o. “RomanTopia” by Lee Sang Eun [이상은]

This is her twelfth album. I got the impression that the music has lighten up a bit. She’s still marching to her own beat, but following the current trend a bit (electronica) in orchestration. Still collaborating with Hajimu Takeda.

I thought it was okay.

o. “Color Your Soul” by Clazziquai Project

This is their second album. Clazziquai Project is a one-man project work by Kim Sunghoon [김성훈] with many guest (some recurring) musicians. Not sure why their full names aren’t listed.

Anyway, he is continuing his electronica-based R&B (+ some Latin beats). I think I am getting a bit more comfortable with his approach.

o. “CheongChunYeChan” [청춘예찬] by Jaurim [자우림]

This is a cover/tribute album (I really should be more careful about researching these things). Jaurim are Kim YunA [김윤아] (vocals, keyboard, piano), Lee SeonGyu [이선규] (guitars, programming, vocals), Kim JinMan [김진만] (bass, programming, vocals) and Gu TaeHun [구태훈] (drums, percussions, vocals).

Not recommended.

o. “Nah Youn Sun with Refractory” by Refractory with Nah Youn Sun [나윤선]

To me, this is actually an album by Refractory featuring Nah Youn Sun. Refractory are Jean François Blanco (programming, keyboards, guitar, base) and Louis Beaudoin (sax, arrangements).

Interesting, but I am still unsure whether this type of acid jazz (?) / electronica isn’t really my thing.

o. “Ma Non Tanto” by Lee Eun Mee [이은미]

This is her sixth album and the title translates to “but not so much”, usually a tempo notation in a musical score.

The album is a collection of mostly sentimental numbers. Too sentimental for me, actually. A change of pace for her, I am sure, but I don’t think I am into it much.

o. “Love Record” by Windy City [윈디시티]

This is their first album. Windy City are Kim BanJang [김반장] (drums, lead vocal, timbale), Yun GabYeol [윤갑열] (guitar, vocal), Kim TaeGuk [김태국] (bass, vocal), Cho MyeongJin [조명진] (keyboards, vocal) and Jeong SangGwon [정상권] (gonga, bongo, vocal, percussions).

Kim BanJang used to lead Asoto Union, but it seems this now became his main interests. The band plays, I guess, reggae / groovy / funk (or “world music”).

An interesting try. Maybe, I am getting old and I’ve been away from Korea too long, but to me, it sounds too alienated from Korea, temporarily and spatially. As much as I like having diversity in the Korean music scene, I don’t know how much his effort will connect with the Korean crowd compared to Asoto Union.

o. “ginagram” by Gina [지나]

This is her first album. Gina is also known as Seo HyeonA [서현아].

I think this could have been a collection of her graduation works at Berklee, mostly funk / light jazz, I think. Pretty solid, I thought.

o. “Old Fashioned” by Common Ground [커먼 그라운드]

This is their second album. Common Ground are G-Jey (vocal), Cho DaeYeon [조대연] (vocal), RBS (rap), Choi HuiCheol [최희철] (bass), JANE (guitar), Park SeungMin [박승민] (guitar), Hwang JeongGwan [황정관] (drums), Park MinU [박민우] (keyboards), Cho JaeBeom [조재범] (percussions), Eo YongSu [어용수] (trombone), Kim SeongMin [김성민] (trumpet), Kim JongU [김종우] (sax) and Seo DaeGwang [서대광] (trumpet).

I always found them interesting because this type of big funk band is quite unusual. The only thing is I really hate their faker English rappers. Overall, not a bad concept, but their albums are just okay. I am sure their live performance is much more enjoyable.

o. “everyday trouble” by HaePaRiSoNyeon [해파리소년]

This is his first album. Just a one-man electronica pop/rock “band”. A bit rough sounding (noise, I guess), but I kind of like most of his non-vocal numbers. I am not sure about his vocal, though. Even his female guest vocal doesn’t seem to be that appealing.

o. “Noomas” by Yoonchan Kwak [곽윤찬] with John Patitucci and Nasheet Waits

This is his third album. Pretty standard Jazz trio album. Solid, but nothing exceptional, I thought.

I guess they have released a couple of tracks on indie compilation albums. They are Jeon, JiHan (vocal, guitars, keyboards, programming), Jeon, JiIl (bass, programming), Lee, GyoWon (guitars), and Kim, KyeongIn (drums, percussions). It might be just me, but they somehow have this trace of (post “hiphop”) Seotaiji. And I don’t think that’s a good thing considering Seotaiji‘s current efforts (?) are quite disappointing. For a moment, I thought this was from Rock Records… :p

o. “Mass Appeal” by CB Mass

Their 3rd album. I think they are what’s keeping up the underground rap (done in Korean) scene up in Korea. Since I don’t watch Korean TVs that much, I can’t be sure, but I doubt you’d see them there that often, if at all. They are good. Not hard-core, but more of a groovy type. They are Curbin, Choiza, and Gaeko.

BTW, what the hell was that 7th track about? :p

o. “SinBiCheHeom” by Lee, SangEun

I don’t know if she’s still using the Leetzche name, but this is her latest solo album. This one had a bit different sense (mood?) from her past several release, in my opinion. The difference isn’t big, but I always felt that her music was getting “stale” for the past few releases. But this time, it felt different. Of course, Takeda, Hajimu is there with her, but this time Jang, YoungGyu (formerly from EoEoBu Project) also joined with them as a producer/arranger. Of course, it’s hard to tell how much of an effect he had, but the whole album with a slight hint of electronica in the background worked out quite well. I’d say my favorite tracks were The World is an Orchestra (a very nice brass arrangement) and Soul Deep Sunday (very trans…).