Mr. International is back to shine the spotlight on this phenomenal artist named Horim. He plans every project from the songs to the visuals to ensure it hits the mark every time. Without further ado, let’s find out about Horim!

WHO IS HORIM?

Horim is a musician based in Seoul who incorporates influences from R&B, Soul, Jazz, Blues, and Hip Hop into his music. Since the 2015 single album Black Consumer, he has been showcasing and developing his own in-depth colors across various albums, features, and performances each year. It has been recognized for its value, including the 1st regular album of 2018, METROCITY.

THE PROJECT

Coming six years after EPISODE I (released in 2019), this new album continues the trajectory of Horim’s first full-length album, METROCITY. It especially showcases organic interplay with multiple contributors within neo-soul and lo-fi soundscapes. Visually—through art, dance, and hip-hop—the release is also expected to naturally introduce the communities around him. Horim not only works on the music but tackles it as a project that includes who he will work with and the visuals to pair with it.

As the title suggests, the new EP, EPSD : Luv dis S[e]oul, is the second installment in that series. The design was also handled by Case-creative, founded by the same graphic designer who worked on his prior project.

THE SONGS

The first half of the album gives a look into hip-hop production by Horim, AHMN, and Hypotemp. Track 1, “Fake or Fame,” is produced by AHMN and features him, Kundi Panda, and Deepflow, who each explore stories between “Fake” and “Fame” from their own perspectives. Visual production studio HYPULS created the music video. Members HALO and CHOCOL of the crew ‘Wolf’Lo’ and dancer Ghaksu bring movement to the three artists’ voices.

Track 2, “What would Dilla do?” was led by producer Hypotemp during the COVID-19 season. Under the direction of the visual team board, the project extended to a video and a COREO exhibition. It’s a well-crafted track that Dilla fans will likely enjoy repeatedly.

The title track, track 3 “eemee,” pairs Horim with R&B musician 도핀이 (Dopanee) to sing about a relationship that’s already coming to an end. Under the distinctive sound of singer-songwriter and producer Zoey, the two voices sing each other’s hearts—like two people perhaps walking on thin ice. Director Jang Ho-young of the video production team 작중설정 contributed a sleek visual that enhances the song’s dimensional feel.

The final, 4th track, “breeze,” lives up to its name as a song that lets listeners fully savor a sense of ease. New York–based producer team MELOR handled the track, complemented by the beautiful voice of CHAI. The album closes with the message that, to love city life, sometimes you have to take care of your own heart. Visuals were directed by Park Sang-bae (COLT 90, bod). Through ODE SEOUL, the project included collaboration with Devialet speakers and choreographer UU, delivering a more artistic aesthetic.

THE SUMMARY

Horim takes every song as a work of art and ensures it conveys the intended message. Have you heard of him before? Drop a comment if you have rocked with him back in the day. I’d love to hear him collab with some Neo-Soul or R&B musicians like Cole McSween, Leslie Perez, or even Mayia.

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