01/12/19 ~ 01/19/19 • K.viar

DISCLAIMER

Through to that type of article, we want to offer you a review of the Korean urban scene news.

However we need to make some clarifications.

Firstly, even if we are doing our best to give you the largest range possible, we’ll certainly miss some releases but it doesn’t mean that the project isn’t worthy of interest.

Then, if we are always trying to give you a review as much objective as possible, the fact is that there is always going to have some subjectivity in it. We haven’t the “received wisdom”, our aim here is only to promote the weekly releases and in some angles to express our views. After all beauty is in the eye of the beholder and, if you don’t share the same opinion than us don’t hesitate to tell us in our comment space, on twitter or facebook!

We also liked to say that to stay up-to-date on the current releases, we are leaning, among other, on K-Hip Hop France and HiphopKR pages!

01/12

KRANDO X ANBARK X JIHO GIVENCHY - " TAMIKA "

An Emo Rap track to start this review. Emo Rap because of its instrumental, cadanced by a heady and a little bit saturated rock sample but also ride cymbal to mark the time (Ed: to be more explicit, we could say that, in a classic drum configuration, that is to say a Ride, a Crash and a HitHat, the ride cymbal is the one with the widest sound amplitude).

Overall, the performance of the three rappers is really good even if we found that ANBARK may seemed to have some difficulties to keep the pace sometimes (Ed: we think it could be because of the way he is catching his breath).

Special mention to JIHO GIVENCHY who particularly caught our attention, we found that he was showing a real ease, taking over the beat smoothly.

As for the M/V we found it really nice even if we aren’t sure we understand everything!

inGGood & Toa - EP : "Distortion"

Really nice surprise for narrative rap and refined productions lovers.

The work on the atmospheres is interesting and the overall production is really clean allowing a full appreciation of the rapper’s flow. Rapper who, by the way, has a very pleasant voice! We recommend you to listen to it!

Amburu’s little extra: Personally I really enjoyed SOS in which the artist knew, for me, how to deliver a strong and beautiful performance!

Eli’s little extra: The project as a whole is quite consistent and, de facto if I liked it overall I think I will especially listen to SOS, Pause, 바라던 바 and I.M.M.U. Knowing that the EP has 6 tracks…By the way, inGGood and W:Vano are complementing each other really well on I.M.M.U. But anyway, All this to say that yes, I did like this project haha.

01/13

"Dding 띵" (Prod. Giriboy) - Jvcki Wai, Young B, Osshun Gum, Han Yo Han

Giriboy offers us a BubbleGum Trap prod, simple yet effective, fresh and tinted with a kind of Caribbean atmosphere.

What strikes us the most in this song is that it’s the perfect illustration of the fact that the relation to rhythm can really change depending on the rapper on it, the same prod would not draw the same atmosphere depending on who rap on it.

Here, Jvcki Wai has, like often, a kind of bouncing flow, she bounces on the times, while Young B and Han YoHan have a more sharp flow, they are snapping, attacking a lot more the rhythmic.

DJ IT - "돈키호테" (ft. San E, SKULL, Koonta, 나찰 of 가리온, 엠타이슨)

Ideal track for parties, perfect blend of rap and raggastep.

01/14

DPR LIVE - Text Me | A COLORS SHOW

Congrats to LIVE for his passage on Colors’ channel in which he offers us a performance that suits him perfectly : warm and smooth.

S△NGWOOK (상욱) - Mixtape "theoriginaltrapkid"

A pretty nice Mixtape with six-tracks exploring several tints of Trap. The whole is really consistent, and from a technical point of view, the flow is well-mastered.

Amburu’s recommendation: I personally liked ??? featuring Behera and glockboisoicy, the last track of the mixtape.

Eli’s recommendation: Still Rising with PLUMA, a rapper that I’m also following and 쉬워보여 featuring 황세현, off and 박진오. The structure of First Place featuring B Bun is also really interesting.

iLL Chris & 박재범 (Jay Park) - "Not the Same"

With this track Jay Park keeps exploring a more-rap genre, in the range of the American gangsta rap which is corroborated by the presence of the rapper iLL Chris.

VAN CALUM - "2019 Welchs freestyle" (w / Welchs Sparkling Grape Soda)

Trap enthusiasts take note ! Especially those who like Dark Trap or kind of gloomy vibes.

On this instru you can hear deep basses on a 8bit background (Ed: or a sample of sounds reminding of the retro-gaming universe).

VAN CALUM and Welchs Sparkling Grape Soda are truly snapping, it’s very clean.

RED KEEF - "Alaska" (Prod. K3V1N)

A very interesting track in its structure, an ethereal prod which evolves to end on a more hybrid techno/electro sonority, and in spite of the fact that the prod is so intense, RED KEEF achieves to impose himself, to take over it.

mojomossomen - "MIDDLEMAN" feat. Loota

If you are a sensitive soul, leave it alone. More seriously, this project is disturbing, an heavy atmosphere marked by madness, drugs’ abysses and an ending which can reminds you of a satanic ritual.

The production is really simple but gripping and mojomossomen and the Japanese rapper Loota are managing to maintain this atmosphere and, important point, without falling into cliché. The whole song is a really good work.

It’s a project which will cannot please everyone but which is very good in his intention.

LYPLA (리플라) - "난못되나봐밷비치는" (prod. Dayrick)

It’s always a pleasure to hear LYPLA’s voice, it’s not necessary this track which stands out the most for us but it doesn’t mean it’s not a good one, just pure lightness and softness.

01/15

CODE KUNST(코드 쿤스트) - "XI" Feat. Lee Hi (이하이)

We’ll not talk more about the musical aspect of this track since we already talked about last week. Then why mentioning it once again?

Firstly, we found interesting to point out the fact that AOMG is confirming its will to internationalise itself, you can see that through the fact that English subtitles are more and more added in their productions.

Then we also wanted to acknowledge the writing work behind the M/V. In this production, Code Kunst is almost appearing like a narrator, he opens the story in which Lee Hi is the main character, cadencing the story which is unfolding in front of our eyes. This feeling is reinforced by the subtitles typography, directly displayed on the video reminding those you can find in an art film.

Moreover this visual concept is all the more interesting as he’s delivering a quite beautiful metaphor of the relationship of the beatmaker and the artist on his track. In the shadow but omnipresent and omniscient, the producer is highlighting the artist’s talent.

Deul - Mixtape : "ART MUSEUM" (7 titres)

A very calm project for RnB and mind-blowing Soul enthusiasts. A mixtape that’ll soothe your ears.

Bruno Champman (브루노 챔프맨) - "비켜"

A progressive track on which Bruno Champman offers us an interesting performance with a marked breathing.

We especially liked the break at 2.35 min, very nice!

01/16

Futuristic Swaver X ACE COOL - "U DIG?"

If we had to give an example of what alternative rock is this week, it’ll be this track. A progressive and heady prod brighten up by a guitar riff.

Kim Seungmin(김승민), GIRIBOY(기리보이), OLNL - "Stone(스톤)"

We didn’t know Kim Seungmon and clearly, we loved him, there is not another word to describe it. This track is awesome in that it’s really obvious they took a lot of pleasure producing it and, well, it’s very refreshing. The instrumental especially is standing out of what we are used to hear these days. Trap lighted by a very bouncy (transverse ?) flute. One of our favourite this week!

Amburu’s little extra: people might like or not this track, but one can clearly feel that they enjoyed doing this track. For me, Giriboy and OLNL have both kind of an alchemy when they are together and it’s clearly something I like to see!

Eli’s little extra: I loved this track, I will not talk about it more but clearly they are offering us a wonderful performance and it’s nice to hear OLNL on that register!

Yagwang - Album : "KOREANGROOVE"

A pretty well-made and evolving album in its structure. A very clean ensemble in which everyone would find is groove.

Amburu’s note: The Pour It Up M/V featuring Woodie GoChild is quite nice to hear and the song with a mind-blowing tone advocating alcohol (please drink responsibly of course!) and little extra: you could see ZENE THE ZILLA in it.

Eli’s note: As for me I was more convinced by the first part of the album which fits more my taste.

01/17

ONYOURSIDE - "HURT"

A special track, very saturated and intense.

01/18

BVN GLYC - Mixtape : "Con Cr e- te"

A very interesting mixtape, so consistent that there isn’t a track which would stand out more than another, tracks are coming one after another with fluidity while still having their own sonorities.

Here it’s more a futuristic trap tone, a little bit sci-fi vibe. We really recommend you to listen to it!!

HAON(김하온) - "꽃(FLOWER)" (Prod. AVIN)

The comforting track of the week, a really touching and fresh track in which HAON shares with us a both sweet and happy nostalgia, his enthusiasm towards future.

I’ll be fine mama, I’ll be fine dad, I’ll be fine brother, I’ll be fine doggo ~

Thanks to HAON for his sincerity!

IndEgo Aid - "멍(demo)"

A very very very good prod, more concretely it’s very original and quite indefinable, with a bit of an aquatic vibe, a musical UFO that we are strongly recommending !

P.S: As always, IndEgo Aid is excellent, it’s all the more remarkable as it’s such a complex beat.

01/19

Mckdaddy - "Issue"

Just excellent, Mckdaddy keep on confirming us his flexibility when it comes to flow. Definitly a promising rapper!

Kor Kash - "s+fegang 2" ft. lukydo, ZENE THE ZILLA

Some dark Trap, very intense and sharp, each rapper bringing his own colors. There is nothing much to say just that we highly recommend you listening to it.