Yabujin
Yabujin | |
|---|---|
 Official logo associated with Yabujin | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | DJ GYROTTA ZAO, ligonis24, Y A B H I E L, LAMIANAGA |
| Born | Rokas Tarulis April 24, 1999 Visaginas, Lithuania |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2015–present |
| Label | Dismiss Yourself |
Rokas Tarulis (born April 24, 1999), known professionally as Yabujin or DJ Gyrotta Zao (stylized in uppercase), is a Lithuanian rapper and record producer. He is considered a "mysterious" influential figure in the 2020s underground rap scene with releases that span genres such as cloud rap, hexD, and jumpstyle.
Early life
[edit]Rokas Tarulis was born on April 24, 1999, in Visaginas, Lithuania.[citation needed]
Career
[edit]Tarulis rose to prominence online in the 2020s, blending styles such as rap, electronic, and jumpstyle.[1] He has released jumpstyle tracks under the alias DJ Gyrotta Zao.[1] Writing for Pitchfork, music journalist Kieran Press-Reynolds noted that in Tarulis' album covers and videos "bizarre figures stretch and elongate, their voices muffled and mangled; images superimpose like poorly designed clickbait; the text is foreign and stuffed with symbols."[1] The "Yabujin masterdoc" is a list which catalogues Tarulis' work.[3]
According to Press-Reynolds, Tarulis is a "mysterious" artist who has released material under several aliases across many different accounts and names, often deleting them or disappearing for long periods.[4][1][3] Press-Reynolds described Tarulis as "underground ephemera",[5] and believed that he had never done an interview, only released one piece of merchandise, and never performed live.[1][4] The Internet music archivist "Music Place" featured Tarulis' song 'gnom.mp3' under the alias Λąųmę§ğęƴđžįąɲţ on their SoundCloud account.[6]
Musical style and artistry
[edit]Press-Reynolds stated that Tarulis' work is influenced by the "decayed glimmer" of the Internet rap collective Reptilian Club Boyz along with the "waterlogged pixels" of producer $ludgehammer.[1] His songs have been compared to Bladee and SpaceGhostPurrp.[1] Press-Reynolds cited the song "CHALICE OF MIND" as "most intoxicating" while also citing songs such as "SECRET GROTTOES" and "FLASH DESIRE".[1] They[a] have also noted Tarulis as concerned with "North Korean aesthetics" and associated with the Internet music microgenre hexD.[2]
Azeroy
[edit]Tarulis' work is connected to a fictional world of symbols, characters, and stories he refers to as "Azeroy".[1] Press-Reynolds noted that fans "compared Yabujin's work to an 'ARG,' or alternate reality game, because there's so much to get invested in".[1][4] Tarulis' visual aesthetic for his Azeroy series is, according to Press-Reynolds, inspired by Web 2.0 era iconography, such as the use of "144p quality Unregistered HyperCam footage".[1] Tarulis also developed a cryptic language, numbers such as 1616 translate to evil, 8888 to good.[1] Fans have interpreted Azeroy as an allegory for North Korea.[1]
Influence
[edit]According to Press-Reynolds, artists such as 2hollis and Ken Carson have been influenced by Yabujin.[1] English rapper EsDeeKid was cited by British magazine I-D as listening to Yabujin's songs.[7]
Additionally, Tarulis' jumpstyle songs under the alias DJ GYROTTA ZAO spawned a "TikTok genre" referred to as "Yabujin-core".[1] British magazine Dazed noted the style as "Yabujin jumpstyle", defined as "a niche internet movement", adding that "the yabujin community thrives on platforms like TikTok and Discord, offering a virtual space for fans of hardstyle music".[8]
Russian music producer Dayerteq has cited Yabujin as an influence.[1]
Discography
[edit]Mixtapes
[edit]| Title | Mixtape details |
|---|---|
| Flash Desire |
|
| ? ? ? ? |
|
EPs
[edit]| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Fezome |
|
| She Likes Swords and Doing Drugs 1 |
|
| Baroque |
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| Swords |
|
| Claws |
|
| Flash Desire |
|
| Laumių Dovanos |
|
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Press-Reynolds, Kieran (February 19, 2025). "Chasing Yabujin, the Artist Who Secretly Shaped the Underground Sound of the 2020s". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- 1 2 Press-Reynolds, Kieran (May 27, 2022). "How the cult of Drain Gang rose from meme to myth". No Bells. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- 1 2 Press-Reynolds, Kieran (July 31, 2025). "How to Dig for Music Without Spotify". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- 1 2 3 Greer, Collin (September 26, 2023). "The Curious World of Yabujin". lincolnlionsroar.com.
- ↑ Press-Reynolds, Kieran (October 24, 2025). "Can TikTok Brainrot Make You a Marxist?". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- ↑ Press-Reynolds, Kieran (July 23, 2025). "Meet the Most Cracked Music Archivist Online". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- ↑ Zamiri, Aidan (March 4, 2026). "EsDeeKid i-D Magazine Cover". I-D. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- ↑ Matalqa, Noura (March 16, 2025). "Beyond Borders: Reimagining flags in the digital age". Dazed MENA. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
External links
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