1300

1300 are the boys from outer space. The Sydney-based Korean-Australian rap crew didn't necessarily set out to become trailblazers; they're rewriting the rulebook now mostly because there's no blueprint for what the fivesome are doing.

Composed of rappers rako, goyo, DALI HART, producer-singer Nerdie and producer pokari.sweat, the group initially came together following a chance encounter at a house party, after years spent orbiting around one another in Sydney's KoreanAustralian music scene. Less than a year into the 1300 project, they've already blazed a trail with their debut single, 'Brr,' released in January 2021 and its breakthrough March follow-up, 'No Caller ID,' both of which amassed local and international praise from the likes of Acclaim Mag, Sound Doctrine and top Korean rappers Paloalto & Lil Boi., alongside receiving rotation adds across triple j Unearthed and FBi Radio. Their third release 'Smashmouth' saw their momentum climb, with a full-rotation add to triple j, feature artist on triple j Unearthed, add on 88rising Radio on SiriusXM, and features with Rolling Stone Australia and NME. Transposing the energy of those early singles to an exhilarating, boisterous live show, the group's ability to transcend genre and audience has, in that short time, seen them already notch a slew of notable support slots, appearing alongside Genesis Owusu, PNAU, Shady Nasty, 3K, Jono Ma, Kota Banks and more.

Mashing together the raw abrasion of Soundcloud rap, sweat-doused, subterrestrial EDM, drum and bass, garage and dubstep,, the sound of 1300 cannot be defined in pure stylistic terms. Their music is instead caught in an endless flux that never ceases to surprise, born from daily everything-goes studio sessions.

This journey finds hyperactive shape in Nerdie and pokari.sweat's frantically genrebending production, while rako, goyo and DALI HART's gritty vocals ground the melee-like production with their razor-sharp flows, contrasting with Nerdie's hazily sung choruses. Their lyrics, a language-melding melange of Korean and English, concentrate the strength of their combined and individual personalities into one seamless whole. The linguistic direction of their lyrics guided only by feeling, as the three rappers scour the sound and syllabic shape of their words for the most exact fit as they flow into one another.

With one foot in Korea and the other in Western Sydney, 1300's music embodies the possibilities that emerge when you have to find your own way, existing between and across cultures.

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SHORT BIO

Sydney-based Korean-Australian rap crew 1300 are rewriting the rulebook because there's no blueprint for what they're doing. Composed of rappers rako, goyo, DALI HART, producer-singer Nerdie and producer pokari.sweat, the group subsume the sounds of abrasive Soundcloud rap, sweat-doused electronic music and the feverish pace of 90's breakbeat. With frantically genre-bending production born from everything-goes studio sessions, gritty vocals ground the melee-like production with welcome levity. Their lyrics, a language-melding melange of Korean and English, concentrate the strength of their personalities into one seamless whole, the group's prodigious chemistry on full display. With their first three singles, 'Brr,' 'No Caller ID' and 'Smashmouth' 1300 have already amassed praise from the likes of Rolling Stone Australia, NME, Acclaim Mag, Sound Doctrine and top Korean rappers Paloalto & Lil Boi., notching up a slew of notable support slots for Genesis Owusu, PNAU, Jona Ma, Taka Perry, Shady Nasty and more for their boisterous live show and ability to transcend genre. With one foot in Korea and the other in Western Sydney, 1300's music embodies the abundant possibilities that emerge when you have to find your own way, existing between and across cultures.