We’re back with our monthly Korean Indie DisKovery, this time we’re celebrating the end of May. We’re (finally) edging our way into summer, so let’s take a look back at some of my personal favorite releases of this month.
Week 1
Yuha is a new find. Her single ‘Tiger’s Feet’ really surprised me. She has such an interesting timbre. It’s lower than most and feels very rich and airy at the same time. The layering of the track is also really cool and there are a lot of things going on. The song has been quietly added to my personal playlist and isn’t going to leave any time soon.
If you’re craving more electronic music, definitely go listen to the full-length album by Balloonfish. This indie electronic duo has created a really fun album that’ll keep you entertained and grooving. It gives me 80s inspired synth vibes and I’m here for it.
The next artist I really want to put more of a spotlight on is Julie Joohee Jeon. She’s a composer and created this absolutely stunning EP ‘TIME’. If you want to be transported to your very own cinematic moment, then please do put your good headphones on and just feel away. ‘Before Sunset’ is one of my personal favorites, because it feels like I’m in ‘Pride and Prejudice’.
LEEHEESANG released an absolutely wonderful album ‘Boyhood 19’. From the intro I was immediately drawn in. When you slide into the next track ‘I’m Not Here’ you’re completely immersed in the story.
Week 2
The entire EP ‘can’t’ by OurR is brilliant. I simply love their electronic sound mixed with a tad of indie rock. It’s such a great combo. Their title track’s music video is simply stunning and I will dedicate an entire feature to it in a couple of weeks. Dahye’s vocals feel very bittersweet. If you like the title track, also listen to ‘Citronella’, it’s a whole vibe.
We’re completely shifting sounds with the next one. Hyungtae very much leans into the folk side more of things. His single album ‘Excuse Me’ has two singles and it’s just very cute and wholesome and brings an instant smile to your face.
We’re going jazzy with the single album of Sarahkayacomson. The track ‘Ain’t Nothing’ has a really cool jazz piano line, mixed with the rap of Sarahkayacomson it just creates this wonderful track that is going to keep you entertained and will have you grooving in no time.
Week 3
This is a holy combo and I’ll hear nothing else. Summer of Thoughts and Kim Ildu created this beautiful track ‘Moment’. Everything just works so well together. It’s this rather gut wrenching track that’ll make you sit down and just listen for five minutes.
Kim Marie is a new name on my radar. I sincerely enjoyed listening to her EP. Her title track is lovely but I particularly like the track ‘Blue’. Her vocals are great and it gives me a very authentic vibe that I’ve been chasing.
Another awesome vocal I wanted to share is the one from Van Siian. She released her debut single album ‘The Stereo’ and I’ve been utterly obsessed. It’s groovy, kind of R&B but has some great electric guitar that spruces it up a bit and keeps it dynamic. In the album description she wrote that she used these songs as a healing mechanism when she was working through her own depression.
Week 4
INSE and his album ‘Blossom’ is one I really wanted to share as soon as I heard the track ‘Let it bloom’. The instrumentation is wonderful and the tinkling of the piano sounds so lovely. INSE’s vocals are something to pay attention to as well.
I’m absolutely in love with Poeta’s new album ‘Wall’. The soundscape in the intro is so well done. The guitar solo in ‘The way I look next to you’ really brought that song together. I was a bit hesitant in the beginning, but the song grew on me as I heard more of it.
KiTak is the last discovery I wanted to share with you. I really enjoyed how he managed to blend genres so well. It’s a really interesting listen and his vocals are smooth as hell.
That’s it for this May Korean Indie DisKovery. I sincerely hope you’ll take some time to get to know these artists’ discography a little more. There are some real gems in there. Let us know which one your favorite is in the comments!
Big honourable mention to the band The Volunteers with their self-titled album. I really wanted to put them in here as well, but since I wrote an album review for them, I figured I’d give the space to some smaller artists.
