MOOII (무이) - Red Pill (레드필)
Chosen by: Jess Howell
The term “Red Pill” doesn’t normally evoke a crunchy riff frosted over a smooth bass line, but 2026 continues to surprise me. The dissonance between the two is especially prominent in a song that tackles coming to terms with our grim reality and promptly freezing in your tracks. How much can the world mean if you’re the only one who chooses to stay behind? This track weaves itself around both sides of the field, drowning out a voice that’s desperate to be heard.
Kyul - Dead Man
Chosen by Marie Joncquez (@mariejoncquez)
When does a cotton-soft mist become a threat? With its washes of reverb and its singer’s tender voice, this song has the softness of a dream, as is often the case with Kyul. Yet it tells of the brutality of a breakup, when precious moments turn into memories that the melody slowly unravels, trailing off into slightly dissonant closing notes that die away in the distance. A sad, moving song.
Tetrapod - Tired
Chosen by Christian 이수 Mata (@chris_isu_m)
Being tired is easy to relate to, but Tetrapod is probably fed up with that too. The track begins with a bike ride as lead singer Yang Gang mocks us for liking sad things (“Who who who doesn’t like sad endings? So do you”). But mopiness is a crowded room, so Tired is quick to jump into a peppy pop-punk sound. The song feels like running through the streets with your friends after the longest week until you are tumbling over and hollering at nothing. It’s got a catchy refrain call-and-response as it flies through the 2-minute runtime. They manage to squeeze in a guitar solo as they go a mile a minute, but this is mostly a song for the bar crowds to shout.
Parannoul - Firebreak
Chosen by Ethan Kim (@count.kim)
Parannoul’s new EP, Single Mind Worst Thought, carries a quiet intensity. Firebreak stands out for its brisk tempo and faint glimmer of brightness, bringing impassioned playing and a lyrical atmosphere together within a finely shaped structure. His vocals add an elusive quality to the mix, as a vivid panorama unfolds over the track’s four and a half minutes.
Taehun Lee - Smear
Chosen by Jamie Finn (@jamiefinn2209)
Is there anyone in music today who’s a more versatile or accomplished player than Taehun Lee? Whether it’s the jazz funk of Cadejo, the weirdo rock of Hellivision, the soulful pop of Bekhyunjin, or his folkier solo work, the man just has juicy tunes for days. Halloween season must have got to him, cause Smear has a vaguely spooky, unsettling vibe in amongst the raw, minimalist emotion. Bit like Pink Moon-era Nick Drake. Smear is the opening track of his excellent (and predictably unwieldy) new album, In Passing.
BAEK SANGHA - White Flag Blue Flag
Chosen by Jamie Finn (@jamiefinn2209)
Beep beep boop boop. This dead fun electro-pop song comes from BAEK SANGHA’s aptly titled new EP, Playground. It’s fun of other dead fun electro-pop songs and even some dead fun hip-hop songs. Each track is themed around a different game, but the playfulness stretches beyond the album’s lyrics - the whole approach and style is about being fun.
Quri - dark chocolate
Chosen by Ethan Kim (@count.kim)
dark chocolate, from Quri’s first full-length album, has an intriguing bittersweetness. Dreamlike synthesiser textures and a chord progression that lingers in the mind lend the track its charm, while fresh vocals and a naturally flowing arrangement give it a fuller sense of life. Exploring an increasingly varied emotional palette, Quri is poised to grow further as a solo artist.
xiihu - submissive & breedable
Chosen by Christian 이수 Mata (@chris_isu_m)
Xiihu’s WHOREMONES is so provocative and audacious on the surface, but it’s easy to see how her work examines the complications of sexuality and relationships. The overt sexualised titles are campy, but she’s talking about loneliness and feelings as much as she’s talking about intimacy. submissive & breedable is a rowdy club track where xiihu asserts her agency by inviting domination. The track has a nice boom for the verses, but the refrain and chorus have punchy noise elements and a pulsing tempo. The music matches this nighttime prowl with some discordant pitched voices and bells. She paints vivid imagery throughout the song, starting concrete (pink mouth, collarbone) before switching to a digital space ( italic sign, algorithm angel). The most insightful lyric “I own the word, not the name/Play the role, break the frame” shows the levels of power in her fantasy: she has true control in defining herself and role, however the other person treats her is part of the larger play/game. But yes, the song also has moaning and says breedable a lot; probably wear headphones.
Sanmanhan - Pestilence
Chosen by Christian 이수 Mata (@chris_isu_m)
It’s arresting. Pestilence starts with a sole voice in an empty room; then, as the orchestra begins to punctuate, the feelings swell, and it turns into both a fanfare and a procession. A warning, a sickness filling the streets, and all the singer can do is cry out that there’s a plague. It’s such a moving piece with theatrics and flair. The video has some imagery of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave; maybe the plague of the song is dishonesty and the media. Such a beautiful, sombre track that sounds far away on its own musically.
4shyrd - bling bling
Chosen by Ethan Kim (@count.kim)
4shyrd’s latest EP is a headlong rush of hyperpop. My pick is bling bling, a track whose sharply defined synths and catchy sound immediately draw the listener in. At around two minutes, it shares the brevity of the EP’s other tracks, yet feels remarkably colourful, as though they have packed everything they want to express into that short span. Nothing feels awkward or overcomplicated: it all comes tumbling out, yet flows with striking ease.
Chorok Sum - Can I Meet You In The Morning
Chosen by Jamie Finn (@jamiefinn2209)
The kind of folky, soft-jazz-inspired pastel pop that Chorok Sum make is a common sound in Korea, but on that few artists manage to do as well as this duo. Maybe it’s the psychedelic-tinged guitar from Shin Yoolchun or the delicately wispy vocals of Jang Jaewon - or, more likely, the surprising chemistry between the two.
Danpyunsun & The Moments Ensemble - Whiteout or Astigmatism
Chosen by Jamie Finn (@jamiefinn2209)
Danpyunsun & The Moments Ensemble’s longish-awaited second album was released last month and, as expected, it’s a gloriously weird jazz pop theatre piece. Standout track, Whiteout or Astigmatism, is, as far as I can tell, about someone going to buy some glasses only to find out that their new glasses have made things more blurry. After returning to the store, the optician tells me the glasses are fine, and the blurriness is a result of astigmatism and the heavy snowfall outside. It starts with a softer, bosanova style but eventually builds into a cacophonous din of improvised instrumentation and muddled voices before landing on an epic, powerful ending.
IZOKO - Blue Dawn
Chosen by Ethan Kim (@count.kim)
Rooted in hardcore and noise, IZOKO’s UNHAPPY stands out for its fiercely raw yet deeply sincere cries. Each track has a character of its own, but my pick is Blue Dawn. Their voice seems to blur boundaries amid an unrelenting torrent of beats and noise. Drawing on the intensity of hardcore to lay bare their story without embellishment, the track is undoubtedly one of the album’s highlights. This year has brought so many excellent hardcore albums, and it was a pleasure to hear another compelling release in October.
Lilyeatmachine - First Aid Book for Angels
Chosen by Christian 이수 Mata (@chris_isu_m)
The fluid of pain is boiling throughout First Aid Book for Angels. It’s a powerful song about mental health and medication, expressed rawly with emo and post-punk leanings. Getting better is hard, and so is separating a person from their diagnosis. It’s not anger, but a kind of desperation that is palpable in the vocals; he’s pleading, bargaining with a friend to get better (“There are definitely good things in this world/You have to wake up, don't forget”). Some people mask it well. Sometimes the only sign is a room unkempt with dishes piled up. One of the final lines, “Let's try to hold on to the names of those who are already dead, so they won't fly away”, highlights the lasting part of grief. It’s hard to let go, even if we imagine them as angels flying away. It can feel like a losing battle, but the titular first aid book could be to help angels save people, but also to treat wounded angels; we have to take care of each other.
Yeaji - DDR
Chosen by Christian 이수 Mata (@chris_isu_m)
Who better to make an ode to a revolution through dance than the electronic dance queen herself. The song title refers to Dance Dance Revolution, a game where you step on arrows to dance along to a song and build up your score (like Pump It Pump/펌프 in Korea) . DDR is about the power of dance: it’s healing, it’s freeing. Built on finger snaps, booming rhythm and her ethereal voice sounds almost child-like as she calls out dance moves. As the track goes on more electronic elements get introduced until just after the 2 minute mark. The live bass provided by Rough Talker (Dong-geon from HYUKOH) absolutely dominates the second half of the song. The world can be dark, but dance is a haven. The beats are bumping and Yaeji commands us to dance.
CHICHIKAFO - Secret channel
Chosen by Ethan Kim (@count.kim)
I’ve been spending more time with CHICHIKAFO’s music lately, and this record feels like a clear expression of what she wants to create. There are charming, catchy tracks such as Puppy 4 Cats, but Secret channel is the one that most closely suits my taste. Its loop is immediately catchy, and while her vocals occasionally bring Ada Rook to mind, they retain a character entirely her own. That individuality is also one of the reasons I’m drawn to both her solo work and her band, Wife Material.