HYUKOH - 23 [Vinyl]

SIDE A 1. Burning youth 2. Tokyo Inn 3. Leather Jacket 4. TOMBOY SIDE B 1. 2002WorldCup 2. Jesus lived in a motel room 3. Wanli 万里 SIDE C 1. Die alone 2. Reserved Seat SIDE D 1. Simon 2. Paul 3. Surf boy

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[Spec] - GateFold Cover (315x312x7mm) - Transparent Clear Color 2LP (12”, 180g, 33⅓rpm) - White Polylined Inner Sleeve - 8p Insert [Purchase Notice] ※ Images are for illustrative purposes and may differ from the actual product. ※ Due to the nature of the manufacturing process, there may be color variations between colored discs, and small dots or other colored dyes may be mixed in during production. ※ Pre-orders may end early if stock is exhausted. Made in Germany An ode to the 'young us' by 'HYUKOH,' who have become the 'band everyone knows.' 'HYUKOH' [23] HYUKOH's leader, Oh Hyuk, was born on October 5, 1993, and is twenty-four years old this year. He experienced the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup at the age of nine, and that memory remains in the song "2002WorldCup" from HYUKOH's new album [23] as 'that night poured over a hot diary' and a memory of saying 'anyway, that's why I like it.' However, an experience like that nine-year-old's never returned to him. A night like the ones all the children of his age loved. Instead, what came to them in their teens and twenties were school days that were no different from a survival audition and the worst employment crisis in history. The lyrics of HYUKOH's song "Wiing Wiing" were the reality for HYUKOH and those of their generation. "I'm so sorry that I look so pathetic, rolling around at home with nothing to do." Youths who empathized with HYUKOH's lyrics promoted them word-of-mouth via Facebook or Instagram while they were singing in small venues. This led to the nickname, 'the band only I know.' An indie band that wasn't exposed much in the media gradually made a name for themselves through fans who thought of them as 'the band only I know.' But with this song, HYUKOH became 'the band everyone knows.' After appearing on MBC's 'Infinite Challenge,' "Wiing Wiing" began to be heard on the streets, and they sold out venues much larger than before. A rare moment where the voice of youth was delivered to people without any particular filtration. The members of HYUKOH still performed wearing the clothes they wore in small venues, and Oh Hyuk would hesitate and struggle to speak properly whenever he stood before a TV camera. However, their status began to change immediately after the 'Infinite Challenge' broadcast. Amidst these extreme changes in life, HYUKOH's album [23] pours out what they, as people in their 20s, have to say, without pretension or self-deprecation. If they were to still compare themselves to 'mayflies' as they did during the "Wiing Wiing" era, it would be a lie. But that does not give them a reason to be pretentious. All they can do is make a pledge and a declaration about themselves and their peers, like in the first track of [23], "Burning youth." 'We're not so wrong.' 'Young us.' These words that open the highlight of [23]'s title track "TOMBOY" encapsulate where HYUKOH is now and what they are trying to say. Having captured a reality where one cannot live solely on self-mockery and 'mental victory,' they now refer to their peers as 'us.' And they tell them that they were not wrong. They are not talking about reckless hope or encouragement. The lyrics that immediately follow 'young us' are 'the growth rings are not clearly visible.' There was no opportunity to experience enough or grow enough to create growth rings in life. However, the world is a place where one wants to say, "Of all places, I happened to sit on a thornbush" and "Even if I bleed profusely, no one notices" (Leather Jacket), and thus, all one can do is "I'll just hide / I've always hidden / and fought in secret" (Tokyo Inn). There are not many memories of victory and glory like the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, and living in the world is always difficult. As a result, one reads the room while having lost direction on where to go. Even 'Hyukoh,' who became the rare existence of successful twenty-somethings, lives with the anxiety that "I must tie my loose shoelaces tight / lest I step on them and fall while running" (Leather Jacket). However, [23] does not avoid this reality. Instead, it lays out these worries and confronts them head-on. Thus, while there are songs like "Die alone" whose very title contains the pessimism of youth, there are others like "Assigned Seat" where one projects their emotions onto a plane that has not yet departed. A band that suddenly gained immense popularity in the span of just one year has presented the perspective of 'young us,' while facing the pressure of being stars and the anxiety about the future from their position. And it was through this honesty regarding worry and frustration that Hyukoh's musical development became possible. Based on various rock genres such as rock and roll, hard rock, and surf rock, they digest them in a way that deviates from the genre's stereotypes. The album's first track, "Burning youth," begins with an atmosphere reminiscent of country and at some point shifts into a powerful progression where even anger is felt, and "Leather Jacket," which starts as rock and roll, soon turns into the anger of a 'half-fifty' (twenty-five year old) swept away by the world. As the questions they raise about their own youth deepened, the composition and arrangement became more detailed, and the performance and mixing supporting them became more sophisticated. "TOMBOY," where the atmosphere of the song changes dramatically the moment the core phrase 'young us' appears, and "Assigned Seat," where the guitar makes a sound like a plane taking off the moment the person taking a taxi switches to a plane, demonstrate Hyukoh's capability to capture the frustration and anger of youth through sophisticated sound. To most accurately achieve the desired atmosphere for each song, Hyukoh traveled back and forth to Germany several times to repeat the mixing process. As a result, they were able to express both songs like "Leather Jacket," where it feels as if you are hearing the sound directly at a concert venue, and "Assigned Seat," which has a unique atmosphere like the OST of a melancholic movie. In particular, the title track "TOMBOY," which concentrates the despair, regret, and faint hope of past youth into 'young us,' presents an overwhelming moment—starting from calm and detailed changes—to the point where anyone at a concert cannot help but chant along to the chorus. The team that went from being a 'band only I know' to the most stylish band has presented a new message and unexpected music from their position. Will 'young us,' and furthermore, the adults, respond to their songs? - Editor-in-Chief Kang Myung-seok, Eyes