Hey there! Welcome to the first of United K-pop’s ‘UK Fan Talents‘ section!
This section is dedicated to showcasing the finest up and coming UK talent from fans and followers of the Hallyu Wave. Whether singers, dancers, DJ’s or artists of a more visual genre, we are all brought together by one thing; our love for K-Pop. So, here we go!
I’m sure you’ve all heard a mashup or two of songs in the past, especially in K-Pop. Hearing the lyrics of one song added to the instrumental of another can give it a new feel, and sometimes they turn out better than the original- sometimes the deep, acoustic strumming of a guitar heard in something Indie can be switched out for the pulsing electronic beat of some Electro. So today, I’m showcasing one such Mashup Artist:
A.TEX.
Heard of him? Yes? No? Jay Hardy, 19, based in London, spends his spare time mashing fresh beats with the K-Pop you all know and love. First as ‘MASHUPCANDY‘, he transformed into ‘A.TEX’, and has steadily improved through the short time he began his craft. Recognised by well known Mashup DJ’s like ‘SHIMmixes‘ and ‘DJ Masa‘, he has also garnered the attention of idols, like Kim Sori.
Below, are just a few of my favourite mashups by him. This in no way means you should ignore the rest of his work though:
Maroon 5 vs VIXX | G.R.8.U Phone
[youtube id=”MlzGK7VCwLE”]This is a good example of a flawless mashup. G.R.8.U and Payphone fit together perfectly. As it happens, I heard this before the original ‘G.R.8.U’, and I prefer this to the original. Totally should’ve been the original song… In all seriousness, this is one of his better mashups.
Block B vs B2ST | Very Shocked
[youtube id=”Qatf44LrkKk”]One that took me time to get used to, but no fault of the artist himself: Block B’s ‘Very Good‘ just took a while to settle with me. However, this mashup works very well. The punchy electronic beat of ‘Shock‘ combined with the aggressive verses of ‘Very Good’ compliment each other well, especially during Zico’s rap section.
TVXQ vs Virtual Riot | Caught Rushed
[youtube id=”iut2B-qVO58″]The essence of modern K-Pop fused with Electro. A brilliant mix with excellent timing, especially the break down near the end- this mashup has shown the improvement A.TEX has made over time. Definitely worth a listen, and in my opinion, one of the best he has made so far.
Of course, A.TEX has plenty of other mashups on his YouTube and SoundCloud pages, so check him out if you liked what you’ve heard so far. While not long in the game, he’s definitely become a shining spark of creativity among UK K-Pop fans. Of course, there is always room for improvement and he knows this, constantly trying to better himself. With time I can see good things happening for him musically. A great example of up and coming UK fan talent!
