Min-kyu Jo (31) may have majored in physics at college, but music came naturally to him, so he pursued it instead. Interestingly, his name translates to 'beautiful star', and his wide-spanning discography showcases his varied musical talent. We interviewed him to find out about his inspirations, and what he aims to convey through his music.
Disclaimer: These are very basic questions we ask every artist to get to know more about them in order to write our "Who You" segment on Instagram. All the artists often get similar questions. We would normally not release this as it's not a full-on interview but we thought it might be good to do so.
@karacinjrWhen and why did you start making music?
I don't think I started music because it was a goal to start music. It's just something I've been doing. I've liked singing and dancing since I was young, and people who listened to my songs have liked them so my start was natural.
How would you describe the type of music you do?
Perhaps alternative R&B or PB R&B? I make music by recording what I see, hear, and feel so I think I have a different style every time. I've been listening to American Pop music since I was young, so I've been singing American pop-based Korean songs.
Are you a full-time musician or do you have a part-time job?
These days I'm working part-time teaching young children. Before Coronavirus, I used to make and perform music but it's hard to perform nowadays, so part-time work is a must for me!
MiDNiGHT AiR feat. Dinosoul - Karacin Jr.What is the message you want to convey through music and how does your music has evolved since you started?
I want to talk about diversity. I think there's a lot of different people in the world and I'm one of them. I'm tired of everything being the same.
At first, I just had the melodies and lyrics in my head but these days more people can relate to them. I think a lot about whether we can be together. Compared to when I first started out, I'm now better and singing and I like my voice tone better.
Who are your favourite artists and who inspires you?
There are so many musicians, but my muse these days is The Weeknd. I've been influenced by so many musicians. There are countless - FKA twigs, Post Malone, PARTYNEXTDOOR. Some Korean artists I like are G-Dragon, Jay Park, Crush, and DEAN.
What are your favourite collaborations, and which artists would you like to collaborate with in the future?
That's a very exciting question to think about. I think it would be great to work with the artists who were influenced by me. But the artists I want to work with most is Flume. I also enjoy listening to EDM, and I'm sure Flume is a genius. I'd like to work together with him.
BXXCH! SO feat. Aquadice - Karacin Jr.Can you tell me more about your last single 'BXXCH! SO' and what is it about?
This single is an old song for me. This song was made 3 years ago when I had mental health issues; I had depression and anxiety. It's a song that captures the emotions and situations of that time. I made it a long time ago, but it fits well with my recent feelings. I've been having a hard time lately, but luckily I've overcome it. I worked with a friend name MRSJ, and I mixed everything myself. Aquadice made the song perfect by featuring. The music video will be released soon.
What new sounds/genres would you like to experiment with in the future?
A minimal and sensible sound? I'm not sure. In the future, I hope to have an era of comfortable and dreamy music, not exciting and stimulating music - music that doesn't force you to be happy or sad.
What's your opinion about the current R&B music scene in South Korea?
There are so many people who are good at music, and I respect them all. Needless to say, there are a lot of people who are good at singing. I think more so than in any other country. I hope there will be more musicians who can emphasise their individuality and that there will be many R&B artists who love and make their own music, but to do that you need a lot of love and attention. I think that's how the culture grows.
Ah u Ready feat. Bray - Karacin Jr.What can we expect from you in the future? More singles? A new EP?
A lot of music is ready now. It's time to release the songs we've made one by one. "BXXCH! SO" is just the start, I'll probably release two more singles in the near future, then we'll have a new EP ready. I'm working hard on the visuals right now!
Do you have anything else to add?
I'm sure there are a lot of people abroad who understand what I'm trying to say through my music and I'm always grateful to them. Please listen to this single a lot, and the music video will be released soon, too, so please look forward to it.
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