Image via Yaeji //

In celebration of the release of her debut album, we’ve made Yaeji our official Artist Of The Week…

NYC-via-Seoul producer, DJ and vocalist Yaeji has just dropped her long-awaited debut album, With A Hammer, and it’s everything we could have hoped for and more.

A spacious terrain of offbeat synth-pop, techno and jazz, the album is chiselled from an equally large and fascinating conceptual world, cementing Yaeji as a satisfyingly original and multifaceted artist in today’s musical landscape.

“With A Hammer follows Yaeji’s journey as she wades through the murkiness of sorrow and doubt and releases the frenzy of anger, with the help of a metaphorical hammer which she wields to smash the rigid rules, expectations, and barriers that have prevented her from speaking her fullest truth,” a statement on the album describes.

“Through this transformative process she eventually meets the thrilling self-determination and hope that awaits on the other side, and invites her listeners and fans to do the same.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfOURyD7ljc&ab_channel=Yaeji

Yaeji has been making a name for herself in the global music scene with her introspective, dancefloor-ready tracks ever since her break out in 2017 with debut EPs featuring the singles ‘Raingurl’ and ‘Drink I’m Sippin On.’ She’s also collaborated with the likes of Charli XCX, Dua Lipa and Robyn, producing remixes and selling out two headline world tours.

Born in Flushing, Queens in 1993, Yaeji’s roots span across Seoul, Tokyo, Atlanta and New York City, serving as the backdrop for her singular, hybrid sound that synthesizes influences of Korean indie rock and electronica, late ’90s and early 2000s hip hop and R&B and leftfield bass and techno. Her critically-acclaimed 2020 mixtape WHAT WE DREW 우리가 그려왔던 showcased her vision as a musician who is creatively unbounded by language and geography.

Yaeji’s growing impact has even transcended music, with recent partnerships with Heaven by Marc Jacobs and even PAC-MAN. A global icon occupying a space all her own, Yaeji represents a true spirit of creativity and authenticity in the modern music industry.

In celebration of the album release, Yaeji is embarking on a huge tour, and we’re lucky enough to have her appearing on our own shores next month for two unmissable performances at the Sydney Opera House for VIVID on May 27th and 28th. Head here for tickets and more information.

With A Hammer is out on XL/Remote Control, grab your copy here.