When Crush released the double single “NAPPA” at the end of August, it was definitely a reminder of why he’s the best in the game.
The Vocal Genius of DEAN: “Howlin’ 404” Acoustic
When DEAN unexpectedly dropped the acoustic version of “Howlin’ 404,” he reintroduced fans to the power and subtle genius of his voice.
*sigh* So this is the thing about DEAN. In my estimation he doesn’t make bad music. There have been instances where I’ve just not been a fan. But at the end of the day, everything he creates has a vision. A mission to say something relevant with intention.
When he dropped “Howlin’ 404” at the end of May, I was truly impressed. For many, the “pop” appeal is hit or miss. In fact, I’m acutely aware that many people prefer DEAN when he drunk rampages about love lost (a la “Bonnie and Clyde” and “Pour Up”). This new permutation of him as a troubadour trapped in a never-ending loop of introspective melancholy has many people either sighing in something resembling annoyance or ignoring his newer work altogether.
What’s the line? “Tale as old as time”? Since pop music has been a thing, since pretty boys with even prettier voices have been a phenomenon, factions of their “fans” have lost interest as artistic vision (and thus overall tone) has shifted from catchy bops to something significantly darker and more cerebral. DEAN ain’t special in that regard, y’all. I’d argue that his shift has been so significant that people honestly think he’s doing it for attention. That he’s changed for the sake of shaking some sort of K-pop expectation flung on him by the masses. To a certain extent, the latter is true. We’ve seen that more overtly with choices in wardrobe, hair, etc.
However, my loves, the actual musical shift we see in DEAN’s choices has so much more to do with the internal than anything superficial. Yes, his music has seemingly become darker. But no one has actually stopped to consider the why of it all. If they have, it’s no more than a blip on their radar as they either fawn over or bemoan what might be considered his “emo” phase.
Then about a week ago DEAN dropped the acoustic version of “Howlin’ 404” on the world. No fanfare. Hell, he didn’t actually say anything about it. People went to bed on Thursday. Early Friday morning, there was this veritable bomb dropped on his VEVO channel.
Let me tell you something. When his voice hits the very first note of the song, my heart stopped. Call me an overemotional fangirl if you want to. That’s not going to change the very visceral reaction I had when I heard him swoop in practically a cappella. Takes me back to the emotions I felt when I first listened to (and every subsequent listen afterward) Frank Ocean’s “Seigfried.” Utter heartbreak. Sheer emotional brokenness.
On its own, “Howlin’ 404” is his most introspective, self-searching song since “Instagram.” Yes, it’s dark. In a nutshell confessing that he’s trapped in a vicious cycle of desire–self-loathing–desire. That when he’s caught in this wonderland of oftentimes self-inflicted but always acute pain, he’s incapable of keeping himself sober. Whether that’s a metaphor (which he’s wont to use liberally in his music, especially visually) or an unabashed confession is still up for interpretation. The fact that he decided to release this acoustic rendition of the song suggests that he is trying to unburden his heart. That he’s attempting with the wail in his tone to purge his soul of something that he hasn’t been able to shake since somewhere around the release of “Instagram.”
This is where things become incredibly emotional for me. This is honestly the rawest I’ve heard DEAN vocally in a very long time. His live performances for me have been hit or miss. Yes, there’s a difference between watching live and watching on a computer screen. But passion, technique, and actual emotional stake translate.
My main gripe with him for the past year or so has been his insistence on using a backing track instead of a live band in his performances. In my opinion, singing over instrumentals of his limited discography has sucked the passion out of him. It certainly hasn’t forced him to stretch his vocal skill set as working with organic instrumentation would.
There are moments when you can tell he’s got something on his mind and a particular song just awakens it. Consider this performance of “Instagram” in Manila. Or any time he performs someone else’s music (Corinne Bailey Rae’s “Like a Star”; Daniel Caesar’s “Won’t Live Here”). However, by and large I’ve not felt any of the passion of say when he performed with a full band at RESFFECT in 2016. Or more recently his interpretation of N.E.R.D.’s “Sooner or Later” at Seoul Jazz Festival. But again… not his song.
Then he drops this acoustic version of “Howlin’ 404.” I’ve not heard him stretch his range in such a long time. Heard him put his entire being into singing. For the first time in I don’t know how long, I believed him. In that belief, I felt an uncanny sadness. I’ve not been able to shake it since I first listened to this rendition.
A parking garage is apt. In its own way it’s a void. An empty space that seems endless (we don’t actually see the exit for this place). It works even further to illustrate the solitude (read: isolation) he feels at this very moment. The fact he’s in a space that ricochets his voice off every surface further throws him in a spiral. He’s howling in a wolf’s agony. (The wolf howls when he’s lost his pack, hoping they’ll respond so he can find them.) However, the only howls that come back to DEAN are his own.
There’s a teardrop in his voice here that utterly breaks me every time I listen to the song. On its own “Howlin’ 404” already illustrates his vocal dexterity. But obviously stripping away the digital nuances he intentionally brought to the single does the job of highlighting just how powerful his voice is. Many sometimes jokingly point out the feather-lightness of his tone. How there’s something utterly gentle in the way he delivers his falsetto.
However, in “Howlin’ 404” (particularly this version of it) we’re made even more aware of his actual technique. He uses breath so expertly. Allowing silence to fill spaces that in the past he’s been prone to fill with unnecessary melismatic twists and turns. Here, we’ve got a man that’s just singing. For his very life. His voice utterly brims that entire space, from wall to wall. Love or hate the song for what it represents, with just his voice and a guitar, DEAN has proven just how much power he’s capable of.
When he strips away all pretense, he’s actually quite gifted. To slide from head voice (at the height of the howl) to chest voice (when the howl crests) without a single crack takes incredible control. He opts for almost no vibrato in this performance. He goes for a pure vocal (a la Sade), further stamping the song’s emotional depth. Less pretty. More dirt under the nails. Gritting his teeth. Eyes closed. Fists clenched. Singing from the diaphragm to give us a fuller, rounder delivery. There are no gaps in this performance. Every nook and cranny has the complete breadth of his voice. When he leaves his falsetto and goes for a full-throated tenor, it’s like a punch to the gut.
DEAN absolutely sings this song with his entire chest. A cute phrase it might be. However, it couldn’t be a more apt description. What you might have forgotten in the interim between his debut album and this very moment is that DEAN is actually a singer. He’s got range and a hypnotic way to stretch his vocals when there’s truth behind them. When the pulse of the song is his own heartbeat. When “DEAN” gets stripped down to the barest elements and we’re gifted a glimpse at Kwon Hyuk.
Thank you, DEAN. Thank you for sharing your truth with us. If only for three minutes and forty-seven seconds.
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“BewhY GOTTASADAE!” How a Man Builds His Kingdom
“GOTTASADAE.” First of all, BewhY… ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THIS VIDEO?! How does one articulate the mastery of one of the most brilliant pieces of visual art to come out of South Korea? There are so many avenues. So many theories. However, one thing stuck out to me in about a dozen different ways. The ego of man. “GOTTASADAE” seems to be the perfect visual representation of a man constructing a kingdom unto himself. BewhY and director Hobin have expressed that with form, color, and references, all of which blew my mind.
From the outset it’s obvious something’s… wrong here. One can point to the most blatant example of perhaps “troubling” imagery (the nearly naked men writhing in motions indicative of contemporary ballet). However, if you allow yourself to ruminate in those moments of silence on screen you can’t help but notice the symmetry.
Every part of this music video relies heavily on the illusion of perfection. It’s this obsessive attention to detail that is so incredibly unsettling. You see it in horror films like “American Psycho” or Stanley Kubrick films: absolute control. A glamour of a reality in which the main character meticulously maneuvers everything to fit in its place. The ultimate God complex.
Musical Geometry
It starts, as most things do, with sound. “GOTTASADAE” is a song that you must listen to with headphones. Only then will you pick up on its truly frightening details.
The weight of each sound is almost identical. As in, the volume is absolutely the same. What gives it that feeling of “offness” is that both manipulations of BewhY’s voice are in separate ears. The low distortion of the word “BewhY” in the chorus is spanned 180 degrees (completely in the right ear). Meanwhile, the distortion of the word “Gottasadae” is spanned -180 degrees (completely in the left ear).
Thus you get perfect balance that seems unbalanced because of its perfection. The sounds being absolute (completely in one ear or the other) creates both a vacuum effect and the illusion of surround sound. The added dissonance of the filtered bass line (compliments of a gritty fuzz pedal or pedal design), the ambient manipulation of a violin superimposed atop the pitch-perfect staccato of the choir. It’s all measured. Intentional. Symmetrical. Oppressive.
This equity of sound means BewhY has imposed his kingdom on all sides. You are surrounded by it. Seemingly his “walls” are indestructible. The first layer of his self-made domination lay in the listener’s own equilibrium.
Kingdom of the Mind
Visually “GOTTASADAE” is intoxicating.
I found aspects of multiple films in “GOTTASADAE,” particularly in terms of coloring. However, the most powerful parallel came from one of my favorite films, “The Cell.” Though Hobin doesn’t have Tarsem Singh’s visual aesthetic, his eye is attuned to find beauty in the painfully distorted.
The overall imagery of “GOTTASADAE” falls in line with Carl Stargher’s house of depravities. (Warning: The linked scene is NSFW.) Singh borrowed heavily from the Quay Brothers’ stop-motion short film “The Street of Crocodiles” (based on the collection of short stories of the same name by Bruno Schulz).
The ultimate moral of that story is the decay of the current society in lieu of the progression of modern society. Technology infringing on (instead of coinciding with) memories of a country’s former self. (“Hangeul will be sold”; “The standard of old and new will be me.”) How this plays out in the short film and Singh’s references to it is through very meticulous movement and an uncomfortably close look at man’s attempt to control his environment.
The stables.
The near nudity of the dancers in “GOTTASADAE” is not unlike the deceptively semi-nude women trapped in Stargher’s own twisted kingdom. As with Stargher’s prison, the dancers act as BewhY’s living dolls. Various versions or manifestations of himself. His pride, his madness, perhaps even a bit of his self-loathing. But when they’re not trapped in their own cells, they move to his command. Are subject to his whims. The twitch of his hand like a conductor with a baton. His fingers poised like a violinist on his bow, the strings plucked to his cadence. He moves and the dancers react involuntarily.
BewhY Gottasadae…
Further, in “The Street of Crocodiles,” the dolls have no eyes. BewhY’s dancers wear horse blinders. It’s a device used to keep horses from noticing their surroundings as they cart about loads of humans. Supposedly it’s meant to keep them from becoming startled. One can infer that the blinders are meant to keep his dancers from seeing the world around them. Forcing them to focus on the commands of the human on their backs: BewhY. Further making it impossible for them to question their station. How can they if they can’t see anything beyond what’s in front of them?
After all, “in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.” When no one can see what’s in front of them, the one with his eyes uncovered can construct the future. (“Leaders will follow me. I will be a pioneer. Money will find me. I will make a generation of my name.”)
Their bodies contort as much as he does. However, when fully clothed, heads and faces covered, they jump as one, giving concrete form to the pulse of the bass. In fact, nothing moves until the first iteration of “Gottasadae!”
He has given his orders and expects them to be carried out. In this world of his creation (set inside a place for raising, training, and displaying horses), nothing lives until he gives it life.
Kingdom Ruled by Power
Lyrically… I’m… so angry! I’m angry at the absolute gall BewhY has. The first thing I did, straightaway, was look up the translation for “gottasadae” (가라사대). There isn’t a direct English equivalent. The root of it is “to say.” The honorific level of the word places it in the “voice” (for lack of a better word) of someone “holy.” Think, “And God spake unto them…”
This casts the shade of the entire song. BewhY lines out the divine decrees of his new kingdom where he is the ruler of all. A kingdom of himself: “I will be who I want to be. I will be myself.” (“I am that I am.” (Exodus 3:14))
The introduction of the Bible verse is fascinating. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20) In the entirety of the third chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul defines the people of God’s church and what’s expected of them.
At the end of the fourth chapter Paul issues his warning to those who’ve grown arrogant. “Arrogant people,” Paul essentially says, “are full of talk. So I’ll come and see how much power they actually have.”
As BewhY stands in the small opening of the barn door (“The center will be me”), his congregation awaits him. The eight men standing on pillars (stripped before a congregation of men whose heads are covered) represent the measure of him as a man. His words are provocation, a warning. He declares, “I will set a standard. I will show the future. Fakes would be living with regrets.” His kingdom is built on power. His “disciples” are a visual representation of that power.
Damn.
There’s Just Too Much!
BewhY has big brassy ones for pulling this off with such fearlessness and precision. Let us be clear. This video, the music, the lyrics, his delivery are precise. Not an image (visual or otherwise) was dropped in by mistake. BewhY has a vision of himself as king among paupers. Every aspect of this piece is another brick in the foundation of his of kingdom.
Obviously this doesn’t even scratch the surface of the majesty of “GOTTASADAE.” The relevance of the janitor. The meaning of the letters and numbers on his shirt (1017 A L Y X 95M). The cage/lacrosse mask over his face… There’s just so much! I had to focus on just a few things because I could’ve honestly written a dissertation on the visual and aural imagery of this piece of absolute magic!
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The Brilliance & Whimsy of CIRRRCLE’s “Talkin to Watashi”
On Monday, August 5, trio CIRRRCLE released their collaboration with FLANNEL ALBERT and LATE LEE. “Talkin to Watashi” is a whimsical summer tune about summer flings and their potential to become something more by summer’s end.
A Pre-Release Review of Amismyk’s “Dead Rockstar”
After officially debuting as a rapper in 2018, Sima Kim reveals the sophomore EP of his alter ego Amismyk. He fashions himself a darker persona that talks brazenly about his fascination with female genitalia and distaste for personal relationships. As far as debuts go, it’s… well, it’s an interesting one.
MKIT RAIN Closes the ERR;OR Showcase with a Bang
There was a lot of expectation for the ERR;OR Showcase. With the lineup it was easy to believe it was going to be quite a spectacle. Some of the performances were just that: exciting, tantalizing, outrageous. Others… not so much. When it came time for MKIT RAIN to hit the stage, there was a tangible anxiousness in the crowd. As it turned out, the crew was the perfect way to close the evening.
Colde Invites Us to His WAVY World at SXSW
There are few artists who live up to the mystery they project on camera. I can say unequivocally Colde is such an artist. It’s more than just the signature cap he pulls over his head (a seeming trend among artists of this new wave of R&B crooners from Korea).
He’s completely wrapped up in the persona. His aura is tinged blue, thus the deep purple hue he emits under the harsh red stage lights. As the third act of ERR;OR NYC’s showcase at SXSW, the mood of the night changed completely when he stepped up to the mic.
Dear Epik High, Thank You
As someone who writes a lot of critique, there are times when you just don’t know what to say. Words quite literally fail you. This is especially true for moments when an experience leaves you so utterly awe-inspired, so emotionally moved the prim professionalism of a music journalist seems petty. This is what happened to me following Epik High’s Austin stop of their North American tour. At times like these there’s really only one thing to say:
Thank you.
XXX Are Understated Yet Powerful: SXSW Korea Spotlight
There’s a certain amount of pride in seeing artists you’ve watched grow get the recognition they deserve, even in small ways. XXX debuted at SXSW performing at the ScratcHouse, a medium-sized venue that houses a stage big enough for a DJ table and a back patio. Fast forward two years. They’ve matured in both sound and musical vision. Their growth doesn’t go unnoticed by the organizers. They land a spot on the largest stage for any Korean act at the festival: the Korean Spotlight hosted by Austin City Limits at the Moody Theater.
LATE LEE Unpacks Hard Emotions in “On My Mind”
On February 8, LATE LEE along with Jae Luna and FLANNEL ALBERT released “On My Mind.” The track is a lament on love lost (but sometimes painfully unforgotten).