The mitosis of science and music in YOONCELL

The mitosis of science and music in YOONCELL

Friday, February 23, 2018

Minutes before her set, Jeong Yun-jung picks up her guitar and slings it to her body. She takes tiny steps to reach the middle of the platform, nervous to face her spectators for the day.

On the stage, she is YOONCELL.

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TAEK imagines ‘We're Always Together’ into reality

TAEK imagines ‘We're Always Together’ into reality

TAEK’s artistry is nothing too flashy nor too bold, but the music latches on to its listeners because of its gentleness, remorseful yet romantic messages and subtle playful notes. The musician is often soft spoken and timid, but we discovered the secret to instantly make him smile—just tell him the words “Red Velvet” (yup, the girl group) and he warms up the whole room with his laugh. In an interview with Inquirer Super, TAEK and I talk about his first EP:

It usually just starts with one word or one sentence.

The rest of it comes from the feelings I get from those and I try to build the song around them. The sequencing, arrangements and final lyrics come later, but it all goes back to that keyword or key sentence. It’s all inspired by that, and in most cases, it also becomes the title.

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The story on YEIN

The story on YEIN

Sunday, July 30, 2017

“This is the best interview I’ve had on this whole trip,” I told YEIN as we stood up to wrap up our conversation.

And I really meant it. It was already our third day in Korea for the Universal Music press junket and we had five interviews with K-indie artists scheduled on that day alone.

I needed a translator for most of the interviews I conducted during the trip, which badly made me want to study the Korean language all the more. (If I knew the language, I wouldn’t have to wait for my K-drama episodes to be subbed, too.)

A lot of things do get lost in translation, and I can’t stress how frustratingly true this was in my case. I felt like the artists I spoke to were opening up about a lot of things I couldn’t understand but wanted to know about—there was interest in their tone and sincerity on their faces as they explained and shared their experiences. I couldn’t even ask the right follow-up questions. I had a time limit to be concerned about as well.

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The DΞΔN’s list

The DΞΔN’s list

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

At Greenplugged Seoul, DEAN is a headliner—and hours before he even occupied the music festival’s Sky stage, the crowd on the standing zone begins to thicken, waiting for him to take the reins from his fellow hip-hop and rap artists. As DEAN begins his sound check, fans start cheering, while some are even close to crying.

The sun usually sets late in Korea, and as it melts on the horizon with hued streaks of orange and pink, the stage’s screen replicates the psychedelic colors, cueing the alternative R&B artist to start serenading the hyped crowd as the hour finally enters the night. The clock turns to 7 o’clock, and DEAN’s music begins to play.

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Greenplugged Seoul is the next big international music festival

Greenplugged Seoul is the next big international music festival

It is the beginning of summer in Seoul. On a weekend, people from the city flock to Nanji Hangang Park, a perfect space to seek shade under the trees as the spring breeze still lingers, with scenery that breaks the concrete horizon.

Tents were set up all over the park’s grounds, and its green carpets of grass were replaced with colorful mats and rugs. People brought their bikes, scooters and skateboards, while others carried picnic baskets.

On the weekend of May 21, the park was host to the city’s version of Coachella, and we discovered every Korean musicophile’s top secret: the Greenplugged Seoul Music Festival.

It was a celebration of (and testament to) Korea’s massive local and independent music scene. It was an epic experience with four major stages and three minor sets located all over Nanji Hangang Park. On its eight straight year, the two-day Greenplugged festival featured a total of 65 artists in an all-local lineup.

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