Album Review: Aziatix EP
It’s been a week since R&B/hip-hop group, Aziatix dropped their self-titled EP, and they’ve been topping the charts from Cyworld to iTunes.
In their self-titled EP, Aziatix—made up of Nicky Lee, Flowsik and Eddie Shin (Pic. R-L)—manages to merge western production with their eastern background. With most of the songs being about love (or attraction), seems like the group decided to stick with a particular concept, as popular with the Asian music industry. However, production is characteristically western, with a dash of flavor that sets it apart within its genre.
As fans scurried to get their hands on this album, we got plugged in to listen to the release, and it was hot! Aziatix is raw talent and musical skill wrapped up in one. These guys write and compose their own stuff, and publish their music out of an independent label. It’s much fun watching the group interact directly with their fans, listen and work like everyday people, and produce mad tracks at the end of the day.
We’re loving this EP, so we have to give props to those involved. Hats off to producer, Jae Chong on this one — we don’t hear production like this these days, but he brings it back, and somehow, manages to make it sound even cooler…
Spitting bar after bar on the same topic might seem a bit monotonous, but Flowsik never makes us feel like we’ve heard it before. His rhymes reflect range, depth, and rhythm — critical elements needed to assemble solid rap bars. Top stuff.
And although they’re both vocalists, you can tell that they’ve got different appeals:
Nicky’s vocals are polished, refined, and rich. He’s got that cultured timbre perfect for R&B. You can tell he’s got expertise, and he delivers on this one.
Eddie brings in the sweet, candy-coated vocals — the kind that flows easily with the beat — the “boy band” vocals. And he makes it an effortless listen.
But you’re not looking for a generic overview: you want all the info on Aziatix’s EP, so here’s a track-by-track breakdown of the album:
Go- Can someone say “break-up song of the year”? Go is arguably THE track of the album. It’s fresh, it’s melodic, it’s catchy, and it’s solid. It’s proper music with no artificial preservatives — If this were food, it would be that zero-calorie, home-grown good stuff.
Go brings back the authentic R&B vibe into the music: it takes us back to the hay days of proper 90s R&B. It’s not the typical “I hate you” break-up song, nor is it of the “I can’t live without you” breed. It’s simply the “it was fun, but I gotta keep moving on” parting song: no spite, no sentimentality, no surpluses. Put simply, it’s the coolest break-up song on the block — Cool, in every sense of the word.
Cold- Is a wise choice for a second release. It’s one of those tracks that’s bound to draw fans in. Programmed to appeal to all your right senses, and topically serving as a 180º shift from Go, Cold takes the bar a notch up, displaying vocal range, quality, and just the right amount of “interest” to keep you hooked. Nicky’s sophisticated vocals marry Eddie’s melodic tone, and it all comes together through Flow’s rhymes. Cold is not the all-out club banger, but it’s all good R&B. It doesn’t really get more authentic than this.
Whatchu Know About Us- If you’ve ever encountered struggles while working toward your ambitions, this one will definitely resonate with you. Think of it as Flowsik’s ode to life. This is the track where he’s given free range. He comes alive on this one, and we get the gist of his ideas and a glimpse of his lyrical capabilities with lines like “Witnessing hatred flying at me from every corner, on the brink of madness but I choose to play it smarter” and “This is for my 12 hour go getters… holding the fort down, we in the zone now touch down, 4 seconds, 4th quarter, 4th down…” And Eddie and Nicky don’t disappoint either.
This is also the track where the members of Aziatix establish themselves as a group. Like its title suggests, don’t take them at face value: “whatchu know ‘bout them”?
Another Day- Mmmm. This one creeps up on you. Slowly, it grows on you and pulls you in with its synths, bass, and drums, and you’ll get hooked easily. Lyrics like; “So before you make another sound, whether you take me or burn me down, another day will come around” make it easy.
This seems to be the only track that Auto-Tune is predominantly used (albeit sparingly), but with all the Auto-Tune overload going on these days, it’s quite regrettable to hear it when it’s not needed. Perhaps it’s a bid to diversify the track’s delivery, but why make Eddie sound like a robot when he’s naturally blessed with heavenly vocals? Why coat silver with copper?
Start it Again- For some reason, this track feels like it was the last one recorded. It’s a good one, and with the others out there, there’s not much to say about it. It seems like the consolation “let’s get together” track, perhaps to offset Go, but a good one all the same.
Aziatix’s first EP is solid for a first release. There’s more to come from them — we can tell — and we can’t wait to hear it! This release is bound to get them exposed to a wide assortment of audiences. In addition to their North American and East Asian audiences, with the right kind of exposure, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Western Asia (the Middle East), will gobble this up!
Since it’s an EP, it doesn’t allow the opportunity to show the amount of range a full album would. There’s simply not enough material to go through the works, so reviewing this mini-album puts us in a bit of a quandary. Yet, it must be done, so in all fairness, here are the factors that constitute this review:
- Lyrics & Delivery: The lyrics are well written, potent, and relevant. Delivery is also great. Each member maintains an individual vocal prowess that’s distinct and potent. Take one of them out, and it won’t be the same.
- Production & Quality: It’s well produced, well mastered and well mixed. It’s top stuff — no doubt about that.
- Uniqueness: The songs are unique. Put some of the tracks on the radio and they’ll stand out from all the instant fast-food music popular these days.
- Range: There is (relative) range, but there’s only so much you can do with a mini-album. And while the artists’ decision to stick with a particular concept was reasonable, it had an effect on the range they could demonstrate.
- “Surprise Me”: The Wow Factor. The X Factor — It’s got it, but it also feels like a tease, as if there’s more to come.
= 4/5
Altogether, the Aziatix EP is a masterful collaboration: Eddie’s vocals melt over the beat like chocolate in your mouth, Flowsik’s rhymes add some solid rhythm to the blues, and Nicky brings in that refined, R&B vibe. To top it all up, Jae Chong (producer) is on fire on this one! Overall, this release is an authentic rendition of the artists’ skills.
In conclusion, this self-titled Aziatix EP really does sound like half of an album — like they’re holding off, almost as if to tell us: We’re here! But you haven’t seen the best of us yet!
Note: This review reflects the views of the writer, not hellokpop as a whole.
To find out more, read our exclusive interview with Aziatix. Get the full EP from iTunes.
Photos: Aziatix, Korea Daily via MTVK.
