Today, our first record turns 18!
It's hard to believe it's been eighteen years since we released "Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts." As Aron says, it's officially old enough to vote now! What started as a collection of songs that we wrote and recorded in a garage became something we never could have imagined: a breakthrough that introduced the world to tracks like "Sakura, Sakura" and "Kokoro (I Fall to Pieces)" that still resonate with so many of you today.
To commemorate this , we've put together something special: a retrospective video featuring five longtime members of The Slants family reflecting on the record that changed everything for us. Aron Moxley, Johnny Fontanilla, and Simon Tam—who were there from the beginning during the SESH sessions—sit down alongside Tyler Chen and Joe X. Jiang, who joined our journey later but became integral parts of our story.
We dug deep into our archives and unearthed footage that's never seen the light of day and shared stories that have lived only in our memories until now. It all feels like yesterday and a lifetime ago simultaneously.
"Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts" wasn't just our breakthrough record; it was our declaration. The songs represented a piece of our identity, our experiences, and our hopes for what music could be. Whether you were there from day one (dancing while in cosplay at Kumoricon) or found us somewhere along the way to the Supreme Court, we're grateful that you found something in our scrappy spirit that resonated with you.
Thank you for eighteen years of keeping these songs alive.
With gratitude,
The Slants
We're no longer on social media, but feel free to share any memories on the YouTube video or email us here - we read each and every message.