‘Running Man’ HaHa & Reggae Skull to hold first Singapore fan meet
Korean music duo HaHa and Skull will be in Singapore for the first time from July 19 to July 21. The two musicians collaborated in the album, Busan Vacance, released in July 2012.
The German-born South Korean, HaHa (a.k.a Haroro) is a multi-hypenate talent, wearing the hats of reggae recording artist, actor, presenter and stand-up comedian with ease.
In 2007, he released his single album, You’re My Destiny. The single reached number one on the Gaon chart, South Korea’s national record chart, similar to the US Billboard charts.
Since 2010, HaHa has starred in the immensely popular variety show Running Man. He was lauded with the Best Entertainer Award at the 2011 SBS Entertainment Awards for his outstanding performance on Running Man. He wowed the audience with the performance of his single Rosa at the award ceremony.
HaHa also acted in the following movies and dramas:
- Holy Daddy (2006)
- Who Slept with Her?
- My Boss, My Teacher (2006)
- Love in Magic (2005)
HaHa’s musical partner, Skull, is a culture-fusing phenomenon. The Korean artist has been making waves in the US market, especially among Urban and Caribbean audiences by singing in own unique interpretation of a Jamaican patois. The release of his first single Boom Di Boom Di and accompanying 3-D animated video were well-received in the US.
In the US, Skull is signed under Morgan Carey, Mariah Carey’s brother. His new single will be released on August 14 and promises to be an intriguing aural journey, with renowned DJ and honorary Beastie Boys member, Mix Master Mike lending a hand in its production.
Fan Meet details:
‘Running Man’ HaHa + Reggae Skull First Singapore Fan Meet
Date: Saturday, 20 July 2013
Venue: Zouk, 17 Jiak Kim Road, Singapore 169420. Tel: 6738 2988
Time: 7pm (door opens at 6pm)
Free Standing
Pricing:
Cat 1: S$128 (Event day: S$138)
: Includes priority entry / meet & greet /autograph session / photo-taking
(Limited numbers only)
Cat 2: S$88 (Event day: S$98)
: General admission Only
Family package A: S$300
: Admission for 2 adults and 2 kids from age 7-12 / priority entry / meet & greet / autograph for 2 members / photo-taking.
(Limited numbers only)
Family package B: S$230
: General admission only for 2 adults and 2 kids from age 7-12
*Family packages are NOT available on event day
Early Bird Special: Cat 1 at S$115 & Cat 2 at S$79 from now till 27 May 2013 (11:59pm)
There will also be a pleasant surprise awaiting early bird ticket holders.
Tickets are available through EventClique here.
For the latest update on the fan meet, follow LEAP IMS Facebook page here.
Pr: LEAP IMS
Quick Reviews: Huh Gak, Rossy PP, and Rainbow
Huh Gak – Little Giant
Release: February 5, 2013
Producer/Distributor: A CUBE Entertainment/CJ E&M
Genre: Ballad
Reviewer Rating:
It’s partly a genre thing, but Little Giant is one of those albums that’s great for some and completely forgettable for others. Do you enjoy Huh Gak‘s reliably crisp voice crooning through well-polished ballads? You’ll like this album. If you don’t get much mileage out of that, then this probably isn’t for you. To be fair, the album does try to appeal to a variety of listeners - 노래하고 싶다 (Want To Sing) is a pretty good R&B ballad in the Brown Eyed Soul vein, and lead single 1440 incorporates a little danceability à la Kim Jong-guk. But Huh Gak’s forte is still medium-tempo pop and ballad, and that’s what the album converges to in the end. Now, he doesn’t ever really take ownership of the album; ultimately, the level of artistry here is middling. For now, Huh Gak is a talented vocalist, but it’ll be a while before the results really start living up to that talent.
Track list (recommended tracks listed in bold)
1. 1440
2. 노래하고 싶다 (Want To Sing)
3. 모노드라마 (Monodrama) – Featuring Yoo Seung-woo
4. 헤어질걸 알기에 (Because I Know We’ll Part) – Featuring Jung Eun-ji of A Pink
5. 술 한잔하면 (Your Wedding)
6. 간단한 이야기 (Simple Story) – Featuring Miryo of Brown Eyed Girls
7. 사랑하고 싶어서 (Because I Wanted To Love)
8. 백수가 (The Unemployed Song)
9. 눈물이 되어줄게 (I’ll Become Your Tears)
10. 1440 – Instrumental
11. 모노드라마 (Monodrama) – Instrumental
Rossy PP – 로맨티카 (Romantica)
Release: February 8, 2013
Producer/Distributor: Old Record/Sony Music
Genre: Indie pop, modern rock
Reviewer Rating:
Romantica is infectiously full of life; each track crackles with vitality and various hues of warmth. Rossy PP‘s EP is a concept album in the same way that Lucia‘s Décalcomanie was one: an exercise in giving voice and sound to a single emotion. If Lucia’s theme was exhilaration, Rossy PP’s is romance. In 늦지않았길 (Hope It’s Not Too Late), she paints love in the air with pleasant piano pulses and driving melody; in 몽상가들 (Daydreamers), she soothes and lifts up spirited artisans and artists, dreamers and lovers; in 낭만의 계절 (Season of Romance), she sings an ode to the happiest time of the year and offers humorous friendship to various seasonal illnesses in cozy jazz.
The instrumentation is impressively rich and detailed throughout, branching out into modern rock, bossa nova, and jazz at various points. But the album’s real star is Rossy PP’s gorgeous lyricism. She turns exasperated longing into thoughtful introspection (“To grab by the wings and put you aside me, and call it love // No, merely to hope for love that I can dream with // Is it such luxury to want that”) in 드물게 피는 꽃 (Rare-Blooming Flower) and describes her music in colors with corresponding moods in노래해볼까 (Shall I Sing). She’s good at plain old imagery too, if you were wondering – “In that place where foreign aromas bloom // Our minds too bloomed crimson, like red wine // Old tales that shone dotted // Embroidered above the waters” (Season of Romance) is already one of my favorite lyrical moments of the year. Romantica would have been welcome any time of the year, but the fact that it’s so timely just makes it all that much better.
Tracklist (recommended tracks listed in bold)
1. 늦지않았길 (Hope It’s Not Too Late)
2. 드물게 피는 꽃 (Rare-Blooming Flower)
3. 몽상가들 (Daydreamers)
4. 낭만의 계절 (Season of Romance)
5. 노래해볼까 (Shall I Sing)
Rainbow – Rainbow Syndrome
Release: February 13, 2013
Producer/Distributor: DSP Media/CJ E&M
Genre: Dance pop
Reviewer Rating:
Despite the name, Rainbow‘s musical color is not so strong that it determines the style that fits them. The upside of that is, of course, that the group can handle a variety of genres decently well; DSP Media seems to recognize this, and has put its seven-member group on a new trajectory with Rainbow Syndrome. Lead single Tell Me Tell Me is a lot more bubblegum pop than the Sweetune-powered releases of old, featuring a simple beat, happy-go-lucky mood, and sing-along chorus.
This is where the downside of not having a strong color comes in: if the song written for your group is bad, the members’ performance cannot save it. Tell Me Tell Me is way too stylistically pedestrian to make mainstream impact, and its quality is not high enough for non-fans to appreciate it in general. For the same reason, Rainbow Syndrome’s ballads are not very productive. The album’s best moments come in brassy Golden Touch and electric club tune Cosmic Girl, not because Rainbow is better at those styles (although Go Woori does don more charisma in these kinds of tracks) but simply because they’re better and more polished tracks. If DSP won’t pair the girls up with consistently high-quality songs, it seems urgent that the group obtains a coherent identity.
Tracklist (recommended tracks listed in bold)
1. Golden Touch
2. 두 눈을 감고 (Closing Both Eyes)
3. Tell Me Tell Me
4. Cosmic Girl
5. 나만 아는 너는 절대 모를 이야기 (A Story That Only I Know And You Won’t Ever Know)
6. In Love
Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the reviewer and not of hellokpop as a whole.
Agree or disagree? Or have a recent release that you’d like to see reviewed? Let us know with your comments below! Requested albums will be considered each week and may be selected to be reviewed in the subsequent week.
Quick Reviews: Infinite-H, Yoari, and Ravie Nuage
Infinite-H – Fly High
Release: January 11, 2013
Producer/Distributor: Woollim Entertainment/Loen Entertainment
Genre: Hip-hop
Reviewer Rating:
As a business project, Fly High isn’t a bad move. As a work of musical art, this EP is a near-complete failure. The idea is to pair up Infinite’s two rapping members, Dongwoo and Hoya, with trending producer Primary and attack the idol hip-hop niche. I have no qualms with the choice of producer – Primary’s fantastic recent album raised his stock, and his penchant for crafting polished, mainstream-friendly sounds makes him attractive for this kind of crossover work. The problem lies in the flubbed execution.
Neither Dongwoo nor Hoya are accomplished rappers, and that’s a mild way of putting it. That shows in the dry, rudimentary flow exhibited by both throughout this entire EP. You could perhaps argue that the performance is excusable in the four love songs here – actually, you can’t, but let’s assume that for a moment – but that still leaves Victorious Way, a no-nonsense swag track. It’s not like Dead’P penned those particularly sizzling verses to begin with, but the pair’s monotonous delivery really don’t help. (If we’re splitting hairs, I will say that Dongwoo’s verse is slightly more interesting in tone and touch.)
The Infinite duo’s presence feels feather-light in the other tracks, where the guest vocalists’ choruses frankly outweigh all the verses and hooks. These choruses become the focus, and that is not how these songs are designed – consider Primary’s 입장정리 (Sorting Things Out), an approximate analog to this EP’s 못해 (Can’t Say It). The chorus there is low-profile and not too noticeable, because it’s a backdrop to the rapped narrative. Can’t Say It is the same kind of track, but the lack of an engaging rap verse pushes Gaeko‘s low-impact chorus to the forefront.
This is really more Primary’s album than it is Infinite-H’s – the pair has not a single memorable moment and all lyrics were written by (an impressive list of) other rappers. Fly High is a terribly uninspired release, and that truly is surprising – Infinite’s discography has been so exciting to follow precisely because of Woollim‘s inspired direction. At least the EP should be decent publicity for the producer.
Tracklist (recommended tracks listed in bold)
1. Victorious Way – Featuring DJ Wegun
2. Special Girl – Featuring Bumkey
3. 니가 없을 때 (When You’re Not Here) – Featuring Zion.T
4. 못해 (Can’t Say It) – Featuring Gaeko of Dynamic Duo
5. Fly High – Featuring Baby Soul
Yoari – 맘에 드니? (Do You Like It?)
Release: January 15, 2013
Producer/Distributor: i-NEGA/Mirrorball Music
Genre: Pop rock
Reviewer Rating:
I first heard Yoari in her rendition of Beyoncé‘s Sweet Dreams a few years back, shortly before her solo debut, and that husky voice stuck with me for a while. It’s a pretty unique tone that applies well to a lot of different genres, and sometimes that’s all you need to make it in this scene. Two years after a so-so ballad single, it seems like Nega Networks has found the right direction for this artist: pop-rock. It’s a wonder why they didn’t do this sooner – especially considering that the reason Nega didn’t debut Yoari as part of the Brown Eyed Girls in 2006 was because she was deemed a better fit for rock and sent away to ill-fated Sprinkler.
At any rate, Yoari takes absolute control in this new stage. Lead single Do You Like It? provides an energetic, adorably fierce backdrop as Yoari breaks out her sassiest voice (reminiscent of Jadu) and proceeds to bounce off the walls. It’s a ton of fun, and the fast-paced onslaught of guitar and synths actually give a welcome weightiness to the track. These are recurrent themes throughout the EP, as Yoari handles love songs with pluckiness and autobiographical stories of struggle with subtly dark humor. It’s also promising that the album’s only ballad – Lie, released as Yoari’s first single after contending on The Voice Korea - also plays to the gut-wrenching drama that her voice excels at. Nega really seems to know what to do with this artist now, and if so, we’re about to witness a career taking off.
Tracklist (recommended tracks listed in bold)
1. 맘에 드니? (Do You Like It?)
2. 니 이름이 뭐니? (What’s Your Name?)
3. 부르릉 (Vroom)
4. Level Up
5. Lie
6. 맘에 드니? (Do You Like It?) – Instrumental
7. Level Up – Instrumental
Ravie Nuage – 겨울노래 (Winter Songs)
Release: January 16, 2013
Producer/Distributor: Team Kabeto/Neowiz Internet
Genre: Pop, ballad
Reviewer Rating:
Their debut album was inspired by the sky and the clouds, the rivers and the plains – and was a darned good work at that. This time, Ravie Nuage scales it back for Winter Songs, opting instead for a collection of cozy ballads. As expected, the EP is awash in warm sounds and reassuring harmonies; the band returns to bossa nova rhythms in 사랑하고 싶어요 (I Want to Love), a shy song of longing led by Jeon Jin-hyun‘s nuanced piano work (it also has a really sweet back story), and offers a hand of caressing sympathy with the austere acoustics of 이 밤이 지나면 (When the Night Goes). There’s a little experimental piece in 향기 (Aroma), where Pomme repeatedly overlaps the end of lines with the beginning of the next. It seems to be a sonic device to express the sensation of being jolted with unexpected memories, and it’s a cool little touch once you get past the initial disorientation.
But in the end, this album is more of the same – and sometimes, that’s totally fine. I’ll gladly take more of this band’s breathtaking melodies, more of Pomme’s resonant voice, more of the densely packed emotion that their music evokes. While they haven’t shown overwhelming upside, there’s no denying that Ravie Nuage is doing some of the best ballad work in the scene these days.
Tracklist (recommended tracks listed in bold)
1. 사랑하고 싶어요 (I Want to Love)
2. 향기 (Aroma)
3. 고백 (Confession)
4. 이 밤이 지나면 (When the Night Goes) – Seokyo-dong Café Version
Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the reviewer and not of hellokpop as a whole.
Agree or disagree? Or have a recent release that you’d like to see reviewed? Let us know with your comments below! Requested albums will be considered each week and may be selected to be reviewed in the subsequent week.
2012 In Review: Part 7 – Best Crossover/Miscellaneous
[2012 In Review Series]
0. Prelude – Best Album Art
1. Introduction
2. Best R&B/Soul
3. Best Rock/Alternative
4. Best Rap/Hip-hop
5. Best Dance/Electronica
6. Best Pop/Ballad
7. Best Crossover/Miscellaneous
8. Best Original Soundtrack
9. Best Collaborative Work
10. Label of the Year
11. Rookie of the Year
12. Song of the Year
13. Artist of the Year
14. Album of the Year
15. Concluding Remarks
Welcome back to our 2012 In Review series! Today, we look at the “best of the rest” (without the negative connotations of that phrase) – in short, everything not covered over the past five days. There’s some jazz here, as well as opera, ethnic, gypsy, acid, gospel, reggae, string performance, and more. This is always a fun category to pick for simply because of the sheer diversity, but keep in mind that for this very reason, simple comparisons between works are often impossible or unreasonable. So take these picks with a bigger grain of salt than usual.
Again, please remember that the Album of the Year and Song of the Year (and their runner-ups) are not included in the genre categories. That means that there could be a crossover (or any other genre) album that isn’t being honored on this page because it’s the album of the year. As always, honorable mention picks are sorted by alphabetical order of artist names.
Note: Two albums in that would fall into this category and likely be nominated – Kumapark‘s self-titled album and Han Ji-yeon‘s Ascetic – are not included, as I was unable to review them in time.
Albums
Best Crossover/Miscellaneous Album 2012
Jambinai – 차연 (Différance)
For all our pursuit for something new – how often do you really see something truly revolutionary? A sound you’ve never heard before? True outside-the-box thinking is rare, which is why we hold new sounds in such high esteem. Jambinai is one of the few bands this year to do this. You see, their niche is a crossover between Korean traditional music with heavy metal. It’s an intriguing concept from the get-go, but words don’t do much justice. This sound has to be heard to be believed. Jambinai doesn’t just, say, replace guitars with geomungo and call it a day. Their compositions are built from the ground up with this fusion style in mind, creating unique motifs and moods that cannot be achieved otherwise. The chaotic whirlpool of geomungo and screeching haegeum near the end of each act of 바라밀다 (Cross the Hill Yonder) are more disorienting and madly apocalyptic than your regular effecter-based post-rock riff; using haegeum allows the band to control multiple parallel melody lines at once, as seen in the lengthy solo that takes up most of 구원의 손길 (Hand of Salvation). Outside of the metal-inspired sounds, ambitious tracks like 10-minute ambient epic Connection help reveal just how many future paths are open for this style to explore. For its originality as well as its endless potential, Différance is one of the most valuable gains of 2012.
Runner-up Crossover/Miscellaneous Album 2012
Sentimental Scenery – There Is Nowhere Else in the World (read our review)
When an artist puts out something as great as 2011′s Soundscape, I’d fully expect him to take a break and recharge; Sentimental Scenery instead went and arguably outdid himself with this winter-themed collage. Eschewing all vocals (both his own and his usually numerous guests’) and lyrics, he sets his sights on describing the psychology of winter. He identifies some feelings that we associate with the season – hope, renewal, anticipation – and brings it to stirring life in tracks like View and Genesis. Even though he forgoes his usual synthetic sound arsenal, he evokes quaint imagery and dreamy abstraction with deft handling of analogs and acoustics. The finished work is a dazzle from beginning to end, and proof that what makes this artist special is his, well, sentimentality, not his toolset.
Honorable Mentions
5 Days Market Project – 5 Days Market Project (1st)
No matter who’s at the mic – Collie, Hulsey, Jones, or Yoo - this album always regresses back to the peace of Jeju.
Bae Sun-yong – Bugler’s Holiday
Unafraid to venture outside the predictable, this trumpeter achieves some exhilarating crossover moments.
Crystal Rain – Romantic Blue
Their brand of acid sometimes burns, but oftentimes it’s a sting followed by a gentle caress.
Handsome People – Are You Handsome? (read our review)
The fourth (and last, I promise) album that I missed on this year. An unwieldy hybrid genre is tamed under their direction.
Park Ju-won – Gypsy Christmas (read our review)
Brilliant, imaginative reinterpretations of familiar carols.
SAZA Choi Woo-jun – SAZA’s Blues
Is it blues or is it the oldie style of ppong-chak? Both, but this talented guitarist has a better answer: it’s his.
Son Sue-kyung – I Am (read our review)
The Britain’s Got Talent finalist’s debut finds a nice place between technicality and accessibility.
Yoo Da-hye – Cello Grapia
Rich but lean bossa nova overtones give lively resonance to this jazz cellist’s debut.
Songs
Best Crossover/Miscellaneous Song 2012
Sohyang – Jesus (read our related review)
It’s a more common sentiment among these more obscure genres, but I’m still taken aback when heavily ethnic music is achieved with this kind of fidelity by a Korean artist. Sohyang and her gem of a voice takes to black gospel in Jesus, and nearly perfectly captures the infectious energy and inexorable groove innate to the genre. From a simple, visceral enjoyment perspective, Jesus is a highly engaging listen. Bold melody and electric atmosphere are sustained effectively, and Sohyang displays some showmanship in her rousing refrain. The attention to detail, such as the complex piano rhythm and slightly divergent chorus backing, show that Sohyang and the POS team are serious about quality – not only in reproducing the choir-gospel sound, but also in smoothly making the transition to the Korean language and to Sohyang’s style. They’ve succeeded, and Jesus is one of the year’s most overlooked great singles.
Runner-up Crossover/Miscellaneous Song 2012
Jambinai – 소멸의 시간 (Time of Extinction)
Hear this: Time of Extinction is actually one of Différance’s less experimental tracks. No, that doesn’t mean much, but what I’m trying to say is that it adopts the methodology of extant metal music fairly straightforwardly. It’s built around a compelling riff (with these instruments, I half feel like I should call it an ostinato), kicked off by geomungo - acting as a bass guitar stand-in – and then coated with guitars. It’s powered by regular drums. A multi-dimensional input from the versatile haegeum is new, but unlike the rest of the album, this is a song that could probably be played with familiar instruments and still sound decent. That said, listen to the last third of the song, when stuff suddenly starts blowing up and the guitars and haegeum strings go on controlled rampages. Feel the unstructured mayhem. Try to make sense of it. This is when you realize: experimental or traditional actually has no meaning for this band. Either way, their sound is unparalleled.
Honorable Mentions
2nd Moon – 그동안 뭐하고 지냈니? (What Have You Been Doing Since?). It’s been seven long years since they released one of my all-time favorite albums, but 2nd Moon’s comeback is as technically intricate and exhilarating as ever.
Bae Sun-yong – Holiday. [No studio version on YouTube] Clearly, Bae doesn’t always have to be the centerpiece.
Bae Sun-yong – The Lady of Seba. [No studio version on YouTube] Park Ju-won’s dazzling play stands complement to Bae’s performance.
Crystal Rain – Super Star. Soft, bubbly acid that will put a spring in your step.
Deviant – 즉홍곡 (Improvisation). This was never meant to be a standalone – it’s a beat for a rapper to flow on in the future. I’d say it sounds fine without, too.
Hae Won – You Are My Sunshine. Luxurious vocals and smooth jazz? Yeah, that will usually get the job done.
Hido – The Creative Process. Has a slight unfinished feel to it – especially the length – but in a vintage-minded track, that’s a bonus.
Jung Jae-il – Revealed. As one component of a cryptic concept album, the track is hard to figure out, but its theater origins are apparent.
Jung Kyoung – La Danza. Passion incarnated in dance… incarnated in opera.
Sagitta – 말하지 마 (Don’t Tell Me). There’s something magnetic about Lee Jung-eun’s flat-tuned performance.
SAZA Choi Woo-jun – Blue Gonna Blue. The drawl spawns a few “excuse me?” moments, but it’s surprising how quickly one gets used to it.
Sentimental Scenery – View. Overwhelming awe and a spring of hope.
Son Sue-kyung – Chaos. [No studio version on YouTube] The mainstream crossovers are great, but her violin work really thrives when it’s doing all the talking.
Skull – 쓰레기 (Garbage) (Featuring Rooftop Moonlight). His second consecutive selection to this category, this time a little lighter on the drama.
Super Brass – Hurry Honey. [No studio version on YouTube] Frankly, the best way to characterize the performances here is, as my friend described it, “haters please”.
Sweet Sorrow – Viva! (Featuring Lee Sora). There’s a lot of meaning packed into that exclamation of “viva”, but they don’t let themselves be burdened.
Windy City – 모십니다 (Full Greeting). They may be closer than anybody to a full integration of reggae and Korean tradition.
Wine Loop – 중독 (Addiction). [No studio version on YouTube] Cold, sensual, yet desperate.
Yoo Da-hye – Capoeirista. Yoo spends a lot of time silently, but her performance is mesmerizing when cello’s in the forefront.
What do your picks look like for this category? Discuss with us in the comments, and join us tomorrow in Part 8 for a look at the year in soundtracks!
Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the reviewer and not of hellokpop as a whole.
Sources: Photos – Covers from Bugs Music, Daum Music; feature photo is a capture from YouTube
CEO guilty of sexual abuse; requests for reduced sentence
Home to artists like The Boss, X-5 and Kim Horam, Open World Entertainment is gaining attention once again as its CEO, Jang Suk Woo, has admitted to the crime of sexually abusing singers and trainees.
The allegations to the crime are accounted back in April 2012 when he was arrested. According to the investigations, about 30 victims were involved in his case.
The Seoul Court had sentenced Suk Woo six years of imprisonment. However, Suk Woo’s counsel appealed for a reduced sentence on the grounds that the CEO confessed to his crime and that he was a leader in the Korean entertainment industry.
Netizens reacts to his appeal saying, “How could he dare ask for an appeal?”and “He should leave the industry!”
Source: News and Image – Nate
