Artists Recommend: Y2K92
The South Korean duo on faith, their upcoming debut album, and unconventional sources of inspiration from Sainkho Namtchylak to the Londonderry Choir.
If you know your way around K-hip-hop circles, then you’ve probably caught a glimpse of Y2K92. A quick browse through the Seoul-formed outfit’s Spotify page will reveal their involvement in lauded projects by some of the scene’s most well-established figures such as Beenzino, Kim Ximya and Balming Tiger’s Omega Sapien. Digging deeper, you may come across vocal half Jibin’s name credited as a feature on SE SO NEON’s So!YoON!’s 2023 solo record and the track “Gave you all my love,” or her outstanding contribution to “Forehead” by Liu Lee — both of which lean into an experimental indie territory I’m personally tremendously fond of.
When it comes to their own discography and the ideas they wish to share with the world, the pair, composed of Jibin and producer Simo, are just getting started. Their 2020 release “Bi-elijah” certainly shows great promise — stumbling upon the track, I was instantly mesmerized by its propulsive, liquid drum and bass beat and sticky, layered vocals featuring the striking line, “Beauty is nothing but the beginning of shame.” This year has already seen Y2K92 performing alongside a dance crew as part of the opening ceremony at the 2024 Youth Olympics in Gangwon, and joining Seoul National University students’ anti-genocide march in solidarity with Palestine.
For “Artists Recommend,” the duo delved into how faith informs their work and shared some of their unconventional musical influences.
This interview has been edited for context, clarity, and uniformity.
Evi: Please give us a basic introduction of yourselves.
Y2K92: Hello, we’re Y2K92. Y2K92 is a Korean musical duo formed in Itaewon, Seoul in 2019, consisting of vocalist, rapper and lyricist Jibin and songwriter, composer, producer and rapper Simo. We’re having many fun moments [exploring] faith, understanding, trust, and curiosity [with] each other. We have a lot of interest in marginalized areas of the world (regionally, Asia) and that interest as a driving force.
Evi: How would you describe your sound?
Y2K92: It’s with a friendly visual, but the sound and lyrics cross the line of understanding, original, nerve-stimulating, moving the body and mind, and sometimes we [go] beyond the standards of the world.
Evi: How did you get into making music together?
Y2K92: Simo has been working on music for a long time. He worked on an album that received favorable reviews in the Korean hip-hop underground scene of the 2010s. Jibin was just 19 years old [and] longed for music and art when she joined Simo. At their meeting, everything happened like fireworks. It was stronger than expected. Many people liked [us] and rubbed shoulders with us, and we are still walking with gratitude.
Evi: Is there a feeling or message you would like listeners to take away from your music? Any goals that accompany your process?
Y2K92: We live on a strong basis of faith. There are areas in our music that talk about the remnants of confusion and excessive experiences, anger, false desires, and darkness. But the most fundamental thing is that we strive to give [glory] to God in every way. We hope people understand this concept and read the gaps between the works as a narrative. Our next goal is to make praises and hymns.
Evi: Share a little bit about your upcoming project.
Y2K92: We’re working on our debut album! There is a seed-like debut album that has been buried for a long time. We’ve been working on a lot of projects and features, but our self-made album is a hidden gem. We hope it’ll be refined well for a lot of people and [that] they’ll like it.
Y2K92 Recommend:
168 — Lenin
Y2K92: 168 is a sensuous artist who expresses his passion for cultural reform in Mongolia through linguistic play.
Londonderry Choir
Y2K92: It is a choir active in a traditional church. With a strong sense of community, they express their faith through song, finding spiritual depth in it and cherishing connections with others.
Sainkho Namtchylak — Stepmother City
Y2K92: Only when a country has power can an artist’s presence grow. We think she is an artist who should be considered greater than anyone else
DJ Stingray 313
Y2K92: We’re slowing down his tracks in half and discovering new genres.
Keep up with Y2K92 on Instagram and YouTube. Check out their music on Spotify and Bandcamp.
You can find all music mentioned on “Artists Recommend” in the “Of The Moment: Artists Recommend” playlist:
Check out the series’ previous installment with Texas folk songwriter Nova, here. Interested in more ramblings from me? Have a look at the archive, here.
