In contemporary rock music, it doesn't take much to stand out. That's less an endorsement of innovation and more a sad statement about the drab uniformity of the musical landscape.
A few subtle tweaks to the formula can go a long way.
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On their song "Acrobats," released in November, the Seoul-based rock outfit Hanumpa take the steps necessary to set themselves apart from the pack. The small differences make for unique music-making, a rarity in this genre.
Hanumpa first formed in 1999. "Acrobats" is taken from their third full-length album, "Tinnitus."
In the last 15 years, Hanumpa have established themselves as a standout act in Korean rock music. The Korean entertainment website Seoulbeats has called them them "one of the most sonically creative rock bands in the past few years in South Korea."
"Acrobats" is a good place to start with, in learning how they earned this reputation.
The song opens on an uncommon note with the ever-underutilized bass solo introduction. It's right in the pocket, tightly rhythmic and precise. Yet, just what rhythm are we listening to? It's not a cookie-cutter four-on-the-floor, as the bongos that enter soon after reassure us.
The mixed meter rhythm keeps the song from falling into a predictable rut and maintains a tension that keeps the side-winding verses moving.
Another unpredictable element presents itself in the form of lead singer Lee Jeong Hoon's morin khuur melody. This two-stringed instrument isn't at all typical in Korea, found more often in traditional Mongolian music. Its violin-like texture adds nimble tremolo and melodic oomph throughout the piece and adds visual flair as well. It looks something like a cross between the Korean haegum and Bo Diddley's cigar box guitar.
It's worth noting that besides taking advantage of these interesting choices, Hanumpa's music is not wildly avant-garde. Hoon's voice is very much in a radio-friendly, alternative tradition, hemming towards light drama and unabashed melody.
And the instrumental performances on "Acrobats" are similarly prototypical, though proficient as well as professional.
Strip away the math-rock dabbling and the exoticism of the morin khuur, and you are left with skillfully executed modern rock. Which is precisely the point. By making those very choices, Hanumpa set themselves apart as a thoughtful anomoly.
The group works together in deft ensemble playing, frequently led by Hoon's morin khuur melodies or drummer Kim Yoon Tae's buoyant yet muscular inner propulsion.
The arrangement is not without its other similarly subtle merits. A few well-placed gaps pull the rug out from beneath the listeners' feet, and Hoon's soloistic leads on the morin khuur suggest a genuine understanding of the instrument.
Hanumpa's willingness to experiment has taken them far in their musical exploits. One often wishes they would take even bigger risks moving forward, perhaps discovering new ground in the process.
Watch the music video for Hanumpa's 2014 single "Acrobats" RIGHT HERE
Jeff Tobias is a composer, musician and writer currently living in Brooklyn, New York. As of late, he has been training for a triathalon and attempting to better understand soup.
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