Once again.. Taiji hits us with the 8.1 single album that is fresher than ever.

Check out Seo Taiji’s new single Moai.

Seo Taiji - Moai

Listen to Nature Pound.

Seo Taiji’s 8th release “Atomos”.  Its gonna rock.

First part of Seo Taiji’s mystery project, Moai EP (Moai are the giant heads on Easter Island) will unveil tonight. Following this single will be another EP, then finally the full LP. I guess the sweetest thing about this album is that Taiji have claimed to gave birth to a new music genre called, “Nature Pound”.

Tracklisting for the Moai single:
1. MOAI
2. HUMAN DREAM
3. Tik Tak
4. MOAI (Remix)

Seotaiji 8th 080729 ATOMOS D-day Teaser

You know its gonna be good.

I rarely talk about Korean music these days, but I ran across some old stuff…

Check out exhibit A:

That song was “Pil Seung” by Seo Taiji - the song came out in ‘95… way ahead of it’s time - on so many levels. It’s hard to talk about Seo Taiji without getting into a 4 hour discussion these days but since the online community has notified me that it’s been 15 years since Taiji, I figured I could squeeze in some words.

The old style and images, the imitated Cypress Hill voice, the boyband dances, etc. makes it hard for me to defend my fandom - and for a long time I couldn’t figure out why. Looking back I now realize it was the thrill of being part of a revolution - not the kind that involves a guillotine, but the kind that changes entertainment, art, freedom of speech, and youth that has kept me being a fan for so long.

Imagine Korea in 1993 - contemporary music consisted almost entirely of ballads and starring couples on TV shows only got as far as hugging. Everything was taboo and the idea of being “hip” was a foreign notion… literally. Then came Seo Taiji. It was like the Beatles, New Kid’s on the Block, and Run DMC arriving all at once. Korea was suddenly swept by a whirlwind of pop culture that expanded music genres, fashion, and dance. By the end of their second album they had officially conquered Korea, even being able to create one of the most original Korean pop songs to date - Hayeoga. Of course by this time there were many other contemporary groups following the model created by Seo Taiji.

Then the third album dropped - no more nice poppy songs about love. Many of the songs were either heavy metal, punk, or a mixture of the two with a dash of hip hop (oh btw, DJ Q-bert spun on this record and metal growls were provided by Crash). The songs covered topics such as Korean Unification (North and South) and the Korean educational system - resulting in the first banned Korean pop song. Now Seo Taiji was entering a different realm, we’re not just talking about a group that brought in a new sound, we’re talking about people who were forcing the government and the people to examine their laws and test their freedom.

They called it quits at the height of their fame (their 4th album) and went their separate ways. Though I believe their 3rd album is the all-time most important Korean album to date, I think their 4th album consists of their best work; you can hear all of the best elements from their previous albums forming amazing songs that still blow me away today 13 years after the fact (such as the above video).

So now that I see these younger groups covering songs such as Pil Seung, it really takes me back. It’s amazing how one group could start a chain of events that would eventually affect all of Asia in a remarkable way… some good some bad.

Here’s to you Taiji! Thanks for the memories.