[image]
[title]Tobi North is Zagreb’s new kid on the block. The London-born Singaporean has spent the last 5 years in the Croatian capital syncing his trendy hip-hop and RnB beats to Europe’s promising alternative pop scene, contributing to Croatia’s lively urban music scene.
The man providing the good vibes is Jun Ishida, who is also an up and coming figure on Zagreb’s DJ scene. Performing under the alias of ‘Jaxtasy’, he has previously been seen supporting some of Croatia’s most well-known rap stars like Vojko V, Kukus and Connect. However, his truer art can be found in the depths of his culturally relevant, hip-hop hybrid sounds, which he issues under the name Tobi North.
Taking on heavy influence from the anonymous hip-hop and RnB artists Blackbear and Afthetheparty, who energize the hopeless romantic expressed in the explicit vocals and melancholic flow. In contrast, the optimistic synth sounds are drawn from the nu-disco form of ‘MuraMasa’. The music also encompasses progressive ideas found in experimental metal.
Tobi North’s muses over his inspirations ‘I have been writing music since I was very young, it’s all I know. During my short life, I’ve witnessed the music industry turn more into a business than it has ever been before, my ambition does not lie in commercial success but rather to bring back the artistry and heart that modern hip-hop seems to have forgotten’.
The young performer recently shot his new ‘Everyday’ music video in London, his debut video ‘Again’ having emerged just a few weeks before. Jun Ishida can certainly be described as a one-man-band, through his methods of constructing music ‘I write my songs, rap my songs, produce the music, plan the video shots, I’m up all night editing the shots. All I need is someone else to hold the camera’.
