we hate jh is a hidden classic. Since 2012 with the first demo, we hate jh has evolved over each release. What started as a solo project, expanded into a full band. And even though releases are sporadic, we hate jh continues to present an indie rock sound that’s unique to Korean music. Diving is the latest EP since 2016’s divert.
12 minutes is a fast EP and we hate jh start strong on “Into the Light.” The band opens with guitar, drums, and vocals in an extended introduction. When we hate jh transitioned into a full band, the melodic indie rock finally found its true voice.
Compared to other indie rock artists, we hate jh play an older genre style. It’s a simple band sound without a lot of layers. All of the songs on Diving carry elements of the genre from 2008-2011 even though we hate jh got its start years later.
“Non-Swimmer” is a great single. It starts with a strong groove that continues throughout the entire song. The chorus transition helps bridge each section and you get pulled into the overall upbeat tone. In a way, the simple style is an audio cleanser to the overall feeling of bloated compositions. Verse to chorus to verse-to-chorus-to-bridge are all expected but there’s fun across every beat.
And the EP has a lot of variety. The songs all have a different audio color. The four songs are distinct and all contribute to the EPs flow. we hate jh never strays far from its selected style, but adds composition and arrangement changes that keep everything very fresh.
Closing Diving is a previously released single. “Go 4 – DIVING Version” sounds like we hate jh’s peak. When I listened to the first release version, I’m not entirely sure what the big differences were between the two versions. It could be a different mix.
In the current indie rock state, we hate jh sound like a band from years ago. But they are also a fresh sound among a lot of active bands. The band’s smaller discography makes it easy to consume everything and I highly recommend it.
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Written by Chris P for Korean Indie.