#favkreleases

[monstress]

favorite 2023 korean album releases

episode1: love — soyoon

i loved her first solo album and i have been ecstatic by how much love this album has received because her skills as a songwriter just grew exponentially. what a suave, confident and powerful album. 'till the sun goes up' and 'canada' - the duality of a woman...i'm in love.

dipuc — cacophony

if you're not up to cacophony discography, i would highly recommend this album. from the first track, it was like she's immediately tucking you into her coat - crooning you an intimate sonic odyssey. the run from 'Lean Your Body On Me' to 'End' had me screaminggg. for the season, the track 'Christmas' is gorgeous.

notwitzki — beenzino

dammit...he's still good. beenzino's technical prowess has not slipped since his last release and while i was ready to be punched in the gut, this was a surprisingly tranquil listen. truly just an album perfect for a relaxing night drive with the boys, the girls, and the theys. 'Travel Again' and 'Change' are standouts to me.

pat pat — risso

if you don't find one track you can't groove to on this, you may be entitled to legal compensation. a citypop album i can't get enough of during the summer. the disco track 'SPF' and smooth r&b 'daydreamer' should've hit them to the mainstream stratosphere. it's soooo unfair how they don't have a romance kdrama ost under their belt already.

love pt. 2 — colde

starting out with my number one spotify wrapped artist. what else is there to stay...impeccably engineered k-r&b album with solid bops, an underrated featuring track ('heartbreak club' is the best track of the year to me - the reggae influence, the smoothest beat switch of the album, chan hyuk's 2000s flare rap line delivery), and a surprise cover of a korean indie classic.

sichimi — sumin

a chill, downbeat album to wind down after a long day with an ending that makes you wanna go back to the start. listen to this album just for 'Closet' where sumin and uhm jung hwa are just trying to out queen each other. obsessed.

zip — zion.t

it's been 5 years since his last release that i actually yelled when i saw the notification he released a music video because i wasn't expecting it all. as a long time fan, i loved the evolution you can see from 'oo' with the detour at 'zzz' culminating on this album. witty, eccentric and earworms galore, it's so solid. the lil ditty 'stranger' and the sweeping 'the things i love' (kim hae sol, you don't give me both a jazz solo and a choir in a track and expect it not being my immediate favorite) are gorgeous.

machine boy — silica gel

amazingggg rock album - i was blown away by the first track alone. you know they'd go so hard at concerts. also shoutout to 'machineboygong' for being a nine minute masterpiece which i recommend for you to listen at least once. it'd be remissed not to mention their latest album 'power andre 99' is astonishingly excellent as well.

no one can hunt me — joonie

my favorite experimental album of the year. if you're into electronic, this is a great listen. moody, dystopian, warped tracks that only spiral downwards to isolating madness. it's only four tracks and my fave constantly changes.

____

honorable mentions: yukika's "time lapse", ashmute's 'this place no longer exists', suzanne's "new life, new mind", dpr ian's "dear insanity...", epik high's 'screen time', code kunst's 'archive 01', voyeur's 'same dream, huh yunjin's 'blessing in disguise', thmoon's 'dormant'

#favkreleases #korean indie #beenzino #colde #silica gel #sumin #zion.t #soyoon #se so neon #risso #joonie

[monstress]

                        Favorite 2022 Korean Album Releases

khamat — hunjiya

this album is sonically so so beautiful! the r&b-pop hybrid is trendy (which can be a strength and a weakness) but this album has amazing build up that i cannot ignore. the narrative of zillennial’s blustery self-assuredness with the tracks all in capital letters - ending with last month’s rent in lowercase as the dawning realization of adulthood and growing out of friends and your childhood home. yeah...i’ll drink to that. the best engineered album of the year.

neap paradise — shin hae gyeong

one of my faveeee rock releases of the year. the arrangement of this album is so pleasing as you delve longer and longer in its psychedelic soundscape. it’s also a little reminiscent of korean indie sounds in the early 2010s which mayhaps colored my bias to this album. in addition, there are sooo many individual hooks across this album: when the guitar solo ripssss in Vandalism? the toy laugh at the end of Kaleidoscope? the descending chords in My Chronos? *chefs kiss*

piece of space — kaiavant

this album is soooo sexy...like how can you make marimba in the opening track sound alluring? she did it though! speaking about a shattered, unstable relationship, this alt-r&b is splendidly built and shows so much potential for kaiavant. the track woo hoo (feat. kid milli) is a star. if you’re a fan of bibi’s sound, do check her out!

evergray — jiwoo

his previous album ‘esprit’ got him on my to watch list and he delivered this year!! moody, introspective, and downbeat, this album is wonderful for those searching for a slow night and jiwoo’s voice perfectly emulates the toxicity of lust, love, and breakups. like a dark curtain of rain, it ensconced you in the melodrama if you let it.

nameless things — xeuda

decided to check this album since it was co-produced by cacophony and it didn’t disappoint! if you decide to listen to this album in one sitting, it’s so artful at how it slowly unravels from being defensive in sharing to you the true nature of its artist (her anxiety) and slowly opens up to a crescendo of a frenzy and ends like a grey cast in the aftermath of a storm.

life goes on — orange flavored cigarettes

might be a ~vibey entry to the list but the funk production flares (the underwater effect in kontrast, the reverb in that’s all i want) makes it distinct against its similar bands. this was in constant rotation for the summer for the slow summer nights with its ambient vocals. highly rec check out their other 2022 singles, especially noah.

a.k.a YAYA — yaya kim

this is an insaneeeee album from start to finish. with 33 tracks (yes that’s right!!!!), this album is indulgent, effusive, and operatic in its splendor. it’s magnificent, dark, and seductive which completely matches yaya kim’s husky voice. a concept album for a noir film that doesn’t exist, if you will. from the opening track, it asks you to let down your apprehension and enjoy the velvet-textured, wonderfully performed ride to its completion.

damage — kim doeon

i do love me some experimental albums and this album introduced me to the delightful name of the genre ‘folktronica’. while it’s more ambient than what i prefer, i’ve had this album on replay to able to parse something new with each listen. it’s soooo funky, fresh, and pleasant and it’s production is very evocative of a charming indie pixel game. Green Screen is my fave track of the year.

ㅠㅠ — gonggonggoo009

when this album starts, it does not let up! it’s 40 mins long album and uses it  expeditiously and excellently. the tracks are delightfully groovy at times, addictive in a few, and GOES HARD that you will not fatigued by the end of the runtime. and i know the man has become persona non grata (for good, good reasons) but it will be remiss not to mention the influence of kanye’s my beautiful dark twisted fantasy in this album’s production (the tracks monster, walk and polar bear are pretty obvious - and no, it’s not just because of the autotune). however, as the album goes on it does evolve to take on more of kendrick’s work (concentration is the best track imo). fave khh album of the year, don’t miss out.

♡ ♡ ♡ 

honorable mentions: all of ive’s singles, conch’s hurry up!, kwon eun bi’s lethality, slom’s weather report, rocket punch’s flash, bibi’s lowlife princess: noir, youha’s love you more, newjeans’ hype boy, baek yerin’s pisces, lucid fall’s voice beside guitar, dpr ian’s moodswings in to order

#mines #favkreleases #korean indie #kindie #khh #krock #krnb

[monstress]

                     Favorite 2021 Korean Album Releases

lee yerin — far away 2/2

lee yerin’s voice is so clear, so sorrowful, so intimate - it’s perfect for winter. in terms of production, i think it’s the most humble one out of the list but that doesn’t detract from its charm. no flares, no pomp, just honest to god songwriting - and coupled with that voice??? i’m reaching for my tissues. i played this album on speakers while it was raining and it’s enchanting.

gsoul — natural

gsoul: y-

me:

budung — let’s take a step to a brighter place

this album makes me wanna break my door open, run up to the nearest hill, and scream ‘i wanna be in loooooooove’!!! it has a gorgeous, vast soundscape that just makes one desire to explore this album forever with constantly changing favorites. just a gorgeous album to get lost in. highly rec ‘Fairytale’ for one of the wittiest switch-up of the year.

glowcean — essence

this is SUCH a fun romp! if you recognize the guest features, you know what you’re getting yourself into and this album delivers! chock-full of experimental r&b tracks that gets even more grandiose further into the album, almost like a labyrinthine journey. fave tracks are ‘Escapade’ and ‘Born’. need that remix album expeditiously!

sumin & slom — miniseries

this 00s r&b throwback and garage house-influenced album’s production is the epitome of sleek sophistication as the life and death of a relationship unfolds. sumin’s voice perfectly flounces to the beat, playing with the melody like a maestro. i think it’s an album that finally showcases her ability as a singer. an album with no skips, highly repeatable, guaranteed to be a club staple. AOTY

moonsun — TOM:貪

love a great neo-r&b album - the production has crunchiest bass and reverb up on a hundred. it goes to weird places - vocals ebbing and flowing like chewing gum, drums stretched tight and it ends on fade-out!!! in 2021!!! i gotta give props to that...it’s sexy as hell!

greenvilla — greenvilla

debut of the year! greenvilla knocks it out of the park with this wonderful dream-pop introduction to their band. it’s warm, vivacious, and glazy - inviting new listeners to join them in their adventure. for english speakers, this album is written entirely in english so accessibility isn’t an issue. a band with a future to anticipate for sure.

exn — [qqqqq]

so fresh, so airy! effortless in its execution, it’s so cool and confident. the use of tastefully processed voice forming synthetic details is amazing with the funk beat. highly recommend listening this album chronologically because the build-up from the first track as you adjust herself to her sound to the last where all cards are on the table is stupendous.

lang lee — there is a wolf

i adore this folk album: it is whimsical, hopeful and frank, deceptively simple yet infinitely complex. each track is well-crafted and interesting. im obsessed with the arrangement of the song ‘Conversation’ of overlayed vocals ala acapella, akin to people talking over each other, which is a stroke of conceptual genius. this album is like witnessing a master presenting her work and knowing it will be a benchmark in the industry. i cried over the song about bread like come on.....

♡ ♡ ♡

honorable mentions: younha ‘end theory’, lee hi ‘4 only’, jannabi ‘the land of fantasy’, evenif ‘it’s always in my mind and we’ll be all right’, kim sawol ‘drive’

#k indie #korean indie #favkreleases #sumin #slom #lee yerin #gsoul #lang lee #exn #greenvilla #moonsun #glowcean #budung #what are ur fave albums of 2021?

[monstress]

                        Favorite 2019 Korean Album Releases

GENERASIAN - Lim Kim

following a four year hiatus at the blossoming of her career, Lim Kim comes back independent with a crowdfunded album that is nothing like her pop idol days and she's here to make a statement as an Asian woman. GENERASIAN is cynically political with massive production (the pansori!! the grunge!! the drums!!) and is, by far and large, one of the most exciting releases of the year. Also it's a great breather from western artists using ~*~oriental~*~ instruments to sound exotic lmao. 10/10 unlocks feral, vengeful witches sleepless in ______ - Epik High remember how last time i thought We've Done Something Wonderful was their last album? i'm so glad to be wrong. Freshly released from their YG sub-label (and a shrewd decision at that), Epik High released a short yet effective love letter to insomnia, depression and loneliness. the tracks are seamless; the flow from Sleepless to In Seoul, reverberation of Sunwoo Jung-A's chorus from In Seoul in Lullaby for a Cat are beautiful. there's just so many things i personally love about this album: from the Yuna feature, the mix-up of Eternal Sunshine in iTunes with Kung by Youra to #LullabyForACat hashtag. just music and social media crossover perfection. Vivid - ADOY 

ADOY really came through in the last minute to this list. full of that 80s synths with modern rock twist, you’d think this shtick would get old but each track is way too artfully arranged to fall for that! i am, in essence, just a robot living in the pixel console game tracked by their music. and the song swim makes me cry Our Love is Great - Baek Yerin the dreamiest album of this year. Soothing, romantic and absolutely delightful. Each track is crafted like a string of fine pearls and petals. From the first track Merry and the Witch’s Flower (which title alone sound like a quaint childhood short story with a future ghibli adaptation), the album gives us soft r&b and jazz that promises love, redemption, and tender pining. also if you haven’t watch this songstress sing live, do yourself a favor.

Love Part 1 - Colde

It’s all about love, yall! as expected from one half of offonoff, this album’s arrangement? production? execution? top notch! the tracks starts romantic and wistful declarations and as the albums proceed, turns outright darker. I Fxxking Love You is the BEST track hands down---the plain-as-day lyrics, the multiple howling confessions, the desperate energy of it all, the guitar solo. absolutely rancid vibes my mans. g o d

Thirsty - The Black Skirts

at first listen, this album didn’t strike me as the lightning bolt of Team Baby but later in the year after a few listens, i keep coming back to the buzz that Wrong Question gives, the sweeping verses of island (queen of diamonds), the shoegaze Hawaiian black sands, the ballad of Thinner than water and realize i went through the whole album from start to finish. another quintessential rock album to add to the mantle of The Black Skirts’ already impressive discography.

Entropy - DAY6

this is not something they made...this is some professional shit like this shit is in different areas what the fuck. in all seriousness, day6 released the best kpop/rock album of the year with elements spanning from classic rock, bossanova, electronic, garage rock, latin r&b and dancehall while keeping the arrangement interesting and cohesive? she has the range, darling! i’m not exaggerating when my jaw dropped multiple times at every new track. this album is just THAT good. how they pulled it off, i don’t know but, as always, i’m grateful.

So!YoON! -  황소윤

stepping into a solo stint, hwang soo yoon (band se so neon 22-yo lead vocal and guitarist) embarked into wider musical territories: adding synths, electronics and r&b production into her fold with her eclectic guitar-playing and some amazing collaborators (secret zion.t cameo? yes secret zion.t cameo!). and did i scream at my tv when she appeared on Yoo Flash with sumin? yes, yes i did. a great album powered by her husky voice. for everyone wondering, the album cover is from Australian artist Patricia Piccinini’s ‘The Rookie’. no, i don’t know either.

LEGEND - Jannabi 

for any other band, this album would be called their magnum opus but for jannabi, i hope it’s just the first stepping stone. frontman choi jong hoon said they want to make songs our parents would listen to and boy do they delivered. an instant classic that can be played 20 years from now and no one will blink. a glorious, seasonal album with no seasons, an excellent case for ‘maybe commercialized nostalgia isn’t so bad?’. all i know is: i’ll be playing land of night to end my decade while weeping because i’m still alive and i’ve made it!

Honoroble Mentions: neckwav x rarekook ‘249′, bewhy ‘the movie star’, samuel seo ‘the misfit’, oohyo ‘far from the madding city’, ashmute ‘night & night’, code kunst ‘all about us’, dean ‘howlin’ 404′, cl ‘in the name of love’, xin seha ‘1000′, sumin ‘your home’, lucid fall ‘nowana’

#lim kim #epik high #adoy #baek yerin #jannabi #the black skirts #colde #day6 #soo!yoon #se so neon #mines #favkreleases #do you know how it PAINS me to put all my usual faves #in the honoroble mentions list?? #this was such a GODDAMN AMAZING year in music #it was so hard to whittle this list down #but oof i need to deliver justice. these 9 absolutely slaps #also yall should check out lucid fall's album 'nowana' after this which is co-produced by his DOG #yes his DOG i'm not kidding and it's GOOD #if he released it a little earlier of fucking course it would be on this list #and im so mad he didn't #i only got to it last week!

[monstress]

                        Favorite 2018 Korean Album Releases

george // casette

this album’s production is smooth as hell and it legitimately gave us bops after bops! george’s smooth as silk voice is one of my favorite finds of the year since hearing him on a primary track. best rnb debut album of the year? but that’s just my opinion!! give this boy some love!

se so neon // summer plummage

i do love me some restless youth album! each track is wonderfully arranged with some crunchy as hell bass and vocal reverb that makes the music so easy to sing along to with friends. the soundtrack of my summer.

cifika // PRISM

i’m obsessed with the sounds from this album which is a mix of psychedelic electronic that is both heavy and transcendental that gave us the most exciting releases this year. she even had the time to release a single with oh hyuk like dang!

samuel seo // UNITY

i’ve sang my praises for his last album back in 2016 but this absolute madman did it again huh! the influence of jazz and dancehall in this album is undeniable and it’s amazing to see him effortlessly flow his discography to a completely new genre without it being jarring. note how the instrumentals are almost stripped down compared to Ego Expand but the arrangement still retains it offbeat complexity. anyways, hit that like button if you think how he says ‘each other’ in Unity is kinda hot.

zion.t // ZZZ

i gotta admit: at first listen, i wasn’t completely sold on this album. i thought it was too bare, too short, too simplistic compared to his previous albums. not long after though i realized i was on my fifth relisten, piecing the motifs together, and thinking what a fool i have been! also i gotta respect his power in bringing e-sens out of retirement or whatever he’s doing these days.

ashmute // 01

nothing gave me more relief than when ashmute released a full studio album and it was as haunting and mesmerizing as i wished it to be! vocalist rang’s voice gives you goosebumps at the very first note and i mean this in the best possible way. my only complaint is that i want more songs.

fromm // midnight candy

dreamy and casually carefree this album was released at a pivotal moment in my life and it brought so much comfort. perhaps that’s why i’m so fond of this album and its relaxing, almost careless vibes filtered through 80s keyboard.

hyukoh // 24: how to find true love and happiness

as the resident insufferable ‘i was listening to them since 2014′ fan, it’s almost an obligation to have this album in this list. but this album stands out from the rest with it being the most optimistic and uplifting of their works (something u can see even from the album cover) with tracks like Graduation and SkyWorld. perhaps after being crowned as the ‘give up’ generation voice, the band decided to inject much-needed positivity and hope for their young listeners. it’s no wonder that their first love song was given an amazing mv that celebrates all kinds of love. milennial kings!

 jooyoung // fountain

my favorite krnb thot is back! this album is just fine wine that will make anyone go ‘hoo is it hot in here or is it just me?’. there’s really not much to say other than this album can be considered technically…perfect. each track flowed effortlessly into the next and the featured artists added even richer textures to this album. i wasn’t worried about jooyoung releasing a lackluster album but my expectations were actually exceeded with fountain. sf good

honorable mentions: jannabi’s good boy twist, lee jin ah’s restaurant full course, plt’s planetarium case#2, red velvet’s the perfect red velvet repackage, taemin’s move, elo’s gradation, jaebonoff’s karma, yeseo’s damn rules, saay’s claasic, 2xxx!’s life+unconsciousness, oohyo’s singles, all of the wonder girl’s solo albums

#zion.t #jooyoung #hyukoh #fromm #samuel seo #ashmute #se so neon #cifika #mines #quite sure i've missed a lot of good albums because of life events #but if yall have any indie releases u think deserve more love #hmu!!! #favkreleases

[monstress]

                       Favorite 2020 Korean Album Releases

disclaimer: hey yall, there were a lot of great music this year and i simply cannot choose only nine so i added a cutting room floor category just for albums that could’ve make it during weaker years and are still worth checking out. album titles will be linked to spotify. enjoy, happy holidays and have a safe happy new year!

penten - mélodie bourgeois, mélodie proletariat

one of my fave alt-rock albums of the year! the vocalist has such a wonderfully rich voice and carries the songs with such panache. the tracks are soaring, hopeful, and has a large soundscape. think: oasis champagne supernova. ‘trapezoid’ and ‘fade away’ are my choice tracks from this album.

uza - banality of evil

the last thing i expected from half of the bubbly uza&shane duo is a dark narrative 80s electronic full length album. the percussion drags you under its depth, the synth melody is absolutely haunting, and uza’s delivery has palpable spite. ‘faust’ and ‘personality type 2′ are my faves. it’s tense, it’s aggressive, and it’s so good.

samuel seo - unity ii

me @ myself putting another album of his on a year end list: hoe, not again!

me: ...............😏

baek yerin - tellusboutyourself

i still have her 2019 releases on constant repeat that when she announced a new release, i thought there’s no way it’s gonna be a full album. welp. a departure from the typical singer-songwriter instruments of guitar/piano, this album draws inspiration from british garage and deep house. while her clearer singing style is opt out for more mumbling delivery (perhaps a way to evoke more casual late night talks after a few drinks), yerin’s lyrical talent is much sharper, especially in tracks like Ms. Delicate. this is gonna be a comfort album in the future for all the girlies and theydies.

soul lady - yukika

city pop perfection. what are you DOING if you haven’t listened to this album. for those of you have not, i’m giving you explicit permission to close this browser and open your preferred streaming platform and listen to this album. do it right now!

ok for those who have and agree that this is album of the year, do i need to elaborate anymore to you? for an album with 12 tracks, it manages to not overstay its welcome by interspersing slower tracks between the traditionally upbeat city pop while making each track stand out on its own. the 2:21 mark in ‘Yesterday’ is THE best usage of a pause this year.

cherry coke - every flower you gave me

this is quickly becoming a r&b house staple in my playlist with absolutely no skips. cherry coke kept it fresh with each new track: from deep house to 90s r&b ballad, this album slices and dices between genres while cherry coke’s nasal delivery stays airy and nonchalant, like she’s above it all.

ahn dayoung - antihero

from uza’s banality of evil to stella jang’s smash single ‘villain’, this has been a great year for female artists indulging in being a little sinister, as a treat. a rock album arranged by both ahn dayoung and producer glowingdog, the lyrics are surreal and have an inclination to the imagery of hands (my fave type!), especially in the track ‘Fingerprint’. the mv for ‘usual person’ is also one of the best art pieces i’ve seen this year.

e sens - marigold tapes

there are only four tracks but this album is k-hip hop at its finest. flow, beat, production are immaculate. there are no notes from me, director. keep doing your thing, e sens!

wave to earth - wave 0.01

this album’s beachside rolling rock accompanied with a little bossa nova has one of the clearest production i’ve heard all year. the tracks are romantic, feel-good, and has amazing build-up. ‘bonfire’ and ‘purple lake’ are jams. if you love this, do check out their second installment ‘summer flows 0.02′ for something even mellower.

 Cutting Room Floor:

BOA’s better - the queen of kpop is back with one of the best kpop releases of the year cementing her legacy as THAT BITCH. honey & diamonds is the best kpop b-side cut of 2020.

lydia lee’s the house that i live in - a r&b jazz mini that is *chef kiss*

coremagazine’s titbit - cool ass rock album

jackingcong’s dress code - highly underrated r&b album

oohyo’s silence - when oohyo said “put an end to all of this” in the track ‘2020′? i felt that. also the 0:30 mark in ‘quite night’ is the second-best use of a pause this year.

onthedal’s ℃ dal - crystal clear production, some solid bops in this one.

code kunst’s people - a mammoth of a studio production. pick and choose your fave tracks from this album.

cosmic boy’s love in summer - an entire album collab with george??? u got me!

aseul’s slow dance - another beautiful electronic album with her signature ethereal soft voice

ye ram’s nature - a solid folk album. check it out if you like a similar styling to kim sawol

mt. fred’s escape from the cage - fun tracks with great direction

Honoroble Mentions: so!yoon! & phum viphurit’s wings, cifika’s HANA, se so neon’s nan chun, sogumm & oh hyuk’s yayou hoi, stray kids’ back door, YELLA’s maybecolorful, summer soul’s junkfood, eunoo’s 2020 singles especially door man, jack’s 2020 singles especially BOSH, ovcoco’s 2020 singles

#mines #korean indie #favkreleases #k indie #yukika #yerin baek #samuel seo #e sens #uza & shane #cherry coke #ahn dayoung #penten #wave to earth #kpop #here u guys go! as always enjoy and happy holidays and stay safe!