Kim Jong Jin:
Hello everyone, I’m Kim Jong Jin from Spring Summer Fall Winter, and I’ll be your host for the Mangrove Sinchon Festival Listening Party.

Just as music evolves through different generations, it seems like lifestyles are evolving too. Watching the co-living house, ‘Mangrove Sinchon’, which will become a new place for young people to live, made me think so. Especially since Sinchon is my hometown, where I grew up and the root of Spring Summer Fall Winter's musical base Sinchon Blues, being here today feels very special to me.

This Sinchon Festival Listening Party, hosted with the excellent guitarist Mr. Lee Tae-hoon from Cadejo, is an opportunity to listen to selected songs and discuss them under the theme of 'Sinchon area and underground music.' Please enjoy it.

Lee Tae-hoon:
Hello, I’m Lee Tae-hoon from Cadejo, hosting alongside. I have a special affection for Mangrove, having a continued connection since the Shinsul and Dongdaemun branches.

This Sinchon Festival Listening Party is particularly meaningful for me because I have the opportunity to chat alongside a respected senior guitarist with whom I once dreamed of playing.

I’m curious to see what songs have been prepared. So, shall we dive right into the first song?

–   Chapter 1   –

Kim Jong Jin:
The first song came to my mind as soon as I heard the theme 'Sinchon'. It was the first pop song I ever heard back in 1970 when I was in third grade and living across from Sogang University. I heard a flute sound from a speaker in front of an electronics store the day I went to buy some notebooks on an errand for my brother. The snow was falling on that cold winter day, and the same song replayed several times on my way back. It stuck with me. I remember coming home and singing it to my brother, asking what the song was.

I often think my journey in music began on that Sinchon hill when I heard that song. It was very cold, but my heart was warm. The song is Simon & Garfunkel's ‘El Condor Pasa’, which means ‘If I Could’ in English. Let’s listen together.

Kim Jong Jin:
You’re tuning into the Sinchon Festival Listening Party. Did you enjoy the song?

Lee Tae-hoon:
I think it’s been a long time since I listened to a song from start to finish without any distractions. I’m glad I came. It reminds me of Simon & Garfunkel on a trip to Peru. The melody line sounds like something Simon & Garfunkel would write. I know exactly what you meant by the flute sound.

Kim Jong Jin:
Yes, it does have a Peruvian feel. I heard it was played with traditional Andean instruments.

Lee Tae-hoon:
This might be the first time I’ve heard Garfunkel singing like this.

Kim Jong Jin:
This time, will you introduce the music you selected, Mr. Tae-hoon?

Lee Tae-hoon:
After seniors were active in Sinchon, by the 90s, the scene moved a lot toward Hongdae. I came to Korea in 2007 and a band that was very active at that time was Funkafreak Booster, a punk instrumental band.

Honestly, I didn’t expect such a band to exist in Korea, and I didn’t know much about Hongdae, so I only went to the concerts at university areas or big venues. One day, I randomly stumbled upon a punk concert I was eager to watch. People were taking off their shirts, shouting—it was crazy. So, I said, ‘This is it.’

I even followed them to their practice rooms and jam sessions with a guitar, asking them to watch me play. That led to me joining the band, marking the start of my band activities.

Kim Jong Jin:
The band’s name was Funkafreak Booster?

Lee Tae-hoon:
The name kept changing. It was Funkafreak Booster, then Funkafreak Boosta, then Funkafreak, and now it’s Pong Pong Trio. (laughter) An interesting fellow, the keyboard player, is the one who created the outstanding Korean urban music ‘Think About Chu’ by Asto Union.

Some might remember the original underground pedestrian area in front of Hongdae. It’s a land bare of almost anything now, turned into a hotel, but I remember busking there fondly, which is why I selected a piece from the band’s first album, an instrumental track, 'Ali'. I’ll explain it as we play parts of it.

Kim Jong Jin:
But the ‘Funk’ you keep mentioning isn’t the same as ‘Punk’, right?

Lee Tae-hoon:
Punk is something where you think of spiky hair, leather pants, and dirty T-shirts, whereas Funk is a genre of Black music, rhythmically driving and meant for dancing. Funk itself means something like ‘smells’, although it gives off exaggerated and intense vibes.

Kim Jong Jin:
Did you play this track yourself?

Lee Tae-hoon:
No, this song was already released before I joined the band.

Kim Jong Jin:
So, it’s a track from the Funkafreak Booster era after Asto Union. What does 'Ali' mean?

Lee Tae-hoon:
I’m not sure. There’s a theory it was chosen because it sounds good, but honestly, I don’t know.

Kim Jong Jin:
How can we ever know? (laughter)

Lee Tae-hoon:
Back then, I never imagined hearing this drum sound from a record. Such natural sound was never heard, and to hear it live and sounding just like the recording was astonishing. A musician named Seo Soo-jin, who is still active, played this song, and hearing it made me wonder, ‘How can you produce such sounds?’ I was shocked.

Originally a rocker, having listened mainly to Led Zeppelin, listening to this tangled sound reminiscent of The Meters made me realize, ‘Wow, this can be done too.’

Kim Jong Jin:
Indeed, this is true Korean sound.

Lee Tae-hoon:
Hongdae is where I realized amazing musicians were hidden here. Since then, I often visited, started following performance bands seriously, and eventually branched out by emulating them. And this band made me say, ‘Yes! This is it.’

Since this track is instrumental, it keeps going like this. You can listen at home to the rest. What’s your next selection, sir?

–   Chapter 2   –

Kim Jong Jin:
For my second pick, I chose a song by my one and only star in my heart, Kim Hyun-sik. When Hyun-sik released his first album with his hair slicked back so coolly, I didn’t know whether I was captivated by the photo or the music.

It was an era before CDs, so everything was on LP. Side A’s title was ‘Spring Summer Fall Winter’, and Side B’s was ‘Your Image’.

I selected ‘Your Image’ as today’s song. The lyrics go, ‘When you look at the sky lying on the grass, the precious face that appears is you~’ It's like the clouds become someone special and drift away. While listening to this song back then, it felt like I was letting go of hundreds of someone special, although I never had one. I think I listened to it until the cassette was worn out, rewinding with a pen or pencil to tighten it.

One day, Hyun-sik called and said, he was a solo artist but asked if I wanted to form a band with him. It felt like heaven brightened up with a flash of light coming down. That’s how we got together, initially a four-member band: guitar Kim Jong Jin, drummer Jeon Tae Kwan, Spring Summer Fall Winter duo, with Jang Ki-ho of BiKwang and Salt as the bassist, and Yu Jae-ha, who passed away early, on keyboard.

We went to Daecheon to brainstorm band names and drank soju all night. Many names were thrown around, but I kept quiet because I could only think of one.

When everyone wanted to quit, I said I wanted to suggest one name, Spring Summer Fall Winter. The other members put down their glasses, looked at me, and one said, ‘What a sweet-talker!’, and Hyun-sik was all smiles saying, ‘I think I picked the right guitarist.’ (laughter)

That’s how Spring Summer Fall Winter was born. Today’s track isn’t by Spring Summer Fall Winter, but the lesser-known B-side track ‘Your Image’. The story of why I chose this will be explained in the third song. Let’s enjoy the music first.

Lee Tae-hoon:
His voice was still young then. Even as his voice changes, the weight can be felt.

Kim Jong Jin:
Right, it really was a youthful voice.

Hyun-sik often remarked that Sinchon was the root of his music. Many musicians, including those of Sinchon Blues, gathered at Um In-ho’s house in Sinchon, exchanging musical ideas for several years, saying, ‘Isn’t this song good? Isn’t this musician great? Isn’t this the right lyric? That’s how you play the guitar,’ and such.

Lee Tae-hoon:
A master class you couldn’t get into even if you paid for it today.

Kim Jong Jin:
Did you enjoy the music? The feedback is fantastic and encouraging. We’re eager for the next track too.

Lee Tae-hoon:
The next song is ‘My Only’, a track by the band CoCoa. I think it’s their most mainstream song among CoCoa’s music, which exhibits a broad spectrum, having started as a Nirvana cover band.

Kim Jong Jin:
Nirvana is indeed synonymous with indie music.

Lee Tae-hoon:
When Hongdae’s scene was forming in the 90s, alternative music was what everyone gushed over. They say there were over ten Nirvana cover bands back then. CoCoa began that way, continued to find their identity, and released four albums, each distinct from the last, and even the genres its members pursue today vary widely.

Kim Jong Jin:
It seems CoCoa started with alternative and kept exploring diverse music.

Lee Tae-hoon:
Woo-sung is involved in Hawaiian ukulele music with the project Sagita, Myung-soo has a wide spectrum doing film scores, drummer Ji-hwan played in a band with me, and bassist Jae-kwon leads an electronic synth-pop band called Zemog O9ur.

But their last album has each member contributing a track, making it like an omnibus album with no unifying thread. It’s so fun, with different tracks popping up, but incredible how diverse it feels within a single album, which was their fourth.

Kim Jong Jin:
Maybe that’s why the band broke up. (laughter) What kind of music is ‘My Only’?

Lee Tae-hoon:
‘My Only’ resembles straightforward punk rock but if you listen closely, it has interesting elements. There are moments where you think, ‘Is that how you play the guitar?’ It’s played so casually. This song gave me the courage that even if you can't play well, you can still do something like this.

Kim Jong Jin:
It’s a track that inspires courage. Shall we have a listen?

Lee Tae-hoon:
I often thought of Hongdae as an experiment lab, with such a wide array of sounds. The creative choices felt endless and whatever you did, it seemed to be embraced. This song’s music video is really fun. Be sure to check it out. It features eggs being thrown and smashing against faces—entertaining stuff.

Kim Jong Jin:
Sinchon and Hongdae allow for adventure and experimentation, bursting with youthful energy! Thanks for introducing these amazing pieces.

–   Chapter 3   –

Kim Jong Jin:
Time to introduce the third song. The final selection is a Spring Summer Fall Winter piece closely tied to Sinchon titled ‘If I Had Another Self’.

The first stage performance we had with Hyun-sik was a long show at the Bluebird Theater in Daehangno. It was an omnibus concert featuring Lee Jeong-seon, Han Young-ae, Lee Kwang-jo, Kim Hyun-sik, and Um In-ho Band, under the name ‘Sinchon Blues’. They were gathered at Um In-ho’s house in Sinchon, sharing music with musicians they adored.

Only Hyun-sik performed with our band, while the others were backed by Um In-ho Band. It ended with everyone jamming together on the stage. Whenever amps were short, we plugged two guitars into one. It was less about perfection and more about joy.

The nationwide tour as ‘Sinchon Blues’ gained massive word-of-mouth, leading to the release of Sinchon Blues’ first album via Dong-Ah Planning, and Hyun-sik released his third album as ‘Kim Hyun-sik and Spring Summer Fall Winter’.

When the second album of Sinchon Blues came out, we went independent with our debut album Spring Summer Fall Winter and participated in one song on that album, which is today’s piece, ‘If I Had Another Self’. It’s a special track appearing on both Sinchon Blues’ second album and our debut.

Kim Jong Jin:
The applause at a performance with tens of thousands of people echoes here at Mangrove; thank you. The music was wonderful, but seeing everyone dance to bossa nova beats was a truly beautiful sight.

Lee Tae-hoon:
The album you just heard is their debut. Spring Summer Fall Winter's first album is my favorite, containing the track ‘December 31’, which is at the very end. I have been such a fan that when I heard I’d meet the senior, I thought, ‘Finally, I might play that song together.’ Unfortunately, we couldn’t this time, but while waiting, I got a positive nod for next time. We’ll plan a concert and play together!

My final selection is Seoul Electric Music Ensemble’s ‘Different’. After watching several performances in Hongdae, I felt it was the kind of place that made you think, ‘It’s like this.’ Seated amidst numerous performances, while watching Yun-cheol's guitar play, I thought it was world-class, unmatched anywhere. Though Hongdae has a lot of variety, seeing such high-level music made me proud to be active in Hongdae.

The track is quite long, often played over 20 minutes live, but due to time constraints, today we’ll listen to a teaser.

–   OUTRO  –

Kim Jong Jin:
This concludes our prepared songs. I’m curious how everyone enjoyed them here today.

Lee Tae-hoon:
Thank you to the audience for listening so intently and for your questions until the end.

Experiencing the flow from Sinchon’s underground scene where seniors played to our generation’s Hongdae indie scene in the lively setting of Sinchon must have been fascinating for the audience too.

With the senior guitarist, whom I deeply admire, I didn’t realize how time flew by as I chatted endlessly.

Kim Jong Jin:
I also had a wonderful and delightful time. A guitarist I really adore, Mr. Lee Tae-hoon, is incredibly talented and positively impacts Korea’s music scene. I’m thrilled and honored to have spent this time with you musically.

The last track, Spring Summer Fall Winter’s ‘If I Had Another Self’ features the lyrics 'If I had another self, it would be you whom I love.' Many have asked who the ‘you’ refers to in the lyrics.

Although I’ve moved away, Sinchon—the place where I took my first steps in life and music, where I’m discussing music with juniors across generations, shoulder to shoulder—this Sinchon could very well be the ‘you’ in those lyrics on this thoughtful night.

Thank you for joining us until late.

Text | Shin Dabo-mi

Photos | Ahn Ye-seul