Colde and Khakii’s friendship runs deeper than music. Their journey together began with 'Bass' in 2019, but their roots stretch even further—both are artists under Colde’s label WAVY, a creative collective that has shaped Korea’s indie R&B and hip-hop landscape over the past few years.
Colde (Kim Hee-su), known for his lush, atmospheric sound, first emerged as one half of the duo Off On Off, before breaking out as a solo artist with standout records like Wave, Idealism, and Love Part 2. He’s built a name blending moody textures with intimate lyricism, and his role as WAVY’s founder has made him a mentor to rising talents.
Meanwhile, Khakii (Choi Hee-tae) is a rapper whose style favors introspection over braggadocio, has carved a distinct lane with projects like TIDE and Home. His flows are fluid, his beats understated, and his lyrics often unafraid to be vulnerable. Together, the two artists represent different wavelengths—but their synergy hits the same frequency.
The two are set to bring their chemistry to the 2025 Hyundai Card DaVinci MOTEL, a one-of-a-kind cultural festival happening from 19 to 21 September across multiple venues in Itaewon, Seoul. Inspired by both Leonardo da Vinci and retro Californian motor hotels, the festival blends creativity, intellect, and emotion. This year’s lineup spans 39 teams, featuring not just musicians like Colde and Khakii, but also designers, architects, scientists, comedians, and artists from across Korea and beyond. The three-day experience extends into street busking zones, over 40 local shops and restaurants, and includes live talks with Korean-English interpretation and YouTube livestreams, making it one of the most anticipated autumn events in Korea—with tickets having sold out on day one.
Ahead of their highly anticipated performance, we caught up with the duo to talk about friendship, underrated tracks, and what fans can expect from their set in Itaewon.
Colde, you recently teased a "new drop soon" on Instagram, and Khakii, you dropped the remix of ‘Parkour’ — what else have you two been working on lately?
Khakii: About that "new drop soon"… well, it’s not really my place to say much since I wasn’t involved in this one. What I can say is that I do have new releases coming up that I’m a part of —so stay tuned! And of course, I’ve already heard Colde’s new track, and it’s fire. Get ready!
Colde: I’m currently working on a new single! It’s full of energy and has a completely different mood and sound from what I’ve done before. I really hope you’ll love it.
Your collaboration goes way back to tracks like ‘Bass’ in 2019. How has your creative partnership evolved since then, and how might that show in this performance at DaVinci MOTEL?
Khakii: 'Bass'… wow, that feels like ages ago. Since then, we’ve stayed best friends, and also as CEO and artist, there’s never been a moment where I doubted the trust between us. Colde has always been my biggest source of strength and support in every project, and it’s a relationship I truly treasure—it’s built on both friendship and love. As for the stage, after all the tours we’ve done together, I think we can show you a chemistry that’s as tight as it gets.
Colde: We are both growing—we’ve been the closest friends and musical partners from the start! As our trust and love deepen, the energy that comes out through our music only gets bigger. Especially during our tours across Europe and South America, we had countless chances to talk about where we want to go next, and those moments gave me a strong sense of confidence about our direction!
Is there a song you’ve done together that feels underrated—one you wish more people noticed or appreciated?
Khakii: ‘Choices’ from my album TIDE. That track tells our story all the way back to our high school years.
Colde: Same for me—‘Choices’ is a must-listen.
If you could surprise the audience with a spontaneous collaboration during your DaVinci MOTEL set—with another artist (or even speaker) from the lineup—who would that be, and what would that moment look like?
Khakii: As someone who’s just stepped into his thirties, I’d love to stage a talk concert with writer Cho Seung-yeon—I’m a huge fan of him.
Colde: For me, it would be wave to earth.
No spoilers, but what’s one detail—maybe a lyric, a moment or a visual—you hope people hold on to after your set at DaVinci MOTEL?
Khakii: It’ll be my first time performing ‘Hotel’ live, and it’s one of those songs you really have to sing. I’m working hard to prepare for it, so I hope the audience takes away the atmosphere of that stage. The lyrics go: “Don’t let them enter in my hotel, a slow dance in step, the room is full of, a slow happiness flows.”
Colde: For me, it’ll be the first time performing ‘Juicy’ with Khakii on stage in Korea—so I’d definitely say our ‘Juicy’ performance.
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