CONVERSE RELEASES FIRST EVER KOREA Three Artists. One Song TRACK FEATURING JAURIM, AZIATIX AND IDIOTAPE

Release of New and Original Track
Available for Free Download at www.converse.com/music

(SEOUL KR) Today, CONVERSE Inc. announces the track release for its first-ever Korea based Three Artists. One Song collaboration. The music initiative brings together three diverse and unique Korean artists, featuring indie icons, Jaurim; rising hip-hop stars, Aziatix; and award-winning electronic act, Idiotape. The new track, “#PeepShow,” is available to music fans globally starting today via free download at www.converse.com/music

“#PeepShow” is a cross-pollination of three distinct music genres, weaving together Aziatix’ signature rap lyrics with Jaurim’s indie vocals and Idiotape’s electronic sound.  Recorded in Seoul, Korea, the genre-bending track pushes the dial on youthful expression and brings an edgy new sound to the Asia Pacific market.  Fueled by Idiotape’s driving bassline, Jaurim and Aziatix bring a new dimension to the song with their lyrical commentary on youth and pop culture.



“We’re excited to be a part of Three Artists. One Song and to bring a brand new concept to the Asia Pacific music scene.” said DGURU, front man of Idiotape. “By not limiting ourselves to any specific instrument or genre, we were able to come up with a very original and unique sound.”

“Converse embraces a rebellious young audience and the notion of self-expression,” said Eddie Shin, lead vocalist from Aziatix.  “With “#PeepShow,” we wanted to elevate this young voice and inspire creativity among music fans in Korea and beyond.”

Three Artists. One Song invites artists to come together and express themselves through the creation of an original track. Recent song collaborations include “Warrior” by Mark Foster (Foster the People), Kimbra and A-trak and “Doyathing” by world-famous Gorillaz, James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) and Andre 3000 (OutKast). Now in its eighth series, the unique music platform launches in Asia Pacific, widening the scope for the celebration of international music talent.  Following the track release, a music video for “#PeepShow” will premiere at www.converse.com in June 2012.

About Jaurim
Named after a purple rainforest, Jaurim is lush modern rock quartet whose 15 years together as one of the best live bands in Korea have made them icons in the indie music scene. Nominated for “Best Live Performance” at the 2011 MNET Asian Music Awards, the dreamy foursome reigns as main stage headliner at Korea’s biggest international music festivals. Currently running their own Soundholic record label, Jaurim is busy producing new acts as well as preparing new tracks for their ninth studio album, slated for release later this year.

About Aziatix
Hailed as “Best New Asian Artist” at the 2011 MNET Asian Music Awards, Aziatix is a Korean-American urban hip-hop trio who has reached icon status in 2012. After gracing the Korean cover of Newsweek Magazine and completing a nationwide American concert tour, Asiatix released their second EP ‘Awakening’ and watched it not only hit #1 on K-Pop singles charts in Korea, but also soar to #1 on iTunes R&B/Soul album charts in US and Japan. This year Aziatix will continue their musical trailblazing by putting the finishing touches on their follow up full-length album.  

About Idiotape
Eliciting waves of rave reviews at the 2011 Canadian Music Week, the South by Southwest Music Festival, and Summer Sonic Japan, the electro-punk triad, Idiotape, returned to Seoul energized to mix-master one of the most critically acclaimed albums of the year, ‘11111101.’ Winner of “Best Electronic Dance Album of the Year” at the 2012 Korean Music Awards, Idiotape accepted an invitation to appear on the network TV show, SBS ‘U&I,’ and unleashed a smashing live set on unsuspecting primetime audiences, catapulting the band to become the #1 most searched online artist in Korea. Idiotape will be devoting the rest of the year to working on a batch of studio projects interspersed with a series of club and festival gigs.

About Converse
Converse Inc., based in N. Andover, Massachusetts, is a wholly owned subsidiary of NIKE, Inc. Established in 1908, the Converse brand has built a reputation as “America’s Original Sports Company”™ and has been associated with a rich heritage of legendary shoes such as the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe, the Jack Purcell shoe and the One Star shoe. Today, Converse offers a diverse portfolio including lifestyle men's, women's and kid’s footwear, apparel and accessories. Converse product is sold globally by retailers in over 160 countries and through 63 company-owned retail locations in the U.S. For more information on Converse in Korea, visit www.conversekorea.com.

Korean Music Artist Booking Agent : DFSB Kollective
Korean Music Project Director : DFSB Kollective

MTV K | Seoulsonic 2K12 : Crying Nut, Yellow Monsters, 3rd Line Butterfly @ Pianos NYC

Yellow Monsters(NEW YORK NY USA) After a month of playing coast-to-coast shows and holding showcases at SXSW and CMW, Seoulsonic 2K12 wraps up tonight in Los Angeles. This year’s line-up boasted post-modern rock band 3rd Line Butterfly, the ever-electrifying Yellow Monsters trio, and Korea’s legendary punk pioneers, Crying Nut.

Following in the footsteps of Idiotape, Galaxy Express, and Vidulgi Ooyoo last spring, this year’s Seoulsonic acts jumped in feet first, undeniably stoked for their first time touring the US and Canada. Kicking off the evening with moody guitars and smoky vocals was 3rd Line Butterfly, followed by Yellow Monsters, who provided a blazing change of pace with their dizzying nonstop set of fan favorites. Crying Nut, now going 15 years strong, closed out the show, giving the crowd a high-voltage taste of Korean punk royalty.

Want more Seoulsonic? Stay tuned for full performance clips and interviews with the bands!

http://www.mtviggy.com

Featured Artists : 3rd Line Butterfly / Yellow Monsters / Crying Nut
Seoulsonic North American Tour (Planning/Production) : DFSB Kollective
International Agent/PR/Distribution : DFSB Kollective

Verizon APAHM Tour 2012 featuring Jay Park

(LOS ANGELES CA USA) In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Verizon proudly presents the APAHM Tour concert series. Join us in celebration with live performances by the hottest Asian acts, the latest technology from Verizon, cool prizes, and a chance to meet some of your favorite artists.


This year, Verizon Wireless will be bringing back its much anticipated national APAHM Concert Tour, casting the spotlight on none other than Korean-American superstar, Jay Park. The tour will make stops in Washington DC, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Considered by many as a pioneering music artist, Jay Park is a multi-talented entertainer known for his vocals, song-writing, dancing and acting skills. With a growing fan base that crosses global boundaries, Jay Park is also known for his charismatic and confident personality, making him one of the most popular and admired artists of this generation.

Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Jay Park embraces his roots as an Asian American. His background and accomplishments enable him to inspire and resonate with the Asian American community. While he enjoys a great deal of success in Korea, Jay tasted a glimpse of stardom in the U.S., when he posted a cover of B.o.B and Bruno Mars’ “Nothin’ on You” on YouTube, which went viral in a matter of minutes. Jay Park’s songs are known for consistently claiming the top spots on the charts and his music videos continue to gain millions of impressions worldwide.

With the rising popularity of K-pop in the U.S., Verizon Wireless is looking forward to celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month with Jay Park’s return to the states. Jay will be performing hits from his latest album, “New Breed,” his first full-length album as a solo artist. “New Breed” has already sold over 80,000 copies, topping the iTunes charts in Canada, Australia and the U.S.

Opening for Jay Park in Washington DC and New York will be Dumbfoundead and Viennie V. Dumbfoundead is one of the first Asian-American hip-hop artists to break the underground hip-hop scene. Garnering popularity through his participation in the Jumpoff’s 2007 World Rap Championships and opening for Epik High during the Map the Soul Tour, Dumbfoundead has a strong online following. Viennie V, a rising Asian-American pop singer, is known for her sultry vocals. Songs from her latest album, “Nightmare or Dream,” hit the top spots on the YouTube music charts.

Opening in San Francisco and Los Angeles will be AJ Rafael and Blush. AJ Rafael is a Filipino-American music artist who has cultivated a wide fan base on the YouTube domain. He is best known for his smooth vocals and posting entertaining videos on the web. Also making a presence will be Blush, a five-member Pan-Asian pop group, known for their #3 Billboard Dance Chart hit, “Undivided feat. Snoop Dogg.” Blush has also opened for big acts such as Black Eyed Peas and Far East Movement.

APAHM Tour 2010: 2010 welcomed Taiwanese-American singers Van Ness Wu and Evonne Hsu. Singaporean singer and Golden Melody Awards winner JJ Lin also joined the crew along with local artist Mike Relm. They traveled across the country starting from Seattle, making their way through New York City, Washington D.C., San Francisco, and finally closing in Los Angeles. In addition to their performances, they also made local appearances at Verizon Wireless retail locations.

APAHM Tour 2009: The 2009 concert tour was a collaboration between South Korean indie hip hop group Epik High and Far East Movement, the first Asian-American group to earn a top ten hit in the United States. They performed for their fans across Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. Attendees had the chance to line up for an autograph signing with these artists at local Verizon Wireless stores.


APAHM Tour 2008: In 2008, Verizon Wireless introduced its first ever APAHM concert tour to celebrate Asian Pacific American artists and their fans. Korean pop sensation Se7en flew in and left his lasting presence across fans in Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco. He also visited nation-wide Verizon Wireless stores throughout his tour for in-store autograph signing sessions.


http://verizonapahmtour.com/

US Tour Planning/Production : Plan C Entertainment
Korean Music Artist Booking Agent/Consultant : DFSB Kollective

Post Separation Anxiety : Korean Modern Rock Muses < Nell > Returns with ‘Slip Away’

(SEOUL KR) Nearly 4 years after nabbing the netizens' trophy for Best Modern Rock Artist of the Year at the 2008 Korean Music Awards, the introspective indie band, Nell, is once again stirring internet buzz with their highly anticipated 5th album, ‘Slip Away’.


To evoke and express the emotional tapestry that weaves together this 10 song collection, the Seoul-based band sojourned far and wide to legendary studios in the United States and the United Kingdom. Recording with classical musicians in the same New York Avatar Studios that Paul McCartney, Norah Jones, and John Mayer created their classic tracks, Nell also collaborated with the sound engineer sage, John Davis (who mixed masterpieces for R.E.M, Led Zeppelin, and New Order) at London’s Metropolis Studios.



To give fans and critics alike insight into the inspiration poured into this album, the forward thinking foursome not only opened a refreshed Facebook fanpage (http://fb.com/NellHome) but also revamped their official YouTube channel (http://youtube.com/NellHome) to release an intriguing series of video vignettes that are part liner notes, part documentary, part music video, pure Nell. 



The new digital deluxe edition album (available exclusively on 51 international iTunes music stores) and the first music video (그리고 남겨진 것들 The Day Before) from the new album will debut worldwide on April 10th, 2012.  



WEBSITE : http://NellHouse.com
FACEBOOK : http://fb.com/NellHome
YOUTUBE : http://youtube.com/NellHome
iTUNES : http://itunes.com/넬Nell
DIGITAL ALBUM : http://itunes.apple.com/album/slip-away-deluxe-edition/id517656439

Artist Management : Woollim Entertainment
Social Media Network Development (Facebook) : DFSB Kollective
International Media PR : DFSB Kollective
International Digital Distribution : DFSB Kollective

Torontoist | Culture : Korean Pop Show Felt Weird, But Didn’t Hurt

As soon as the performers took the stage everyone's smart phones lit up as people started grabbing photos and video.Wednesday's K-pop show, part of Canadian Music Week, was full of awesome costumes and goofy fun.

(TORONTO CN) Korean pop for beginners: It feels weird, but it doesn’t hurt.

Thanks to its sparkly, matching poodle dresses, Tron-era imagery, and general bubble-gum happiness, Canadian Music Week’s Korean music night at the Kool Haus was nothing short of magical—for reasons very different than any other show at the rest of the festival would have been magical. For Toronto music fans used to seeing bands too cool to smile and fans too cool to dance, Wednesday’s hyper-innocent boy-and-girl-band fiesta could be interpreted as either way too perky or joyously refreshing.

We’re going with the latter. It was pretty much the best.

The first four acts of the night—which took a different tone from the more alt-offerings later on—where characterized by explosive enthusiasm and smooth moves. Girls rushed the stage and squealed between the songs. The beats recalled Gaga or Timbaland, and the performers were immaculately coiffed visions of 18-year-old perfection.

Fans were lined up literally around the block for the Korean showcase fest at Kool Haus.The rundown:

A Pink: Seven sassy girls in matching, sparkly, pale-pink poodle dresses. Their jaunty movements were hypnotic, their voices mediocre, and their English-language banter lacking a certain degree of depth. “We went to the CN Tower and Niagara Falls!” one singer exclaimed, while the audience cheered. “I love Canada!” noted another. More cheers. Their music sounded like a bunch of girls re-doing the final scene from Revenge of the Nerds, as Torontoist photographer Dean Bradley astutely noted.

Teen Top: This classic boy band delivered everything their name might lead one to expect. Comprised of six youthful lads dressed like Sgt. Pepper met Kanye and then turned into a robot made of gold, the group made the ladies in the crowd go particularly wild. Think ‘N Sync crooning over a happy-hardcore beat. They sang, they danced, they made us yearn for more. They weren’t kidding when they offered to show us “crazy, hot, and sexy.” Scha-wing!

G.NA: One thing made itself clear when the beautiful G.NA (pronounced “Gina”) strutted on stage with only four backup dancers. The smaller the entourage, the better the lead vocalist. With pipes reminiscent of Christina Aguilera and weighty, Timbaland-style beats, the Alberta and B.C.-bred songstress marked a notable elevation in singing skill that continued with her follow-up, Brian Joo.

Brian Joo: Before he even took the stage, the crowd was chanting his name. “Brian! Brian! Brian!” It was only after we realized that all of his songs had more famous English-language parallels that things got weird. This U.S.-born charmer—in gold-accented duds, which seems like sort of a K-pop requirement—filled his set with Korean renditions of North American Top-40 hits. But he sure could belt them out. Jason Derulo’s “In My Head” got a particularly strong fan response, but that “falling like a domino” song seemed to do pretty well too. He also used the controversial catchphrase “no homo” at least once, to refer to his bros-only affection for a member of Teen Top.

KRNFX: This is where things got seriously real. KRNFX is a killer beatboxer who won Canada’s first-ever beatbox championship in 2010, and took the South Korean title in 2007 and 2009. While not listed on the show schedule, his brief set was the highlight of the evening. His sound is a departure from hip hop, toward something more like dubstep meets techno. The best part is that this wiz kid is from Toronto, so you too can one day experience the magic otherwise known as Terry Im.

Torontoist skipped out before the evening took a turn for the punk-ish, but can definitively say we left feeling the kind of happy that manifests itself in cartoon animals with human faces, exploding hearts, and clouds shaped like seals. These performances were fun, entertaining, and full of heart.

A perky tune and a choreographed dance really can go a long way.

http://torontoist.com/2012/03/korean-pop-show-felt-weird-but-didnt-hurt/
By Saira Peesker (Photos by Dean Bradley)

CMW Korea Showcase (Planning/Production) : DFSB Kollective x KOFICE
Social Media Solutions (Marketing/Promotions) : DFSB Kollective x Kollaboration Toronto
International Media/PR : DFSB Kollective