1300 close out 2023 with epic collaboration ‘GANTZ” featuring South Korean rap royalty EK
PRAISE FOR 1300
“Foreign Language”
“Foreign Language”
“Foreign Language”
“Foreign Language”
“Foreign Language”
“'Oldboy'”
“Feature Artist”
“It might sound like the plot of a premise of a TV show: a bunch of guys with ordinary day jobs moonlight as one of Australia’s hottest rising acts. But for the members of 1300, that’s simply reality”
“1300 deliver a mind-bending piece of overdriven club-rap”
“Even so 1300 made a name for itself among listeners in Australia for its unique sound, and now it has turned its attention to Korea, where there is an audience that will immediately understand their lyrics”
“An assortment of different synths appear like sirens throughout, contrasted with the mortar blasts of bass that occupy the low end. Vocally, 1300 are 1300-ing, unleashing fast-paced rap flurries and ear-catching refrains”
“'Lalaland’ is a chaotic blend of electronica and rap that twists and turns as bars are unleashed over big drum samples”
“A frenetic fusion of rap and rave soundscapes, 'Lalaland' manically melts together squelching acid house bass lines, punchy drum patterns, and frenzied rap flows”
“Their punchy rap flows, energetic production, melodic singing and off-the-wall beats have grasped the Australian and Korean ear”
“1300 make music for car chases. Over just a handful of releases and their accompanying music videos, the five-piece rap collective have forged an entire cinematic universe of smoking guns and blood-pumping heists, name-checking any and everything – Muhammad Ali, Steve Jobs, Smashmouth – in their skittish, frenzied race to the top”
“Their music evades simple definition – it’s a mix of hip-hop, punk, pop and more. Above all, though, it’s highly danceable”
“Don't try to describe their sound. Just enjoy it”
“From their inception, 1300 have steadily showcased a multifaceted approach to modern hip-hop”
“Rapping in both Korean and English, it’s an impressive, totally magnetic display”
“With bilingual lyrics, slick flows, and an almost never-ending sense of movement in each and every bar, 1300 are a truly inimitable creation that defies categorisation”
“If you need a real musical kick up the ass today or something to get your brain firmly locked into Friday Mode, this run at “Gangnam Style” from 1300 is absolutely perfect for that”
“Reshaping the local hip hop landscape”
‘GANTZ ft. EK’ is out now, buy/stream it here.
Leading rap boy band 1300 today share their final release of 2023, ‘GANTZ’ in collaboration with groundbreaking Korean rapper and M.B.A Crew member EK – cementing their foothold within the Korean hip hop scene. LISTEN HERE.
Combining forces to be reckoned with alongside South Korean hip hop scene leader EK, 1300 cast their eyes to the globe on ‘GANTZ’. Where the group previously asked listeners “Are you entertained? Is this what you want?” on the hyperactive ‘Lalaland’, ‘GANTZ’ is indebted to ambition propelled by the group’s hardest display of verbal dexterity matched with guest verse from EK – a space cultivated through alien trap production and haunting cosmic bass.
Consistently torn between two places through their purpose and existence, ‘GANTZ’ dives deeper into this inner turmoil of 1300’s identity. Speaking to broken glass ceilings, 1300 explain “The song is about the pursuit of progress and perfection. Gazing at the stars, reaching into the sky and trying to capture everything,” they reconcile with being on the cusp of realising their dreams.
1300’s earlier return with ‘Lalaland’, called “the beginning of their acid rap era” (LIFTED Asia), achieved rave reviews internationally across Clash, The Line Of Best Fit, COLORS, Loud and Quiet, Hiphople, Sniffers and more; through to triple j rotation locally alongside praise from Acclaim Magazine, Life Without Andy, Music Feeds, Pilerats, RAGE, FBi Radio, SYN and others. In celebration of their label signing to Eastern Margins (Tohji, LVRA, Rainbow Chan) the release took the group across Korea and Japan for the Road 2 Redline Tour alongside appearances at SXSW Sydney, OzAsia Festival and Someday Soon.
‘GANTZ ft. EK’ rounds out another year of firsts for 1300: a sold out headline tour across Australia’s east coast, continued critical acclaim for their debut mixtape Foreign Language, to landmark sync placements with Riot Games’ League of Legends e-sports tournament, NBA2K24 and American Born Chinese on Disney+. Their string of singles in ‘CARDIO!’ produced by SOLLYY and ‘Steve Jobs’ featuring Kwame, scored playlisting on triple j alongside praise from The Guardian, Complex Australia, VICE, Pedestrian, Junkee, Red Bull Music, RAGE, MTV, The Music, Music Feeds, and national community radio support, for their Valentines Day dedicated mixtape <3.
The boys from outer space, 1300 cannot be defined in pure stylistic terms. Their music is instead caught in an endless flux that never ceases to surprise. Their combined rap and production versatility consistently pushes the margins of their peers and industry alike across all formats, the dynamic five-piece have enhanced their hip-hop-come-electronic sound to previously unseen or heard corners of their artistry – we can only hazard a guess on what 1300 will continue to attain in 2024.
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