rhythm.connection presents A MOMENT WITH ISAK (Isak N Jiyeon)

Hello once again fellow readers - here now is an exciting exclusive interview, with one of SM Entertainment's artists, and Arirang VJ, Isak from Isak N Jiyeon!

Ida Simmons aka Isak Kim (born May 25, 1985 in Uplands, California) is a SM Entertainment artist, more well known for being one half of shortlived SM duo Isak N Jiyeon (alongside Jiyeon Lee, who is now in SM group TSZX The Grace), and a VJ/DJ for Arirang TV (a Korean channel that broadcasts all over the globe) among many other professions. Currently enrolled in school in Korea, Isak hopes to start her own entertainment company some day as well as continue to support fresh new talent in both Korea and the US.

How long have you been doing music professionally for?
I debuted in Korea as a memeber of the duet Isak N JiYeon in 2002. So about 8yrs? Does musical theater in the US count~?hehe

What style of music do you generally play, and which musicians provide inspiration for your sound?
I don't play any intruments anymore~ but I love all genres~mostly r&b or soul~ trying to get into more jazz~

Between 2002-2004, you were part of a shortlived teamup with The’s Grace’s Lina, known as ‘Isak N Jiyeon’, under SM Entertainment. In a nutshell, how was that experience? Have you grown more as a musician since INJ’s disbandment? And what do you think could have been done differently to have kept INJ going?
I leanered a lot from working with unnie(jiyeon)~ kinda shy to talk about it~ but it is my past and even though I scream and leave the room when old mv or our songs come out I'm proud of myself for being able to have debuted and work with her~
I think I have learned a lot about music personally, yes~ I can actually relate to the lyrics~ and I think my voice has changed to a tone where I am comfortable~
To keep INJ going...~hmmmm ask me that after my contract with SM is over~and I'll tell u then~=)

What was your first impression of SM Entertainment, the founder of SM, and your partner Jiyeon in INJ?
First impression of SM~? I was the BIGGEST SM FAN~ thats what got me to audition in the first place~
Lee Soo Man 선생님~is amazing~ he treats me like his own daughter and I'm so thankful for that~
First impressions on unnie~hm~ honestly she was always at practice late and left early because she lived so far away~so I honestly didn't really pay attention to her~but when we started working with each other she was amazing!! sweet and lovely~

Can fans expect new material from you anytime soon?
Musically not sure...SM has given up in that field~ I'm working on trying to feature on other artists music~and I'm still singing on my radio show~and arirang loves to make me sing when we go overseas~so other than that a personal album is not in the future..~

Is there ANY musician that you would like to do a collaboration with in the future?
In Korea? there's too many~! Anyone who would take me~?hehe
In the US my dreams are taking me too far~ but I hope I can work in the US later~and Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Christina Aguilera are just a few to name~

Currently, you’re a VJ/DJ for Arirang, the United States’ biggest network for Korean programming. How has the experience been thus far?
I've loved every day! I had the honor of being the first VJ in Pops in Seoul's 10yr history to go overseas~ and since then I've been to the Philippines, India, the US, and we're planning on going other places to spread k-pop love~ I'm honored to be able to spread a music genre that I love and to just see the fans face to face everywhere I go it's amazing!

Are you doing any projects and/or campaigning for anything right now aside from your music/entertainment career?
I'm apart of a Hip Hop Crew~ very small and still in the works~ NITRAW is the name~you can see links of it on my cyworld. We just started the crew so no projects yet but I've been working with them so maybe a crew album soon~

I imagine you have a lot of music tastes; what do you normally play on your iPod and/or when you’re at home?
Because I'm in radio I have to stay on top of both Korean and the billboard top 100 at least~~so I try to keep a 'recent' folder on my ipod~ and I also have a lot of friends who are in the music business here so they send me stuff they are working on too~ I sometimes listen to a 'practice' list I have~it's a lot of female artists that I like to practice vocals on~

In an interview you did with HypnoticAsia.com in 2009, you mentioned that at some point that you’d like to start an entertainment company of some sort. Do you see yourself closer to that goal, or is there more you need to get done beforehand?
I'm getting closer~ I recently enrolled at Sungkyun Kwan University as a business major~so I'm hoping that will get me one step closer and all I need now is the money~~hehe=)

Who is your closest musician friend, and how did you two meet?
Tiffany of SNSD i guess~ she's more of a lil sis than anything else~ met her through SM~ and we got to spend a lot of time in LA~ so even though I don't see her often we keep a deep connection~
And I'm really shy about the friends I have in Korea~ I know A LOT of people but with everyone being busy including me~ I don't really keep in touch with everyone~

What do you do in your spare time when you’re not super busy?
meet with friends~ go to church~ watch movies~ check out musicals~ just hangout~ hehe that's about it i think~

Is there anything you’d like to improve on as a musician?
I would like to work on writing my own music and lyrics...tried many times and I just can't stand to listen to the end results~ so slowly working on my skill~

To the critical question now. You have been involved in music for some time now, and music tastes and styles are changing quickly in this day and age. Where do you see music in Korea going in the future, in the sense of changing tastes, and will this allow you continued creativity down the road?
I think that thanks to truely talented artists like 2ne1, Big Bang, all the ballad singers, talented song writters here in Korea the music in Korea is only going to get better~ I hope that it does and we can make our mark in the world market even more~~ honestly I only have about 2 1/2 yrs on my contract~after that I doubt I'm going to be in Korea~

Do you have any final words for the readers?
Keep your head up~ and thank you for taking time to read my interview~ I still find it weird when people want to know more about me~ I'm just a very normal person and it's still odd that I get asked for interviews~ I wish everyone an amazing 2010!!!


Yatta! Thank you Isak nuna for the interview, and thank you for reading, so stay tuned for more interviews! :)

P.S. "Nuna" is a Korean term, look it up hehe

J~


Isak Kim

rhythm.connection presents A MOMENT WITH JAMIL KAZMI

Hello er'body. Today's guest is another up-and-coming crossover artist in Japan, Jamil Kazmi!

Jamil Kazmi (born February 23, 1985) is a crossover hip-hop artist in Japan. Originally from the US, Jamil moved to Japan for school and eventually began to pursue a career in music in the land of the rising sun. Having worked with the likes of Nesian Mystik, WISE (TERIYAKI BOYZ), Speech (Arrested Development) as well as being an MC for a group in Japan called KASUMI, he is now preparing for his debut solo single release!

In 2008, you teamed up with Japanese singer Metis, TERIYAKI BOYZ member Wise, and legendary Arrested Development member Speech to record and perform the song “Everybody”, which was the theme song for the Japanese dub of the more recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon in the U.S. (hence the temporary group name ‘Turtles 4’). How did you hookup with them for that gig and how was the experience?
I had worked with Metis before, I did a record with her for her “Woman” Album and her manager had came to me saying they wanted to do a theme song for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I grew up watching that show, so I was like..definatley. I thought id be cool if we did a group of 4 (cause 4 turtles) and did it with 2 Japanese and 2 American artists. I actually reached out to speech through MySpace. Very down to earth dude, and I heard from him later that he gets 100s of emails a week asking him to do collobos with various artists, but something just stood out about my email. Then I’ve known Wise from way back, and his favorite rapper is Speech, so for him I guess it was a no-brainer.

You did a song with Chinese rapper NYCCA for his first full-length album “V.O.W. ~ Victory Over War” – can you describe that experience?
Nycca was the first Artist I met when I came to Tokyo. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't have half of the connections I have here, I don't even know if Id be doing music here. We have a brother like bond, so I try and support him in everything he does.

How did you first get involved in music?
I have always written poetry, ever since I was a little kid. I think everyone has a way to vent out there feelings and frustrations, and for me it was just to simple put it on paper. Then when I reached like 10 years old I really started getting into music, and you mix poetry with music..thats hiphop. It just evolved from there.

Why did you decide to do music in Japan as supposed to say the United States or something?
I did the indies thing in America for a while. Its not like I said no to USA and yes and Japan..I came out here for school and everything just clicked into place. I mean, if I can make a living off music, I don't really care where I am.

Is there any specific times in your life or anything that is around you on a daily basis that gives you the inspiration and energy needed to write music?
Everything inspires me. I pretty much come home everyday and jot lyrics down, and when I’m walking around town I’m always thinking up a new melody or something.

Can fans expect new material from you anytime soon?
YES! I signed with Pony Canyon as a solo artist and I have my debut single coming out 2/17.

Is there ANY musician that you would like to do a collaboration with in the future?
Yea there are a few. I really like collaborations, you end up coming up with something that both of you couldn't do alone. I’ve actually already done a few amazing collaborations that will be out soon, but that's all I can say. Hehe.

Are you doing any projects and/or campaigning for anything right now aside from your music career?
This single coming out in February will be my first solo single, so its pretty much all eyes on that right now. Once I finish the album and stuff settles, Id like to mess around with some other stuff as well.

I imagine you have a lot of music tastes; what do you normally play on your iPod and/or when you’re at home?
Yea Ive got everything on my Ipod. I just glanced at it and the first few songs were…Linkin Park, Simple Plan, Eminem, Radwimps, Shimizu Shouta and some songs from Disney.

Who is your closest musician friend, and how did you two meet?
My closest musician friend is probably Futoshi from Aqua Timez. Nycca introduced us actually.

What do you do in your spare time when you’re not super busy?
Just hang out with friends, watch a movie, read a book, or make a super weird song for no reason.

Is there anything you’d like to improve on as a musician?
Everything. I’m learning as I go, I believe in myself and I know I have a message
to portray and that's why I’m here. On the other hand, I have to be my own worst
critic.

To the critical question now. You are still fresh on the Japanese music scene, and music tastes and styles are changing quickly in this day and age. Where do you see music in Japan going in the future, in the sense of changing tastes, and will this allow you continued creativity down the road?
In a sense I think I am one of the new school. Japanese music has been stuck in a box in the past, but some people are starting to think outside that box. Most importantly, the fans are starting to acknowledge these different sounds and styles of music and are viben` with it.

What are your plans overall for this new year?
Its all about the music man.

Do you have any final words for the readers?
Yea. I just finished my music video. I know my man will be a link up here for you guys to see. Other than that, I got a website being made so in the meanwhile just check out my blog and you will definitely be hearing a lot from me soon.

http://ameblo.jp/jamilblog
&
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAds2xn9N-0


Tada! Another fresh artist to look forward to, thanks for that Jamil, and till next time, hasta luego!

J~


Jamil Kazmi

rhythm.connection presents A MOMENT WITH YouTube MUSICIANS - SCOTT YOSHIMOTO

Greetings readers! Only a few days after New Years' Eve, I present the 2nd interview of 2010 with a multi-talented Californian, Scott Yoshimoto!

Scott Yoshimoto (born February 16, 1989 in Diamond Bar, CA) is a Cali-based YouTube musician and film-maker. Currently a 3'rd year student at UC Irvine, he's got quite a bit under his belt already - an accomplished musician in his own right, as well as a successful independent film company, MOVeMEDIA Productions, there's nowhere but up for this young entrepreneur to go!

How long have you been doing filming/film projects for, and are you doing it professionally or independently?
I've began doing film projects since January 2006 with a silly lip-sync video first put up on youtube on January 15,2006 with my friends Kyle Furuya & Tim Wang, and have been working professionally since June 2007.

On occasion you do some songs on your YouTube channel, how did your passion for music come about?
I have grown up around music my entire life like everybody else; the difference is the music that surrounded me was performed by my dad. My dad has been a musician his entire life and continues to play music to this day. From the days that I was a child to today, I accompany him to every job or performance he does. Being surrounded by such talent and inspiration, it was hard not to let music make a big impact on my life.

How did you first get involved in filming?
3 Words. Wong Fu Productions. Before youtube was huge, I was following them and watching their videos. Today I am proud to say they are good friends of mine and are still a major inspiration to me to this day. I’m sure they are an inspiration to many, but honestly I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for them.

What made you decide to starting YouTubing your musical talent/film projects and whatnot?
I actually signed up for YouTube in December of 2005! Before YouTube had really exploded into what it has become today. In those days, I wasn’t even sure how legit YouTube was, what would happen to my videos once they were uploaded, and a 100mb video limit haha! At that time, I was exploring many internet video sites in order to showcase my work, and I happened to choose YouTube. What a good decision that was!

Who are your biggest musical influences?
My Father and AJ Rafael, no question.

How does it feel to be getting all this support from people for doing what you do?
It’s a great feeling to get support from anybody no matter what you’re doing. I know that if some other people were trying to pursue film or any other type of arts, that sort of profession is not usually heavily supported by parents, but I’m proud to say I have 100% from my parents and that means a lot. Support from friends is always treasured, but when you get support from people you don’t even know personally, now that is inspiring!

How do you deal with juggling schoolwork, your film company, and your social life?
Rather than juggling it all separately, I put it all into one. I’m studying film and media at the University of California, Irvine, which helps me improve my film company MOVeMEDIA Productions, which allows me to meet and make friends from all around. Of course its not that easy, but with that goal in mind I try to make it all happen.

Is there ANYONE that you would like to do a collaboration with in the future (music/film-wise)?
Too many to even count. You wouldn’t believe the amount of talented people I have been privileged to meet just in the last year, if I could collaborate with any one of them I would be honored.

What has been your most popular cover on YouTube? Your most popular original song on YouTube?
Just based on the numbers, my cover of “Down” by Jay Sean with fellow Request Line group members Casey Nishizu and Emily Yoshihara. And most popular original song is the most recent “The Gift of Music” featuring the wonderfully talented AJ Rafael, Andrew Garcia, Cathy Nguyen, Lydia Paek & Ramiele Malubay.

I imagine you have a lot of music tastes; what do you normally play on your iPod and/or when you’re at home?
Most recently, AJ Rafael’s “I Just Want You” and David Choi’s “That Girl” I heavily support my friends and a lot of the music I listen to is their original songs. Also recently, a lot of GLEE hahah.

Where’s the one place where you can go and get your creative flow going in order to write/create music?
In the car. I commute back and forth from home to Irvine in traffic everyday, and that’s a lot of time sitting around with a lot of time to think and create. That’s where “The Gift of Music” came from, and I have a few more coming your way soon!

Who is your closest musician friend, and how did you two meet?
My Father. We pretty much met the day I was born, weird huh?

What do you do in your spare time when you’re not playing music/filming?
When I’m not playing music/filming, I’m thinking of what new music or films I can create to play/make later. lol

What do you hope to accomplish while being involved in music/film?
You can never accomplish too much. Opportunities will come and go, and I will try to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. But eventually, a successful filmmaker in the film industry. A movie is nothing without music, a good understanding and experience in music can only help. If you can pursue both, why not?

Is there any advice you can give to people who want to pursue film-making?
The best way to learn is to just do. You can only learn so much from classes and reading books, but where you will learn the most is from experience and physically doing it yourself. The only limitation is your own imagination. Challenge yourself, try new things, don’t be scared. Your own world is waiting on the other side of the big screen.

Do you have any final words for the readers?
I can’t express my thanks enough for all the support I have received and continue to receive. You are all what keep my challenging myself and who keep the passion of creating music and film alive within me. I will do my best to continue to keep you entertained. The future is ours, lets take it over together.


!!! Thank you Scott for the interview, and until next time, peace out!

J~


Scott Yoshimoto

rhythm.connection presents A MOMENT WITH YouTube MUSICIANS - KRIS MARK

Hello world and happy new year! R.C. has some really good interviews coming up for the first quarter of 2010, and to kick things off with me is UC Irvine student and YouTube musician Kris Mark, enjoy!

Kris Mark Cardenas aka Kris Mark (born in 1988) is a California-based singer/songwriter whom garnered much attention through his YouTube channel and through his first indie release on iTunes, the single "Who Is She? (First Love)". Like many other big YouTube music stars, he manages a tight schedule which includes schoolwork as it is his last year at UC Irvine.

How long have you been doing music for? Are you doing it professionally or independently?
I got into guitar when I was 13, but it really started flying for me when I hit my first year of college 4 years ago. Ever since then, I've been seeing where I can take music independently.

What style of music do you generally play?
Generally, I'm an R&B/soul/funk kinda guy, but I love versatility... I've written some folk, rock, and club songs in my time too.

How did you first get involved in music?
In high school, I was never really much of an athlete, nor did I have many friends... I was in desperate need of a hobby, so my mom actually suggested guitar. She taught me the basics, and I locked myself away in my room until I got a song down. From then on, I would learn a bunch of songs by ear (back then, I listened to Green Day, Weezer, Foo Fighters and Incubus), and would play for my sisters and parents... it was the release I needed in high school.

What made you decide to starting YouTubing your musical talent?
Actually, the only reason I did was so I had a way to look at my hands while I played guitar. That's why, if you look at some of my older videos, I never showed my face--I just wanted to record my hands so I could focus on and spot what needed to be fixed! People started commenting, and that just egged me on to make more!

Who are your biggest musical influences?
Definitely Incubus. They'll always be my favorite band of all time-- 'cause each of the band's members are virtuosos at what they do and the versatility is just ridiculous! Other than them, Musiq Soulchild and Robin Thicke heavily influence my style.

How does it feel to be getting all this support from people for doing what you do?
I still can't wrap my head around it. I feel so undeserving especially 'cause I know exactly where and how I can improve myself as a musician, but can't be thankful enough that people hear and actually enjoy what I do. One thing for sure is that I will never be comfortable calling someone a "fan".

Is there ANY musician that you would like to do a collaboration with in the future?
Oh man, if it were really up to me to just pick and choose, I'd have to say Pharrell Williams.

Your first song to hit iTunes was "Who Is She? (First Love)". What was the inspiration behind that track?
I wrote that piece with young love in mind. It's about that first relationship that really sticks--the one that has everyone around you talking, and it just makes you do things that are completely new to you. Definitely inspired by a high school type of love. haha!

What has been your most popular cover on YouTube? Your most popular original song on YouTube?
My most popular cover on my own has to be my Justin Timberlake - Take it From Here cover. I did a cover with my good and lovely friend Alyssa Bernal (of YouTube fame and now Star Trak); that got the most attention. We covered Jason Mraz & Colbie Callait - Lucky.

I imagine you have a lot of music tastes; what do you normally play on your iPod and/or when you’re at home?
My playlist is all over the place... I'm a big fan of jazz, so you hear a lot of Wes Montgomery, Coltrane & Miles. I listen to Nujabes on a regular basis, but otherwise I'm playing Daft Punk, Ne-Yo, The Dream... I dig groove.

Where’s the one place where you can go and get your creative flow going in order to write/create music?
Honestly, I don't have a specific location. It's an atmospheric kinda thing for me. If I have my guitar and there's dim lights and something to record with... that's how I work. I've noticed that the further past midnight it is, the better my songs turn out!

Who is your closest musician friend, and how did you two meet?
I'm actually lucky enough to have more than one musician friend that I consider really close and really dear to me. They'd have to be my boys Kinh, CP, and Matt. We each met on pretty separate occasions but it all stemmed from this one music club that I helped create at UCI. We all had similar tastes in music and were open to collaboration, so we jammed and ended up performing a grip of shows together.

What do you do in your spare time when you’re not playing music?
I'm a pretty big geek, actually. I'm a technophile so I'm always on Engadget.com. It's either that or playing Modern Warfare 2 on the 360. Other than that, my music, my lady, and my fam are my life.

What do you hope to accomplish while being involved in music?
The fact that I've made someone's day through the emotion and hard work I've put in my music is already a trip, but a major songwriting placement or collaborating with someone high up there would be pretty legit, too.

Do you have any final words for the readers?
It's pretty cliché, but doing what I do wouldn't be half as fun if it weren't for all you listeners. But as for shameless plugs, be sure to check out the No Labels EP on iTunes or sub to the YouTube if you haven't already! It's literally only the beginning. Much love!


Chyeah, Kris Mark, ladies and gents. Thanks to Kris for the interview, till next time, I am O-U-T!

J~


Kris Mark Cardenas