It's interesting that Mr SM Sound Yoo Young Jin, back in 2010, looked at will.i.am with envy:
"I felt that Black Eyed Pea's "Boom Boom Pow" is simple to the extent that it could be considered close to minimalism but Americans let it become a huge hit. I'm envious of how they make such music and the way it can be accepted."
In this interview, which I've gone back to many times http://omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com/3586995.html
Also speaking of SuJu's disco xxxxp, those singles everyone complained about sounding samey at the time sure are bona fide classics.
― abcfsk, Thursday, 30 April 2015 12:59 (nine years ago) link
lol @ yoo youngjin thinking that. totally insane parallax: he must have been growing tired of the asian market's expectations for rich melodies, dense arrangement, meaningful development, etc.
also re: question of k-pop being visionary, i'd say it's not just the music (which itself can be visionary, on occasion), it's more about the overall conception of pop as a multi-sensory experience that involves also conceptual and perfectly executed choreography, the insane music videos/packaging/"visuals"/presentation aspect, the all-important overarching concept, and even the business practices and corporate rhetoric that goes into the art itself (sooman's innovations especially). k-pop is both anthropologically and musically the most interesting, meaningful thing happening in music this past decade (/up there with many of the most significant across history), and i will enjoy having that full appreciation of it to my(almost)self while it lasts.
― soyrev, Thursday, 30 April 2015 13:48 (nine years ago) link
Speaking of concepts... the Bae Bae video is hilarious. Big Bang's dealer deserves a bonus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKD03uPVD-Q&feature=youtu.be
― Roz, Thursday, 30 April 2015 15:29 (nine years ago) link
it's more about the overall conception of pop as a multi-sensory experience that involves also conceptual and perfectly executed choreography, the insane music videos/packaging/"visuals"/presentation aspect, the all-important overarching concept, and even the business practices and corporate rhetoric that goes into the art itself
Oh I mean, this is certain and something that I think is very very clear, was never doubting how visionary K-pop is as a whole.
― misterjoshua, Thursday, 30 April 2015 15:38 (nine years ago) link
total Bound 2 vibes with the Taeyang portion of that video
― misterjoshua, Thursday, 30 April 2015 15:40 (nine years ago) link
"bae bae" sounds more interesting in good quality. what even is it? i hear strains of trap, country, and jamaica...
― soyrev, Thursday, 30 April 2015 15:42 (nine years ago) link
actually also quite beck in a way
― soyrev, Thursday, 30 April 2015 15:43 (nine years ago) link
Also I guess they're not quite done with the Batman jokes yet. TOP's outfit:
http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/batman/images/3/3e/Jack_Nicholson_As_The_Joker.jpg
― Roz, Thursday, 30 April 2015 15:50 (nine years ago) link
just gonna refer to bae bae as a trap ballad
assuming the country you're hearing is mainly from that short ascending guitar line and the drum fill that accompanies it?and the "jamaican" bits from the rhythm of the trap beat? not sure what else could be interpreted as country or jamaiacan
digging both songs, i think i prefer bae bae though. the video definitely helps solidify that opinion.
― misterjoshua, Thursday, 30 April 2015 16:03 (nine years ago) link
re: will.i.am, I meant it more in the sense that instead of stretching from here to the moon to try to argue that mark ronson is taking cues from k-pop, why not start with the people who are on record with it
― katherine, Thursday, 30 April 2015 16:12 (nine years ago) link
country: yes, the guitar/drum fill; acoustic guitar progression combined w/ snare production for that passage is very contemporary country (and taeyang's vocal line above it, even a bit of the inflection, lends itself to that as well; the wig, cowboy hat, and horseback saunter all clearly underscore the reference). two-note clean-tone electric guitar motif dittojamaica: weirdly get this vibe from that same guitar/drum fill, which also calls to mind early (pre-black ark weirdness) upsetters, and pre-dub reggae/rocksteady; top's flow and harmonically flat verse also calls to mind dancehall/more rap-centric jamaican music of the past two decades
not saying these were *all* deliberate, or that what i'm hearing was precisely what they were channeling – but definitely pulling from things in the country/reggae/jamrock continuum
― soyrev, Thursday, 30 April 2015 16:18 (nine years ago) link
@katherine yeah i think there's literally zero chance that ronson gives a fuck about k-pop (certainly not on his mind for "uptown funk"), i think whoever mentioned it was just thinking in terms of similarities. although i met j-pop guy sky-hi just after he sat down and traded notes with ronson so he's at least modestly dialed into asian pop
― soyrev, Thursday, 30 April 2015 16:20 (nine years ago) link
and bae bae >>>>> loser it's not even close
― soyrev, Thursday, 30 April 2015 16:21 (nine years ago) link
I'm just now learning that they're chanting about sticky rice cakes (chapsaltteok) in the last verse
― Roz, Thursday, 30 April 2015 16:40 (nine years ago) link
yea that's why they have the two smashing into each other and then we see them eating some.
― misterjoshua, Thursday, 30 April 2015 17:07 (nine years ago) link
San E's been at #1 for days now (even holding off "loser" for a good 12 hours now) with a feature from one of the girls of 15&. April really has been the redemption of JYP
― soyrev, Friday, 1 May 2015 03:30 (nine years ago) link
Oh man didn't realize Only You was still so high at #4
― misterjoshua, Friday, 1 May 2015 05:36 (nine years ago) link
And just say that I'm still somewhat shocked that San E got an EarDrummers beat (albeit from J-Bo so maybe I shouldn't be that surprised)
― misterjoshua, Friday, 1 May 2015 05:38 (nine years ago) link
okay game over tho, BB is now top two slots with "loser" riding the highest score i've seen to date (380)
― soyrev, Friday, 1 May 2015 05:49 (nine years ago) link
deep into the 2 mill views on youtube after just 14 hours, too. dang...wonder how exo stacked up to that (for future reference/comparison, after 1 month "call me baby" has 21.88 mill for korean and 8.87 for chinese)
― soyrev, Friday, 1 May 2015 05:55 (nine years ago) link
Just realized BoA will come back when Big Bang's power on music shows is at its strongest two weeks post release ;/
― abcfsk, Friday, 1 May 2015 08:21 (nine years ago) link
Grown to really hate that miss a song
― abcfsk, Friday, 1 May 2015 08:53 (nine years ago) link
i've liked it more and more. chorus so melodic~
― soyrev, Friday, 1 May 2015 09:26 (nine years ago) link
"loser" hitting 410 on instiz.
― soyrev, Saturday, 2 May 2015 11:05 (nine years ago) link
7mil plus Youtube views in less than 48 hours (4.9 mil for Bae Bae).
― Roz, Saturday, 2 May 2015 11:18 (nine years ago) link
You reckon that's the 19+ age rating on Bae Bae, or just Loser having more replay value?
I wonder if they're gonna hit #1 every month from now til September.
― hurricane weather (forapper), Saturday, 2 May 2015 16:36 (nine years ago) link
abcfsk juuuust posted this upthread but i want to reiterate its excellence: yoo young-jin interview, 2010
http://omonatheydidnt.livejournal.com/3586995.html
a lot of musical k-pop visionariness in there. gotta be the single most interesting article i've read on the music itself.
― soyrev, Sunday, 3 May 2015 04:19 (nine years ago) link
http://arcadey.net/2015/05/bigbang-made-comeback/
shaboi arcadey hears that country in "bae bae" as well ;-*
― soyrev, Monday, 4 May 2015 04:12 (nine years ago) link
Yeess.. I had no expecations of BoA's pre-release single getting anywhere close to Big Bang on the charts, even a few days later, but it has, if only for today
Olleh 1Soribada 1Genie 1Naver 1Daum 1Monkey3 1MelOn 2Mnet 3Bugs 3
― abcfsk, Wednesday, 6 May 2015 06:56 (nine years ago) link
#3 on instiz, not bad
― soyrev, Wednesday, 6 May 2015 08:11 (nine years ago) link
HYOSUNG: https://youtu.be/TZLdGojFbNA?list=PLDW7LHwCCGydWr4eNPDhCPuQ89XLnb976
I still replay the album tracks off her mini from last year ("Goodnight Kiss") and this is coming from the same playbook... sax-hooks, syncopated beats and chilled-out burlesque. Thumbs up.
― hurricane weather (forapper), Thursday, 7 May 2015 04:38 (nine years ago) link
The instrumentals are so good, all the hallmarks of "grown up" like (actual?) brass and saxophone, etc, but mixed in with the dance beat. TS Ent has some great in-house producers.
― hurricane weather (forapper), Thursday, 7 May 2015 04:48 (nine years ago) link
ALSO, JANG HYUNGSEUNG'S SOLO DEBUT:
https://soundcloud.com/mistress-nicey/sets/jhs-my
Off "My Mini Album", title track "Ma First" features Giriboy and is great.
― hurricane weather (forapper), Thursday, 7 May 2015 22:50 (nine years ago) link
Actually I'll recommend his 19+ ballad track "I Love You" instead, though the lyrics are kinda fucked up.
― hurricane weather (forapper), Thursday, 7 May 2015 23:01 (nine years ago) link
Not really feeling this mini apart from "Break Up With Him" (weird videogame bloops, random synths pushed up against a standard R&B arrangement) but Hyunseung looks and sounds great.
― Roz, Thursday, 7 May 2015 23:19 (nine years ago) link
Yeah I probably just like dude's voice... He's said "Break Up with Him" was his choice for the single, but his label wanted the dance track. BTW, new group for all your Infinite/Boyfriend/Sweetune needs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIe47jQcnhc
― hurricane weather (forapper), Friday, 8 May 2015 00:00 (nine years ago) link
"Break Up With Him" was produced by Kush! def missed his work.
― Roz, Friday, 8 May 2015 00:19 (nine years ago) link
https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/11167793_1000442269968504_2700780014587063332_n.jpg?oh=9ab36b93960b854279467834102185c3&oe=55DF392F&__gda__=1439711497_2076901cd28decf6ae8f8e69123c8e6d
― abcfsk, Friday, 8 May 2015 07:07 (nine years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR92tv29pFU
― abcfsk, Monday, 11 May 2015 15:09 (nine years ago) link
damn boa
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Monday, 11 May 2015 15:31 (nine years ago) link
Really love that, restraint at the right time gets me swooning when the chorus subtly hits. A quick first listen to the album also has me digging the slow songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVjfl9AHMzo
― abcfsk, Monday, 11 May 2015 16:24 (nine years ago) link
i've yet to really hit her whole discog but so far everything i've heard from her, incl. this album, is just not my thing. it all feels so...one-dimensional
― soyrev, Monday, 11 May 2015 17:17 (nine years ago) link
BoA's my favorite pop star in the world not because she has the greatest discography in the world, but because of her performance skills and personality on and off stage. Having said that, Only One probably is my favorite k-pop single. And this new single is so lush.
― abcfsk, Monday, 11 May 2015 18:17 (nine years ago) link
Haven't listened to the rest of the mini yet but "Kontrol" from Infinite's Sunggyu is really good! He should sing in his lower register more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fBODWRrnWM
― Roz, Tuesday, 12 May 2015 20:36 (nine years ago) link
He killed it live on M Countdown... and the ballad song too.
Speaking of lives, very good staging on BESTie 'Excuse Me' this week: https://youtu.be/QGfYnQPuWjE
Too much sax-hook in this song but I love the switch into the second chorus.
― hurricane weather (forapper), Friday, 15 May 2015 03:10 (nine years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ-ORItaQ7o
next k-pendium entry is gonna be the one that started it all. given seo taiji's reputation (especially then) for being a bit obvious with his influences ( the album also includes blatant ripoffs of mc hammer and ac/dc), i think my due dilligence involves identifying every sample/reference in this song that i possibly can. wanted to see if anyone here hears something i've missed.
+ "yeahh boyee" and "bass!" sampled from "bring the noise," of course+ "stop!" w/ dramatic silence going into rap verse a clear "ice ice baby" thing+ opening synth strings? to my ears a tangerine dream/vangelis type thing, but that's probably one degree of separation from whatever taiji's pulling from+ that's totally a sample of some guy repeatedly shouting "east! coast!" isn't it? at 0:09? driving me crazy, can't place it (did a run through all pre-92 public enemy but can't find it there; weirdly early for the whole east vs. west thing...)+ at 0:17, not even sure what that infernal thing is, but this is the one that really keeps me up at night+ 0:27 synth sounds like early detroit house/techno to me, like an inner city song...but like tangerine dream i think that's a shade obscure for taiji to have heard in '92+ hard rock riffin' at 1:00...reflects influence sinawe had on taiji, but could be many things+ descending synth twinkles in chorus is a new jack swing gesture, very new edition+ not sure what the beats and basslines are pulling from, at times sound to me like a kind of sampled break thing and others more a standard dance or new jack reference+ on the whole, i'd say the biggest influence on taiji's additive logic (and rough tonalities) here are most indebted to the bomb squad
― soyrev, Friday, 15 May 2015 12:49 (nine years ago) link
get the feeling the things i'm missing are very obvious. the samples and grifts i've identified so far on this record are some of the biggest hits of public enemy, mc hammer, ac/dc, and vanilla ice, plus "gonna make you sweat" and bart simpson...so yeah. also realizing i really need to revisit run-dmc for this purpose
― soyrev, Friday, 15 May 2015 13:04 (nine years ago) link
Fun fact about 3 Ninjas Kick Back, executive producer Shin San-Ok was a famous-director-turned-refugee who'd been kidnapped 1973 by Kim Jong Il, who wanted him to help develop the N. Korean film industry.
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/apr/04/artsfeatures1
― hurricane weather (forapper), Friday, 15 May 2015 22:35 (nine years ago) link
The song IU wrote for her new \sexy dance singer\ drama character sounds good, especially the chorus. I hope we get whatever she's writing in character released in full, not sure there'll be other chances at hearing her having a go at the genre. Also there's some solid meta potential in this series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAPUON3eoS0
― abcfsk, Friday, 15 May 2015 22:44 (nine years ago) link
k-dramas release OSTs so aggressively i'd be shocked if they didn't for one where IU is the singer (especially if she wrote some of the stuff)
― soyrev, Saturday, 16 May 2015 02:02 (nine years ago) link