Min Cloudia : The Old Man and the Cloud
What starts as an unassuming indie folk song opens up to reveal a very powerful vocalist. But it sounds like Min Cloudia is restraining the vocals a little so “The Old Man and the Cloud” doesn’t reach the crescendo I want it to.
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The Tunas : Blue Hour
Another polished and precise indie rock single, The Tunas release a song that fits a night walk or a drama soundtrack montage where the main characters are going out to eat.
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irda : Moon
An R&B song supported with live instruments instead of processed samples, irda‘s “Moon” is a great palate cleanser from over-produced music. The vocals are warm and smooth, sit above the instrumentals, and warm your chest.
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Kim Il Du : Holy Time
While I haven’t spent tons of time listening to Kim Il Du, I know he’s one of the hidden master musicians in South Korea. “Holy Time” is unexpected and it’s a song that you must listen to with headphones. I think appreciation for his music will come when someone can deep dive into his work.
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ChoiYuchan : maybe
The composition of “maybe” is wholly recognizable. Almost every verse and rhythm has been created in another song before. But ChoiYuchan is forging his own path and that’s admirable. From this single, there’s a lot of obvious influences and the question is can he move beyond them.
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yoo turn : Fake moon
A minimalist indie and R&B mixture, “Fake moon” sounds like a soundtrack song. And considering yoo turn‘s YouTube page, it feels like the music is always accompanied by a short film. It’s got the right atmosphere and the question is there another long wait for new music.
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seeun : YOU ON MY MIND
Another R&B mixed with indie single, seeun‘s “YOU ON MY MIND” also uses sampled percussion along with keyboard synth and acoustic guitar. The song definitely has that EP opener sound to it.
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bOOdy : Blue Hour
“Blue Hour” is tagged as folk and indie, but I think it leans further into indie rock territory. It’s a nice genre standard that also borders alongside ballads with its vocals. bOOdy has a great voice but a lot of time between releases so it’s disappointing there’s not more music.
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Orange Fang Fang Boys : DELAYS
Even though Orange Fang Fang Boys have music starting in 2018, I only got into them on 2022’s MERAKI. I wonder if “DELAYS” actually means something bigger but the band had a January’s “No one there.” Regardless, the band’s instrumental rock, math-rock, and post rock style continue on the single and I’m all for it.
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Written by Chris P for Korean Indie.