The Korea Music Label Industry Association (Korea Music Association) is operating 'Kindi Lounge' and recommends four new albums that capture the emotions of August. These new releases, each containing different genres and messages, convey a deeper resonance at the end of summer.
First, singer-songwriter Han Loro released her third EP 'Grapefruit Apricot Club' on the 4th. A graduate of the Korean Language and Literature Department at Korea University, Han Loro published a short story with the same title as this album, receiving attention for constructing a worldview that encompasses both literature and music. The seven tracks included, including the title song 'Racing Through Time,' delicately illuminate the tragedy of children in the era forced to the brink when they should be the purest and most beautiful. This complex creation, where text and sound are organically intertwined, proposes deep layers of appreciation beyond music and expands Han Loro's own unique artistic world.
On the 7th, Rockin Korea unveiled Studio EST's sixth album 'Studio EST Vol.6.' Centered around Emotional Soundtrack, Studio EST, which has been realizing the landscapes of various media such as games, webtoons, and drama through music, continues its unique emotional journey in this album. The title track 'Here I Am' offers a warm comfort to those who are struggling and weary, while the album includes 'Beyond the Swamp,' set in a marshland backdrop, 'Toad Song,' inspired by traditional nursery rhymes, and 'Floating Landscape,' which expresses the sensation of floating on water, totaling four tracks. This soundtrack, intricately constructed by the three members ESTEL, Jink, and Seabell in their respective roles, presents new ways of musical comfort that share emotions and narratives simultaneously.
On the same day, the band 87dance from StoneShip released their new song 'It'll Be Okay.' 'It'll Be Okay' explores heavy themes of life and death, loneliness and comfort with 87dance's unique delicate emotions. Through this song, 87dance quietly gazes at the last moments of a person, recalling the emotions and meanings of existence that we are prone to overlook in everyday life. This single, released ahead of the EP album, heightens expectations for the musical narrative that 87dance will unfold in the future.
On the 11th, the band Venez will return with the electronic hard rock single 'Fallen Angel.' Since its debut in 2012, Venez, under the No Mercy Company, has consistently worked towards the globalization of K-Rock by finely refining hybrid rock sounds. 'Fallen Angel' is reinterpreted as the image of a guardian angel who descended to the ground not in the literal sense of falling, but to protect those who are marginalized. This single, depicting the challenges and solidarity of beings who courageously move forward despite suffering and trials during the hot summer, encapsulates the musical depth and vision that Venez has built over the years.
Meanwhile, the Korea Music Association, which operates Kindi Lounge, announced the main poster and first lineup for its small-scale popular music performance support project 'La La La On' on the 1st. A total of 53 venues and 157 artist teams will participate in '2025 La La La On,' which will be held for about three months from August 16 to November 14, with tickets available through Melon Ticket. This year features a special program where music and literature meet, with three book concerts scheduled to be held in collaboration with authors and musicians, offering audiences a new cultural experience.
[Photo] Korea Music Label Industry Association, Han Loro SNS
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