Kimj is architecting the rebellious new sound of the Asian underground

Kimj has just landed in New York when he speaks to NME over Zoom. He’s come back from his US tour, he says, and has just finished some pho at a restaurant. His phone’s on one per cent, and now he’s scrambling for a charger while discussing the state of the Asian underground scene. READ MORE: Yves’ new chapter: a K-pop star’s quiet rebellion This is the Kimj experience: endearing and intense, with the Busan-born producer calm at the helm. His songs strike a similar note; yes, they might sound like Skrillex on steroids, but there’s always sweetness to be found in a snippet of a pop hook, or a glossy synth passage. Combined with his upbringing, Kimj’s become a unique nexus between East and West, fostering a global underground of electronic upstarts through his work with the likes of 2hollis, Nate Sib, The Deep, Effie – and, increasingly, infiltrating mainstream pop by working with the likes of Tinashe. “The young people, they will always be the future,” Kimj (real name Jaehyun Kim) tells NME. “Their creativity is so pure and so honest, and because they’re most likely living with their families, they’re not thinking about taxes or rent. They have this very pure outlook on life, and it ...