DPR Live Drops First Studio Album
DPR Live has only been on the scene since 2017, but he’s already made quite an impact on the K-hip-hop community for his contributions to the genre. Fans of K-hip-hop are certain to be familiar with his music and his style, but the same may not be true for the general population. Having been busy in the last few years with a world tour, he hasn’t been putting out many releases to get fans familiar with his work, but that all changed on March 3 when he dropped his first full-length studio album, IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?
The new album features 11 new tracks, with single “Legacy” featured in the first music video to go along with the release. The video is produced by fellow DPR member Christian Yu, so it’s no surprise that it’s quite a lofty production. If unfamiliar with the Dream Perfect Regime world, Christian Yu is the main creative videographer at the agency and has built a reputation for himself at being extremely talented at his craft. That certainly shines through in “Legacy,” which has a high level of production and takes place in a futuristic, astrological setting. The video itself is more than just a setting for the song, it’s created to present an in-depth story that transcends the music. It’s a different approach to the usual K-Pop (and some could even argue K-hip-hop) formula, stretching the boundaries of what is to be expected artistically.
The song itself has the usual catchy hip-hop beat as the main driving factor behind the beat, but there are a couple of subtle additions that make the track stand out from the standard formula. The beat in general doesn’t have a static rhythm, with different elements thrown in to spice it up (i.e. a shift in resting in the beat, or different tempo beats overlayed on the main line). It’s not an obvious difference at first, and it takes a couple of listens to truly catch the complexity of the musical elements used on this beat. To an untrained ear it may seem like your cookie-cutter hip-hop melody, but there’s far more to it under the surface. In addition to the use of his own rapping, DPR Live adds in some vocal elements that help solidify the otherworldly concept he’s going for in “Legacy.”
Interestingly enough, “Legacy” is placed as the second to last track on the album, an uncommon decision for feature tracks. That being said, it’s likely that a couple more tracks on this album will be getting the music video treatment. If history is any indication, this perhaps may not be a feature, but the first release in a bigger project.
The album opens with an eclectic, but emotionally deep intro in “HERE GOES NOTHING.” DPR Live laments about his fears, all in English, which is underlain by a soft, space-like melody. The repetition of “geronimo” is accompanied by a crescendo into a more intense EDM beat, meant to introduce the next song of the same name. The tension builds up from his initial monologue all the way into the end of the song, and transitions flawlessly into “GERONIMO!” Although the melody feels particularly light in comparison to the tension-filled intro, the lyrics portray a sadder story of fear in loneliness. About two thirds of the way through the song, the beat does a complete 180 from heavy EDM vibes to a straight rap beat at the drop, the change enough to give you whiplash if you were expecting a normal song formula. After the quick shift, the song returns back to its original sound before ending with the sounds of a ship crash landing, extremely vivid to the point that it can be visualized.
“TO WHOEVER” begins with the sound of DPR waking you up from a dream, and shifts to telling the story of the past. It’s very interesting how he mixes storytelling and the use of music, making this feel more like a journey through his life rather than just a music-focused album. It’s extremely eccentric and totally unpredictable, but that’s what makes it so charming. Flawlessly shifting into “OUT OF CONTROL,” DPR Live expresses his distress with the current state of his life. The hip-hop-focused melody makes a drastic shift into “DISCONNECT,” which has a more upbeat pop feel with a little bit of a retro rhythm guitar influence that adds another dimension to the musical composition of the album.
“S.O.S” adds back a bit of the hip-hop feel before things make a major shift into “OH GIRL.” Though all the songs thus far have the otherworldly sound added onto the melody, “OH GIRL” takes that to a higher level with the heavy use of synthesizers and the higher register that he chooses to sing in. Although it was somewhat off-putting at the beginning because of the drastic shift, there’s no denying that the track has some groove in it. “KISS ME” has a bit more of a lofi vibe that is a lovely switch from the track before.
“NEON” in contrast brings the energy back up, focusing on a driving beat and fast tempo used to emphasize the high of being in love. It’s interesting that until the point of “OH GIRL,” the album seemed focused on DPR Live’s personal story, but then shifts to love songs until we reach “LEGACY” near the end of the album, which returns to the original narrative.
Rounding out the album is the unexpected “NO RESCUE NEEDED,” a title that is in stark contrast to earlier tracks calling out for help. It’s hard to describe what it feels like to listen to this song. There are so many different, unexpected elements used in this song alone, it’s hard to pinpoint it as anything specific. Even with the confusion of this track, it’s somehow so on-brand for DPR Live.
There’s no question that this album is a work of strong artistic expression, created to push the boundaries of what we should expect in music. DPR Live makes a statement in his unusual yet creative choices, and that could make it difficult for certain people to enjoy this album. Still, even if it’s not your cup of tea, if you consider yourself a creative by any means then you’ll probably see the meaning in the creation of this album. DPR Live’s music won’t be mass-marketed like other artists, but that may be what the true beauty is in his creations.