KINIDA Showcases Musical Experimentation and Cultural Expression with Music Video “Muri Apa”

☆ By Lannan Ruiz ☆

 
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THE NEWEST EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC IN 2021 — “Muri Apa” a smooth, late-night song, created by KINIDA, New York’s newest experimental artist. In the song, she moves throughout her daily life exploring the duality in different aspects of life, representing dualism such as order and chaos, good and evil, and yin and yang, while also exploring cultural backgrounds and languages between Korean and English in hopes of fusing the two cultures to fully represent who she is. 

After recording for the first time three or four years ago, KINIDA started taking music seriously about a year and a half ago. Just before COVID-19 hit, she and other creatives shot her debut music video for “Muri Apa,” released this past February. Working with friends and producers Yo Fu and west1ne, KINIDA is able to connect with her friends while making powerful music.

Throughout the stages of her creative process, music has always been an interest. “The first time I was able to experience a recording and hear my voice back over the beat was a very interesting awakening for me,” she said. “I felt like I didn’t want to lose it — it was so intricate, and the music was an expression and a passion coming from deep within me.”

Her debut music video for the song draws inspiration from her first break up. She explained that it’s a feeling she had — like a major headache. “Muri Apa” — translating to “headache” in Korean — was a way of singing about confronting herself and about processing the relationship you are currently in that shouldn't be forced, but is.

“It’s almost like when you love something so much that you don’t wanna be around it sometimes,” she explained. “Kind of a push and pull relationship. I wanted to express that.” She continued, “I was saying, ‘Why are you lying to yourself? You know the truth, but you do the complete opposite.’ A never-ending dilemma. It felt like my head was blowing up and I had a nasty headache.”

KINIDA came into the music video with a vague idea, wanting to represent herself and her practices with Dakini, while also representing her Korean culture. Having so many ideas, she pitched her idea to her friend and creative director Patricia Gloum and the creative process took off.

Patricia Gloum is a part of Brawhaus, the video’s production company. They are a group of international women, based in New York and Paris whose goal is to adopt sustainable products by combining creativity and visual arts, according to its website. 

“Working with KINIDA was very organic,” Gloum said. “We are both passionate and determined individuals, so we would meet up, reach out to visual artists we would like to work with, and give each other tasks to accomplish. This whole project definitely felt like a good art piece to work on.”

Gloum’s favorite part of the video as the director was the repetition of KINIDA's face cruising in the car, both focused and unfocused; these shots perfectly capture the idea of abstract shapes alongside her face. Gloum explained that the director of photography for the video Frank Apollonio gets her experimental side well and nailed his visual work of KINIDA. The 3D digital element of the video was thanks to Carla Batley, the 3D world VFX artist for “Muri Apa.”

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After pitching the idea, KINIDA received a large amount of support from other creatives who wanted to help with her very first music video. The team had great balance because of all the different creative minds, and nothing would have been possible without the support of each and every one of them.

With intriguing experimental energy, KINIDA captivates her audience with her signature color red; the color serves as her good luck charm. “It gives a statement to me — it’s very bold and you can’t take the color back. It almost leaves a stain on everything,” she said. 

The video is a mix of high fashion, street, experimental art, and hidden messages. “It had the formula I live for,” Gloum said. Noting her amazing screen presence, “KINIDA knows how to look intriguing and worked her looks very carefully with her glam squad. She has very good taste, and surrounds herself with a strong pro team.”

Taking the team about a year to finish the project, the music video finished shooting just before COVID-19 hit. However, the extended time allowed the team to reflect on the video, which was very important. The team used hypnotic special effects to create KINIDA’s powerful energy and she said it gave them an opportunity to make everything that much better in terms of effects, editing, and promotion. 

As an independent artist, KINIDA doesn’t necessarily have all the money to pay everybody what their work is worth. “I feel like art has no price point behind it,” she added. “I know a lot of others are on the same page as me. Art before the money. I’m so fortunate to have those friends with me; it keeps us humble.”

As an experimental artist, music can mean anything to anyone. KINIDA doesn’t make art for others, but if people can relate, she hopes they take from it something personal to themselves. She wants people to listen to her music, but wants them to find their own meaning in the art. Everyone has their own take on life — that’s no different with music — and KINIDA expresses her emotions in her own way. The “Muri Apa” music video allows listeners to catch a glimpse into how KINIDA depicts her own music.

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And this is true for many of the tracks on her upcoming album. Although there is no set release date yet, KINIDA hopes late spring will be the ideal time for her debut album. She also wants to explore all types of music and create what comes naturally, without having a set genre. The tracks are mostly bilingual in English and Korean, however fans can expect there to be a collaboration in which a friend of KINIDA’s sings in Mandarin. No doubt, fans can expect the unexpected coming soon from the singer.

Beaming with excitement to show her experimental cinematic visuals and accompanying art with her music, KINIDA said there is going to be a lot more content relating to her music which she is super excited to show everyone. With this release and more, she wants creatives to know that her door is always open. 

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