Blues rock and hard rock are old music in these days. Only dads can endure that outdated guitar riffs and manly voice.
2017 was the year of neo-R&B/Soul explosion in South Korea. Rad Museum, offonoff, Rico, sAewoo in YUNHWAY, Minje, Ku One Chan, etc. Various new R&B/Soul artists with different sense have emerged.
Heize (헤이즈) is a Seoul-based R&B singer and rapper. The first time she got spotlight in South Korea was a 2015 hip-hop reality TV show, which run competition games between female rappers.
Seoul-based Aseul (아슬) is a new incarnation of Korean singer and producer Yukari. Known for a dreamy atmosphere of her songs, she now adds retro electro elements to her music on her splendid new album filled with “New Pop”.
In the Korean alphabet called Hangul, the word “Kieuk” (ㅋ) sounds like “K” in English. In Korea, “ㅋ” is used to express laughing sound, which is similar to English expression “LOL”. But it implies wide variation and context of laughter, from happiness to sneering.
Minimalism is a weird thing. Tone-downed sounds and silence playing the lead role make the music calm and gentle. But sometimes, that kind of calmness can shake feelings of the listener more than a magnificent emotion-driven opus.
“When I pay overdue taxes and go back home / When I go to a hospital for my cough medicine / When I wash rice with cold water / When I see a flock of birds through the window – I’m thinking about you / I miss you / Everyday I feel this way.”
Saebyeok is a solo electronic pop musician. Downtempo-ed and ethereal atmosphere made by subtle synthesizers comes with her delicate, blue voice.
In the South Korean indie scene, excellent post-rock acts have always existed. Although it was only small amount of bands who played this kind of music, the pedigree of post-rock has never been cut off, fortunately.