Balming Tiger
“There’s not much meaning in the name,” San continues, “We just wanted to be fun, and have fun.”
Balming Tiger, one of Asia’s most exciting rising music acts, is on their way to become bigger than Tiger Balm itself. Since they came onto the scene in 2018, every mixtape, music video and single release from the crew has garnered buzz, not just locally in Korea, but also throughout North America, Europe, and other parts of Asia. Last year, SXSW selected the co-ed group as one of four Korean performers for its first Virtual Showcase, and 88rising included them in its DOUBLE HAPPINESS Winter Festival alongside Anderson .Paak, Dumbfoundead and AUDREY NUNA.
Shortly after the Berlin Music Video awards nominated Balming Tiger’s “Kolo Kolo,” frontman rapper Omega Sapien’s “Serenade for Mrs. Jeon” made Colors Studio’s music of the day. All of this happened over the course of one year, and during the pandemic. The collective/label has been lauded by artists like Charli XCX, HYUKOH and Yaeji, and most recently collaborated with Baauer.
The crew consists of nine likeminded performers and producers who flexibly juggle group and solo activities. There’s San Yawn and Omega Sapien, singer-songwriters sogumm, Mudd the Student and wnjn (read as “Won Jin”), producers Unsinkable and Abyss, video director Jan’ Qui, and writer Henson. While they don’t attach a label on their musical style, they call themselves an “alternative K-pop band,” taking inspiration from a range of genres as diverse as their backgrounds. They cite everyone from K-pop idols Girls’ Generation and 2NE1 to Rick Rubin, Diplo, Michael Jackson, and ‘90s Japanese hip-hop trio m-flo as their influences.
The members, who range from ages 21 to 38, are an unlikely bunch. They mostly met through mutual friends, or via San’s beckoning at parties or on Instagram. But it wasn’t always the nine of them -- some early members have left the group, and Balming Tiger remains as an open-ended platform where new members are always welcome. “We are a management label, a creative production agency, and the artists themselves, all at the same time,” San explains. “I don’t think we need to define our exact format.”
Being an alternative K-pop band means that they aren’t constrained to any one style of music, either. They’re free to be hip-hop, R&B, EDM, rock, jazz and pop, and they are all of it and none of it at once. Their sound is an amalgamation of genres that span different time periods and cultural borders, resulting in an alluring hybrid that’s both new and nostalgic. Adding to this is their flexibility and ambiguity with words; those hearing Balming Tiger’s songs for the first time might not even guess that they’re from Korea. Much of their singing and rapping is in English thanks to Omega Sapien, who grew up in Dalian (China), New Jersey and Tokyo, and fluently switches between different languages, sometimes even rapping in Spanish.
When they do sing in Korean, it often doesn’t sound like it. While female vocal sogumm’s distinctive and sultry voice has earned her a solid fan base, her experimentalism has also received some criticism. “It’s really difficult to decide the kind of music I want to pursue,” she tells me. “I’m a very impressionable person, and I constantly change my mind. I realized that the harder I tried to make good music, the more wishy-washy it sounded. So I just decided to convey my confusion and emotions honestly in my music. I want to turn that natural process of regret and excitement into a learning experience, and hopefully grow from them.”
Just as unexpected and original as their sound is their look. They’re raw and off-kilter, with no dolled-up, polished look of K-pop to be found. Whether it’s Balming Tiger’s music videos or live performances, there’s always an element of rebellion and grit, even shock and disgust. Omega Sapien, who calls his hair color “2040 Silicon Valley green,” has said that his goal is to release a music video with more than 30% of “dislike” votes.
“I started working with Balming Tiger on their ‘Chef Lee’ music video,” tells Jan’ Qui, the group’s visual director who filmed the viral video of Keith Ape’s “It G Ma.” “Whereas I used to really improvise and work with my instinct, I’m much more intentional and thought-out when it comes to Balming Tiger.”
Throughout their three-year journey, one of the band’s biggest propellers has been “Joyful Delivery,” their ongoing series of local club parties that’s given them solid street cred. The members DJ their own sets, invite other performers, and party right alongside their fans. Rather than being mysterious, elusive or exclusive as some K-pop acts can be, Balming Tiger interacts with and touches their listeners directly, and brings that same party spirit to the bigger stage. “Our most memorable performance was at La Magnifique Society music festival in Reims,” Omega Sapien says. “It was our first time in France and no one knew who we were, but the audience started a mosh pit to ‘POP THE TAG’ and ‘Happycore.’”
“It was hundreds, if not thousands of people,” continues San Yawn. "It was the most touching and ecstatic moment of my life.”
Their pit stop in Reims was part of “The Tiny Tour in Europe,” where Balming Tiger also swept Paris and London, selling out both shows. When they couldn’t continue their Tiny Tour last year due to the pandemic, they took it online with Seoul’s iconic Han River as their backdrop. “We took over six months to prepare for the live performance,” says Henson. “We were super happy with the result, and got quite emotional at the thought of showing off the beauty of Seoul to the world.”
What’s next for Balming Tiger is all up in the air, but anything is possible. Besides aspiring to collaborate with the likes of Slowthai, Frank Ocean and Bong Joon Ho, they have their sights on publishing a book this year, and heading to the GRAMMYs in the future.
Whatever they do, rest assured they’re having fun, just as they intended.
Balming Tiger’s Korean music recommendations:
- San Yawn: “DDOKBOKKI” by Baauer and Omega Sapien (2021)
- Omega Sapien: “KEUNG” by C JAMM (2021)
- sogumm: Dajung
- Abyss: “Spread Silk On My Heart” by Sanullim (1978), “Zimzalabim” by Red Velvet (2019)
- Jan’ Qui: TWICE
- Unsinkable: Mid-Air Thief
- Henson: “Probably in Late Summer” by Kim Chang Wan (1977), “Chick Chick Pok Pok” by SIMO (2018)
- wnjn: “Ultramania” by Seotaeji (2000)
- Mudd the Student: “Mysterium” by Lee Sang Eun (2003)
