The name's Irvin, but I go as Authentic Phantom when on the mic. I started writing poetry at the end of 2011 as a result of some intense pressures and stresses. Soon afterward, I began to research instrumental music and had the great idea of recording a song one day --illusioned by my rap music interests. So I began to experiment on this task with whatever spare time I could make. Turns out, I really enjoyed it, and found it a great way for self expression. I was given the opportunity to do what I wanted when I met ERA (Erasmo Cisneros), the Audio Technology Instructor at my high school. He helped me record and edit my sounds whenever I had the need to do so. Since then I have recorded and produced two albums: "Phenomenon" and "Intervention." The first album that I put out was really a product of experimentation with the thoughts I had at the moment. Right after its release, my parents discovered that I was chiefing and became disillusioned in me. This brought a wave of thoughts too large to contain. This is when I stated on my next album, Intervention, which basically makes up my life story at that crucial moment. And most recently, I finished my following release, titled for what it is, "Mix Tape." Its release is scheduled to be in February, 2013. It will consist of present single releases and several future ones that will be added on afterward.

C-point westcoast Onpoint pro. Hip Hop artist.music
Golden State of Mind fortifies a heavy-handed dose of 16 tracks that will make you wondering why there isn’t more material.  Eerie samples right off the bat with slamming 808s will be sure to knock out your stereo deck. C-Point starts off the album with the single “C-Point”- a spooky slice of production while keeping his lyrics sharp and on point with deep musical metaphors. There is a real dark (almost gritty) feel to C-point’s album, “Golden State of Mind”, with a west coast vibe on it. This is not something that you will catch in your mainstream playlist, but definitely something original that hip-hop has been lacking and NEEDS. The album is simply original in a way that utilizes old school synths in a new authentic way (Saw tooth, triangle wave forms, moog synths etc.). All the synthesizers are lush and will fill up your headphones without an inch of headroom to spare. The flow patterns, melodies and deliveries each artist possessed on the tracks were extremely innovative and created exciting dynamics as the album progressed. I really liked the analogue warmth of the samples on the album and it brings it back to the Golden Age of hip-hop where saturation from analogue tape and outboard gear were prevalent. The production on the album was great as well with excellent utilization of panning, delay effects, and reverb. The snaps on the snares and percussion were amazing as well- the breaks hit perfectly with the bass lines and vocals. I can tell C-Point takes a lot of time perfecting his music and will not release anything without making sure all his levels, compression and EQs are on point. It takes a lot for an artist to put in that kind of commitment but it is definitely apparent with how carefully orchestrated the album panned out in the final product. 

Favorite tracks on the album- 

Karma- Such a dope song with an excellent E-bass and key chords. The lyrical slaughter on this one is unforgettable and really sets the tone for the rest of the album.

Golden State of Mind- Taken from Nas and Jay Z’s, “State of Mind” repertoire, C-Point adds his own unique style by creating a video game sounding instrumental creating an excellent west coast joint. 

Sexual- The hook is simply ludicrous accompanied by a Dr. Dre style piano and huge pounding bass dips. This is a really smooth song that raps the album’s seal for a powerful concluding statement. 

Golden State of Mind 5/5 Stars *****

Kingston Rudieska is a Korean authentic ska band formed in Seoul, Korea in 2004


KINGSTON RUDIESKA (SOUTH KOREA)

Although South Korea is about as far from Jamaica as a country could be, that hasn’t prevented the authentic sounds of Jamaican musical genres such as ska and reggae from reaching Korea’s shores.
Korea’s first traditional ska band, Kingston Rudieska has been paying respect to the roots of ska since their first show in 2004. This nine-piece group blends bluebeat ska, jazz, reggae, dub, and nyah binghi influences into a final product that is uniquely Korean, something the band has dubbed “feast ska.” Their shows are a mix of foot-stomping instrumentals backed by a four-piece horn section with warm, soulful vocal songs sung by “Sugar” Lee Seok-yul, all with a traditional jazz improvisational vibe as many of the members are trained jazz musicians. Their music pays heavy respect to ska pioneers the Skatalites, and it’s not uncommon to hear a Skatalites cover thrown into their sets.

Over the past decade, they’ve come a long way from playing dingy basement clubs to appearing on some of the nation’s biggest stages, fostering a love of Jamaican rhythms to a nation still newly discovering the genre. They’ve appeared at nearly all of Korea’s major music festivals, including Jisan Valley Rock Festival, Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, Busan Rock Festival, Seoul Jazz Festival, Rainbow Island Music Festival, and Grand Mint Festival. Additionally, Kingston Rudieska has appeared on numerous televised music programs in Korea.

Kingston Rudieska has had the privilege of performing with many other talented musicians and bands. They’ve collaborated with popular Korean musicians Bobby Kim, YB, Sim Soo Bong, and Yoon Hyung Joo. They’ve also shared the stage with Japanese bands such as Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Eskargot Miles, and Cool Wise Men, North American groups the Slackers and Chris Murray Combo, as well as Babylove and the van Dangos (Denmark), Dr. Ring Ding Ska Vaganza, and Skazz (Australia). Most recently, they recorded an EP with Dr. Ring Ding (Germany).

They recorded their first single in 2006, and since then they’ve released three full-length albums, not to mention one EP and a couple digital singles, and contributed a track to the United Colors of Ska 4.0 compilation on Pork Pie Records (Germany).

Due to the expenses of travelling with a nine-piece band, Kingston Rudieska has little experience playing to overseas audiences, having toured the Philippines in 2012 and visited Japan in 2013, during which time they formed the jam band Asian Unite with Japanese bands Eskargot Miles, Frisco, and Kingstompers.

· 최철욱 Choi Chul-Wook (leader, trombone)
· 이석율 Lee Suk-Yul (lead vocals,percussion)
· 오정석 Oh Jeong-Seok (Trumpet,Flugelhorn)
· 배선용 Bae Sun-Yong (Trumpet)
· 성낙원 Sung Nock Won (Tenor sax)
· 서재하 Seo Jae-Ha (Guitar)
· 손형식 Son Hyong-Sik (Bass)
· 김대민 Kim Dae-Min (Drums)



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