New Music Friday - our picks of the top Korean tracks this week (Fri 02.14)
In the latest part of a series called “New Music Friday”, our writers will pick their favourite of all the recent singles coming out of the Korean indie music scene.
Japanese Breakfast - Mega Circuit
Chosen by Jamie Finn (@jamiefinn2209)
At this stage in her career, Japanese Breakfast can seem to do no wrong, producing an ever-expanding body of music that continues to defy genre. Her latest song, Mega Circuit, is an understated country-leaning folk song about the pitfalls of modern masculinity or the increasingly desperate attempts to cling on to a certain approximation of that. While the lyrics don’t specifically mention anyone, and I’d wager Japanese Breakfast isn’t trying to point a finger, it’s hard not to picture certain King Rat tech billionaires when listening. The thing is, though, while the lyrics are quite pointed, the soft tone of the delivery makes it seem sort of sympathetic. Like, as lost as these people are, they are part of a system that made them that way.
Fat Hamster & KANG New - The Satellites Looking Down on Us
Chosen by Connor Cass (@aminorcharacter)
Whenever Kang New puts their quick-witted pen to one of Fat Hamser’s colourful beats, you’re absolutely guaranteed gold. The Satellites Looking Down on Us, the frequent touring duo’s first full single together, is proof of their shared power and chemistry. It’s hypnotic from the jump, thanks to a lively synth groove and Kang New’s vivid chant illustrating a dystopian future. This entrancing quality pulls you along till Fat Hamster is given full reign to go full chaotic mastermind in the climax. He brings together a lively drone and pulverising drum kicks to send your head spinning in the best way possible. The Satellites Looking Down on Us is really a show of the distinctive highs only these two can achieve together.
화노 (Hwanho) - Run
Chosen by Jess Howell
Run is what I like to call a "big decision" song. Getting ready to finally start training for that marathon? How about convincing your friends and family to invest in your lucrative bottle-cap hedge fund? This song is perfectly disposed to back the accidental montages
that frame our streams of consciousness. Hwanho's melodic guitar is traversal. Faded vocals give a sense of distance as they transition to the next leg of the track. The audible engine rounds out with a groovy drum beat that chugs the song forward. Don't stop, straight, and overrun.
zoey - YOU DON'T (feat. Khundi Panda)
Chosen by Connor Cass (@aminorcharacter)
Zoey’s YOU DON’T is the kind of low-key and laid-back r&b perfectly suited to a nighttime stroll through Seoul’s suburban streets. The relatively simple instrumental is defined by glitchy rattles, relaxed drum taps and smooth bass. This means zoey has plenty of room to reflect in melancholic fashion. The repeated desperate quiver of “you don’t understand it” has a surprising heartbroken quality to it. Khundi Panda does very Khundi Panda things here, which lends the track a perfect amount of bite.
Samo Khiyota 사모 키요타 - 봄이여, 오라 ! SPRING IS HERE ! (THE SOUND OF YANCEY CLUB 2)
Chosen by Marie Joncquez (@mariejoncquez)
Your eyelids are heavy; sleep is taking over, and spring is here... Drift off and let yourself be carried away into a dreamlike world filled with softness, muffled or muted sounds, echoes of lost melodies, and the distant sound of waves fading away. Is it a flute, a chime, a voice? All these sounds, rhythms, and atmospheres blend into a vast sonic collage reminiscent of the best trip-hop from the 1990s (Jay-Jay Johanson, The Avalanches...). Against the backdrop of an exotic, languorous cha-cha-cha, everything merges into a nostalgic lounge mood, like a sweet, enveloping, everlasting dream.
Poser (포져군단) - 원폴겟하이온미
Chosen by Charity Lynn (@_charitylynn_)
Poser is a band meant for punk lovers like me. Their song 원폴겟하이온미 is high energy and puts you in a kick-ass mood. It almost feels like it should be the opening song for a Shonen Jump animation. It opens with punchy drums and a powerful guitar that build up into an explosive rhythm. The singer’s gruff voice had me hooked immediately and melds perfectly with this style of music. This song has the power to send an entire crowd into a frenzy.
MXNX SLXXP - Counting Days
Chosen by Mica (@mishckah)
Soft, haunting, melancholic—MXNX SLXXP crafts a soul-stirring melody that resonates deeply. The tempo of Counting Days is reminiscent of a slow, heavy heartbeat and dispels you into a floating abyss. The song draws me into a world where time seems to stand still in reflection with a mirror turned on me, staring back with the weighted moments of heartbreak. Each second feels like an eternity. The signature shoegaze elements only help with the melancholic atmosphere of this song, with distorted guitars and ethereal vocals weaving together to create a dreamy soundscape. For those seeking solace in sound during heartache, Counting Days offers a true soundtrack for you.
Wooze - 4 Lovely Children
Chosen by Jamie Finn (@jamiefinn2209)
How is it possible that this is the first Wooze album? I have Mandela Affected myself somewhere down the line into thinking I’ve heard at least two. Nevertheless, though, the debut full-length from Wooze is out, and it shows a band who knows exactly who they are. A weird art rock duo in the tradition of Sparks. But with belter riffs for days. 4 Lovely Children is Wooze being Wooze but if Wooze were also being a discooze Wooze.
Juju B. Goode (주주비굿) - Speed of Everything
Chosen by Cam (@bigbabyclam)
Disclosure: Speed of Everything was actually released as a single in September of last year, but with a video put out this week to coincide with the special edition release of Juju B. Goode's 2023 album Smile! You're On Camera.
For me, this song has everything. Stylistically, it's not afraid to mix genres or pretend to be something more complicated than it is. Emotionally, it captures that essentially human aspect of longing, in a positive light. Speed of Everything is confidently fun, a welcomed reminder to cherish our summers in the face of these brisk February mornings.
Park Jiha - Grounding
This ethereal, almost unsettling track comes from the latest album by composer Park Jiha called All Living Things. Her music incorporates ancient sounds into something new and unique, with a balance of historical reverence and improvisation. Grounding shines because of its hypnotic wash of sounds and a glistening Yanggeum performance.
라디오 939 (Radio939), Hakm - Go Stupid!
Chosen by Lim Seungjae (@HavveGo1ucky)
While I do like hip-hop, I wouldn’t consider myself to be a huge fan of the genre. And the fact that even someone like me found this new release from Radio939 and Hakm really unique and interesting should tell you how good it is. In fact, it even made me dig deeper into the history of the two artists.
Turns out Radio939 is not the rookie I thought he was – he’s been releasing full-length albums since 2020, but his fresh album HEADBUTTERS comes after a whole three years of hiatus. Hakm, who started his musical career at 27 in 2022 (all thanks to his YouTuber friend ‘Hiphop Peddler’), co-wrote and co-produced all the tracks in the album with Radio939.
The music video combines this track with Ugly – tracks 1 and 10 of the new album, respectively – and it is a real treat with visually mesmerizing cinematography. Go Stupid!, and HEADBUTTERS, as a whole, make me wish for more frequent future releases from the duo.
Soop - Weird Step
Chosen by Jamie Finn (@jamiefinn2209)
Electronic musician Soop is an artist that is really hard to pin down. Despite perhaps being best known for pounding techno work, even the most cursory of glances into her work shows that this is an artist not interested in genre labels. The latest track, Weird Step, is a tender, almost infantile-sounding track, with its plonky toy piano sound. But it’s got depth and feeling for days.
Ghost Bookstore (유령서점)- 바보
Chosen by Charity Lynn (@_charitylynn_)
Rising stars Ghost Bookstore have released yet another ghostly hit. 바보 is a genre blend of shoegaze and emo elements complimented by reverberating vocals and dreamy instrumentals. It starts out with a rhythmic guitar that guides you into a growing crescendo, which then dwindles down once more. The bass is particularly present and enhances the moody vibe. The lyrics are an amusing introspection of self-criticism, and there is a sense of solace in the fact that many of us have experienced a similar feeling.
Balming Tiger - Wash Away
Chosen by Charity Lynn (@_charitylynn_)
Something about this is giving me OutKast vibes. Or at least “featuring Andre 300” vibes. It’s not a terrible comparison to make to Balming Tiger more generally. Both the eccentric outsiders who took their respective worlds by the gullet. This is a punchy one, though. With its bright guitars, Wash Away is a certified guarantee to be a live slapathon.