Seven Albums in One Day and the Music of Survival with OHDOHAHM
Seoul-based musician, OHDOHAHM, has accomplished something extraordinary: releasing seven full-length albums on the same day - the most released in one day by any Korean artist. This remarkable creative outpouring, however, has a complicated story.
ODOHAHM came to prominence with his previous band, Pavlov, who were known for their raucous mix of garage, indie, punk, and psychedelia as well as their uncompromising live shows. Now working solo under his own name, he's released seven albums in a single day spanning post-punk, new wave, darkwave, indie rock, French electronica, industrial music, and boom-bap hip-hop.
"It's more like a coincidence," he tells us, explaining how the project came about. "While I was playing the tracks currently included on OHDO FRENZY to Cho Hyu-il of The Black Skirts, he suggested, half-jokingly, 'Why don't you release about five albums all at once?'"
Despite being made in jest, the suggestion ignited something. "It was an incredibly exciting idea. I got so carried away by that excitement that I ended up making eight albums. Eight felt like too many, though so for now, I decided to release seven."
Behind this extraordinary burst of creativity lies a deeply personal story. For the past four years, OHDOHAHM has been a full-time caregiver for his wife, JOY CHOI, who suffers from an undisclosed chronic illness. This reality has fundamentally changed how he makes music.
"I am a musician, but due to my wife's illness, I have also been a full-time caregiver for the past four years," he shares. "Creating music while caregiving was very different from my previous working environment. At any moment, I may have to rush to the emergency room for her, so I learned how to work as quickly and efficiently as possible."
These lessons in efficiency led OHDOHAHM to some interesting innovations. "Instead of using an audio interface, I sometimes recorded vocals wearing a gaming headset, and I often recorded in single takes. Rather than playing instruments, I relied on samples, and I used ChatGPT to shorten the time spent writing lyrics. Thanks to these choices, the music began to come together surprisingly fast."
But his wife's influence extends far beyond these practical considerations.. "It may be hard to believe, but although she did not formally study music, JOY is a musical genius. Through producing her work, I've learned a lot, much of it difficult to put into words. Much of what I’ve learned from her simply cannot be explained verbally at all." After some thought OHDOHAHM adds - "I don't think I’ll ever fully be able to express her influence. I only hope that more people will find and appreciate the music of JOY CHOI."
The seven albums released by OHDOHAHM are odes to the musical styles that have inspired him. "Each project is my own way of paying tribute to the musicians and genres I deeply admire. As these tributes repeat and overlap, a certain recurring style seems to emerge." One thing that becomes clear when listening to the albums is that, when an artist isn’t bound by the limitations of making one album or is forced (or in this case self-forced) to make a LOT of music. They begin to explore. It’s then that the real experimentation comes out. Over the course of these albums, OHDOHAHM tries everything. It can be dark, dancey, brutal, sensual, even scary. It doesn't always work, but it’s always enthralling.
When we ask if any album stands out, he mentions his first hip-hop project, Fuck it, This ain't poetry. "I never imagined that I would end up rapping myself. Life is full of surprises."
If you’re wondering why not just release the albums with intervals between them, his answer is direct. "There was simply too much music to hold back any longer, and I couldn't afford to wait. Time is not something any of us have in abundance."
The use of AI in music is often a sore subject for people, and the debate about reasonable usage rages on. OHDOEHAHM’s speaks about his use of AI tools with refreshing clarity. "Sampling has always been a central element of my work. In the past, music was largely about mastery and technique, but now I feel that choices and decisions are what matters most. I see AI in much the same way. In this process, elements of chance enter the work, and I try to make room for good accidents to happen."
“I used ChatGPT for the lyrics,” he explains. “I sometimes ask about recipes that have never existed, or about conversations I once had while walking down a road with Frank Zappa in a dream. Those questions sometimes turn into lyrics, and sometimes into a form of play."
As for performing live, OHDOHAHM has made peace with it not being part of his path. "To be honest, I'm not particularly attached to live performance anyway. I've never seen a live performance of The White Album, yet it's still undeniably a classic. I try not to let the question of live performance influence my songwriting."
Despite the mammoth project, the prolific OHDOHAHM won’t be resting long. "I'm already planning to release more music. Recently, I finished a 48-minute mixtape, and instead of dividing it into separate tracks, I think I’ll just release it as a single continuous piece. On top of that, I'm preparing some other recent albums which didn't make it into the original seven, as well as two EPs. You can see a blueprint of what I’ve got coming on my Soundcloud."
OHDOHAHM's seven-album release is unprecedented, but it's the story behind it that makes it truly remarkable. Working within constraints that would halt most musicians entirely, he's created something extraordinary.