1300 Release New Single "clear out the room" Ahead of Debut Album "ILLSAMGONGGONG"

Korean-Australian alternative hip-hop group 1300 have released their new single clear out the room, their first drop under Universal Music Korea (UMK), and a track that arrives with the kind of force that makes its title feel literal rather than symbolic.

The group, made up of DALI, Goyo, and Rako on vocals alongside producers Nerdie and Pokari, has built their identity on high-intensity, genre-blurring hip-hop that pulls from electronic music, experimental rap and a mix of Korean and Australian influences. clear out the room pushes that formula further, stripping away any sense of restraint in favour of something louder, heavier and more direct.

From the opening moments, the track is built to dominate space. The production is dense and aggressive, driven by distorted low-end pressure, sharp percussion and a restless pace that never really settles. Instead of leaning into polish or radio-ready structure, the song thrives in controlled chaos. Every element feels slightly overdriven, as if it is designed to spill beyond the edges of the mix.

Vocally, 1300 match that energy with performances that shift between clipped precision and full-throttle delivery. There is a clear sense of intent behind every verse and ad-lib, less concerned with subtlety than impact. The group have described the track as a declaration that they are back to kill the stage on a global scale, and that attitude runs through the entire record. It does not ask for attention so much as take it.

What stands out most about clear out the room is how physical it feels. Even without visuals, it is easy to imagine the track in a live setting, where 1300 has already built a reputation for chaotic, high-energy performances. That reputation is not accidental. The group have spent the past few years developing a stage presence that matches the intensity of their recordings, including two sold-out Australian tours and a global reach boosted by their appearance on the 2025 ABC New Year’s Eve broadcast, which reached hundreds of millions of viewers.

The single also marks a moment of transition. Their signing to UMK, announced shortly before the release, places them within a larger international framework, but clear out the room does not feel like a polished introduction to a new market. Instead, it feels like a statement of refusal to dilute what already exists. If anything, the track leans harder into their identity than previous releases, not softer.

There is a visual component to the release that reinforces this. The self-directed music video focuses on performance rather than narrative, with tightly framed shots, rapid cuts and an emphasis on movement and presence. It mirrors the structure of the track itself, favouring impact over explanation. The group occupy the frame with a kind of controlled aggression that feels central to their appeal, while also highlighting the blend of Korean cultural identity and Australian underground influence that runs through their work.

Although the focus here is firmly on clear out the room, it also sits in the context of their upcoming debut album ILLSAMGONGGONG, due in July. Rather than signalling a shift in direction, the single feels like an escalation of what 1300 have been building towards since their earliest releases. Their catalogue has consistently moved between experimentation and intensity, but this track pushes further into outright confrontation.

At its core, clear out the room is about presence. It is about volume, space, and the refusal to be ignored. 1300 do not present themselves here as emerging artists testing ideas, but as a group already fully formed in their approach, tightening their sound rather than discovering it.

If this single is any indication of what is coming next, ILLSAMGONGGONG will not ease listeners in. It will likely arrive with the same sense of urgency, scale and controlled chaos that defines clear out the room. For now, though, the message is already clear enough. The room is not being asked for. It is being taken.