Soobin Choi is not a musician.
He just happens to be the best friend of one -- Beomgyu Choi, lead guitarist of underground punk band Waeng. Together with his bassist Shelly and drummer Kai, Beomgyu and Waeng are playing at NeoNara, the hottest summe...
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When I first meet King Solomon, it's under the shade of the NeoNara Artists Refreshment Tent. I had gone looking for an ice cream cone and had run into an unassuming person in an orange sweater. You would never have known that he was an artist just from appearances. Perhaps even the great Daniel Choi can be proven wrong every once in a while.
See, if you're like me, chances are you haven't even heard of King Solomon. You probably think I'm talking about some figure from the Bible, but I'm not. What appears on the surface as an unassuming Asian kid in a blue baseball hat is really, honestly, one of the most underrated acts I have come across at this festival. He was so underrated that he performed at the very first timeslot of the weekend: at noon on a Friday. Nevertheless, King Solomon (real name Terry Rhodes, from Albany, New York) has already left his mark on NeoNara.
DC: So what possessed you to take the noon timeslot on a Friday? Because our readers are going to know.
KS: Well, that wasn't the brightest decision I've ever made, was it? But in reality: I chose it for my friends. I know I'm not a popular artist yet, and the only people who were going to come out and support me were all of my friends from school. I just graduated from North Rensselaer High School, which -- yeah, it's not too far away from where NeoNara is being held. But all of my friends graduated with me, and this was supposed to be our last hurrah before they all left for college.
DC: So was it your last hurrah?
KS: Not exactly. Both Russell Sage and RPI -- those are colleges near here -- they had their move in days this weekend. So nobody was out here to watch me perform. Not even my mom.
DC: And you still played?
KS: And I still played.
DC: That is the mark of a true performer. No matter who is watching, the show must go on. Tell us a little bit about how you got started.
KS: It really just started with our homecoming dance, actually. We didn't have a DJ planned, and so they needed someone to sit at the computer and play music. The list of approved music they had was from the 90's, so I connected the school computer to my hotspot and played YouTube videos the entire night. The whole school had a blast. And my friends were like, why don't you do this more often? So I did the same thing for the rest of the school dances that year, and then that summer, I got my first mixer. I didn't start arranging until this past year, though. All of my remixes are on SoundCloud.
DC: What equipment do you use?
KS: I have a pair of Pioneer CDJ-900 turntables. I used to use the DJM-400 mixer, but I just upgraded to the 750. As far as my software, I use Ableton to do my remixes. Pretty standard stuff.
DC: What is your favorite remix that you have done so far?
KS: I would have to say, one of my closest friends turned me on to the music of a rising K-Pop group called LvSeven. They're actually here at NeoNara this weekend, and I honestly think they could be the next big thing. And I don't even listen to K-Pop! You would think I would, but...anyway, I remixed their debut song, Firelight, and it's gotten the most traction so far. I also did a dubstep remix of Zedd's Clarity featuring Foxes.
DC: It sounds like you're really stepping up your game. I heard through the grapevine that NeoNara is your first ever show.
KS: It is. After this, I would love to do some more shows. But first things first: I need to get more remixes out there!
DC: Last question: where does the name King Solomon come from?
KS: It started as an inside joke, but it makes more sense now. The King Solomon in the Bible was not only wildly popular, but incredibly wise. And I think that you're making a wise decision if you choose to listen to King Solomon.
ABOUT SHAMPOO FAIRY
Hello, readers! My name's Daniel Choi, and if you're reading this, you're already my number one fan! Music is my LIFE, and instead of playing or singing, I bring you the HOTTEST music news within the five boroughs. I'm best known for my band interviews, which focus on the artists as people instead of all that other boring crap. (And if you're wondering about the blog name, it was a nickname I picked up in high school. Don't ask.) I currently live in the West Village in NYC, and I'm a senior at Baruch College -- feel free to say hi if you see me!
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