Just in case you missed it - here's a HUGE article on Far East Movement from the LA Times:
The director of "Better Luck Tomorrow," the 2002 independent film that helped redefine racial paradigms of Asian Americans in popular culture, Lin sees the Far East Movement as kindred spirits of sorts. Yet he stressed that their success owes only to their creative abilities.Read it in full down at the LAT.
"Talent and hard work always transcend race," said Lin, who was born in Taipei but grew up in Orange County. "It was and will always be about the music and its connection with the audience." [...]
"They've built their brand from the ground up," Jin said. "From Day One, they've always been about good music that appeals to all walks of life. They're not intentionally setting out to redefine the role of Asians or break stereotypes, they just do it by virtue of being good artists."
The independent release last year of the band's sophomore effort, "Animal," which featured "Girls on the Dance Floor," further elevated Far East Movement's profile. Produced by the Stereotypes, the single, a pulsing house track, augurs a return to hip-hop's disco roots and places it squarely within the contemporary zeitgeist of dance floor-focused rap, a genre that Choi calls "hiptronica." The pop shift positioned the group well for mass appeal. Martin Kierszenbaum, head of A&R at Interscope and the chairman of Cherrytree Records, the Interscope subsidiary that recently signed FM, sees the group as a part of the continuum of his imprint's progressive pop stars, including Lady Gaga, Feist and Flipsyde.
"Pop isn't supposed to be a dirty word; it's a craft and an art form, and FM are pushing the envelope of pop music within the hip-hop tradition," said Kierszenbaum, who plans to release FM's major-label debut next year. "Their 'hiptronica' sound is exciting and new, and they're great songwriters. They represent the future kind of kid, one that's more inclusive, who lives on the Internet. I think they have huge global potential."
