I'm Marlena! From Duluth MN, USA. I play horns. Mostly soprano and tenor sax. Alice Coltrane changed my life. Everything I do is modal if I can help it. I love a dilla groove and some sus chords. I'm chasing a unique sound with lots of character, and a way to make few chords sound like many. Main influences are Nubya Garcia, Alice Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Yusef Lateef, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, and Pharoah Sanders. The list goes on, but you get the idea!

See more at marlenamusic.com and follow my instagram @marlenaboed!

I lost my soul and I can't remember where. I'm trying to find it again. The world is just so different now than it was when I lost it.

DC Artist Collective

8082collective@gmail.com

HZU (pronounced HEE-soo) is an LA-based Korean American artist by way of the planet Asia. Combining the lyricism of a poet, the flow of a coursing river, and various cultural symbols and literary techniques, HZU imbues the everyday and mundane with meaning, exploring what it means to be US in a universe in which it becomes increasingly clear that we are not the only ones like US.

With an extensive upbringing in poetry and creative writing, HZU naturally transitioned into music, employing the power of songwriting to weave stories that express feelings of simultaneous alienation and belonging as a second-generation from an immigrant family living in one of the most multicultural cities in the world, Los Angeles.

The versatility of his vocal range is the hallmark of his style, as he seamlessly blends creative, hard-hitting rap bars with smooth, silky choruses which create songs that are meaningful and reflective, yet undeniably catchy. His production consists primarily of chill, upbeat, and fast-tempo instrumentation, but with his roots in old-school boom-bap flows, he also shines on traditional rap as well as contemporary trap beats. He takes inspiration from such artists as OutKast, 2Pac, MF DOOM, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Childish Gambino, Isaiah Rashad, Mac Miller and Anderson .Paak.

His song "Daylight" and his critically-acclaimed collaborative EP "The Misadventures of Tony & HZU" with fellow The 8082 Collective mate Tony Driftin have been featured in Mood Industries and The Artists Central blogs, respectively. His most recent EP, "DOKKAEBI," was featured in a Chill Selects playlist, a major Spotify playlister, as well as receiving a glowing write up from the SpeedOnTheBeat blog.
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