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
Rokas Tarulis was born on April 24, 1999, in Visaginas, Lithuania.
Career
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
According to music journalist Kieran Press-Reynolds, writing for Pitchfork, 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
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
According to Pitchfork, 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
Mixtapes
| Title | Mixtape details |
|---|---|
| Flash Desire |
|
| ? ? ? ? |
|
EPs
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Fezome |
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| She Likes Swords and Doing Drugs 1 |
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| Baroque |
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| Swords |
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| Claws |
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| Flash Desire |
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| Laumių Dovanos |
|
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Press-Reynolds, Kieran (February 19, 2025). "Chasing Yabujin, the Artist Who Secretly Shaped the Underground Sound of the 2020s". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- ^ a b Press-Reynolds, Kieran (May 27, 2022). "How the cult of Drain Gang rose from meme to myth". No Bells. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- ^ a b Press-Reynolds, Kieran (July 31, 2025). "How to Dig for Music Without Spotify". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
- ^ a b c 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.