1300 Korean Rap
Danielle Just
Greatness happens when the stars align, and you find yourself at the right place at the right time. For the band members of 1300 (pronounced one three hundred), all of the stars aligned the night that the unlikely five met. Before 1300 was formed, three of the five bandmates were already a formed unit known as aisleland. The trio met the other two members and producers at a mutual friend's EP listening party. Once the five met, they felt a connection so strong that they immediately headed to the basement to collaborate that same night.
The rest is history. Bringing different skills to the table, the five individuals are perfectly-cut puzzle pieces that fit together to form 1300. rako and DALI HART fill the vocal and dance aspect, goyo raps, and Nerdie and pokari.sweat produce. rako recalls how "after a while, all three rappers including [rako] started hitting them up to crave some nice beats. Then they invited [him] to their studio, [they] made some good stuff real quick. [He] believes it was meant-to-be."
An equally important part of the group's art form is the choreographed component, which is showcased in the visuals of their music videos. The video for "No Caller ID" features their more eccentric take on rap music through bright eye-catching colors and unconventional yet mesmerizing choreography. The sentiment carries through in their latest single, "Rocksta," and its accompanying video. Over a skittering beat that never loses its footing, 1300 delivers an intoxicating fusion of K-rap and punk aesthetics that doubles as the announcement for their hotly-anticipated debut mixtape, Foreign Language, set to release April 29.
Nerdie says that his goal for the group is to "change the game for K-pop," giving their growing fanbase that this is only the beginning of 1300. Just like how they found themselves spontaneously making music together in an empty basement, 1300 hopes that their music makes their listeners want to go out and create something new, fun, and chaotic with their friends.
We're always asking about forward-thinking artists breaking boundaries through their work, and 1300 is a referral we've gotten often across the last year or so. The Sydney-based five-piece are a mix of Korean-Australian rappers and producers that push the limits in everything they do, the outfit - comprised of rappers rako, goyo, DALI HART, producer-singer Nerdie, and producer pokari.sweat - merging together cultures and genres to create eclectic, forward-thinking bursts of brilliance that never fail to hit.
1300's creativity - the thing they strive to showcase - has been emphasised since their entrance at the start of the year with their debut single Brr, and something they've shown with every move since. In regards to their music specifically, their second single - March's No Caller ID - showed how they can carve other sounds from their mix influences and prowess, while things like their Discord sessions have helped build the group a rabid community, one that includes other experimental art creators such as Genesis Owusu and 3K.
Their new single Smashmouth, however, feels like something entirely new. In just a touch over three minutes, Smashmouth sees 1300 aim for the heights of their sound and pull it off without a hitch, showcasing everything they thrive towards in their music while capturing the musical brilliance they're able to achieve in the process of doing so. It's explosive and energetic; a switching production sweeping underneath trading, bilingual verses from their members, which darts between Korean and English as they navigate the warped surroundings that producers Nerdie and pokari.sweat create.
It sounds unlike anything else we've ever heard - from Australia and otherwise - and for a group like 1300, that seems to be exactly what they're going for. "With Smashmouth, we try to maximise our expression in 3 minutes," the group say on the single, which arrives today via NLV Records. "The song is structured in a way where the instrumental supports the vocalist's individual energy and personality, so it naturally shifts and moves with the artists. There are 4 of us on vocal duty, and 2 on production."
It's a single that comes alive on the live stage - as the group explain - and anyone that has caught 1300 at one of their many shows over the last year would no doubt support that. "When we perform this song live, the audience feels like they're coming up on an mdma peak (especially at 1:55 where all the synths come in for the last verse). They eat it up, it's a real moment and we live for it. We really, really, really don't want you to get bored listening to this song, so we made sure that could never happen."
It's impossible to be bored of 1300, and Smashmouth proves exactly why. Take a dive into the single below, and underneath, introduce yourself to the crew as they build from the footings of their debut year and set their sights on a brilliant future ahead.
Producers Nerdie and pokari.sweat and vocalists rako, goyo and DALI HART make up 1300 (pronounced one three hundred). In three tracks time, the Warrang based collective have earnt serious hype with their energetic blend of fast-paced bilingual raps and beats that are as chaotic as they are carefully constructed.
Once more, the distinct talents of each member fused together to make magic. Nerdie and pokari dropped a massive beat with meticulous production quirks and the three vocalists serve up a smooth flow with plenty of switch ups.
Although live shows are off the menu rn, 1300 promise an unforgettable experience when they can get back onstage. They explain that because most of their lyrics are Korean, they turn the energy levels all the way up to make sure everything translates.
Last year Korean-Australian hip-hop group 1300 (pronounced one-three-hundred) released their first breakthrough single No Caller iD, a track that showcased their bilingual rapping skills and nimble, on-trend production.
1300 mostly rap in Korean so to unacquainted ears lyrical comprehension is impossible. Instead, what resonates is the sonic quality of their voices. Staccato at times, low and disaffected at others, their voices merge seamlessly with the instrumentals for musical effect.
Since then they\\u2019ve covered off Psy\\u2019s iconic Gangnam Style for Triple J, released another smash single, Smashmouth, and been well and truly catapulted into the mainstream. They have a deeply loyal fan base, and their phone hotline is backed up with hundreds of voicemails from supporters (\\u201CThat shit was the bulgogi!\\u201D).
After gigs supporting ARIA Award-winner at Sydney\\u2019s Enmore Theatre and performances at the experimental arts space Phoenix Central Park, 1300 recently played one of their biggest shows yet at the Sydney Opera House, as part of Vivid Live. Next, it\\u2019s onto the Australian festival circuit, playing the likes of Dark Mofo, Splendour in the Grass and Falls Festival.
For a band that has only been releasing music for a bit over a year these achievements are an extraordinary feat. But the five boys who make up 1300 seem rather unfazed by it all. \\u201CWe just want to make music,\\u201D they tell The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Their success is noteworthy, not just because of the quality of their music but because of how long it\\u2019s taken for a Korean-Australian act to break through in this country, especially as Korean culture \\u2013 in music and on screen \\u2013 has dominated globally in recent years. When asked about other Korean-Australian artists working here, 1300 say they know of only two \\u2013 Yura and GDC \\u2013 both still emerging.
A week out from their debut performance at the Opera House, 1300\\u2019s studio in Haymarket is humming with the best kind of chaotic energy. The group is made up of members Nerdie (Angus Jin), Pokari.sweat (Jason Vuong), Dali Hart (Andy Lim), Goyo (Tae Kim) and Rako (Jihun Kong). They crowd around a laptop, tinkering with beats and throwing around different lines. A rogue flute lies to the side. Melbourne-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Nikodimos is visiting, and the six are collaborating on new music.
They shrug when asked about their choice of language in their music. \\u201CWe don\\u2019t really think about it, Korean is just a language we were born with,\\u201D Rako says. What he seems to be saying is, Why wouldn\\u2019t we rap in Korean? Duh. \\u201CKorean is a good language to rap with\\u201D he adds. \\u201CIt just flows well.\\u201D
The videos that accompany their music are just as experimental, exhibiting the signature playfulness and charisma that\\u2019s made them so adored. The video for their single Oldboy is a homage to the 2003 Park Chan-wook film of the same name, featuring recreations of scenes from the original.
What did they listen to growing up? \\u201CLots of Korean music \\u2013 lots and lots of Korean music,\\u201D says Rako, who grew up in Perth. The band members rattle off a long list of Korean acts: Big Bang, Beenzino, Zion.T, CL.
Late, too, is the Australian mainstream to Korean-Australian artists. \\u201CIt\\u2019s been surprising to see the reaction to our music here, simply because we\\u2019ve never seen that [Korean music being celebrated] before,\\u201D says Nerdie. \\u201CIt seems to correlate with the amount of popularity Korean culture in general has been having recently, which has probably opened up some gates for people to accept what we\\u2019re doing.\\u201D
Certainly, their growing stardom is in step with the rise in popularity of Korean culture, including the success of Netflix\\u2019s and Parasite\\u2019s 2020 Oscar win, and subsequent marathon run in the .
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