FAR EAST MOVEMENT - ROUND ROUND (a J!-ENT World Groove Album Review)

June 20, 2008 by Dennis Amith

“Los Angeles-based Asian American hip hop trio FAR EAST MOVEMENT’s ‘ROUND ROUND’ is the Japanese import release of their US album ‘Folk Music’ featuring an extra bonus track and featuring the trio’s infectious grooves and cool rhymes. Awesome potential and looking forward to see how the trio’s music catches on worldwide!”

GROUP: FAR EAST MOVEMENT

ALBUM: ROUND ROUND

LABEL: avex trax

CATALOG #: AVCD-23454

DURATION: 1:08:46

RELEASE DATE: January 30, 2008

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Miss Info
Round Round
Get Offa Me feat. Trek Life
Holla Hey
Boomshake
No One’s Home for the Holidays feat. Storm
For The City feat. Jin
Eyes Never Lie feat. Mary Jane
Work
The Good Stuff
Down to Ride feat. Black Silver
Make Ya Self
Smile feat. Ken Oak
Folk Music
All About Me feat. Mary Jane
A Moment with PK
Beautified feat. Tron
A.R.M. Interlude
Fuck The Robots
FM Outro
Western Remix
Bullfighter feat. Knowa Lazarus (Bonus Track)

Los Angeles Asian American hip-hop trio FAR EAST MOVEMENT (aka FM) featuring Kev Nishi (Kevin Nishimura), Prohgress (James Roh) and J-Splif (Jason Choung) has caught the attention of many people in the United States and Asia and now their 2006 album “Folk Music” has been released in Japan on Jan. 2008 by major label avex trax.

With a different name for the Japanese release, “Round Round” is nearly the same album as “Folk Music” with an extra bonus track titled “Bullfighter feat. Knowa Lazarus” and a few changes for the track title names.

The trio gained attention through their performances in Los Angeles and for producing the Koreatown hip hop show “Movementality” and discovered by International Club/Events promoter Carl Choi and within a few years, the group has had their music played on television shows such as “CSI” and on film for Justin Lin’s “Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift” (the track “Round and Round” was used in the film and video game) and “Finishing the Game”.

The album is well-produced, music with infectious grooves and catchy, energetic rhymes that I have to admit that for the many Asian American hip-hop albums I have received in nearly two decades, this album is probably right up there in my top 3. It’s that good!

For our readers not familiar with primarily Asian hip-hop, the best comparison I can give is probably the style of Verbal/m-flo. Catchy rhymes and that similar energetic feel.

The album also features a good number of collaborations with New York’s Jin and Knowa Lazarus, Los Angeles ala South Central’s Black Silver, Trek Life, cello rock’s Ken Oak (of the Ken Oak Band) and many others.

As far as the tracks go, you have their upbeat, energetic “Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift” track “Round Round”, a deep groove with “Get Offa Me” with a collaboration with Trek Life.

One of my favorite tracks is “Boomshake!”, especially for those that love to bump that bass in their vehicle.

A lot of the tracks showcase the energetic, upbeat and catchy side of FM but then you get tracks that feature different musical styles such as “Make Ya Self” and “Fuck the Robots” featuring a churning electric guitar with a beat, “Smile” with a collaboration with cello rock meister Ken Oak gives the music an overall airy, heavenly feel also combining with a cool beat.

The CD insert booklet features the lyrics in Japanese and English and a Japanese forword from Focus Kyogyou’s D-ST.ENT.

FAR EAST MOVEMENT’s “Round Round” (or “Folk Music” if you are planning to buy the US release) is a well-balanced, catchy and energetic album featuring cool music and energetic atmosphere created by the trio.

It’s great to hear the group has traveled to China and Singapore and with the release in Japan, I wouldn’t be surprised if they managed to get things going crazy over there, and with this being an avex trax release, possibly distribution all over Asia.

The group has worked long and hard on focusing on their music, getting their music out to the masses and shedding the “Asian American” hip-hop group and just being known worldwide as a hip-hop group just doing well and making a name for themselves.

It’s all good and this album is just all out fun to listen to. Definitely check them out!