The Turning Gate

The Korean soundWave, 1st Aside

I’m long overdue for a new posting on Korean music. I’m long overdue for a new posting on any subject. And here’s something I’ve been meaning to write since December. I swear, I’ll catch up one of these days …

In my three prior writings in my series The Korean soundWave, I touched upon Korean bands with the intention of introducing them to new listeners. The purpose of this article is not to introduce new bands, but to offer updates on several bands I’ve already introduced in parts one, two and three. After all, band’s wouldn’t last long if they never performed or released new albums, right?

As in my previous articles, this article contains some hangul characters, which will only be visible if your computer has Korean language support enabled. If you see boxes or gibberish, that’s just because Korean language support is disabled on your machine. In the interest of serving all readers and listeners, the MP3s accompanying this writing have been giving English-character filenames.

For anyone who hasn’t read through the preceding entries in this series, here they are:

And now, on with the show!

Bluedawn 푸른새벽

Bluedawn made a bittersweet return in December with the release of their new album, entitled 보옴이 오면, which roughly translates to If Spring Comes.

Bitter, because this is Bluedawn’s final album. Shortly after its release, Dawny and Ssoro decided to go their separate ways; Bluedawn is no more.

Sweet, because 보옴이 오면 is another unerringly beautiful triumph from Bluedawn.

On their self-titled debut and the follow-up EP Submarine Sickness / Waveless, Bluedawn offered songs of sparse instrumentation and incredible beauty. The songs on 보옴이 오면, however, are more atmosphereic and filled-out than anything the band has done in the past. Dawny’s dulcet vocals remain the centerpiece of each composition, but now meander through lush and verdant landscapes of sound in something that sounds as if it might be the lovechild of a union between Mazzy Star and My Bloody Valentine. And, for the record, that’s a good thing.

보옴이 오면 trumps everything the band has done in the past, and at least we can say they went out on a high note. And there is some hope for the future. Word from Pastel is that Dawny will be recording a solo album this summer. Until then, here’s something to hold you over.

Right-click to download 딩 (Ding), which isn’t a Korean word, but just the sound ding!

“Tabula Rasa” also makes an appearance on the album. Revisit The Korean soundWave, Part I to get your hands on it, if you haven’t already.

Casker

Casker’s given their website a new face in honor of their acclaimed third album, Between, proving once again that their online presence is every bit as stylish and cool as their music. Between has garnered excellent reviews, and with good cause as the musical duo of Lee, Yoong-jin (vocals) and Lee, Juno (producer, composer, arranger, computers, synth, samples, etc.) continue to evolve and reach new heights.

On Between, Casker moves further away from the full-out electronics and beats of Casker’s inception, and gravitates more towards the use of real instruments. The appearance of accordions, guitars and keys – to name but a few of the things you’ll hear – lend the album something of an old European flare … with electronica dance beats!

Right-click to download 가면 (Gamyeon, “Mask”) and 나비부인 (Nabi buin, which might be “Mrs. Butterfly”).

Jaurim 자우림

Now, much as I’d like to tell you it’s all sunshine and roses in new Korean music, it just isn’t so. In Ashes to Ashes, Korean alt-rock icons Jaurim have released the most disappointing album of their careers.

Ashes to Ashes is Jaurim’s sixth official studio album. Until now, Jaurim has made a good name for itself as South Korea’s premier rock outfit. In a country over-saturated with pop idols, Jaurim is one of the few honest-to-God rock bands that has managed to achieve mainstream success, and to have become a household name.

They’ve always rocked hard.

On Ashes to Ashes, however, they hardly rock. I’ve always been one for bands trying to branch out. I have the utmost respect for bands who continually push their own boundaries, who refuse to submit to the repetition of past successes like so much rain continually beating the earth until there’s naught but mud. And so, for attempting to do something new and different with their music, I applaud Jaurim.

Ashes to Ashes exchanges Jaurim’s face-melting guitar riffs for ambient electronics. The album is synth heavy, and if past albums could be compared to the Smashing Pumpkins, the new album might be comparable to Phil Collins (Jaurim even recorded a Phil Collins song for their last official release, the remake album 청춘예찬 (The Youth Admiration)).

Unfortunately, when I listen to Ashes to Ashes, the first descriptor that keeps coming to mind is sleeeepy. In attempting to be different, Jaurim has only succeeded in being boring.

The album’s best tracks, of which “You and Me” is one, stand out only because the album is so mediocre as a whole. Were you to mix the best two or three tracks from Ashes to Ashes into the track list of any other Jaurim album, you’d only find yourself poking holes into what had once been a perfectly sound canoe.

Being the fourth track on the album, by the time “You and Me” finally comes on, you’d likely be in such a tired stupor that you’d fail to notice it. Even the relatively decent songs on Ashes to Ashes tend to blend nondescriptly into the bad ones, and only emerge as individual songs after numerous repeat listenings. That given, you’re likely never to find those songs, because it’s not an album that encourages the repeat listening it takes to find them.

From a lesser band, Ashes to Ashes might be a passable album, though nothing you’d treasure. From Jaurim, it’s just sad.

Right-click to download You and Me.

Disappointment doesn’t end with Jaurim …

Loveholic

Less than a year after the release of their successful third studio album, Nice Dream, Loveholic unleashed Re-Wind, a remake album of mostly Korean pop songs.

To Korean listeners, it might be interesting to hear these new takes on familiar songs. But such nostalgia is lost on foreign listeners, who more than likely have never heard the originals. In theory, the album could have provided an interesting lesson in the history of Korean pop music. In execution, however, it just doesn’t pan out.

What we’re left with isn’t a terrible album, but an album that sounds terribly generic, front to back. Say it loud: GENERIC!! Spell it out: G-E-N-E-R-I-C.

I said “mostly Korean pop songs” because there’s one that isn’t: a cover of “Happy X-Mas (War Is Over)” that easily qualifies as one of the worst John Lennon covers of all time.

If you simply must have everything Loveholic, then by all means pick it up. The casual fan can likely do without this one, though. And if you’re only beginning to discover Loveholic, it’s best to begin with any album other than this one. Anyway, have a song. Have two!

Right-click to download 안녕하세요 (Anyeonghasayeo, “Hello”).

Right-click to download Happy X-Mas (War Is Over).

In other news …

Misty Blue is M.I.A. They’re contracted with Pastel Music for a second full-length album, but haven’t phoned in in ages. The going rumor is that the band may have broken up, though no one knows for sure.

Sol Flower has released a five-track single of new material, all of which is garbage. The nice things I said about 10 Million Ways to Live I think hold true, but none of it applies to her new recordings, which are generic Korean pop ballads devoid of value.

No news has surfaced regarding Earip or the new Sweater album that she hinted at in the Lunapark6 interview.

In March, I caught The Melody and Humming Urban Stereo in concert. The Melody was uber impressive live, and I have since befriended the band’s keyboardist/songwriter, Go-Eun. Humming Urban Stereo performed with Ye Jin, from Lucite Tokki on girl vocals. She sang on the album version of “Erotic Actress” and this was her first time performing live with the band. Unfortunately, their set got off to a slow start on account of Ye Jin having the stage persona of a singing rock; great voice, but no personality whatsoever. Humming main-man, Lee Jeereen, saved the show halfway through, though, when he emerged from behind his piano, rapping and dancing up a storm. He was way cooler than I’d ever imagined he could be. Here are a few photos from the show; I’ll try to post a gallery of shots sometime later.

The Melody:

Humming Urban Stereo:

Both bands will be playing again at the end of April, and I’ll be at both shows taking photographs.

April 27th, The Melody will be performing with Swan Dive, from America, at Apgujeong Club in Apgujeong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

April 28th, Humming Urban Stereo will be performing with YMCK (from Japan), also at Apgujeong Club. Click here for full details on both shows. You might need a Korean to translate.

Lucite Tokki will release their debut album on Pastel Music later this year. I have no idea what it will sound like, though I’m told they sound pretty, but also pretty depressing. From what I’ve seen of Ye Jin, that comes as no surprise.

If you’ve read this far, right-click to download Crave, by The Melody. If you like this song or either of the others I posted in my last article, please Buy the Album from YesAsia.com or, if you live in Seoul, at your nearest record store.

To buy any of these albums from overseas, search them out on YesAsia.com.

That wraps it up for now. Until next time, enjoy the music!

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