R.TEE
Internationally renowned producer and DJ R.TEE, who contributed to K-pop hits like BLACKPINK’s “Playing with fire” and “Ddu-du Ddu-du,” as well as BIGBANG’s “Fxxk it,” has founded his own label and is back with a new single album.
On August 10, R.TEE released a double single titled “DAMDADI” on various music platforms. It includes two tracks: “Damdadi,” which gives the album its name, and “Switch out.” On August 7, during a meeting with journalists at the RTST Label offices in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, he stated:
“In Korea, unless you love electronic music (EDM) like me, it’s hard to dig around to find music you enjoy. I want to make Korea a reference country for electronic music.”
“Damdadi,” featuring vocals by SOYEON from the group I-DLE, is a refined track with striking rhythmic energy. R.TEE explained:
“It’s the song of someone who is waiting with intense emotion for someone who is uncertain. I thought instead of putting lyrics at the climax, it would be good to use an onomatopoeia like ‘Damdadi.’ I wanted a stronger, more charismatic image rather than a fragile and delicate one, and as an entertainer, SOYEON has exactly that kind of aura. I felt she fit the song perfectly.”
“Switch out,” which accompanies “Damdadi,” is an intense techno-sounding track with an exotic vibe. R.TEE stated:
“Like in Germany, where EDM is very popular, I want to lower the entry barrier to this genre in Korea. I want people to easily enjoy songs that convey good energy in everyday life.”
He added that his recent departure from The Black Label to establish RTST Label was driven by his desire to showcase artists from various genres and to allow the public to access EDM beyond club venues. He also plans to host various events like small EDM parties at the label’s premises.
On August 7, during the interview at RTST Label, the producer and DJ detailed the reasons behind creating his independent label and his upcoming musical projects. He said:
“I want to present talented artists to the popular culture scene, not only in music but also in other fields, without limiting myself to one genre or sector.”
R.TEE plans to continue his musical projects by crossing genre and format boundaries. He said:
“With K-pop, just by listening, you can’t always guess the genre, but as long as the music is good, that’s what matters. One of K-pop’s strengths is that you can mix multiple genres, pop, hip-hop, house, Latin, in a single song. I want to show this fusion with even more depth.”
He plans to expand his collaborations with foreign producers and work simultaneously on developing promising new solo artists. The music video for “Damdadi” will be available at 6 PM KST on the RTSTLabel YouTube channel.
Journalist: Shawn
Translator: Shawn
Source: RTST Label
