contributing writer drowningn00b reviews Brian Joo’s “Reborn Part. 1″

Since his last release, ‘Unveiled’, Brian Joo’s career has changed in many ways. He embarked on a US club tour (read more about it here), expanded his English language material with new duets and reworked hits, and starred in a leading role in the Korean production of ‘RENT’. With all this work between releases, the k-pop landscape has meanwhile been changing. Popular music styles have changed. Themes once in vogue are now passé, and overall music production is louder — much louder. For ‘ReBorn Part 1’, Joo has taken these cues, thrown them in with a roster of talented artists and created an enjoyable k-pop EP.

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There are two standout tracks on this mini: “Can’t Stop” and “너 따윈 버리고[Let This Die]”. In the former, Brian teams up with singer Jay Park, with hip-hop sensation, Beenzino, rapping in the Korean version, and Dumbfoundead rapping in the English one. Brian and Jay hit it out of the park on this one, sounding great together on the shout-along hook and adding the necessary attitude for a party song with the banter in between verses. The beats rise and fall at the right moments (though an effect or two could’ve been removed throughout the song for a tighter, less cluttered, track). The English lyrics lack creativity, but that’s part of the territory when it comes to translating pop songs (Chocolat’s ever-present momma in their English version of “I Like It”, for example).

“Let This Die” feat. Tiger JK

“Can’t Stop” is fun, energetic, and re-establishes Brian Joo’s status as a dance-pop artist in the k-idol space. For his lead single, “Let This Die” is a bombastic, mid-tempo piano ballad with the R&B style common to Brian’s musical style. Joo’s experience on stage shows, with a level of control and talent that one could only glimpse at in his previous material. The production is dramatic, with a hard drum beat and a stuttering piano loop that intensifies the drama of the break up. Tiger JK’s contributing piece make this already-good track that much better. Tiger JK’s delivery accentuates the emotion in the song, and Flowsik from AZIATIX is right there on the English version. As busy as the track gets, and how clear Brian Joo comes through amid the noise, it’s sad to say that the rappers get drowned out near the end of their parts. The background vocals come in too early and are too loud, which is a bigger problem for Flowsik, whose volume is lower than Tiger JK’s. I would’ve liked a climax with more punch, but “Let This Die” is a solid track for a returning pop artist.

“Can’t Stop”

Both “Can’t Stop” and “Let This Die” share vocal and production layers that in someone else’s hands would have been a disaster. I’ve harped on the drowning of leading vocals by overzealous producers, but Joo’s production team makes that balance work on “Let This Die” and “Can’t Stop” (with exception mentioned above). This isn’t anything new, since ‘Unveiled’ did this before. The difference is Brian’s vocal delivery. In ReBorn’s two new tracks (or four, counting the translations), Mr. Joo reigns in his voice, opting for falsettos and a deeper register in the lead single and “Can’t Stop”, respectively. The effect is pure pop, with less emphasis on the vocals and more on the overall impact of the balance between the music and vocals. This absence is remedied later, but I would’ve liked to see more from the vocalist than the pop star.

For the good of these two tracks, the title of the record is misleading, considering what else is here. “Don’t Tell Me I’m Wrong” was first released in 2010, “Domino (acoustic ver.)” came out a few months after the release of ‘Unveiled’, and the other three tracks are translations and an instrumental. For an EP titled ‘ReBorn’, there isn’t enough new material to judge the accuracy of the title. Sure, there are k-pop records with names that don’t pertain to anything within the tracks (i.e. MBLAQ’s ‘100% vers’), however, ‘ReBorn’ suggests a new direction, a re-introduction of the Brian Joo experience from his time away. Even since his time onstage for ‘RENT’, this record would have benefitted from a musical-influenced pop track, or a full-voiced ballad like “Domino” taken in a “new” direction.

Overall, ‘ReBorn’ needed more new material than its present packaging to fully realize the intention of its concept rather than feeling like a bloated single.

Brian Joo’s ‘ReBorn Part 1’ has gems in “Can’t Stop” and “Let This Die”. I would love to see Brian Joo and Jay Park perform their track on-stage. However, there should’ve been more to this mini than what was here. Two unique Korean tracks do not necessarily make for a well-rounded mini, let alone one that purports a new beginning. Let’s hope ‘ReBorn Part 2’ fulfills that promise. For now, I’m glad Brian Joo is back and taking chances with his approach to pop.

support the artist, buy the music: iTunes

stay in touch with Brian Joo –
website: http://www.brianjoomusic.com/
twitter: @brianjoomuzik
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/brianjoomuzik

I didn’t realize they were actually popular (and still alive, for that matter) until they started snagging a shit-storm of awards for best rookie group of 2011. Then I kind of had to start paying them attention because they were likely here to stay. And stay they have, because the ladies are back this week with their latest single, “Hit U“.

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Musically, Dal Shabet are another run of the mill girl group that hasn’t exactly broken new ground on the K-pop front. They have, however, maintained a strong sense of self, which I guess counts for something. So far, Dal Shabet’s singles have captured a ooey-gooey sweetness that once plagued the scene in 2010, and while I can’t say that you’ll find me vibing to their music (yet), I certainly cannot deny the fact that there is a certain “charm” to their flavor of hyper, electro-pop.

Cutesy pop music exists because a lot of people enjoy the shit out of it and carries with it a very vibrant character that, while not necessarily catering to everybody, definitely caters to a ginormous chunk of people who indulge themselves in Asian pop music (and pop music, in general).

As much as the best of us would rather cutesy music die and burn in the pits of fucking hell, it’s an “art form” that will always exist in one form or another because the music industry needs it. The music industry needs to be pulled in every which way – be it toward cutesy, angsty, or hood (wha-what) – because this way it won’t remain stinky-stagnant and monochromatic forever.

Besides, it’s not like it has to suck big, hairy balls, and something tells me Dal Shabet have at least attempted to interpret cute, electro-pop in a way that isn’t entirely unforgivable. For instance, one of their hit singles, “Pink Rocket“, was extremely chirpy and colorful, but I have to admit that it didn’t necessarily annoy me. In fact, it was kind of…hypnotizing? It had a great beat and interesting melodies, things that carried through into their later music. (“Pink Rocket” Music Video)

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By now, it pretty much goes without saying that Dal Shabet are really driving the ‘cute’ and ‘girly’ style home. How out of character was it then when they came back this month with “Hit U,” a song that is the exact opposite of everything I’ve come to describe of Dal Shabet? A part of me would have preferred these ladies to continue experimenting with different degrees of electronic influences in their cute style, so I can’t say that I’m too thrilled to see yet another K-pop group go bi-polar on dat ass.

*Sigh*

“Hit U” is not strong. It wants to be, but it doesn’t quite get there. “Hit U” sounded promising in the teaser, but listening to it now, there’s definitely not enough of a structural development for it to stick. Dal Shabet were inclined to feature some interesting electronic beats and nuances in their frillier tunes, but here, those details are completely lost. It’s as if Dal Shabet literally traded in their rosy costumes for tight-ass black shit and called it a day. Uh, no ma’am. It may seem easy to go emo all of a sudden, but it’s way more difficult when one has to be “dark” and also bust out music that resonates true to one’s musical identity in the process.

In almost every medium – film, literature, music, and art – going “dark” (conceptually) seems to be automatically perceived as something good. Like, “Omo, look at poor noona, she’s sad and angsty! Oh, this is so deep!“. In many ways, yes, expressing a “darker” side is refreshing. But is it really always a good thing? Well, I don’t think so, especially when it just doesn’t make sense to go so dark and to such extremes as K-pop seems to in their concepts. We’re all human and we’re all capable of feeling like shit and some of us even feel like beating people up because they make us feel like shit (cue “Hit U”), but for “going dark” to translate well into a visual and audible experience, all the correct elements have to be there or else the interpretation will be futile. I think it was this exact measure of how dark to go that screwed Dal Shabet in the ass because what they have presented with “Hit U” is not genuine or good. It’s a cheap, lifeless and, above all else, a very emotionally deprived “dark” idea that was fucked from the start.

It doesn’t even matter if Dal Shabet can sing well (which we’re not even getting into) or if the beat of the song is catchy. “Hit U” doesn’t correlate with who Dal Shabet are as a girl group. It doesn’t have the spunk or appeal that was present in their previous singles, and most importantly, Dal Shabet had no business going dark. It’s as simple as that. Aside from the fact that they’re just following the same, tired K-pop habits, this whole concept was very poorly executed in my opinion. Their company went into this thinking that if Dal Shabet go dark, we’re suddenly going to think they’re good, but no, that’s not true. It actually very rarely works in K-pop now and that’s just a fucking shame.

The bottom line is that Dal Shabet need to go back to being overtly cute as fuck because they actually had that shit on lock. For real.

via Asian Junkie

support the artist, buy the music: Melon

This week, Cube Entertainment‘s golden child, BEAST, dropped their latest digital single, “I Knew It“. The release is right on the heels of BEAST’s upcoming world tour, “Beautiful Show,” which is set to hit cities all across the map (Seoul, Germany, Shanghai, Singapore, Japan & Taiwan have been confirmed, with concerts in the USA, Canada, and several other countries likely to be added to the list).

“I Knew It” was released to accompany and/or kick off BEAST’s 2012 worldly activities, a huge feat for the boy band, as they’re only a couple years old. In their short amount of time in the spotlight, BEAST has (un)officially become one of the most successful boy bands of this generation, and they will most likely be making a big name for themselves for the rest of the decade if they play their cards right

While I can’t say they were the shit to begin with, Cube has quickly learned how to market BEAST, identifying the specific musical styles that work best for their talents as individuals and as a unit. Basically, Cube has taken a bunch of misfits and bound them by their fortes to create one glossy gem, and to ensure their success, Cube has provided top-quality production value in one promo after another.

We can all agree that BEAST’s music career started off pretty terribly (“Bad Girl” anybody?), but over time they’ve managed to lose a lot of the novelty in their songs and find a middle ground between the grungy-ness of the likes of “Shock” and the more R&B inclined singles like “On Rainy Days“.

This middle ground has come to suit them very well, launching amazing bodies of work a la BEAST’s 2011 album, “Fiction & Fact“, which has been hailed as their best and highest quality work to date. And since this album is the vessel on which they’re riding out into the world, it was only natural for BEAST’s latest digital release to echo the feelings of their 2011 material, because what else are they going to work with? They’re certainly not going to drop a crazy-ass title track until they’re at least officially back, so I kindaknew this wasn’t going to be that much of a showstopper. And it isn’t, but by no means is it bad.

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“I Knew It” is an R&B ballad very similar in structure and tone to 2011′s “On Rainy Days.” It could have easily been a lose limb on BEAST’s “Fiction & Fact,” like a bonus song or something. It’s even incredibly angsty and sort of creepy:

“Can I see your phone for a sec? I just need to check something… / When did you change your password? And why is your recent call list empty? / You foolishly erased it all, huh? Ha…you’re cute, babe. / You’re acting really strange, just tell me the truth. I’m starting to get a little mad.“

Aside from the obsessive boyfriend story, what catches my interest about this song are all the sweet transitions, especially right at the pre-chorus/chorus intersection. Hyunseung and Yoseob, whose voices work really great together, do a nice job of handing each other the vocal intensity and the melody of the song. “I Knew It” is pretty soft-spoken as a whole, but when it gets big, BEAST manage to bring out all the “I think my girlfriend is fucking another guy” vibes really well.

What I find to be slightly out of place, though, is the rap. It’s like the producers couldn’t figure out exactly where to place it so they opted to disperse it all over the place instead. Sometimes it works, sometimes it’s just there, filling up dead space, to which I say – bust out a proper middle eight and to hell with a rap section, you lazy fucks!

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All in all, “I Knew It” is definitely a grower. It continues the exact style we heard from BEAST during their “Fiction & Fact” days, which is a style that I’m completely comfortable hearing them in. It’s not exactly telling of what we can expect in 2012 or where they’re headed to next, but the effort is there regardless. The song is really well executed and it’s not going to feel intrusive at all among the rest of BEAST’s tour set-list when they debut it to the world. Rather, it figures to act as a part of the clan more than anything, which I think is its original purpose anyway.

via Asian Junkie

support the artist, buy the music: Daum

B2M Entertainment recently released a couple videos of their latest rookie group, SPICA, covering 90′s R&B princess Brandy‘s “Right Here” as well as Destiny’s Child‘s “Stand Up For Love.” Simply listening to their single, “Potently,” I can already tell these gems have the pipes to tear Kpop a new one. After watching these videos, I’m positive it’ll happen this year.

All I have to say is excellent taste, ladies. I can not wait for your official debut stage.

All my classical enthusiasts, take a stand because legendary Korean quartet, Ensemble DITTO, has released a sexy/eerie teaser for their 2012 concert season, “White Night.”

Each year, Ensemble DITTO – a seasonal ensemble that features new and reoccurring members – designates a certain “theme” to each year’s music festivals. I’m not entirely certain where in (and out of) Korea they’ll be playing this year, nor the songs they’ll be playing, but check out their recent teaser below to catch a snippet of their amazing talent:

To those unfamiliar with Ensemble DITTO, here are a couple of stunning clips of one of their most popular members, violist Richard Youngjae O’Neill:

working the viola like a boss

And, of course, these masterful performances of Ensemble DITTO:

And just for kicks, here’s an MV and an old interview with the guys:

credit: credia.tv
stay in touch with Ensemble DITTO -
website: dittofest
twitter: @ensembleDITTO
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ensembleditto

Just reblogging this (via Asian Junkie) because it’s Dong Woon…yeah, that’s all I got:

*FAP FAP FAP*

*HHHNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG*

Someone give me an ocean to fill my jizz.

…the fuck?

Aside from the fact that TEEN TOP are obviously under the influence and have probably downed a bag of shrooms with ten Rockstars a piece — dude, their precision is mind blowing! O_O

“LICKY LICKY LICKY – LICKY LICKY!“

Before anything – happy Lunar New Year, Neighbors! That’s right – McRoth’s Residence has its very own “fanclub” now. What do you guys think of the name? If you think you have a better one, please tweet me @rothsresidence with any thrilling suggestions you may have in mind. For now, you’re my effing Neighbors.

Anyway, we kick off this week with a new name around this neck of the woods. Introducing rockstress, Navid! She’s not actually ‘new’-new, as she’s been rocking out since 2009, but since I’m not aware of EVERY artist on the face of the earth, and because it wasn’t until today that I came to appreciate her latest single album, “The Bridge Of Color,” we’ll go ahead and give her the introductory treatment.

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Navid epitomizes the Korean indie artist, in that she’s more than just a pretty performer. Navid, like many indie gems, is a singer-songwriter and fine arts student who also contributes her writing to a Korean newspaper. On top of that, Navid is also an artist! As in, she draws and stuff, and pretty flippin’ well too (click here to see her artwork on Facebook, which she used on her 2010 album).

“Goodbye” MV: Lead Single

Navid is an alternative-rock princess. Her music is generally emotive and melodic, mostly comprised of soft guitar riffs and broad phrases. Listening to her music, Navid reminds me a lot of Dear Cloud, except Navid is less inclined to hit you over the head with extremely deep and dark overcasts. Her latest single album, “The Bridge of Color,” captures an array of these emotions and “colors”, transitioning quite flawlessly from bright and optimistic moods, to more melancholic and darker tonalities.

The album only has three tracks – “Goodbye,” “눈물이 내 앞을 가린다,” and “떠들어대지 마” – but the way Navid filed them together is making someone like me (who is anal about track lists and things) jump for joy.

The album opens with the light-hearted lead single, “Goodbye.” It’s a very chill and refreshing single, in that indie-rock kind of way. Navid’s angelic voice works really well with all the lovely acoustics and layered choruses prancing in the background. But what really stands about this, as well as the rest of these songs are the strong, powerful melodies. Sometimes a big voice isn’t nearly enough to compel any sort of emotional response by an audience in the same way that a weak voice doesn’t possess a semblance of weight without a good vessel to carry it through a song. I.E, a good melody, and Navid’s music is in many ways perfectly melodious to emphasize all the best bits of her voice and the band that is strumming away behind her.

“눈물이 내 앞을 가린다”

One of my favorite phases in this awfully short collection of songs is the last track of the three, “떠들어대지 마.” I don’t know if it’s because I’m into extremely angsty ballads or what, but Navid absolutely thrashed me with this one. “떠들어대지 마” is a magisterially powerful wave of emotion and brutality, brought on by a girl ready to slap the living crap out of the next guy put in her presence. I can’t find the full lyrics to this, so I can’t entirely comprehend why the hell she’s so pissed off, but either way, I really love what she’s done here.

The composition is equally masterful. Its increase in intensity is right in line with Navid’s vocal lead, which reaches a beautiful and just as powerful orchestrated climax right at the middle eight that just screams “epic.” It just explodes, and it’s been an incredibly long time since I’ve been able to say that about a Korean song. I’ve missed these kinds of pieces that throw all emotion and musicality wherewithal at you without a drop of remorse. It’s a gripping song that takes you on an amazing emotional journey from beginning to end, and I can’t help but applaud Navid and, by extension, the Korean indie music scene once more for delivering such a moving piece of work.

Navid definitely leaves a strong impression in “The Bridge of Color.” Each song speaks in different tones but they come together under one marvelous voice. Navid’s melodies are strong and they pierce right through the soul.

“떠들어대지 마”

I don’t know about you, but I’m really hoping to hear more of Navid this year, because she’s definitely bringing a powerful voice to female vocalists in the Korean music industry, on top of the fact that she’s an immense talent and a force to be reckoned with.

stay in touch with Navid -
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lovenavid
Twitter: @Love_Navid

support the artist, buy the music: Daum Mnet

Being the science student that I am, of course I had my ardent doubts regarding the end of the world in 2012. Well, fuck that shit, because THE WORLD IS FUCKING ENDING! As many of you may already know, I am not a huge fan of SNSD. There are only two reasons I watch SNSD performances: 1) to see Jessica fuck up (so I can laugh at her) and 2) to see Seohyun do her thang.

Why Seohyun? Well, because Seohyun is fucking awesome: she is the most underrated singer in the group (way better than fucking Jessica, and, at this point, better than Taeyeon), and she has a look in her eyes when she performs that just screams “SHOOT ME NOW!” She is one angsty bitch, and I love her for it.

Anyway, let’s get back to talking about the end of the world. Recently, Seohyun and her crew performed at the “2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Concert (Don’t ask, because I have no fucking idea).” Check it out (the actual performance starts at 1:00):

No words can express the shock that I feel right now. Dean? Sam? Please show the good people how I’m feeling:

So, as the old saying goes: “You know the world is ending when Seohyun fucks up.” Seohyun fucked up. The world is really ending. It was nice knowing you guys. We should just elect Ron Paul as President for shits and giggles.

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In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil fan-girl shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship KPOP’s might,
Beware my power… The troll is right!

In short, Monotoi is a group of musicians that create modern, classically composed music. Not to be confused with the classic definition of a band, with a drum set, guitars and something extra on the side; this one has a bare bones orchestra, with a string section, a xylophone, a piano, a woodwind section (which includes a flute), sans a brass section, and the music they’ve created for ‘Gloomy Cat’ is full of imagination and wunderlust, akin to a classic Disney animated movie (not the current CGI movies, but the older, hand-drawn stuff). Like a score to a movie, ‘Gloomy Cat’ is devoid of vocals of any sort. What is here, however, are segments within songs that feel like singing. For example, in “Puzzle of Life”, where you expect a singer to start, a clarinet is heard, then a violin comes in, and the pattern continues. Each instrument brings in a new tone and character to the song that couldn’t be achieved with percussions alone, like lyrics to a song. That’s one of the beauties in ‘Gloomy Cat’, in that it takes classical instruments and creates music in the pop music structure of verse, chorus and bridge.

Where Monotoi gets creative is in the imagery and imagination their music invokes. Song “Lazy Street” is anything but a leisurely stroll. It begins casual enough, with a clarinet/violin/piano interplay, then swells and proceeds to thunderous feelings with a tympani (did I not mention there was a tympani?), and somehow ends relaxed and hopeful, though at a different place than the beginning. The following track, “Delete”, also plays on that interplay, with a piano/violin duet that has both sets battle for which can play the loudest. For childlike expressions, the title track and “Merry Christmas” use high notes and a faster tempo to create a mischievous and joyful atmosphere, respectively. For something more somber, “Cloud Sea” lulls you with long notes and shimmery arrangements that make, in total, a lush and serene lullaby. ‘Gloomy Cat’, as a whole, is a record full of these moments of wonder, something I’m grateful to hear in music, regardless of origin.

For a Korean musical group that I’ve never heard, and I’ll take a guess that neither have you, Monotoi blew me away. A very clear concept throughout the record, individual tracks that surpass anything I’ve heard of in terms of production and arrangement, and then some, and the ability to do all of that without a single lyric, astounds me. I only wish I had discovered it before the “best of…” season last December.

support the artist, buy the music: YesAsia

Empress Seo Hyun looking flawless as fuck.

That is all.

p.s: I’m fucking stoked to hear the full version of the song playing in the background of the first vid.

To feed today’s optimism, I give you Baby Soul & Yoo Jia‘s “She’s A Flirt“. A spawn of Woollim Entertainment (home of boy band INFINITE), this rookie duo recently dropped their first single together, following Baby Soul’s sudden solo debut in November of last year. I’m not sure why Woollim decided to shoot the shit and throw out this duo after a short-lived solo season for Baby Soul or if they had this whole thing planned and she just happened to function as a tease for the group. Either way, I’m glad Woollim kept their word and debuted a female anything. They hit it out of the park with INFINITE, so hopes are currently set at a near high for Baby Soul & Yoo Jia. If their debut single, “She’s A Flirt”, proves anything, it’s that these sweethearts are talented and well aware of where they fit in Kpop.

“She’s A Flirt” is a relaxing slice of k-R&B. Baby Soul & Yoo Jia take a very mellowed approach to this number, singing in very light strokes while narrating a story where they have found out their boyfriends have cheated on ‘em with a fu*king skank, basically.

“They say that you are cheating on me / You, who said that you couldn’t live without me / Rumors of her are so unbelievable – they are too dirty to say // She’s a flirt, why don’t you know? She has so many guys…”

Baby Soul and Yoo Jia’s vocals are velvety smooth here, blended quite nicely during the choruses and delivered in calm tones during the verses. The instrumental has a soothing character of its own, chiming in every so often with sparkly little nuances and enhancing what I feel to be an overly warm atmosphere. The track features INFINITE rapper Dongwoo who does a nice job of delivering a simple rap verse that isn’t overbearing, neither understated. It works as a calm transition to the song’s final chorus. The only piece of this song that threw me off was the random auto-tune bit at the end. I’m not entirely sure what that’s doing there. But other than that, this song is laid-back and captures that ‘calm before the storm’ sensation that lovers face before realizing that their relationship with their significant other is on the brink of collapse.

“She’s A Flirt” MV: lesbian overtones, anyone?