zortek says keep calm and listen to kpop (pop/rock/hiphop/edm)

[zortek]

zortek says
KEEP CALM AND LISTEN TO K-POP​

(..and rock and hiphop and edm)​

​

to my ears, the most dynamic music scene on the planet at the moment is the south korean scene. (the healthiest and most vibrant music scene is japan's : has been for decades .. more on that soon elsewhere)

let me explain ... the dominant 'idol band' process is slowly being pushed aside, in a similar way to how tin pan alley and the moguls that dominated in the early 60s in the us and uk lost control and influence on those industries as artists took control for themselves.
as some of the first generation of 'idol' bands and artists have matured, they have been able to exert more control over their output ... this has coincided with the emergence of a strong underground and independent hiphop scene and harder edged rock bands refusing to sing nice fluffy songs that traditionalist parents would approve of. add to this the emergence of a local club scene and dj's that don't just play radio hits, taking their cues instead from the european dance scene.

the result is an absolute deluge of enthusiastic unleashed talent .. for me truly exciting to behold (or maybe belisten .. sic ..)

i am not saying that the idol process will disappear .. after all we are still inflicted by little hellspawn like 1d, and other pollution from satanic simon ...
and there is still plenty of rubbish coming out of sk .. but when it's good it's great .. and possessing a spirit long missing from american and european commercial music.

so in this thread i hope to be able to introduce anyone interested to a bunch of great tracks from all genres of popular music, with a focus on the artists and music.
there will of course be plenty of hot guys, and great dance moves .. but there will also be so much more.

please enjoy :dancing:



ps - you will often hear the term 'nega' - trans. 'i am' ... just for clarification

 

[zortek]

i'll start the thread off with a couple of favourite artists that i have written much about before .. first up ..

taeyang

an absolute favourite .. in all ways .. one of my very favourite voices .. one of my very favourite guys ..
these tracks are all from 2014's Rise mini-album

눈,코,입 (Eyes, Nose, Lips) - one of my favourite songs ever .. superb lyrics, melody, production .. and sung by a voice that transports me and all of mine



Ringa Linga (링가 링가) - this has been stuck in my head for a couple of years now



새벽한시(1am) - just gets into my soul

 

[zortek]

bang yong guk

a few years old now, but one of the tracks that made me realise something deeper was emerging in the korean scene .. and also the genesis point of a fantastic band, but more of that later

I Remember (with Yang Yo Seop)

 

[zortek]

dj baryonyx

a dj on the drum'n'bass tip, with a definite focus on the party vibe. this is his debut single from last year

Reborn (Ft.Shaun)

 

[zortek]

the koxx

a fairly recent discovery, and i still don't know much of their history .. but a fantastic rock band .. catchy and yet complex .. no mean feat.

trojan horse - one of my faves from last year .. the tempo changes and complex guitar lines don't stop it from getting stuck in the head .. it seems that around here everyday someone plays it



echo



and a couple of tracks from about 4 years ago

trouble maker



사랑춤

 

[zortek]

2ne1

a couple of tracks from 2014's crush album ... i often realise that i am walking around singing (sic) come back home ... love the way it moves from being on a reggae tip through to an electro chant and back. and i love the way crush builds to a big drummy, albeit brief, climax

come back home



crush

 

[MaximumT]

2ne1

a couple of tracks from 2014's crush album ... i often realise that i am walking around singing (sic) come back home ... love the way it moves from being on a reggae tip through to an electro chant and back. and i love the way crush builds to a big drummy, albeit brief, climax

come back home

I don't have a natural exposure to K-pop so I find it difficult to stay updated, but I found Come back home quite refreshing. They way it moves from very different styles back and forth is quite interesting. If I had just listened to fragments of the song, I never would've guessed they were from the same song.

 

[zortek]

idiotape

i had planned to introduce this band with a few clips, but then this gem dropped a week ago .. and that plan went out the window.
idiotape are a trio, 2 synths and drumkit, who aim to bridge the gap between live rock music and electronic dance. they play mostly in clubs.

for this new track, thay have co-opted kim chang wan on vox and gtr .. so this is a bit different than their usual instrumental stuff .. it proves to be a good move .. everyone round here is flogging it all the time ... (um .. i'm gonna say that is an intentional and accurate double entendre)

가지마오 / don't go