Expanding beyond his early incarnation as a hyperpop artist, Joey took on the name rouri404 and finally became himself. Following 2022’s striking GORE EP, rouri404 leans even harder into guitar-driven rock and emo, a showcase for his emerging talents as a lyricist, arranger and executive producer.  

He’s coherent and concise, inspired by the duality that comes with creating art in online spaces – how does one reconcile the unlimited capacity for self-expression with the unlimited capacity for self-invention? rouri404 sees artists like the prolific Bones and the perfectionist Daft Punk as his two guardian angels; “I’ve found myself struggling between being mysterious with perfect visuals and perfect aesthetics and the other side of, I want to get as much out as fast as possible.” Yet, as rouri404’s skills and stature escalate, the creative process remains true to his origins as a lost soul with a lifeline to his audience, representing for people like himself – the misunderstood teens, the budding lyricists stuck behind the cash register of a dead-end job, the overwhelmed music nerds searchinVideg for something permanent in a time where everything feels disposable.  

rouri404, releases his gritty new single, “shotgun carousel” on Red Bull Records. Following a year of head-rush hyperpop singles, he further explores the raw emotion and intensity of alternative and emo, incorporating a visceral screamo element influenced by formative bands like Bring Me The Horizon. “shotgun carousel” arrives with an official video that brings to life a cathartic release of pent-up emotions that’s both healing and haunting.