What you need to know:
Yaeji is one of the most interesting artists on the current electronic scene. And if you don’t know her yet, here we tell you about her and her project.
Every now and then, projects appear in the music sector that catch our attention just by their name. However, after trusting our intuition and listening to his suggestion, We regretted not listening to him sooner because we missed something great. And that’s exactly what happened to us with Yaeji.
The became a producer, singer and DJ –in its various artistic forms– in one of electronic music’s last great revelations. Thanks to their hypnotic melodies, they combine elements of house, hip hop and dream pop, with lyrics sung in both English and Korean, showcasing the two cultures to which they belong. She has positioned herself as an artist you can really follow.
With her work, Yaeji managed to attract the attention of artists like Charli XCX and even reach stages like Coachella With only a few years in the industry, a few EPs and a few singles on digital platforms. And if you don’t know her, below we’ll tell you about this girl who will surely make you dance and become your new musical obsession..
Who is Yaeji?
Kathy Yaeji Lee was born on August 6, 1993 in the New York City borough of Queens., the only daughter of a family of South Korean emigrants. They moved to Atlanta when he was five years old and just three years later They returned to South Korea, where she attended a bilingual international school..
However, they were born in a country with different cultures and languages and spend their first years of life there. Yaeji found it difficult to adapt to life in his parents’ hometown, which is why he took refuge in his great hobbies: anime and, in particular, music. He began to educate himself and learned how to use composition programs on the Internet.
Thanks to the fact that I changed international schools almost every year, Kathy Yaeji began connecting with friends via the Internet, where she first discovered music from different parts of the world.. After studying in Japan for a while and returning to South Korea, this artist made one of the most important decisions. in his life: Return to the United States.
Yaeji returned to her birthplace to study at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he studied conceptual art and graphic design (with a specialization in East Asian studies). At the same time, As a hobby, he began DJing in clubs and underground parties.totally influenced by the nightlife of this city (especially the gay scene).
From playing for fun to becoming a real producer who made it to Coachella
For two years, Yaeji Lee hit the turntables hard until he learned how to use recording programs On your computer. It was like this He began composing his own songs, which reached the university radio station WRCT. is already enjoying great popularity in Pittsburgh’s underground electronic scene. After graduating in 2015 She returned to New York with the intention of becoming a professional musician..
Although he had already released some songs on his Soundcloud account (which were later deleted), For 2016 and now known simply as Yaeji, she releases her first single, “New York ’93”. – in reference to his birth year – under the label Godmode (which had artists like Channel Tres). And definitely, This song completely defines the proposal of this production company.
After releasing a raffle version of “Guap” by Australian DJ Mall Grab, Yaeji released his self-titled debut EP in 2017, which was well received in the New York electronic scene.. However, such was this artist’s creativity and need to share her project that after releasing other singles such as “Feel It Out” and “Therapy” In the same year, he also released a second short material titled EP2.
This second EP featured a cover of Drake’s “Passionfruit.”which afterward began to attract attention his first session for Boiler Room in 2017. In addition to this version, he also made a splash with singles like “Drink I’m Sippin On” (whose video was viewed a million times in two weeks) and “Raingurl.” So much so that Yaeji was included in the BBC Sound of 2018 list and if that wasn’t enough, That year he also managed to get into the Coachella lineup.
His collaboration with Charli XCX, the first mixtape and an impressive debut
Although it is presented throughout much of the United States, Canada and Europe, Yaeji didn’t stop releasing songs, including “One More.”. However, 2019 saw it hit even bigger stages, including Lollapalooza, Outside Land & Music Festival, Boston Calling, Primavera Sound, NOS Primavera Sound, Fuji Rock and even Ceremoniait was their first show in our country (which left us with a great taste in our mouths).
As if that wasn’t enough, Yaeji ended 2019 by collaborating with Charli XCX on the song “February 2017,” which also features Clairo. From then on, this DJ and producer’s career took off, and despite the unexpected outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, that didn’t stop her from releasing her first mixtape. “What We Drew” was releasedin which up-and-coming artists such as rappers took part Diaper Nina And Sweet peathe band a raincoat and the drag queen, Victoria Sin.
Despite the restriction and all that it entailed, Yaeji didn’t stop composing and conducting raffle activities. This became clear to us in 2021, because after a year of the pandemic and a year later What we drew, He surprised us with the release of the single “Year to Year / 29”, collaborating with Oh Hyuk, the leader of the Korean indie band Hyuok. And even though they are artists from different genres, they managed to create a very cool and interesting combination.
After releasing the song “PAC-TIVE” for which he collaborated with Namco (the company behind the classic Pac Man and other iconic video games) and the DiAN collective, Yaeji now took the step he was missing: releasing his debut album. It was released on April 7, 2023 With a hammer, his first record material where Through a mix of synth-pop, jazz, techno and ambient, it explores the way anger can become a source of creative renewal.
In addition to releasing this album later in 2023 Yaeji returned to Coachella to put on a great show both weekends in Indio, California; But it also appeared in new spaces, for example at the Pitchfork Music Festival in London. And yes, everything looks like this from here, The name of this DJ and producer will continue to grow and reach even more audiences with her unique proposal.
What makes Yaeji so special?
In any case, as we told you from the beginning, Yaeji is one of those raw gems that rocked the electronic scene.. Mainly because His proposal is unlike anything we have heard before.although it is based on some well-known genres such as house and hip-hop.
However, It is thanks to the multiculturalism that she has embraced since childhood, as well as the influence of both the United States and South Korea, that make Yaeji’s project unique.because his particular vision of music and all these elements allowed him to do this Combining rhythms in their own way creates melodies that take us from calm to madness in a matter of seconds, completely transporting us into the imagination of this producer and DJ.
So If you love electronic music that makes you feel like you’re on a roller coaster ride of emotions and sounds, Yaeji is the artist you’ve been waiting for for so long.. And if you have the opportunity to see them live at Bahidorá 2024, you definitely can’t miss it because we’re sure your cassette will be completely restarted after trying out their set because it’s crazy to have them on to see them play on stage. It’s tight and guaranteed.
