CHOIYUDAM recently released his new album ‘NEO’. The Hip-Hop artist based the album on the story of ‘The Matrix’. We got in touch to ask him a couple more questions.
On Inspiration
“I got into Hip-Hop after watching ‘Show Me The Money 3’ in 2014. Out of curiosity, I listened to Oltty’s ‘Oil Ready’. As Koreans will know, the lyrics of the song are all about puns and punchlines which is something only Hip-Hop can do.”
“The topics I mostly want to talk about in my own music are social, political, personal and anything related to ADHD.”
Q: Who are some of your music inspirations?
“I wouldn’t be a musician if I had one. The good music I’ve listened to on impulse could be the nourishment of my creations. The factors that ignite my creativity are a friendly word from my co-worker, my parents’ experiences, the sound of noisy cars, the sound of rain and my ADHD. You can say it’s a bluff, but that’s what’s inspired me so far.”
NEO
The story of ‘NEO’ is about a megalomaniac who confuses virtuality with reality. “It’s an album about conspiracy theories. ‘NEO’ who was in high spirits in the beginning gradually returns to reality throughout the album. He begins to feel a gap. If you’re a fan of ‘The Matrix’ series this will be an even more interesting album.”
“Starting the album was a coincidence. One day, I got a call from producer and friend Soon, who was involved in all the tracks on the album. He said that he had made a really unique loop and asked if I wanted to try it. After listening to it, I wanted to make it into a song no one else could copy. I was thinking about it and I was humming the hook of this song without realizing it. The verse and composition took ten minutes and we recorded the entire thing almost in a one-take on the spot. It was like we were possessed by something. I think it came out pretty well.”
Morpheus
“My favorite track is ‘Morpheus’. It’s my favorite genre. Whenever I see the lyrics that express the feelings of a dreamer and the shouting section in the second half, I feel like I’m Don Quixote. I feel a thrill of freedom every time I hear it. If you walk through the streets at night and listen to this song through your AirPods, you’ll want to act like a vigilante.”
“My first EP ‘Yangbok’ was like the last event I had two years ago before I started my military duty. I worked with a feeling of being chased. Foolishly I solved everything by myself, so I’m a little ashamed of my first album. I hear mistakes in the production process that I wouldn’t have done now. Why didn’t I know them when I invested 12 hours a day?”
“On the other hand, even if I listen to the album 10 years later, I am confident that it will feel like my diary in my early 20s.”
You can listen to ‘NEO’ by CHOIYUDAM on Spotify here.
You can find him on Instagram here.
