Epik High (or 에픽하이) is a hiphop band made up of three members: Tablo, Mithra Jin, and DJ Tukutz. DJ Tukutz works the turntables, while Tablo and Mithra Jin rap, and all three members have a huge amount of input into the creation and production of their albums, being their own producers as well as composing the music and writing the lyrics.

Unlike some other Korean artists that throw random English into their lyrics, the English that Tablo puts into Epik High’s lyrics is perfect, and never just simple things or common phrases, but complex thoughts and ideas; Tablo, after all, spent many years in America, and has a Master’s degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from Stanford University in California.

A mix of pop and hiphop, Epik High is the kind of hiphop band that often people who don’t like hiphop actually do really enjoy once they start listening to some of the songs. I know plenty of people who this has happened to … myself included XD Their sound is better summed up with this, something they said during their fourth album: “No genre, just music”

Epik High have made some waves in Korea, with the Korean Ministry of Culture and Tourism trying to ban several songs from their fourth album, Remapping the Human Soul, because the lyrics deal rather bluntly with social issues such as sex crimes, war, education and religion. This is the kind of music Epik High makes, music with a message, lyrics with a meaning.

So far, they have released 4 albums and have a 5th due out later this year. Tablo also teamed up with Pe2ny to create a project group called ETERNAL MORNING, and together the pair released an instrumental album called Soundtrack to a Lost Film. The “film” doesn’t exist, but each track is set to a different scene of a different type of movie, a different genre, relying on only music (and occasional, very minimal, lyrics) to set the mood and deliver the message. Tablo said that “The music I couldn’t do as part of Epik High, I did as part of ETERNAL MORNING.” and although it isn’t to everyone’s taste, I personally find it very original and incredibly interesting, and I completely love it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a work of art in it’s own way.

In my previous entry, I mentioned 비 as being one of the few artists that I admire. Epik High is another one of those few artists.

Some live performances first:
Let It Rain This is one of my favourite Epik High songs, and Korean rock band 넬 (Nell) make a guest appearance in this. It’s from their third album, Swan Songs.
Untitled Yeah, Epik High + 넬 is probably my favourite musical combination in the entire world XD Epik High’s sound goes great with 넬’s, it’s like they can both retain their own group’s sound while creating something together. These two groups are perfect together, they really are.

And some MVs:
I Remember This is one of their first MVs, from their first album Map of the Human Soul.
평화의 날 From their second album, High Society
Fly This is from their third album, Swan Songs. It was with this album that they began to get a lot better known. This is one of my favourite Epik High MVs!
Paris Also from their third album
Fan This is from their fourth album, Remapping the Human Soul, and is one of my favourite Epik High songs and definitely the coolest MV that I have ever seen. This song was reaaaaally really popular
Love Love Love Also from their fourth album