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!
SoundCloud Playlist
06/09
Kid Milli - Duracell + Xanny (Feat. YUNHWAY)
As the title suggests it, this MV is a sort of contraction of Duracell (initially in collaboration with Byung Un, former member of the collective Balming Tiger) and Xanny, featuring YUNHWAY. Both track were from his EP Maiden Voyage III released in November 2018.
Without going into detail, the mix of this two tracks is quite interesting and the transition around 2 minutes is pretty clean. Just as the MV, the whole mix is rather intimate.
#Trap #Rap #8bits
Young West - Rollin'
After VLONE, Young West came back to a more cloudy style, a kinda Trap and Rock Ballade mix. The effect on his voice, the fact that his voice is lower than the beat or the electric guitar line bring to this track a pretty melancholic side.
#Trap #AlternativeRock
YUZION - Ballin' (feat. hu57la) (prod. Dayrick)
YUZION and hu57la released a rather soft Trap collab. This cannot exactly been considered as Kawaii Trap but there is still this kind of sparkling side which is typical of the genre. The whole is really well balanced.
#Trap
06/10
Giriboy – Album : 100 Years College Course (8 tracks)
If I really like Giriboy, I admit that at first I didn’t really known what to think about this new album.
That’s purely subjective but let’s say that on the first listening, if I found 100 Years College Course obviously good, yet, for me, there was not a track which was really standing out. Chances were high that this project added to the list of those album you only listen to once in a blue moon.
However, having listened to it with more attention for this chronic, I had to reconsider this first impression.
Overall, yes, 100 Years College Course is kinda in keeping with the artist last projects, but Giriboy keeps on enriching his universe nonetheless. The End with its rock ballads vibe or Traffic Control featuring HEIZE are telling example from that.
More generally, even if there is lively tracks like Towkio featuring youra with a kinda electro/retro vibe or I’m sick with C.Jamm, Kid Milli, Kim Seungmin, Lil Tachi and NO:EL; but the other tracks of the project are rather calm.
If 100 Years College Course would do a perfect background music, yet, you should really listen to this album at least one time attentively. Attentively first because once again, Giriboy gave us a display of all the versatility of his flow. About this, Rain Drop and Bitter Words are especially impressive as much the rapper managed to convey a complex mix of emotions.
But also attentively for the work on the beats. As usual, Giriboy surrounded himself well for this album. I’m sick has been composed by Code Kunst, but there is also Fisherman, Cosmic Boy or Han Yo Han, the three of them being members of WYBH, a crew founded by Giriboy.
You can clearly notice Fisherman’s colour on Rain Drop. There is indeed this almost signature dreamy dimension, this kind of sparkling side here brought by the piano and acoustic guitar chords; the rhythm here cadenced by a Hi-Hat and more generally the mixing. The sort of heady aspect of the track is due to a ternary beat, that is to say 3-times bars while we’re more accustom to a 4-times structure.
Same for Cosmic Boy. You can recognise him on Why are we so tired but also on The Arts co-produced with hoiwave who also composed Bitter Words.
All of this to say that the beats of this album are as rich as great.
So yes, 100 Years College Course is a really good project, but you should probably listen to it closely if you want to appreciate it fully.
#Rap #HipHop #RetroVibe
ZYDE - EP: REPUTATION. (6 tracks)
With this first EP ZYDE is establishing himself as a quite promising artist, as much for his flow quality and versatility as for the depth of his universe. That’s quite impressive to see how he manages to capture the attention in a matter of 6 tracks.
While the bass are quite prominent in WEBECOMIN’THROUGH. (featuring Zeen Addict from the crew DONTWORRYGOAHEAD and the duo SOULSPECI) and ROCKET with a fast tempo, sHe. is lighter with a noticeable Alternative RnB influence.
In this spirit, on Go After You. 🙂, ZYDE chose to go for a really soft flow liven up by a beat with some Future Bass notes (that’s pretty hard to describe but an example can be the variations from 1,08 to 1,35 or from 2,20 to 2,48 minutes).
FARAPART. is far more intimate, a little bit melancholic on a refined and muted beat. Same for the last song of the EP youaretheoneforme. This Track is quite simply on a Lo-Fi beat with this time a more narrative rap.
So yes, in short, that’s clearly an amazing project.
#Bass #Trap #Alternative #RnB #EP #Mellow #LoFi
🛸Trade L🛸 - EP: HOMEWORK (5 tracks)
HOMEWORK is an EP composed of 5 tracks released in the last 3 months. This is mostly a Trap project, especially with tracks like Generate Freestyle, Trust andt 지겨워. But the whole is still rather light. There is for instance a pretty soft electric guitar sample on Trust, or also some piano on Love or Leave.
Both tracks are really by the way, with a surprising RnB side.
A really nice project!
#Trap #RnB
Loopy & Nafla - Album : LooFla (12 Tracks)
Loopy and Nafla’s collabs are more than common, but with LooFla, combination of Loopy and Nafla, the two friends finally decided to release a real album together.
And well, besides the fact that LooFla is obviously really good, the whole is in keeping with what we’re used to from the two Mkit Rain rappers. It’s a rather tight and catchy project, with quite a funny side and mainly egotrip on Trap beats.
There is still some more chill tracks though, like Ride, Runnin’Out of Time or also Woke Up Like This and its kinda Jazz sonority or Johnny Dang in which both rappers opted for a more laid-back flow.
You might also be surprised by tracks like Johnny Dang and ABC, both produced by 종원이 who drawn inspiration from oriental vibes.
Slight disgression, Johnny Dang is none other than a Vietnamese immigrant who grew up in the suburb of Houston and gradually achieved to make a name for himself in the HipHop scene. He is now one of the main reference for the custom Jewellery. Travis Scott, 2Chainz, Trippie Red, Rick Ross, Snoop Dog, Lil Pump, Migos, most of the rappers are calling him for their grillz/jewellery.
Among all the beatmakers present here, you might notice Code Kunst contribution on Coca Coca, or BIG BANANA who produced Shot, Ride but also Ice King with Louis Maui.
Atlantis, Honey Bomb, Woke Up Like This and Johnny Dang are especially standing out, even if that’s quite subjective ~
#HipHop #Trap #Rap #Jazz
ZYDE, Zeen Addict, SWRY, ZRO & Kylee Dawn | 한양대 (Hanyang University) SHOW DOWN – GATSBY
That’s pretty normal if you’re a little bit disconcerted by listening to this track.
Without going into details, ZYDE, Zeen Addict, SWRY, ZRO and Kylee Dawn released GATSBY as part of what seemed to be university showdown against Seoul National University. But well, the point was either way to wear the colours of Hanyang Universty as much on a musical level as on a visual one.
In this way, just like a freestyle, one after another, each rapper is showing is own style on this beat which is a sort of mix of ILLUID HALLER, No2zcat and offthecuff’s works. What’s all the more impressive, is that there is still a coherence, a common thread despite each rapper singularity.
The polished aesthetic of the MV realized by Wonderwood is a little bit like the icing on the cake. The title of this showdown is nothing more than GATSBY and it quite makes sens.
In a word : Impressive!
#HipHop #RnB #Bass #Rap #ProgressiveTrack #Classy
Futuristic Swaver - REMY (Feat. Dbo)
Futuristic Swaver is more and more renowned and at the same time there is a noticeable evolution of his releases.
A Trap collab with Dbo which would certainly convince the fan of the genre.
#Trap
El.ie - Still On (prod. misery)
A la fois onirique et mélancolique ~
#RnB #Dreamlike #Ethereal
06/11
Ted Park - They Don't Know
Nothing much to say about this track, Ted Park gave us a really clean song, RnB with some Trap influences ~
#RnB #Trap
Lerman (레먼) - Mixtape: KARMA (6 tracks)
With this second project, Lerman (레먼) really focused on the atmospheres. The whole is really intense and the rapper managed to convey emotions just as strong as complex.
The first part of the project is rather dark, almost troubling, with a tormented side while the second is on the contrary lighter, sparkling.
In this way, with KARMA, the rapper is exploring a wide musical spectrum, the theme of the shadow and the light all with a rather narrative rap, raw.
A really interesting mixtape!
#Rap #Alternative #Experimental
slchld - my stargirl
New slchld’s release, still true to his Soul/RnB register. A both light and soothing track ~
#RnB #Soul #Ballade
Jhnovr - EP: Dirty Messiah (4 tracks)
WEDAPLUGG artist Jhnovr released an EP with an almost mystic/spiritual atmosphere,
The whole project is overall on a RnB vibe, with the participation of rappers like Swings, Goretexx and Black Nut.
A both soft and hazy project, really interesting!
#AlternativeRnB
06/12
skyminhyuk – Mixtape : *ROCK LEE* 노력의 천재편 (6 tracks)
Simply speaking, the title of this project is pretty suitable since the whole thing is as quirky and surprising as Rock Lee, Naruto’s character.
Overall, the project can be described as Kawaii Trap and the whole is pretty funny. There is for instance 8Bits samples on WEE인전, and more generally, all is kinda bright, the atmosphere is like shonen-inspired.
And well, besides, 오 – 필승 스카이 is a masterpiece of absurdity on its own. It’s obvious that with this mixtape, skyminhyuk wanted first to simply enjoy, and that’s quite a contagious feeling!
#KawaiiTrap #Can’tBeDescribedWithWords
06/13
Kid Milli - APP (Feat. Loopy)
This week, Kid Milli also released the MV for the really good track APP. This collab with Loopy dated back to March, coming from his EP: L I F E
#HipHop #Rap #Smooth #LaidBack
#zzuno だいすき-! – TRAPBOY
Excellent Trap release, there is nothing more to say, #zzuno snapped! The rapper is all the more impressive that he has a wide musical range, just listen to his discography!
#Trap
06/14
Boicash - EP: FROZEN HEART (8 tracks)
A first EP halfway between Trap and RnB, just like what’s pretty trendy on SoundCloud nowadays. So in other words kinda Kawaii Trap and Alternative Rock influences.
And for that matter, quite renowned artists from those SoundCloud scene like wonjaewonjae, 린린 or Lil Sunder11 contributed to this EP.
You’ll definitelly like this EP if you’re into light atmospheres and autotune ~
#KawaiiTrap #Trap #RnB #AlternativeRock
Kindirt X Crebic - Mixtape (4 tracks)
If you’re into tight Trap there is a good chance that you like this mixtape.
Both rappers are really good, the whole is pretty clean and well-balanced.
#Trap
Way Ched - Album: COMFY (10 tracks)
As the name suggests, COMFY is a really smooth album, a mix of Trap and RnB, perfect for the summer.
As for the collabs, Changmo, youra, Keem Hyo-Eun, Sik-K, Coogie, Leellamarz, Simon Dominic, BRADYSTREET, Hash Swan, Blah and Hiko.
#Trap #RnB #SummerVibe
