CD Review: Jeong Ga Ak Hoe and Hyejin Yoon's 'Thinking Being Irresistibly Burnt'

Jeong Ga Ak Hoe and Hyejin Yoon
Thinking Being Irresistibly Burnt
AkdangEban

South Korean musicologist, author, and composer, Hyejin Yoon, brings us a fascinating excursion into the light and sound of South Korea's neo-traditional music. The slightly classical tone of the music is related to the types of bells, percussion, wind, and string instruments utilized. The somewhat quirky playing resembles some of the sounds from Southeast Asian (notably, Indonesian) ensembles and temple music from the same region. In any case, the music is theatrical and dramatic with scattered vocals that seemingly mimic the instrumental delivery. Hyejin's work with the ensemble is highly important for the world of music, since anything other than K-pop coming out of South Korea is incredibly rare. Anyone with an interest in Southeast and East Asian neo-traditional music will love Jeong Ga Ak Hoe and its talented composer, Hyejin. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: Geomungo Factory's 'Metamorphosis'

Geomungo Factory
Metamorphosis
Synnara

Geomungo Factory hails from South Korea. The geomungo is a six-stringed, elongated instrument with 16 frets and 3 movable bridges. It is plyaed with both hands that either pluck the strings or strike them with a bamboo stick (suldae) or a musical bow. The plucked instruments are constructed in a similar manner, but the sizes and sounds vary. The result is a relatively lo-fi recording of folk songs without a lot of vocals or much in the way of additional instrumentation. However, the vocals on Track 6 are poetic, moving, and harmonic. The plucked sounds of the geomungo instruments resemble the earthy tones of the koto, the dutar of Central Asia, and the vibrancy of the shamisen. Irregardless of cross country organological comparisons, Geomungo Factory is uniquely Korean--with an instrumental repertoire dating back to the 4th century. At times, the strings sound frenzied, scratchy, and loud, but that is the exception. Track 4 contains part of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, while other tracks are steeped in Korean tradition. The high and low tones of the geomungo are always captivating with each listen. Delve into the music of South Korea today with Geomungo Factory as your guide. ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: South Korea's Youn Sun Nah

Youn Sun Nah

Same Girl

Hub Music

South Korea's Youn Sun Nah is an innovative singer and musician. Borrowing several tracks by Rodgers & Hammerstein, Ulf Wakenius, Randy Newman, Terry Cox, Philippe Sarde, Sergio Mendes, and Metallica, Youn Sun Nah reinterprets the iconic songs of the abovementioned musicians and makes them her own. "My Favorite Things" is a solo vocal track with kalimba. The vocal sounds of Youn Sun Nah is somewhere between Scotland's Karine Polwart and England's Katie Melua. Two original tracks, "Uncertain Weather" and "Pancake", showcase her songwriting abilities. Singing in English throughout, some of the songs border on Indian, Latin, and European styles. For instance, "Breakfast in Baghdad" features scatting vocals amidst a flamenco/Indian rhythm. One traditional tune in Korean, "Kangwondo Arirang", is a solemn ballad with voice and guitar. A nice French tune, "La Chanson d'Helene", sounds like something from a romantic Paris cafe. Overall, the sparse instrumentation and almost-avante garde elements at times signify the creative spark of Youn Sun Nah. Hopefully, Same Girl will spawn a future album of more original music. ~ Matthew Forss