Gowe Unleashes Game-Inspired Music Video Aurora

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHElkK59BwI

Seattle, WA – New year, new music, new Gowe. After his popular hits with I Wonder and Star In My Eyes, Gowe responds back to his critics with Aurora, a 16-bit tribute music video that freely displays the diversity of Gowe's true talents and portrays his musical journey thus far. Well-known for his intricate rhymes and lyrical hip-hop, fans have much to look out for in Aurora with all the references and homages paid in it.

During 2011, Gowe released Star in My Eyes after receiving much demand to make the Kollaboration Seattle promotional track into a full-length song. His hesitance at first with recording a more "pop" sounding track instead of his normal jazz hip-hop genre was met with an overwhelming response in both immense support from new fans as well as criticism from his old followers for becoming too "mainstream."

In Aurora, Gowe describes the battles in his musical journey as an independent artist against his harsh critics. Gowe's character fights against a masked villain and his minions, representing Gowe's struggle against the system and the conformity of mainstream entertainment. The damsel-in-distress symbolizes freedom and the independent underground which in the end, comes back to aid him in the final battle to destroy the system once and for all.

Visual motifs in the animation echo Gowe's search for identity. Cantonese dialogue is juxtaposed with Korean, reflecting Gowe's epiphany of his Korean heritage and adoption into a Chinese family, first revealed in a previous work I Wonder. What he knows of the world is turned upside-down and obliterated completely, but only to hasten the discovery of new and vast horizons. The music video alludes to many areas valued by Gowe, including Seattle and his love for wrestling. The animation pays homage to both new and old video games of the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, classic arcades, 90's cartoons, and Japanese anime.

Aurora is produced by Trebles & Blues, using a sample from Ronald Jenkees' Throwing Fire. The music video is produced, directed, and animated by Kenson Lee, taking 9 months to design and draw the pixel art from scratch. It takes a healthy dose of inspiration from Scott Pilgrim animator Paul Robertson, and includes cameos from internet artist Vinnie Veritas, as well as artist Simon "Snake" Anderson creator of the indie game Owlboy.

With already over 70,000 views within its first week of release, Aurora is sure to be another great hit for Gowe.

About Gowe
Known for his intricate rhymes and lyrical hip-hop, Gowe (Gifted On West East) is a hip-hop artist from Seattle who strives to bring something new to the table. Gowe believes that music is a great medium that can connect people of all different backgrounds and beliefs. He is not afraid to push the boundaries of hip-hop while remaining true to his lyrical complexity and staying true to himself as a person.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TeamGowe
Twitter: www.twitter.com/GoweHipHop
YouTube: www.youtube.com/giftedonwesteast

About Kenson Lee
Kenson Lee is a local Seattle artist who moved to Los Angeles recently to pursue film and entertainment. He currently works with his friends at Wong Fu Productions, a YouTube channel. His goal is to contribute to building the Chinese community and to help empower Asians in American media and entertainment.

Website: www.rikognition.com

Rikognition is the cumulative music, graphic, and motion work of Kenson Lee, an artist currently based in Los Angeles, California. He works with several YouTube artists and is actively involved in the APA community. For more information, visit www.rikognition.com.