SHOW NOTES
Lee Byeong Chan – Everlasting Night
Great production on this fairly generic ballad. Delays and verbs on the guitar are spacious and grand. The soundstage is really big on this one, elements mixed up close and far away made the track sound epic. Lee Byeong Chan’s vocal is excellent. Check it out if you love korean ballads
Gyeongseo Yeji – day by day
Very standard, uninteresting track. The vocal is delivered airy which can cause problems in the high mid, sibilant freq range. I still found it a bit harsh in that area. The synth solo is cool, otherwise very standard cafe music.
ONLEE ft. Soo-Yeony – Spi-cy
Smooth rnb tune from ONLEE. Great vocal performance, dynamic and sexy. The kick is mixed in a really interesting way. It has a lot of higher end click, often found in rock and metal mixes. it even sounds soft clipped, often done in EDM mixes. I kind of love it, although it distracts from the rest of the song. Soo-yeony is fine, doesn’t really add the dynamics i hoped for, more of the same performance makes the track plod a little.
MODI ft. Huh! – Drip
Title track off Modi’s debut Modivation is great. Modi’s production is awesome, loud, deep and wide. Synths could’ve been a touch deeper in the chorus, I like the higher pitch moments in the verses. Autotune is not so grating and suits the track, flow is great and fun. Really solid debut from Modi, I also recommend minus ft. loopy.
Jiyoungsai – Up To You
Really liked the flavour of this track. The beat is mixed a bit low. This track is very crowded, a lot of elements competing rather than complementing. This helps the pace of the track though. Vocal performance is very good, the wet squelchy synths are awesome, the choppy strings are cool and mixed well. Track is short too, really solid effort from jiyoungsai for fans of hoody.
TEN – Nightwalker
Love the bass lick at the intro. Pre-chorus is awesome, super spacious, beautiful synth, vocal performance theatrical and epic. Acoustic guitar is jarring, this track is kind of like DPR Ian’s tracks on dont go insane, blending all these different styles of rock, rnb, edm, together, not quite as well as DPR Ian. The piccolo i think it is sounds like Silent Hill ahahaha Production is top notch as expected from SM, it’s a very good track, wanted a little more vocal soaring notes from TEN.
Bibi – Bam Yang Gang
Not really my style but a really well done track. Bibi voice complements the jazz arrangement perfectly. The waltz beat is addictive. The synth solo a bit weird but gives the track dynamics which i appreciated. I love how acoustic most of the elements sounded but the synth is out of place in this arrangement. Not bad, recommend if you like this kind of Iu Red Shoes/Baek a yeon kinda sound.
Ourealgoat – Save Me
Wasn’t feeling this one. The leellamarz/wonstein kinda sound played out, nothing new with this one.
Chuu – Chocolate
Doing a Dua Lipa song. Similar melody to after like by Ive. Production is good, i liked the kinda 8bit twinkly synths and beat in the prechorus and verse and the vocal performance is excellent. Worth checking out this one.
AnnSnake – Foolish
Awesome track. Swirling swimming synths, weird vocal doubling effects give this track an unsettling feel. Beat is very cool, nice click to it. The performance is cool if not overly affected at times, can’t get out of its own way. Track runs long, plods a touch especially when the vocals fall away, the B part isn’t much different from the A so the track lacks dynamics and could’ve used a beat switch or tempo change even to keep things exciting. I do love the vibe of this track though.
Sweetch ft. Haedo – your eyes
Production is excellent, clear, deep and spacious. Love the wide panned harmonies and synths. The acoustic drums sound a little thin, but that gets out of the bass and guitars way. Its not too groundbreaking arrangement wise, that jeebanoff kinda sound, but one of the better efforts.
Jason Lee ft. Suran – bad
This tracks a bop. Love the distortion on the bass. We’ve heard the choppy filtered vocals on a million pop songs but it’s not overused. I love the sax, sexy, mixed well, really fun. Suran is sultry and wonderful. The bass is stunning on this track. Track is a touch one note, but beautiful.
Yusuii – blanket
Decent production on this one. Those squelchy synths are nice. The vocal is great, I loved the dynamics of the track, the synths falling away sometimes a little abruptly but it’s a wonderful lush tone and melody. The beat is nothing special but carries the track. Yusuii are on my radar now.
If.iwere ft. whistle.
Really interesting piano sound on this one, distant plucky delays sounds like footsteps in an empty room. The vocal performance is emotive and great. Found myself mesmerised by this one, it has a lo-fi leaning in the production that makes it calming and had me coming back.
The Wind – H! Teen
It’s catchy and has a Jpop sound to it, but the beat is too crispy was tearing my ears off. Vocal performance is ok, the synths are lush. It’s a pretty good effort from the wind.
Skyminhyuk – Neodo Haebang
This tracks awesome. Instrumental reminded of lofi legend Nujabes, especially with the flute and sax with the very warm piano. The flow is awesome, powerful, dynamic, catchy. Highly recommend
Nina – Love Like This
Tracks pretty cool, hyperpop ballad. Found the autotune didn’t fit the tune, especially with a very acoustic sounding piano throughout. The trap beat weirdly worked though, deep and full. The synths in the distance of the chorus are skeletal and cool. The song doesn’t overstay its welcome its very well crafted.
N.ssign – Happy &
Na na’s are urgh. Love the beat, very thick bass backing it sitting very nice in the mix. The horns were mixed cool too, very grand with big reverb. Vocal performance is very good and mixed really well. It’s not bad, not really my kind of thing, but it had a bit of attitude to the cutesy sound which was nice.
Cha Eun Woo – Stay
Guitar intro gives Ash Island vibes, the glassy desolate mood reminded me of metal band Dream Theatre’s pull me under. Drums are a touch squashed, wanted them to breath a little more. The harmonies are beautiful, ethereal with filters. I appreciate cha eun woo performing a style that suits his natural timbre. This song is great and stands out in current kpop
Aimers – Somebody
Not bad. Has this plucky bass and disco style guitar that reminded me of DNCE’s cake by the ocean. The vocals are a bit artificial, over affected, they sit well in the mix and soar nicely in the chorus though. The mix is appropriately bright and very balanced, i wanted the drums to pop out a touch more. It’s ok but forgettable.
DK (Ikon) – Groovin
Pretty standard rnb cut, channeling Jaay Park especially in the somewhat high talk sing verses. It’s catchy, the vocal melody especially is sensual and lovely.
Whee In – Wheee
Its a Jpop song by Whee In! Really energetic, great song. I wanted more of a dynamic pre-chorus – a quiet moment then launch in to soaring chorus, the chorus didn’t quite hit how it should because this whole track is a million miles a minute. Guitar tone is great, drums have a hip hop production to them which was a bit much but matched the tracks energy. Whee In’s performance was great. Fun track.
Lim Hyunsik (BTOB) – La Mar
A pretty good rock ballad for fans of FT Island’s slower tracks or car, the garden, drama ost artists such as Gaho.
How NOT to Kpop 