Shin Hae Gyeong (신해경)

Currently in South Korea, Shin Hae Gyeong (신해경) is becoming an indie/shoegaze phenomenon.

A lot of music fans are fascinated by his mellow guitar melodies (with some noise though) and soothing lyrics. Dream pop enthusiasts have already welcomed this new young artist long time ago.

But the delicate orbit he created in his first EP, “My Reversible Reaction” (나의 가역반응), was not only spotted by them alone but also rotates around whole Korean indie scene.

This kind of situation is quite exciting considering that Shin Hae Gyeong comes from nowhere. Before “My Reversible Reaction”, he released five singles under “The Mirror” (더 미러) moniker from 2014 to 2016.

His former name “The Mirror” quoted the Korean avant-garde poet Yi Sang, and in the name of first EP he also cited Yi Sang’s poem. The Mirror’s music was more straightforward and electronic-based than his current music.

That’s all known about Shin Hae Gyeong, or “revealed about” him after the rave hit of “My Reversible Reaction”. Indie electronic label Young, Gifted & Wack (which also collaborated with Room306) released the EP, and this is the first guitar-driven record in this label’s history.

Dream pop/shoegaze with introverted and soft sensitivity have always captivated bedroom dwellers. Shin Hae Gyeong is an emerging example of a musician of that kind. But he differentiates himself with song structures which have a unique “kick”, such as the keen guitar stroke in chorus of “Everything To Me”, and a “rocking” riff in the middle of first track “Ennui”.

Maybe that’s what people really enjoy in Shin Hae Gyeong’s music, what is different from other “dreamy” dream pop.

Stream “My Reversible Reaction” EP on Bandcamp and YouTube.

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Shin Hae Gyeong on Facebook, Soundcloud.

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