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!
SoundCloud Playlist
01/27
GAMEBOY88 - "SKILL" (feat. CMBY)
GAMEBOY88 keeps on releasing tracks and opted for a universe which can remind a shonen anime soundtrack, like the rock energy some OST can have (for Original SoundTrack).
This time he’s accompanied by CMBY from the crew COOL KIDS NEVER DIE.
Hong_Key💔More liquor💉 - "WINDOW47"
With this project, Hong_Key stays loyal to his trippy/psychedelic universe. The productions are globally tinted with synth or classical effects of the genre like autotune or saturation/distortion.
However there is still diversity within the 4 tracks of this project with for instance, quite mind-blowing atmospheres like in I Wish featuring ogen but also a little bit dissonant trap on Carrr or Beautiful.
It’s Carrr we prefer by the way and, Amburu also liked Fucked Up while Eli with her taste for mind-blowing track has naturally been more marked by I Wish.
Yawah - "재미난 일" (feat. 131)
This time Yawah offered us a track with a melancholic languor. Accompanied by 131, both artists manage to convey a feeling of what seems to be nostalgy or weariness you can especially feel through their voices.
An unmissable track for your mood playlist.
01/28
PUNCHNELLO - EP : "Ordinary" (7 tracks)
What to say about Ordinary?
A while ago, it already has been a surprised to learn that the whole EP was produced by 0Channel (and 2xxx! on Absynthe) and now we can say the artist has disclosed a new facet of him, offering us a musical universe breaking with what we are accustomed in his production in the duo OFFONOFF.
More generally, this project is tinted with some darkness and might be seen as an opportunity to witness what seems to be an affirmation from the young rapper who’s exploring a new musical colour.
From our part, Ordinary is unanimously good and we’ll probably listen to it a lot and well the collaborations definitely do have something to do with it as you can hear artists such as Simon Dominic, Crush, PENOMECO, SAAY or even sogumm and Tabber. If Punchnello manages to keep up with his featurings, we have yet to admit that in Blue Hawaii it’s Crush and PENOMECO who stand out the most for us.
The young rapper is, nevertheless, not to be outdone as he delivers us particularly impressive performances on SWERVE, Boiling Point and Absinthe which we already talked about last week.
It’s worth noting that SWERVE reminds us a little bit of the Yayaya instrumental produced by IOAH for Colde.
In short, it’s again a very good project to start this year!
LCM - "WYW"
One of the surprise of the week, a little bit dark track with a light resonance effect and, at the same time, a little bit heady and high-pitched rhythmic which can almost remind of the retro gaming universe without really being able to define it as 8bit (Ed: or a prod fully influenced by the universe of the video games from the 80/90s).
Hi-Lite Record - "#Air2019" (3 tracks)
The members of the Hi-Lite Record label offered us a new collaboration with the three-tracks project #Air2019.
A collaboration that once again allows us to realize the extent of each rapper’s talent. All in sobriety, it looks like they chose to go for classical Trap instrumentals; wanting to above all highlight the high technique of the rappers. Then No Days Off, JoA and Air are the opportunity for Reddy, YunB, Sway D, Paloalto, G2, Huckleberry P, YEAR OF THE OX and Jowonu to display their skill.
소년소년소년 - EP : "미성숙" (5 tracks)
A very soft EP marked by a true consistency, almost exploring Lo-Fi sonorities with Gasoline for instance.
By the way it’s that song we preferred but we also really liked Light featuring avec Kash Bang and 둘리.
A nice project we strongly recommend you!
Mckdaddy - "x2"
For the third time this month, Mckdaddy has released a new M/V. The occasion for him to keep on pursuing the exploration of his musical universe.
OLNL - "BLUETO-OTH"
A very nice double single produced by sec Paul in which the track BLUETOOTH featuring Kid Milli stood out the most for us.
Siggie Feb - "Ballad Money Flexer" (Prod. BadMax)
Very very tight trap, nothing more to say!
slchld - "foreign" feat. oceanfromtheblue
Slchld and oceanfromtheblue have in all likelihood did several sessions together and we’ll not complain about it. They left the nagging side of Body of Gold in order to try this time a softened Lounge atmosphere with a pleasantly deadened rhythmics. A delight for the ears, as always!
01/29
Groovyroom - THIS NIGHT
Groovyroom, the producers duo are back with a double single in which we especially liked the track Love Like This with Jeremy Quest and GooseBumps. We found that the production work was, indeed, very interesting, above all the break at 2min.
It’s also worth noting how good Jeremy Quest and GooseBumps were!
JERO - "Thinkin' about you (remix)" PROD.world wide
JERO here distinguishes himself in his favourite genre, a pretty mind-blowing and languishing RnB track ~
Kid Tobio - "KID" (8 tracks)
A classical Trap project we wanted to talk about because everything is well-mastered. We especially recommend you She Knows Me with coolkidd and the track Main.
Lucigang - "OK!" (prod.Lucigang)
A Trap song with a mysterious and heady atmosphere allowing Lucigang to unveil all the specificity of her flow.
01/30
Balming Tiger - "Armadillo" (Feat. Omega Sapien, Byung Un)
The most original track of the week, as much the track in itself as its M/V. But more than its originality we have to admit that the collaboration is particularly good and stands out a lot. You should listen to it!!
William Kid (김민수) - "제트기" (feat. Hungry Pig, Boat) Prod.김민수
An instrumental that is almost reminiscent of an Egyptian spirit and here, the rappers offer us quite nice performance.
OLNL (오르내림) - "시차적응 jet lag" (Prod. Charming Lips)
A classical song stamped OLNL with a light prod for a flow which kind of delivers a feeling of weariness caused by the daily routine.
Purp Xanny 🖤 - "Trip" feat Ky☆
One of the best tracks of the week so much everything is well-though/mastered. The celestial tone of the production is perfectly suiting the complementary tones of Purp Xanny and Ky who are rapping with both softness and lightness.
A track imbued with a surprisingly comforting and soothing nostalgy ~
shinyujinssi - "내 진심"
After her EP [01] unveiled last week, shinyujinssi surprises us once more with a new release and well, what to say?
The rapper keeps on surprising us with her talent, distinguishing herself this time on simple guitars chords and a rhythmic all in sobriety which are creating an intimate atmosphere in which she raps with sincerity.
01/31
BewhY (비와이) - "나의 땅"
Honestly, we don’t think we have the cultural tools to approach this project. On a strictly technical point of view, BewhY offered us an excellent performance.
Hit the Pause - Myundo
Myundo seems wanting to explore a more soft register those days, like in the EP CHANGE CLOTHES by Donutman we’ve talked about last week.
jeebanoff (지바노프) - "B.T.N" (Better Than Now)
It’s always stirring when a such talented artist as jeebanoff gets the opportunity to have his own M/V whom work on the colour-grading and the atmosphere are really good by the way!
As for the track in itself, jeebanoff managed to deliver a wide range of feelings. From melancholy, some weariness, emptiness, to almost sadness but also and above all a resolution as the subtitles are suggesting it. Here the principal theme of the song is nothing else than the end of a love story. An individual who doesn’t feel the same without really being able to give a reason why.
A very fine track, all in subtlety that we highly recommend ~
y o s i - "loveofmylife" prod. dayrick
A all in subtlety track with a Lo-Fi retro vibe on which y o s i raps gently ~
Free Shane - "Shinna" feat. Futuristic Swaver
Raw Hip-Hop enthusiast ? Free Shane and Futuristic Swaver offered us an intense performance punctuated by deep and saturated basses.
02/01
xion X okasian - "Know" (Prod.dakshood)
A pleasant and effective track, we’ve been especially surprised by xion!
Uneducated Kid - "Hoodstar" (7 tracks)
First album stamped by the label YNG & RICH records, the seven-tracks project includes collaborations with artists such as Jay Park, SuperBee, Paul Blanco and Okasian.
Globally the first part of the album is kind of “hood” like raw Hip-Hop meanwhile the other part comes up to other universes.
ONYOURSIDE - "Done"
If you are looking for softness then this track is for you. ONYOURSIDE distinguishes himself with a very calming narrative rap on a Lo-Fi production tinged by a sample of the soothing voice of the singer Shiloh Dynasty ~
JP - "You Dead?" feat. Vano (Prod. by JP)
Here, JP offers us an original performance thanks to a catching and lively rap. He managed to deliver a wide range of variations and truly plays with the prod. By the way Vano is not to be outdone too.
JP - "Fabrique" (Prod. By SQUAR)
This name looks familiar? That’s normal as it’s the artist of the previous track and, if the track is shorter, it’s not less intense and could be described as a creativity effusion ~
Roy Diller - "PAY" (Prod. khaidrippin)
Once again a very good Trap release this week, Roy Diller is very good on this instrumental.
💎Uzmaki_Ollanopee💎 - "Pipe Up" feat.$hady kiddo
Kind of a Bubblegum Trap and Cloud Rap mix because of the bouncing dimension of the track and yet still a little bit mind-blowing thanks to the autotune. Very light, we recommend you to listen to!
£.vıewƶ(이뷰즈) - "웃지마라진짜" (prod. Y`z Wise)
A simple track which is in harmony with £.vıewƶ’s soothing voice!
02/02
KURO - #AUDREY
A very nice RnB track with a little bit jazz/groovy vibe.
MIllO💜 - 1st MIXTAPE "!ME!" (1 track)
Bubblegum Trap enthusiasts are served right this week with the track LMS! by the female rapper MIllo featuring Takuwa. The autotune could entail some cartoonish and bouncing tones!
Futuristic Swaver - "YsHEcALLINmE?" Feat. AP (Prod. WavYPang)
Once again, Cloud Rap and Bubblegum Trap (really light) mix this week! We have nothing much to say otherwise that it’s very clean!
![[PODCAST] Recap of January 2020](https://k-viar.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/January-podcast-768x768.jpg)
