'Deuce' Returns with Limited Edition LP "The Sky Is Open to Us"

'30th Anniversary Debut' Deux, Active Collaboration Promotions in Distribution
Debuted in 1993, Hits like 'Nareul Dorabwa' and 'Yeoreum Aneseo'
Gaining New Popularity with Trendy Music and Fashion

"The sky is open towards us ~" "Look back at me, you, though I am not in your heart~" "Who am I ~ and where is this place"

This is part of the lyrics from a song by 'DEUX', a duo active in the 1990s. DEUX has recently been receiving renewed attention as they celebrate their 30th debut anniversary, actively promoting in the distribution market. For the millennial generation (born in the 1980s), it evokes nostalgia, while for the MZ generation (born in the 1990s), the familiar melody feels new. Experts have evaluated DEUX as having established themselves as a kind of cultural icon.

DEUX was a hip-hop duo consisting of the late Kim Sung-jae and Lee Hyun-do. They had been friends since high school, debuted in 1993, and disbanded in 1995. Despite their brief recording career, they produced hit songs such as "Look Back at Me," "In the Summer," and "We," attracting numerous fans and influencing domestic producers and hip-hop musicians.

Lee Hyun-do handled vocals and rap and wrote, composed, and arranged most of their songs. Their music was based on various genres such as Black music New Jack Swing, hip-hop, jazz, funk, and R&B. Additionally, Lee Hyun-do personally designed and styled loose hip-hop pants and stylish printed T-shirts, leading to the coining of the term "DEUX fashion" at the time. As a hip-hop artist, he also acted as a fashion trendsetter. After the group's disbandment, Lee Hyun-do worked as a producer on albums for many artists including Shinhwa, Epik High, Rain, Roolla, Kim Jin-pyo, and Wheesung. He also appeared as an early judge on Mnet's "Show Me The Money," paving the way for audition programs targeting rappers.

1993 debut album cover of Deux. The tracks include the title song "Look Back at Me," "I Knew It," "My Foolish Story," "Every Day Always Forever," and "In the World... You Are." Photo by Deux Official Website Capture

In the fashion and distribution industries, various promotions are underway with DEUX, who dominated an era and are celebrating their 30th debut anniversary. According to the music industry, Beyond Music, a company specializing in music IP investment and management, is conducting DEUX's 30th anniversary project together with the fashion platform Musinsa. They plan to produce LPs of DEUX's first album "Deux" and second album "Deuxism" and release them in May. Also, on the 2nd, "Thisisneverthat Records" and "Daytona Records" released a digital single of DEUX. The digital single is titled "Hip-Hop Spirit 2023," remade by Lee Hyun-do along with Jupiter, 365Lit, Toigo, and Paloalto.

Earlier in March, the action sports and lifestyle brand Vans presented a footwear collection themed around DEUX. Lee Hyun-do, who led the project, said, "Vans is a brand that Sung-jae first introduced to me when we skated during our school days, so this collaboration is even more meaningful and nostalgic. I am very satisfied that this collection balances Vans' originality and DEUX's identity. Surely, Sung-jae would be pleased as well," expressing his thoughts.

Kim Sungjae Photo Collection. Photo by An Graphics

Also, the design-specialized publishing company Angraphics published a photo book of Kim Sung-jae on April 18, coinciding with the late Kim Sung-jae's birthday, to mark DEUX's 30th anniversary. Photographer Ahn Sung-jin participated in completing this book, which selected 138 photos out of 6,000 taken of Kim Sung-jae, who passed away at the age of 23 the day after his first solo winter stage. The photo book includes images from his farewell concert where he wore clothes he personally designed, offering a comprehensive view of the three years Kim Sung-jae appeared before the public, along with previously unknown everyday moments.

Despite 30 years since their debut, the reason DEUX continues to be sought after in the distribution market is believed to be the unique culture they showed at the time. Park Hyung-min (39), who said he enjoyed DEUX's music in the 1990s, stated, "DEUX had great music, but their fashion was amazing. The combination of sophisticated fashion and hip-hop music, which was shocking at the time, seems to have made them very popular."

Among the MZ generation, DEUX's song "In the Summer" is often mentioned. "In the Summer" was remade in July 2020 on MBC's "Hangout with Yoo" by Yoo Jae-suk, Lee Hyori, and Rain (Jung Ji-hoon). Choi, a mid-20s office worker, said, "I heard the song on 'Hangout with Yoo' and really liked it." He added, "I also listened to the original, which is good. The atmosphere back then was nice, and I enjoy listening to it in summer."

"In the Summer" is the title track of DEUX's 2.5th album released in September 1994. Even after nearly 30 years since its release, it remains one of the first songs that come to mind when thinking of summer. Many junior artists such as girl group Girls' Generation, solo singer Seo Yeon, Oh My Girl's Hyojung, Paul Kim, and SES's Bada have remade it.

Photo by MBC, screenshot from the YouTube video 'How Do You Play?'

This song is also famous for being written and composed by Lee Hyun-do in just 10 minutes. At the time, DEUX was traveling between provinces for schedules, and Lee Hyun-do was inspired to create the song after falling asleep during the trip and waking up to see the sea before him at the Gyeongpodae event. The song is also known to be Lee Hyun-do's favorite, partly because of the music video filled with memories of his longtime friend and DEUX member, the late Kim Sung-jae. After DEUX disbanded, Kim Sung-jae had a successful solo debut stage with the song "If I Were to Say" on November 19, 1995. However, on the morning of the 20th, around 7 a.m., he was found dead in a hotel annex room in Hong Eun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, shocking fans greatly.

Kim Do-heon, a popular music critic, defined DEUX as a cultural icon. Kim said, "DEUX is actively collaborating with distribution companies such as Musinsa and Vans to celebrate their 30th anniversary. They are consumed not only musically but also culturally." He added, "DEUX was a group that led 90s culture. The fact that their image is still considered innovative means their influence and status in the Korean popular music scene are rising." Regarding listening to DEUX's songs among the MZ generation, he said, "It can be interpreted as a cultural symbol with its own style, beyond just a retro trend."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.