canal, enjoying sủi cảo on Hà Tôn Quyền street, all presented with a fun, somewhat oddball, low-budget vibe.
“Hanoi, with its humid weather, square-shaped concrete, raised me throughout these years, and this album is a closure to a big chapter in my life, allowing for a new one to unfold.”
But Aprxel’s comeback won’t be just a single, but she is dedicating her time to crafting a new mixtape or album, aiming for a late 2024 release. At this time, she doesn’t know how this upcoming work will turn out, but for whatever sounds, samples, and creative directions that she will take, Aprxel is continuing her journey of looking introspectively and finding her own sound.
“Living away from my family, having to take care of myself, in just a few months, I’ve already felt like I’ve grown a lot more. There are difficulties but there is also more freedom, and I like it this way. So I think my upcoming project will be more and more reflective of who I am and closer to my personal identity.”
