Hodori Rocks: Uncanny New Wave Sound From The 88 Olympic Land

- black vinyl ‘불완전한 변혁이 부른 낯선 ‘새물결’, 이것이 코리안 뉴웨이브!’ 1980년대는 대한민국에 있어 그야말로 대격변의 시기라 하겠습니다. 인물만 바뀐 채 군부 독재는 계속되고 이에 따른 사회·정치적 불안은 깊어집니다. 이런 배경에서 문화계, 그중 음악계의 흐름은 어땠을까요? 여전히 잘 작동하는 검열제도 하의 가요계는 기성 가수들과 여러 가요제를 통해 배출된 신진 음악가들 중심으로 재편됐으며. 미8군 무대와 클럽 활동으로 노련함을 자랑하던 그룹(사운드)은 세션과 프로덕션의 일원으로 웰메이드 가요의 기틀을 다집니다. 이전 시대부터 탄탄한 지지 기반을 지닌 포크·싱어송라이터 신 또한 동아기획 등 새로운 흐름을 주도하는 세력으로 분화·발전하게 됩니다. 86 아시안게임과 88 서울올림픽을 유치하며 겉으론 전 정권에 비해 유화적인 문화정책을 펼치는 시기였으나, 실제 현장에선 검열로 인해 많은 제약을 받은 때이기도 합니다. 그 결과의 하나로 한국은 당대 세계적 조류의 하나였던 펑크·포스트펑크와 뉴웨이브 무브먼트가 비껴가는 지역이 됩니다. 퇴폐미를 잔뜩 뽐내는 하이패션의 외양에 더해 탈권위와 반체제 그리고 불확실한 미래를 노래하는 ‘새로운 물결’을 당시의 정부는 받아들일 수 없었을 테니까요. 이러한 상황 속에서도 몇몇 음악가는 힙한 유행, 참신한 표현 방식으로서 ‘새로운 물결’을 놓치지 않았습니다. 호도리록스는 이 시기(84년~89년)에 발표된, 새로운 시도로 접근한 특별한 가요곡들에 주목한 모음집입니다. 수록곡의 음악가 모두가 80년대에 데뷔하였고 전체 앨범의 내용으로 보자면 당시 기성 가요계의 스타일에서 크게 벗어나지 않습니다. 허나 어떠한 의도였는지, 앨범에서 튀는 독특한 분위기의 곡들이 있습니다. 크라프트베르크(Kraftwerk)를 연상케 하는 사운드 프로덕션의 ‘진실한 사랑’이나 현희의 즉흥 코러스 덕에 익스페리멘탈 펑크록이 된 ‘슬픈 모습 보이기 싫어’가 그렇습니다. 나이트클럽과 펫숍보이스(Pet Shop Boys)표 신스팝의 경계에 선 트리오 코리아 환타지, 이무송의 일렉트로팝은 그 레코딩의 존재 자체로 특별합니다. 신중현이 80년대 뮤즈의 일인으로 점찍은 신정숙은 포크 발라드 가수로 전향한 두 번째 앨범에서 고전 창가를 일렉트로 펑크 스타일로 재해석한 곡을 남기게 됩니다. 나이트클럽 연주자로 활동하며 두 매의 앨범을 남기고 자취를 감춘 이정우의 ‘이루지는 못했어도’ 또한 놓칠 수 없는 뉴웨이브 트랙입니다. 비트볼이 새롭게 기획한 가요 모음집 호도리록스는 이렇게 80년대의 ‘새로운 물결(에 영향을 받은 이들)’에 초점을 맞춘 음반입니다. 유행을 주도하는 주류가 되진 못했으나 그 시도와 결과물 자체로 재평가를 받을 만한 소소한 ‘무브먼트’를 한데 담아봤습니다. 여러 이유로 담지 못한 아쉬운 트랙도 많지만 비트볼과 하세가와 요헤이가 1년 넘게 고민해 추린 선곡입니다. 가급적 수록곡 모두 마스터 음원을 사용하려 노력했으며 데이브 쿨리의 마스터링으로 ‘새시대, 새경향의 노래’다운 생기를 더했습니다. - 하세가와 요헤이와 비트볼이 선별한 1980년대의 ‘신기한 뉴웨이브 가요’ 모음집 - 오리지널 마스터테잎을 사용한 데이브 쿨리의 리마스터링 (일부 수록곡 제외) - 상세한 해설이 담긴 6페이지 인서트 - 일러스트레이터 키박의 새로운 아트웍 The 1980s for Korea began with the words “Seúl, Corea”. Even amid the political turmoil, there hung upon the air a note of hopefulness that came from being chosen as the next host of the Olympic Games. The hope of progressing past the 'emerging' stage and reaching the 'developed' nation status spread to Korea's arts and culture scenes as well. The gayo scene had just been through a dark age since the marijuana scandals of 1975 and the repressive 'gayo purification movement', but was beginning to regain its footing with the arrival of the new decade. There is an undeniable sensitivity to '단발머리 Short Hair', the single that announced a new beginning for Cho Yong-pil and heralded his dominance over the 1980s. That 'sense' was like a declaration that the 1970s were done and over with. And that 'sense' spread throughout Korean pop music. A new generation of pop-influenced youths emerged. The channels through which music was consumed also diversified. In January of 1982, the nighttime curfew was finally abolished, bringing light into the streets at night. Much of this light came from the neon signs of nightclubs. Clubgoers flocked to these new venues – some to dance, some to hook up, and others to enjoy the music. Music was indispensable for dancing. It was also a welcome backdrop to romantic endeavors. And for those who were there for the music, the music was all there needed to be. For clubs to meet all these needs smoothly, they had to find proper DJs. Nightclub DJs were messengers who were the first to relay the 'cutting edge' of music. Competition was heated over who could get access to the newest jams and who could get bigger crowds moving. DJs who were active at the time (i.e., the early 1980s) all agree that they were shocked by the 'mixing' techniques of foreign DJs who had come to play shows in Korea. This led Korean DJs to also present their picks in a show-like format. There came to be less and less talking between the tracks while more music filled the gap. While Euro dance was hot in the Gangnam area, there was a lot of black music too in Itaewon. The DJs who had led the early charge since the 1980s seamlessly grew into producers, musicians, and managers by the 1990s. While there was more music being played, not all of it could be enjoyed. The notorious pre-censorship system was still in place, and tracks that were found to be questionable were struck from licensed records (imagine a Queen record that doesn't have 'Bohemian Rhapsody' on it). Even as the government outwardly kept up the appearance of opening up internationally, measures that ran counter to global standards remained in place. The suppression of any tiniest hint of the subversive or antisocial continued all the way until the downfall of the 5th Republic [in 1987]. Naturally, what counted as 'subversive' or 'antisocial' was completely arbitrary. And even while such practices were enforced, the regime pursued its '3S' (screen, sex, sports) policy. Even amid the plethora of erotic films, society kept up pretensions of propriety. Truly, the 1980s was a decade of contradictions – an uncanny era. This uncanniness totally pervades <HODORI ROCKS: Uncanny New Wave Sound from the 88 Olympic Land>. The notion of the 'uncanny' isn't wholly negative. In English, some similar expressions might include 'freaky' or 'weird'. What, then, counts as 'weird'? Aside from Lee Jae-min's '제 연인의 이름은 My Lover's Name', most of the tracks on this album are not very well-known. While they stood apart from the mainstream gayo of their day, neither did they belong to the socalled 'underground' scene. These were new sounds, embodying the waves of a new era, created by musicians who belonged firmly to the mainstream. In other words, <HODORI ROCKS> is a collection of a literal 'Korean New Wave Sound'. I'm not referring to New Wave the genre – what's here is a literal new wave. Case in point – '진실한 사랑 True Love' by Jang Hye-ri is astounding. Deftly building on a Kraftwerk-esque sound, the tune gets its uncanny Korean feel thanks to Jang's vocals. Another track, '서울의 밤 Seoul at Night' by Korea Fantasy, shows an obvious Pet Shop Boys influence in its vocals and sound. Plagiarism claims notwithstanding, Jang's first hit, '추억의 발라드 Ballad of Memories', borrows heavily from a certain Billy Idol tune. In this way, such sounds were being attempted all throughout the 1980s in Korea. The tracks on this album are not musically perfect. Most probably raised some eyebrows due to their weirdness at the time of their release, only to promptly be forgotten. Though these songs still sound weird today, they can now be appreciated in a different light. <HODORI ROCKS> follows a certain trend that was present during the era that was the 1980s. Naturally, music must reflect the times. These songs, which were created through the influence of what was popular throughout America, Europe, and Japan, reflect a musical yearning for the contemporary. However, unavoidably, a Koreanesque element was also introduced into the music, resulting in something stylistically different from the original. We might as well call it by the name 'Korean New Wave – Hodori Rocks'. In <HODORI ROCKS>, there is yearning, the commonplace, and a newness. That's why it is uncanny.