DIY’s digital editor Elly Watson on Balming Tiger’s Kolo Kolo.
I was scrolling through Twitter last year when I saw two things that always capture my attention – fluorescent hair and a pun about lip balm. On closer inspection, I saw it was The Great Escape sharing one of their new artists set to (hopefully!) play this year. Enter Balming Tiger.
A Korean hip-hop group calling themselves a “multi-national alternative K-pop band”, they follow the Brockhampton and 88rising formula where their crew consists of rappers, producers, filmmakers and more, with all of them contributing to every project.
Currently made up of San Yawn, Abyss, Jan’Qui, Unsinkable, Sogumm and Omega Sapien, the group have already all flexed their individual musical muscles with solo projects, forming Balming Tiger back in 2017.
Since sharing their electrifying debut Balming Tiger Vol.1 : ??304 in 2018, they’ve become bolder and brighter, with recent releases Armadillo and Kolo Kolo channelling Odd Future and Tommy Ca$h levels of creativity and vitality.
Crafting infectious hip-hop bangers destined to go worldwide, they’re becoming one of K-Pop’s finest new products, one moshpit-stirring bop at a time
