I’ve gotta’ be honest, readers, sleight routines set to music are a really hard sell for me these days. They just seem really dated, and not in a cool, Steve Cohen golden age kind of way. Like in that kind of 80’s, crushed-velvet lounge kind of way. I mean, yeah, if you’re Shin Lim, go nuts, but even he ventures dangerously close to cheese territory sometimes. Also leave Hans Zimmer alone, his music is meant for epic space operas, not your plate spinning routine.

So when I realized South Korean magician, Jeki Yoo’s, recent appearance on Steve involved not just a musical routine, but one involving a Rubik’s cube (don’t get me started), my heart sank. But my obnoxious cynicism was ill placed, because as you can tell from the video above, Yoo’s routine was really good. 

Yoo discovered magic after the tragic death of his mother in 2002, and by late 2006, he’d already taken first place at The Busan International Magic Festival. Since then he’s been racking up international awards like a mad man, including an IBM close-up magic award. He also holds a Guinness World Record for quick changing. He managed to change into eight outfits in just 30 seconds. For reference, it took me a minute-and-a-half to put my shoes on this morning. He came to mainstream attention after he reached the judge cuts of America’s Got Talent season 12, and has been doing his thing around the world ever since. 

Here is Yoo’s official site, and you can also follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and … wait for it… YooTube.

I’ll get my coat.