When Epik Excessive returned with their ‘Strawberry’ EP again in February, it wasn’t apparent on the time how one lyric would change into one thing of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Wanting again on the hip-hop trio’s yr now, although, and “It’s an all-time excessive / Child, I’ve been on one” from ‘Catch’ seems like the right summation of their 2023.
It’s uncommon that you simply discover an artist in any style celebrating their twentieth anniversary in music whereas feeling like they’re nonetheless transferring ahead, not but caught in a nostalgia loop of doing victory laps for previous glories. However Epik Excessive nonetheless really feel like they’re repeatedly rising, nonetheless making large, thrilling, new strides, nonetheless have lots left to point out us, even after 20 years of doing simply that.
Though 2023 has been a bit quieter for the three-piece by way of music – only one EP and one single – what they’ve shared hasn’t discovered them merely resting on the laurels of their earlier work. Throughout the ‘Strawberry’ EP and November’s ‘Display Time’, they gave us new collaborations, new views and new sounds. ‘God’s Latte’, the ultimate observe on ‘Strawberry’, moved them into an atmospheric, reflective area that lightly underpinned lyrics that wrestled with concepts of heaven and hell, good and evil, and God. On ‘Display Time’, they explored loneliness and separation by means of the smartphones we’re all glued to – a brand new evolution in Epik Excessive’s knack for giant, broad subjects really feel particular and relatable.
Once they haven’t been gifting us new tunes, the trio have been touring the world, lighting up every spot they go to with electrifying performances. They’re exhibits so lively and vitality that it looks as if there should have been a mistake made someplace – that they couldn’t probably be hosted by artists 20 years into their profession. For each dynamic live performance, the world has responded in variety – with extra curiosity and enthusiasm, with greater venues, sold-out crowds and invites to carry out in locations Epik Excessive have beforehand by no means been. At festivals, they’ve raised the bar for different acts on the line-up and, at their very own headline gigs, given followers good nights to recollect.
Epik Excessive’s yr is culminating with two large moments on the reside facet of their story. First, the introduction of their very own official lightstick. Of their typical irreverent model, it’s formed like a raised center finger and kinds a playful, tongue-in-cheek approach for followers to point out their continued allegiance to Epik Excessive’s story. Final weekend, Seoul’s Olympic Handball Gymnasium was lit up by a whole bunch and hundreds of the brand new merchandise because the group celebrated its twentieth anniversary with three live shows that highlighted their standing within the trade.
Going down on the 6,500-capacity venue, the exhibits constituted Epik Excessive’s largest of their dwelling nation for years, including to that feeling that they’re removed from completed but. At these three-hour extravaganzas, they commemorated their catalogue up to now, pulling out fan favorite hits, deeper cuts, their latest releases and – on one night time – an unreleased observe. Every present boasted two visitor appearances, together with legends from throughout the spectrum of Korean music, like Dynamic Duo, NELL, Psy, ballad singer Sung Si-kyung, Younha and Ha Dong Qn. The stature of the line-up highlights not simply the connections they’ve made previously, however the respect the trade nonetheless holds for them – that such artists can be prepared to point out as much as have a good time them.
Though these live shows seemed again on 20 years of Epik Excessive, they have been removed from a full cease on the group’s entire story, however simply on one chapter. On the finish of every night time, Tablo teased the crowds that there was nonetheless lots to look ahead to. “Epik Excessive reborn,” he declared of their 2024 on the second night time, promising 24 hours later that their followers might look ahead to “lots of new shit” after the flip of the yr. The final 12 months may need been an all-time excessive for Epik Excessive, however it doesn’t appear to be they’re coming down anytime quickly.