Mid-Air Thief - Gongjoong Doduk (공중도덕) [2015]

 

The first record by the enigmatic South Korean musician known as Mid-Air Thief (공중도둑). For those of you who've listened to their hugely successful second record, Crumbling (which is pretty much everyone on the internet by now), this is exactly what you'd expect. Though less refined than Crumbling, this record still consists of that same unique, claustrophobic electronic-folk. The kaleidescope of warm sounds creates a jumpy yet cozy atmosphere throughout the record, though some sections suffer from repetitiveness. Highlights are the slow burning nostalgic anxiety of Moons (track 6) and the perfect introduction to Mid-Air Thief that is White Room (track 1). The sample below is Woo (track 4), an intense burst of feel-good, noisy folk. If you enjoy what you hear, I highly recommend you support this artist on their bandcamp.

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Hahn Dae-soo - 무한대 (Infinity) [1989]

 

Another popular musician from South Korea, Hahn Dae-soo has an interesting vocal style that clearly takes influence from the folk rock of the 60s and 70s. He was quite influential in his time, and also highly controversial: his first two albums were actually banned in his home country. This album, his third, is probably his most acclaimed. The singer incorporates various different styles in addition to folk, especially funk and hard rock. Highlights for me are 'Til That Day, one of a handful of tracks sung in English, and 또 가야지 (track 3) which google tells me roughly translates to "I Have To Go Again". This track especially evokes the sound of US folk rock artists, namely Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. The song I've chosen for the sample is If You Want Me To, a song with a bordering-on-goofy vocal performance and mediocre lyrics. However, the piercing guitarwork throughout more than makes up for it.

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Mariya Takeuchi (竹内まりや ) - VARIETY [1984]

 

It's got that one song on it. You know the one. The other tracks are pretty good too, all fairly well put-together pop songs with a very 80s feel. Mariya switches between singing in English and Japanese, and you can tell the album was meant to appeal to both japanese and western audiences. The songwriting is fairly generic, but that can be expected for such a mass appeal record. Overall, it's an enjoyable listen and inoffensive enough that you could play it in any bar in the US and people would enjoy, or at least tolerate, it.

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Various Artists - O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)

 

This is a soundtrack to one of my favourite films, and the film that possibly used diagetic sound better than any other film before or after it. I highly recommend watching O Brother to get the full experience, but the soundtrack does shine on its own. A collection of elite gospel, country and bluegrass musicians collaborated to make this a truly memorable medley of styles. One track I want to highlight is the first, Po Lazarus, which is an actual field recording of men singing in a chain gang in 1959. The sample I've given below, Down To The River To Pray, is also an incredibly powerful track that I'm sure most are familiar with. Brimming with classics, this is a perfect introduction to bluegrass and the music of the southern USA in general.

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Kim Jung Mi - Now (1973)

 

Absolutely one of the most interesting and famous records from the psych-rock era. A Korean singer-sognwriter, Kimg Jung Mi's sound is instantly recognisable and surprisingly accessible. This album is notoriously expensive for physical copies, but is available to stream. This is where it's found such a huge following, msot notably on Spotify. It makes sense; haunting vocals with a dreamy psychadelic guitar behind them, what's not to love? Haenim (track 1), the song I've linked below, is definitely the standout track. Give it a chance, and you will be transfixed. Other highlights are It's Raining (track 9), Wind (track 2) and Kim Jung Mi's rendition of Beautiful Rivers and Mountains (track 7), an already famous song in Korean psychadelic rock.

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Maria Barton - Rainful Days (1980)

 

I can't even remember where I got this record. In a dream perhaps. Anyway some would say this is "forgettable generic english folk" but they would be wrong and stupid. The album feels like a cozy little microcosm to get lost in; a collection of folksy short stories in musical form. That may sound a little corny and cliche. which this album can be, but it's also beautiful. The comfort food of my music library.

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Arrah and the Ferns - Evan Is A Vegan (2006)

 

Do you like twee? I hope you like twee, because all we have is fucking twee. deal with it. Pretty good release that is no longer available for purchase sadly. The bands other releases can be bought on their bandcamp so check them out if you like what you hear.

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