Hidden along the border between Little Tokyo and the Arts District in L.A., is a Mediterranean-inspired dive bar called the Moroccan Lounge. It’s an intimate bar, far from the busy downtown nightlife, existing in its own corner. Normally, I wouldn’t go to the Moroccan Lounge since it’s far away from other popular spots. However, one night last month, Korean indie artist CIFIKA had a show at the Moroccan Lounge as part of her American tour— and I just had to see her!
The Korean Indie music scene is booming with artists who are getting a lot of play in South Korea, America, and Europe. Media companies like 88Rising are helping lesser known artists get attention, and Kpop groups also help in introducing new music to an unfamiliar audience. With massively popular groups like BTS selling out arenas and KCON LA and NY drawing in thousands each year, the success of Kpop groups are also helping to give independent artists the courage to set out into a new world.
CIFIKA is going about it in a smaller fashion and building her way up. She used to be an art director at an advertising agency in Los Angeles until she decided to become a music artist, eventually leading her to become a leading artist in the Korean Indie music scene.
CIFIKA made her first step into the American market this past March via the CIFIKA U.S. Tour. The tour was special, because it is the longest running tour a Korean-born artist has ever taken in the United States. The tour launched on March 4th at the Barboza in Seattle and traveled to 20 different cities across the United States— including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York— before concluding in Boston on April 7th. CIFIKA also made an important stop at SXSW 2018 on March 17th for the Korea Spotlight and performed alongside artists such as KARD, DPR Live, and perhaps the most successful K-indie band currently— Hyukoh
CIFIKA, as an artist, hasn’t been around for very long time. She debuted just two years ago when she dropped her critically lauded mini album Intelligentsia and has since done collaboration songs like “Ohh Aah Ooh” with DUVV and jayvito and “Momom” with Oh Hyuk. CIFIKA’s seductive vocals and moody electronic beats have allowed her to cement herself as a major name in the Korean indie music scene. CIFIKA garnered media attention from Dazed Magazine and Vice News and has even performed at the major music festival in Reeperbahn, Germany.
For the actual performance itself, it took place in the stage area of the Moroccan Lounge. I hung back as I set up my camera, and the first singer started her set. Anomie Belle, a singer-songwriter from Seattle, has an avant-garde style of music— ambient and grand. Her music takes on a life of its own. Interestingly enough, she produces her music while on stage. She starts off with an instrumental track via her keyboard and laptop, then adds in her violin, mixing it in with her singing. Her music was the perfect appetizer with which to start the night, and as a result, I definitely recommend that you check out Anomie Belle.
Afterwards, Los Angeles’ own Common Souls played a set. They’re a duo made up of Ryan Yoo and Nick Velez, and they were fantastic! Ryan Yoo is magnetic behind the mic. The duo sings electronic R&B. It’s slow, mellow, and passionate. Ryan Yoo is a great singer and a good rapper as well. Their songs sound very lonely, pulling in the listeners. The instrumentals, done by Nick Velez, are minimalist in nature while Ryan Yoo’s vocals give an amazing energy to the tracks. Make sure to check out their tracks “Arizona” and “Roots//Habit”. Meanwhile, you can also view a short video of their Moroccan Lounge performance by checking out the Instagram video below.
After a brief intermission, we got the main event: CIFIKA. She came out wearing a plastic straight jacket, and what looked like fisherman’s boots. Her blond hair was tied back, and even just from her visuals, you could tell it was about to be an amazing experience. Behind her was a projection screen where random geometric shapes, words, and patterns accompanied the music. One of her songs was accompanied with karaoke lyrics in the back, so you could sing along. Her outfit shined in the colorful lighting. The performance was intense, and you could feel the heavy bass inside your chest as it was so strong. CIFIKA played her new mini-album, entitled PRISM, in its entirety. It’s great dance music while also being mind-expansive electronic music. People responded well to it. There were a few people in the crowd dancing to her track “PIETA.” At the end, she did an encore with her song “Intelligensia.” A stark contrast to the dance music from earlier,this track was dark and moody. The back wall animation then seemed to turn into something out of “The Matrix.” The projection had computers with red screens zipping around each other in strange patterns. It was a great show. The bass was nice and heavy. Overall, I had a blast watching CIFIKA. It was an entirely new experience for me to be in a such an intimate space with strangers, appreciating the art and talent of these amazing artists.
CIFIKA’s latest mini-album came out March 8th. I listened to the entire album on my way to the show. What stood out to me the most was its departure from Intelligensia. It’s no longer dark and dramatic, but it gives off an almost dancehall-inspired vibe. Her self-proclaimed favorite song “PIETA” is just that— a moody dancehall track with R&B vocals. “PRISM” is a lot more catchy with its melodies and is much more accessible than Intelligensia. CIFIKA seems to have a clearer vision on this mini album and didn’t experiment as much. In a recent interview with PAPERMAG, CIFIKA said she isn’t ready to show her best effort just yet. And personally, I look forward to her best effort and seeing what she has in store.
Check out PIETA, CIFIKA’s aforementioned favorite track from her newest album. You can also check out her SoundCloud page for new tracks.
In the meantime, check out a short video from her Moroccan Lounge performance below!
What do you guys think of CIFIKA and her style of music? What other K-indie artists do you love? Let us know your thoughts below!
KyeongJun is a writer for WTK, where he gushes about his love for Korean rock music (You guys need to listen to Jaurim). When not writing, he’s obsessing over the latest memes. You can also catch him on WTK Radio where he hosts a show every Thursday night at 10 p.m. EST.
Set Photos And Video: Cesar @newcrazydiamond
Cover Image: Jennifer Cheng