I was scrolling TikTok recently when I saw a video by Billy Vicente, a self-described goth Korean indie musician. He was following the “if you’re seeing this, it’s meant to be” trend, using his song “toad (i love you)” as the sound, so I decided to take a screenshot for future reference. Perhaps it was fate, after all!
Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no expert on goth music (though my parents made me a fan of The Cure and Depeche Mode at an early age, does that count?), but I do have experience with Korean indie music. I’ve dabbled in shoegaze before as well, which, after more research, seems to be regarded as a goth subgenre that branched off of ethereal darkwave.
So, with all that in mind, I downloaded one of his most recent EPs, 37, in preparation for a plane ride.
Billy Vicente has released quite a few singles over the past year, and even another EP in close proximity to 37, 38, but I chose this release because the song featured in the TikTok that started it all is on it. “toad (i love you)” is actually the first song! It’s an atmospheric track with plenty of reverb, something I think is pretty classic for the goth and post-goth genres.
The production on the track is well done and the riff is a total earworm. His vocals are a bit muffled, but it adds to the mystique of the track. Thankfully, he provided the lyrics for those asking in his YouTube comments section:
I won’t say I love you
I won’t say I’ve seen you
we act like we’re strangers
my heart feels danger
I just cover up
I don’t have the guts
‘til we sober up
’til I
have my own trust
over you
over you
I’m not over you
“july 1864” starts with the sound of rain. I’m always partial to tracks that utilize found sound, and “july 1864” is no exception. The instrumental is more robust than “toad (i love you)” and more melodic and moody. The instrumentation is even more impressive here, perhaps because, being longer than the previous track, there’s more room for Billy Vicente to show off his talents.
This time, the reverb is mostly on the vocals, giving the song a mysterious quality as the lyrics are even harder to make out. On a similar note, his voice is smooth and generally kept pretty soft, once again adding to that mystical, dark ethereal vibe.
“see u next time” amps things up even higher on the instrumentals, featuring funky bass and maybe even a little bit of xylophone. The rapid beat kept up on the hi-hat gives it a frenetic quality which suits the lyrics that are asking someone to stay with them, meet with them, and ease their mind.
About midway through the song he switches things up for a bit, throwing an impressive solo segment in. It’s a bit hard to understand exactly what’s being sung through the whole song – again, the reverb on the vocals makes them a bit muffled, but it works well as a stylistic choice in this genre.
The final track is “Starman Arrives (Next Life),” no doubt an homage to the famous David Bowie track. I can hear the influence, especially after listening to Bowie’s “Starman” and “Starman Arrives (Next Life)” back to back. For the best listening experience, I would use earbuds since it uses bilateral sound, especially at the beginning. The song begins with an excerpt from another song that I don’t recognize before shifting to a grungier, more acoustic sound than the previous tracks.
Billy Vicente’s reverbed harmonizations lend to the cosmic soundscape, and there’s a melancholic vibe that evokes the endless emptiness of space for me in conjunction with the title. The lyrics point to a never-ending search for someone, ending with a plea for them to wait just as they have been waiting. Despite that endless search, there’s still some hope — a bit like the message of Bowie’s “Starman” – of meeting somewhere beyond this lifetime.
Scream and tell me you’re fine
Wait for me until I make you mine
Love me dear to the end of time
I’ll wait for you in the afterlife
I’ve been searching for you
No luck of ever finding you
love me dear to the end of time
Losing faith of ever finding you
I can wait for you
Can you wait for me?
Overall, I think 37 is a nice, easy foray into goth music for anyone – not too intense, but still keeping things interesting. Billy Vicente’s smooth vocals and atmospheric sound are sure to appeal to plenty of listeners beyond those who are already fans of goth music as a genre.
If you enjoy 37, I’d highly recommend checking out all of the singles (and the other EP) Billy Vicente has released over the past year. He’s also done quite a few collaborations, including an entire collaborative album with a shoegaze artist called SC. In my opinion,
Billy Vicente has really found his niche; he has a clear passion for the genre as well as talent, and although he sometimes dips into other goth subgenres like gothic rock or industrial, he’s solidified his general sound. If you like moody shoegaze or the slight grunginess of post-punk, then Billy Vicente might be right up your alley.
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Written by Madi for Korean Indie.