[EXCLUSIVE] The Rebirth of EL CAPITXN: Inside the Performance Comeback of One of K-pop's Most Celebrated Producers

Written By Christine Terrisse Photo Rebecca Rowe

Photo MIXTAPE 317 / Rebecca Rowe

Jang Yi-jeong has a lot to be proud of. Known as EL CAPITXN (pronounced el capi-tahn), at only 32, the multi-hyphenate producer, DJ, performer, and creative visionary has, over the past decade, built a reputation as one of South Korea’s most celebrated producers. His resumé reads like a “who’s who” list of legendary groups and leading soloists, as well as up-and-coming acts from Asia and beyond. From Epik High to IU, TXT to PLAVE, his contributions are prolific and varied. 

But something is missing. “Somewhere in here,” he says, indicating his heart, “It’s empty.” 

With the start of his first solo world tour, he’s hoping the empty feeling will cease. His “WHO KILLED EL?” world tour kicked off this past December with two dates in the Philippines. The North American leg of the tour begins with a performance at the historic El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles on March 3rd. 

Photo MIXTAPE 317 / Rebecca Rowe

A couple of days before the show, EL CAPITXN brings his electric blue Fender bass with him for a photoshoot and interview in the flower district in downtown L.A. Right outside the entryway to the studio is a storefront with funeral flower arrangements, some in the form of a red cross. 

It’s a fitting symbolism for the tour’s dark theme, crafted in a Gothic aesthetic. Bats and crosses abound. EL CAPITXN’s attire both on and offstage enhances the overall Prince of Darkness effect. Today, he greets us wearing flared black pants with pointed boots, his long black hair pulled up over chiseled cheekbones. Gold and diamond jewelry highlight his delicately tattooed hands. 

As a child growing up in Gyeongsang-do province, Jang Yi-jeong was nurtured by parents with artistic pursuits of their own. He learned to play piano from his grandmother before discovering a love of singing. 

Photo MIXTAPE 317 / Rebecca Rowe

“My first experience was in a choir,” he says, a black and white ball cap pulled down over his large brown eyes. “I was a soprano. My pitch was so high, out of all the girls, I was the only one [with a voice that high].” 

In 2013, he debuted as the youngest of the five-member group HISTORY under LOEN Entertainment, IU’s label.  As one of the main vocalists, EL CAPITXN helped define the group’s look and sound. He also moved well. “I’m good at dancing,” he recalls with a smile. Throughout his time with History, EL CAPITXN wrote music and kept track of creative ideas, not knowing how useful they would be later on. 

When HISTORY disbanded after seven years, he was reaching a crisis point. Mysteriously, he was losing control of his voice, not only as a singer but even while speaking. “At some point,” he said in a conversation with his friend and close collaborator Suga of BTS, “I wasn’t able to sing very well. I’d be singing songs that I always sang but, I couldn’t control my voice.” Visits to doctors proved confounding. They couldn’t figure out what was wrong. 

After sending a demo to SUGA, he was brought on as a producer to Big Hit Music (now HYBE). People sat up and took notice with his work on BTS’s special release “땡 (Ddaeng).” Soon, he was producing for artists outside of BTS and continued to work closely with SUGA on his solo projects under the “Agust D” alias. 

But as El CAPITXN’s reputation as a producer grew, so did a sense of emptiness. It grew even stronger once he emerged from behind-the-scenes in 2024 as a special guest DJ on the finale of SUGA’s first solo tour, “D-DAY.”  People, some whom had only seen his name credited on albums and songs were delighted to catch a glimpse of him, especially during an extended performance of “HUH?!” that became known as the “Shibal Remix”.

The appearance, although fun, brought up some heavy memories. “When I watched the Agust D show,” he confides, “I couldn’t focus on what I was doing because my friend was performing.” He wanted to be up there with him. “I had no choice,” he said. “I had to concentrate on what I was doing at the console. I just missed my memories.” 

Slowly, he began to make steps to return to performing. A couple of years ago, he formed his own production team and agency, VENDORS, in part to help breathe life into his solo performing career. He has never liked being alone and prefers to work with people he can connect with on a personal level, which he kept in mind when selecting team members for the company, including his younger sister Avery, whom he says is especially good as a lyricist. 

Photo MIXTAPE 317 / Rebecca Rowe

As he emerged from a producer-only role, even his body became an expression of his inner life. Tiny crosses dot his chest and neck, the body of his guitar, and on the posters for “WHO KILLED EL?” Upon closer inspection, what looks like a cross actually forms a “stake” shaped like a sword. “The stake symbolizes the execution of evil,” he says. “It represents a structure where salvation and execution coexist simultaneously.” Within his worldview, it “functions as a tool that pierces both light and darkness at once.” 

Photo MIXTAPE 317 / Rebecca Rowe

And the tiny bats that fleck his skin? Across cultures, bats hold various meanings, both positive and negative, but for EL CAPITXN the symbolism is specific to his journey. “The bat is a being that finds its way only after the light disappears…” he writes from his official Instagram account. 

The day after our interview, EL CAPITXN went into the recording studio with colleagues, where he continues to work on a yet-unamed solo album. He’s already teased certain tracks online and in livestreams. Guests to the show will be treated to full versions of selected tracks.

“Before, I just played other people's songs,” he points out. “But when I play other people’s songs, I can’t focus. So with this tour, I decided to play my own songs. What I made.” 

For now, the structure of the over-90-minute set strains the limits of a typical club DJ set. Combining live instrumentation, the setlist is carefully laid out to create a unified world. And like a play, he even created a program.

In a stark contrast to his “dark prince” exterior, he’s effusive with fans, interacting with them both during his set and in pre-show meet-and-greets. He kind of crowd-sourced a solo fandom name on livestream landing on the cute “El Dorphins,” a play on both his stage name, “endorphin,” and the dolphin. The dolphin, like the bat, he notes, also finds its way to others through echolocation, “hearing” through darkness or unseen depths. Having lost his fans once, he has found them again through music. 

When asked what he’s most afraid of at this stage of his life, he smiles at the irony. “The worst thing is that I have to show my entire life at the show. But I’m happy I can show my life. And what is he most proud of? “My pride is the only thing that I have. Now, I can restart everything in my mind. I never gave up performing.”

EL CAPITXN

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