CIFIKA releases ‘PRISM’ EP March 8th

Singer/Songwriter/Producer Launches Largest US Tour by Any Korean Artist

CIFIKA, Seoul’s underground electronic pop sensation, premieres “PIETA,” the US lead single from her PRISM EP, due March 8th via TCK. CIFIKA launches the biggest US tour by any Korean artist, featuring more than 20 cities, including SXSW, Chicago, NY, LA, Nashville, and Boston. “PIETA“ follows the buzzworthy release of MOMOM, her single and video collaboration with indie rock star Hyuk Oh that’s racked up over 700k views since its January release.

“This EP and tour is called PRISM because I wanted to be transparent about who I am. Prisms showcase the many different colors of the single light that we see and I wanted that to be the medium for people when they hear my music,” CIFIKA explains. “Once you listen to the entire EP, you will easily figure out the different colors of each track which were created all by myself.”

Intoxicatingly rhythmic, layered and symphonic,“PIETA” is lyrically introspective, and was chosen as the lead single because its melody and beat grab you immediately. “I wrote this song in the saddest season of my life and it basically talks about my hesitance, repeating the life cycle of being free from me, and emptiness after all of my trying.”

Signed by Third Culture Kids, CIFIKA deftly blends genres like R&B and low-fi with dark electronic soundscapes and combines lyrics in both English and Korean, creating her own genre often described by press as “entirely self-invented and undefined, a harmonious clashing of cultures.”

“I started with Garageband, then Logic, then graduated to Ableton. I have an audio interface, MIDI keyboard, MacBook, Push 2 and iMac,” says the self-taught DIY artist. Her resulting blend of ethereal sonics and deep beats has propelled CIFIKA from South Korea’s underground scene into the mainstream. Her sounds is as authentic as anything labeled K-Pop. “My music is not different then K-pop. I’m a Korean citizen, singing in Korean, who produces music based in Korea.”

The music CIFIKA produces is more personal and accessible on this EP which explores her dreams and frustrations as a bicultural artist. “I wanted to emphasize my uniqueness of lyrics, such as rhymes that combine Korean and English, repeating phrases on each song. I also wanted to showcase how my vocal range and sound have changed dramatically from my previous releases,” she adds. “I felt much more freedom making this EP than ever before.”

Pushing the boundaries of pop and electronic music, CIFIKA is resolutely committed to musical experimentation as she gears up for her PRISM tour – an ambitious undertaking, as she is not only bringing her radiant performances and diaphanous sound into major markets, but secondary cities such as Kansas City, Columbia, Grand Rapids and Cincinnati. “I know it will be a challenging to tour 20 different cities,” she says, “but after this I’m going to be a lot stronger and will have tons of new ideas to make my next album.”

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com