“I’ve gone by way of lengthy durations the place I felt like I used to be utterly alone”

It’s in all probability an understatement that rain holds some significance to Tablo. For the Epik High frontman, it’s even a everlasting a part of him – within the type of not one, however two tattoos on both forearm: one with a rain cloud, depicting a wet day, and the opposite of a closed umbrella.

“I normally work so much higher when it’s raining,” he tells NME over a video name from Seoul. “I believe it’s the sense of unusual consolation I really feel [from it] and in addition a little bit of loneliness. A variety of Epik Excessive songs [were] created underneath these circumstances.” This includes ‘Rain Song’, the latest single from the alternative hip-hop trio (with members Mithra Jin and DJ Tukutz), additionally that includes singers Colde and Younha.

Often known as ‘비 오는 날 듣기 좋은 노래’ in Korean (loosely translated as ‘An excellent music to hearken to on a wet day’), the monitor comes full circle as Younha can be featured in considered one of Epik Excessive’s most well-known and cherished songs, ‘Umbrella’ or ‘우산’. “[I’m grateful that] for the final 13 years, it’s been performed simply as a lot because it was when it first got here out,” he says of the monitor, launched in 2008 as a part of the group’s fifth studio album ‘Items, Half One’. “Anytime it rains in Korea – and it rains so much in Korea – it’s just like the primary go-to music.”

The nation, and the world now have a brand new soundtrack for wet days – however as Tablo explains, ‘Rain Track’ was relatively near not coming to fruition.

Congratulations on the discharge of ‘Rain Track’, Tablo! Might you inform us extra concerning the monitor and the way the collaboration with Colde got here to be?

Tablo: “This music form of got here out of serendipity, I assume? So Tukutz and I did a really tough demo sketch of it on a wet day. However then, we finally deserted the considered ending it as a result of [we already have] ‘Umbrella’. We felt like it might be bizarre for us to have one other rain[-themed] music, so we simply put it off.

“Then, a couple of month in the past, we did a rainy-day music particular on our podcast present, and [the ‘Rain Song’ demo] got here to thoughts. In the course of the present, we had been like, ‘Yo, we should always work on that. It really may very well be a very good music.’ So we went to the studio that day, completed it up, and known as up Colde. He heard the music and he’s like, ‘I’d like to be on it.’ We went to his studio after that, [and] recorded him.

“I had additionally created a brand new bridge half [for the song] with lyrics that decision again to ‘Umbrella’, like a glance again on the previous. We thought it might be nice if anyone else did this, so we known as up Younha, and she or he got here to the studio and recorded it in someday.”

Might you elaborate on the importance of rain in your artwork and what it means to you?

Tablo: “In my solo album [‘Fever’s End Pt. 1’] that was launched 10 years in the past, I’ve a music that’s devoted to my spouse [actress Kang Hye-jung] and my daughter [Haru], known as ‘Try’ (‘밑바닥에서’, or ‘From The Backside’). I used to be going by way of this big scandal in Korea at the time known as ‘TaJinYo’ (‘타진요’, brief for ‘We Demand The Fact From Tablo’). My life was practically destroyed [by it, and] I made music to maintain myself sane.

“I wrote this one line to my spouse and daughter that mentioned: ‘I’m sorry that I’m each your rain and your umbrella.’ That’s form of what my entire life has been. I’ve by no means had lengthy durations of peace. They’ve all the time been interrupted by both strife or struggles. I don’t know why, however that’s the way in which it’s been for me since I used to be slightly child. I all the time felt like – and it sounds very cliche – I used to be residing with a darkish cloud over me. However I additionally realised that it was as much as me to construct the energy to guard myself and my family members from that rain, or from the rain cloud that I introduced.”

“So I believe that’s form of grow to be my motto. There are gonna be wet days. There are gonna be cloudy days. I can’t cease the rain, however [I] have the energy to guard [myself] and others from it. That’s form of my worldview. Like I’m not a purely optimistic individual. I don’t have a super, naive view of the world. I could be extraordinarily real looking, however on the similar time, I’ve the energy and the guts to defend myself or defend others from it. That’s who I attempt to be.”

Epik Excessive. Credit score: EN Administration

“I now have the expertise to console folks higher”

The pandemic has impacted day by day life in additional methods than one, nevertheless it has in all probability made the most important affect on psychological well being. In South Korea, it’s a subject that’s not so often addressed, or as a rule merely swept underneath the carpet; although in recent times, Ok-pop artists like Day6, Kang Daniel and Sunmi have introduced it to the floor by sharing their very own struggles.

“There’s undoubtedly progress being made, the place individuals are outright saying it in public. This wasn’t the case after I was rising up, and even after I was rising up inside this trade,” Tablo factors out, including that though loads of Epik Excessive’s early songs had been about despair and different matters associated to psychological well being, they “flew over folks’s heads”.

“They’re like, ‘What is that this man speaking about? How is he unhappy?’ or ‘How is he depressed when he’s like, primary on the charts?’ As in the event that they’re mutually unique, proper? However now, the truth that even individuals who seem to achieve success and comfortable are opening up about how they really feel inside, and the way [what people perceive] doesn’t precisely mirror what they [are actually] feeling, I believe that’s a giant step.”

Do you are feeling like there have been sufficient conversations about psychological well being over the previous yr?

Tablo: (pause) “I don’t know what would qualify as ‘sufficient’. As a result of psychological well being is such a personal matter, and it impacts completely different folks in wildly other ways.

“I’ve loads of youthful celebrities reaching out to me typically to get recommendation, as a result of they know that I went by way of one thing very public and one thing very massive. So, I believe my identify comes up of their thoughts after which they discover the braveness to name me. When [that happens], I attempt to do all the things doable to assist them. I additionally encourage them to see knowledgeable. I’m glad that individuals are looking for assist, and that… if there’s any silver lining to what I’d gone by way of publicly – as a result of actually, there was nothing good about it – it’s that I now have the expertise to console folks higher.”

As a psychological well being advocate your self, what extra do you assume must be performed, particularly for these within the leisure scene?

Tablo: “It’s a tough factor to discover a answer for, however I believe it’s necessary for folks to do what they do greatest, to talk by way of what they do greatest. Musicians ought to communicate by way of music, artists by way of their work, by way of dance, by way of no matter medium that they’ve been blessed with, and talk about their feelings.

“I do know for a indisputable fact that [artists like] BTS are very open of their lyrics about how they really feel inside, and that’s linked with, clearly, tons of individuals throughout the globe. That’s necessary. You already know they’re doing [it] by way of what they do greatest. [And then, from there], I believe conversations will occur. Even when conversations don’t occur, there might be folks listening or watching, feeling like they’re not alone, and that’s a vital factor. Like I’ve gone by way of lengthy durations the place I felt like I used to be utterly alone. And it’s necessary that you simply discover some strategy to not really feel alone.”

Epik Excessive. Credit score: EN Administration

“It’s a tremendous feeling to have impacted somebody’s life positively”

Every artist has their origins and their influences. For BTS, arguably the most important Ok-pop group on the planet, members RM and Suga beforehand cited Epik Excessive as considered one of their influences. Tablo himself not too long ago spoke about this on the SBS radio programme Cultwo Show, of how each of them instructed the group that “they grew their desires whereas listening to [Epik High’s 2005] music ‘Fly’”.

“After I wrote ‘Fly’, I didn’t create it understanding how many individuals it might [impact],” Tablo explains matter-of-factly. “I created that music, alone in a room with a laptop computer, attempting to get our crew out of a really tough state of affairs. We had been struggling, we would have liked a music [that] will get into folks’s ears and will get into folks’s minds. And [the song] was like a ‘Hail Mary’. I wanted to create this music for me to ‘fly’ out of my state of affairs. I wrote it understanding that there are others on the market feeling similar to me, or others [who may be] feeling worse than me, and who want that push.”

How do you are feeling about having that affect on the youthful era of artists?

Tablo: (lengthy pause) “I imply… it’s a tremendous feeling when you already know that you simply’ve [impacted] somebody’s life [positively]. The truth that folks, artists who’ve been [influenced and impacted] by us which have taken [on] wings to the purpose the place they’re [impacting] the whole world. That’s… an indescribable feeling.

“As a result of it’s loopy, proper? After we had been simply beginning out, there have been artists that influenced us and made us need to grow to be musicians. Then we turned musicians, and we had a fairly large sphere of affect [through which] we might positively [impact] a sure variety of folks, and fortunately, a few of these folks turned artists. Not simply BTS, however [also] different youthful artists, indie musicians, idol teams which have cited us as inspirations.

“These folks have created their very own spheres, that are even greater than ours and are [impacting] so many different folks in a constructive means – I imply, that’s simply a tremendous factor to [see] occur. And someday, anyone that [these artists] affect with their discography goes to be citing that, and on and on. And that’s superior.”

Epik Excessive. Credit score: EN Administration

“We’re engaged on ‘Epik Excessive Is Right here Half Two’”

With the discharge of their newest studio album ‘Epik Excessive Is Right here 上, Half One’ earlier this yr, the dialog naturally turns to the following instalment of the album, ‘Half Two’.

“We’ve accomplished a couple of good 70 to 80 per cent of the album, nevertheless it’s normally the final 10 to twenty per cent that I drive myself loopy over,” Tablo says wryly. “So there’s actually no telling when it will likely be performed. It’s, at instances, extra introspective than ‘Half One’, and at instances extra aggressive. I’m attempting to discover so much in ‘Half Two’. That’s the issue.” ‘Rain Track’, he provides, additionally has an element to play within the lead-up to the upcoming album, including how the monitor is“a step to get there”.

“We’ve by no means launched a single earlier than, imagine it or not. Practically 20 years and we’ve by no means performed that,” he muses, considerably incredulously. “We troubled over it, however I’m glad I put it out as a result of it helps me see the place I’m at slightly higher and to determine the following half. We may very well even drop a two, three music EP earlier than it? I don’t know. Yeah, I get stressed. (laughs) I’m attempting to discover other ways to get my ideas out earlier than dropping a giant album. However we’re engaged on it.”

Epik Excessive has collaborated with many artists on varied albums over time, and also you’ve beforehand talked about that you simply’re eager on working with Western stars like Mark Ronson, Billie Eilish and Bruno Mars. However, in the event you needed to decide your final collaborator, anybody within the current or from the previous, who would it not be and why?

Tablo: “Oh man. That will be… so like, previous and current, proper? (thinks) I’d love to write down a music with John Lennon. I’m unsure I’ll have the ability to pull my weight, however he could also be like, ‘Dude, simply sit over there and end this.’ We’d in all probability struggle so much. However yeah, I believe I’d love to write down a music with John Lennon. I imply, there are such a lot of artists that I’d love to simply be on stage [with], like shaking a tambourine or one thing when Nirvana’s on stage…. there’s too many artists.”

You additionally had a fan second when [Filipina singer and actress] Lea Salonga tweeted about Epik Excessive not too long ago.

Tablo: “I’m an enormous, big Disney music fan. Disney princess songs, particularly, actually get me by way of tough instances. And Lea’s sung loads of these songs, proper? She was the voice of so many princesses so, like, it was loopy that she was listening to our music, and tweeting [about] us. I used to be like, simply completely like a fanboy. However yeah, that was superior.”

Epik Excessive’s Tablo. Credit score: EN Administration

“I don’t know if I need to be remembered”

When requested how he wish to be remembered, Tablo pauses for a number of seconds to think about the query. “I believe I’ve answered this in an odd means [before],” he says, breaking the silence. “Each time I’m requested this, I reply in such a drastically completely different means. Persons are going to assume that I’m simply making stuff up, nevertheless it adjustments daily.”

So, how would he wish to be remembered at this current second?

“Truthfully, I don’t know if I need to be remembered,” he replies after a lot thought. “I’d relatively [have people remember] that I made [them] really feel a sure means inside themselves. Whether or not [it’s] solace or feeling like you are able to do something, or simply an emotion you’ve by no means felt earlier than – I’d like to have the ability to give those that.”

“They’ll overlook me, they’ll overlook my songs, they’ll overlook Epik Excessive, they’ll overlook the place that feeling got here from, however I’d find it irresistible in the event that they always remember that second once they first felt it,” Tablo provides, echoing a basic saying by late poet Maya Angelou about how “folks will overlook what you mentioned, folks will overlook what you probably did, however folks will always remember the way you made them really feel”.

“Day by day that passes, yearly that passes, I do get scared as a result of I do know that with time, it’s very doable that we might slowly fade away,” Tablo muses. “And everybody does, proper? However the truth that I’ve apparently influenced different individuals who can keep on influencing different folks, and on and on – that form of offers me hope.”

Epik Excessive’s new single ‘Rain Track’ is out now, with ‘Half Two’ of their ‘Epik Excessive Is Right here’ album anticipated to be launched later this yr.