b2 artistDJ SODAwas recently invited to South Korea’s first ever Comic Con, held in Seoul August 4-5. The popular international convention is a place of discovery for fans, while regularly previewing new films, animation and other Pop culture media.
This year, Korean fans had the pleasure to meet such stars asMads Mikkelsen,Steven Yeun, and of course their hometown hero DJ SODA – this year’s official ambassador. After last month’s trip to the Major League BaseballAll-Star game in Florida, we’re wondering if DJ SODA may one day become a Korean diplomat…what do you think?
iamShum is one of the most accomplished and active Japanese DJ / producers. Hailing from tropical Okinawa, the “Hawaii of Japan”, the feel-good, laid back vibes resonate through his music. Shum began his career at Avex, the leading Japanese record label. At Avex, he was half of the dance duo Future Boyz. He also penned hits for many of Avex’ biggest stars. In 2018, Shum struck out on his own, releasing solo albums that hit #1 and #3 on iTunes Japan’s dance music charts. Shum has played throughout Japan and around Asia, and has appeared at major festivals including Ultra Tokyo and A-Nation. Shum’s remix if Rat City’s Kind of Love was a standout track on Billboard presents Electric Asia Vol. 3.
SILVERSTRIKE
Since moving back to HK from N America, SILVERSTRIKE AKA Terrence To (23 years old) has been at the forefront of the local Dubstep, EDM and Trap production scenes. He has produced beats for Hong Kong stars such as Dough Boy, Pakho Chau, Double T, Shimica, JW, and 24 Herbs. Now he is getting his live DJ game ready for bigger stages and opportunities – along with b2 Music – as the Mainland Chinese EDM and Hip Hop scenes are exploding. SILVERSTRIKE has recently created mind-blowing remixes for 21 PILOTS, Chinese star Tia Ray, Thai superstar Jannine Weigel, and has recently produced songs for Victoria Song (K Pop group FX) 2020 looks to be a big one for HK’s beat making Boy Wonder SILVERSTRIKE as he gears up to drop his first mini-album – a collection of his remixes, featuring artists like Foreign Beggars (UK), MRS M and Sasha Grey (US).
Mrs. M
You cannot talk about the Mongolian Hip Hop scene – centered in her hometown of Ulaan Baatar – without talking about Mrs M. In many ways she IS the Hip Hop scene. But she’s much more than that, as she channels influences as diverse as Eryka Badu, Macy Gray and Sade. But make no mistake about it, Mrs M is original.
Mrs M started recording and making DIY videos with like-minded friends around 3 years ago, and she quickly broke out with her smooth, sultry flow, and the ability to sing and rap – often combining the two effortlessly in the same song. Her single ‘Bang’ has garnered a million YouTube views (a real feat in a country of only 3 million) and caught the attention of Hong Kong/US music label b2 Music – so much that they added the track onto their VIBE sponsored ‘Best of Asian Hip Hop’ compilation, Urban Asia Vol. 1. Now the same group has signed her for international artist management under their b2 talent Asia division.
Her first English language single ‘Tasty’ dropped in May 2019 on b2 Music and has already gotten 2 million YouTube views, and caught the attention of NY Hip Hop producer Harry Fraud (French Montana, A$AP Mob, Wiz Khalifa, etc) who will work with her in his Brooklyn studio on her first English EP. Following that will be her first full-length album with b2 Music, and spots at major Asian and US festivals next year.
UNVS
Based in Seoul, UNVS represents a new chapter in the evolution of Korean boy bands. Hailing from Korea, Taiwan and Japan, the five membershave already made a mark on the K-Pop landscape. Korean broadcaster SBS recently featured the band on their influential “Rookie King” television program, the same show that broke BTS in 2013. This “making of the band” reality series will be broadcast on MTV in 15 markets throughout Asia. Their debut album “Timeless” was released on February 23, featuring well-written, hooky tunes by Korean super-producer Room 102.
SHIMICA
Born of Japanese-Filipina descent and raised in Hong Kong, Shimica is a true Pan-Asian talent ready to break out on the world stage. Her career began in 2014 when her vocal performance on the song ‘The Way We Dance’ won film song of the year in Hong Kong. One of the most accomplished topliners in the region, she has also penned dozens of songs across multiple genres, many of which recorded by top Chinese and Korean stars like Victoria Song (FX), Sammi Cheng and Pakho Chau. As a featured vocalist and topliner she has worked with a variety of artists including RayRay, Bijou, DJ LIZZY and her longtime collaborator SILVERSTRIKE. Shimica has also appeared on albums including Billboard presents Electric Asia Vols. 1 & 3 and Vibe presents Urban Asia Vol 2.
Complementing her songwriting skills, Shimica is also a talented performer, who recently finished fifteen dates in Asia backing Canto legend Sammi Cheng. She also DJ’s regularly at Hong Kong’s top clubs.
