Korean rock anthem specialists YB are collaborating with Risque Rhythm Machine, a DJ trio based in Seoul, on an experimental album to pay tribute to Russian rock legend, Victor Tsoi.

One of the tracks the two acts will cover is a classic Russian rock anthem made famous in the '80s and again recently through the video game Grand Theft Auto IV.

Originally performed by Russian band Kino -- fronted by Victor Tsoi, a rocker born to a Korean father and Russian mother -- the track “Blood Type” will be a contemporary re-interpretation of the song by the two groups which will be sung in Russian.

Mashing hard-hitting riffs with funked-up breakbeats, “YB vs RRM” is a radical departure from YB’s traditional sound as two of their songs in the upcoming release “Stay Alive,” and “A Flying Butterfly” are performed in English.

The bonus track “Blood Type” is a revered rock classic in Russia and YB figurehead Yoon Do-hyun said he was deeply motivated to stay true to Tsoi’s inspirational spirit.

“Language is just a tool for communication and in order to reach out to wider audience around the world, we have produced many of our songs in English,” Yoon explained.

“But with 'Blood Type' it was different because despite being unfamiliar with the Russian language, out of respect for his pioneering legacy, I wanted to learn the language in order to sing in his original tongue.”

Even today Tsoi’s devoted fans across the nations of the former Soviet Union regard the Leningrad native as one of the pioneers of Russian rock.

Music critics have noted that few musicians in the relatively short history of the genre in Russia have had more impact than Tsoi and his band.

Tsoi died of age 28 in a car accident just outside the small town of Tukums, Latvia in 1990, after wrapping up a recording for his band’s final album.

On YB’s commitment to expand into the North American market, Bernie Cho, the president of DFSB Kollective -- a creative agency specializing in digital music distribution and promotion --said, “Considering YB has toured Europe and America extensively over the years, it didn’t come as a surprise they would want to launch their latest tracks worldwide.”

Last year the band performed at the Vans Warped Tour -- a summer rock festival held at different venues across the United States -- and has been trying to break into the North American market.

As part of the band’s efforts to connect directly with their overseas fans, YB will unveil their new music videos via the band’s official YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/YBrocks) over the next 2 weeks.

Tracks from the “YB vs RRM” collaboration are available on iTunes Music Stores worldwide.

By Song Woong-ki (kws@heraldcorp.com)