Earlier this month, I got an email from Wood Wide Web introducing a new collaboration project between Piano Shoegazer and Jang Myung Sun. Wood Wide Web is a project inspired by a connection with nature. I like collaborations between musicians because the end result is unpredictable.
You can tell when compromises are made between artists and tracks sound uneven. But with Wood Wide Web, there’s a naturalness to each song – like Piano Shoegazer and Jang Myung Sun should have always worked together.
Both artists are complementary. Their individual styles can have glancing similarities at times and together, there’s a slightly more expansive audio experience. “Humus” is the first song, but is the introduction into Wood Wide Web. It instructs you on what you will hear and what you might imagine. This isn’t a step into Piano Shoegazer’s world or Jang Myung Sun’s, it’s a journey into something new.
“Network” shows this off perfectly. The organic tone by Jang Myung Sun is accented by the fantastical instrumentals. An example is like a first introduction to Alice in Wonderland with everything you experience being something new. Piano Shoegazer’s backing vocals lift Jang Myung Sun even higher. “Network” is more than a song, it’s an art piece or a song to an unfilmed short movie.
“Network” aligns with Jang Myung Sun and “Treegaze” is Piano Shoegazer. The ambiance of “Network” is transferred into a more recognizable Piano Shoegazer rock track with Jang Myung Sun’s influence weaving through verses like roots. I like “Treegaze” because it has a hybrid shoegaze and rock feel.
Wood Wide Web’s strength comes from actual collaboration. In a lot of cases, collaboration is more like a split EP or album with separately recorded vocals and all the “collaboration” happening during production and mixing. “Blank” sounds like a new sound that could only come from both artists working together. You can hear elements from both artists appear naturally.
“Alienation” is Wood Wide Web’s outro more than the fifth song. It’s a nice companion to “Humus.” The journey that you take, provided by Jang Myung Sun and Piano Shoegazer, is different from recent releases. They had a deliberate vision and accomplished it perfectly.
There aren’t a lot of collaborations that result in an EP or full length. Piano Shoegazer X Jang Myung Sun has a special release with Wood Wide Web. It’s essentially a timeless release that creates its own place in time. While you might not listen to the EP on repeat, it’s a welcome listen when you need to reconnect with yourself.
Wood Wide Web
Jany Myung Sun
Instagram | YouTube | Bandcamp | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Music
Piano Shoegazer
Instagram | SoundCloud | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube Music
Written by Chris P for Korean Indie.