Some people go on holiday and upload a new picture on social media every 30 minutes; when the Cali experimental hip hop artist Koosha Azim hit Seoul in South Korea, his trip inspired two future sonic worlds on his EP, Koryŏ Capsule.
If you needed any convincing that travel really does broaden your mind, delve into the trippy psychedelic textures in the two-track release. Raw yet robust, Koosha Azim pushes the boundaries of hip hop beyond recognition into trippy territory that you will want to visit time and time again.
Track 1, Fly to the South, is a wavey, reverb-dripping and quasi-spiritual track that allows you to taste the spacey transcendence of his journey. While Track 2, Jeju, is a feat of kaleidoscopic ambience, complete with ethereally ambient layers and soul-infused trap star energy.
Koosha Azim began producing music in 2020 after being inspired by a few talented close friends. He started his production experimentalism by sampling old Persian music and orchestral compositions to create his hip-hop beats. Before releasing his EP, Azim released five singles: the first, The Genesis, arriving in late 2020. He is currently working on his debut LP Godspeed Said the Rain, an avant-garde production that processes a coming of age story and falling in love to the backdrop of war & conflict.
Here is what Azim had to say about his latest release:
“Capturing the excitement of moving to Seoul, South Korea, Fly to the South celebrates experiencing the high life of a new region. Akin to the distortion of the mind on a psychedelic journey, the production is arranged with banging 808s, a spiritual flute sample, and a mysterious synth ambience. It is a hip-hop anthem for the restless youth.
Jeju was inspired by a trip to Jeju Island. The island was a peaceful place that inspired the futuristic world I created on the track. The song discusses falling in love in Korea and feeling like a Rockstar while travelling across the globe.”
Koryŏ Capsule was officially released on July 8th. You can check it out by heading to SoundCloud and Spotify.
Review by Amelia Vandergast
