Aug
23
2006
Interview : Earip (Sweater)
Posted by luna6 9 Comments
Free Downloads : 그리스의 오후 (Nameless Afternoon)
LP6: I first heard your voice while a watching a Korean film titled 버스, 정류장 (Bus Stop). I believe the song in the movie was played by Lucid Fall and you sang the lyrics. Quite an amazing song. How did you get involved with Lucid Fall and that movie?
Earip: At the time, we were on the same label with Lucid Fall and I was asked to participate on the soundtrack for “Bus Stop” with Lucid Fall. I was already a fan of Lucid Fall since his earlier band “Misuni” and believed that it could be a great encounter. I still think to this day that it was a great experience.
LP6: The webpage for your band Sweater isn’t up anymore, so I am guessing the band has broken up. If so, why did the band break up?
Earip: We haven’t broken up, just lazy. We are planing to renew sweaterpop.com soon. Now we are working on sweater’s 3rd album and planning to record around September and October.
LP6: When do you expect the record to be released?
Earip : Sweater’s 3rd album will be completed this November and will be released next spring.
LP6: End Of Bando is a wonderful album, how did you pick the name for the album?
Earip: Thanks, even though I live in Korea, I have never been to the end of the Korean Peninsula. However, I have traveled to numerous islands. I stayed there for a while because I was drawn by mysterious feelings which you can feel by the coast. For the record I was drawn to that feeling and titled the album “End of Bando (Peninsula).”
LP6: The music on the End of Bando is far more sparse than the music that you have done with Sweater. Was that a conscious decision to move in that direction?
Earip: I enjoy sounds with open space, but with Sweater we usually go for a different type of sound. So for this record, I wanted to make an album with open sounds, similar to random drawings scribbled in a notebook with lots of empty space. Similar to a rough draft if you will.
LP6: When you write music, do you normally think lyrics first or melody?
Earip : Each occasion is different. But in case of the end of bando, all the lyrics were written then we made the songs.
LP6 : My favorite song on End Of Bando would be “Nameless Afternoon” could you explain a little about what the song is about?
Earip : The song is about a proposal. Not a proposal for a lover but for a like minded individual. For people who are in the creative fields, the concept of a like-minded person is not considered as important. Because of this, it is more difficult to meet that kind of person. A like-minded person is more keen to me and the object of first proposal.
LP6: Lets talk a little bit about your band Sweater. The song “Spring Power, Spring Daze” is an absolutely awesome song. The sound is a little different from other songs by your band (reminds me a bit of the German morr music bands). What were some influences behind that song?
Earip: Unfortunately I haven’t heard of any musicians from Morr Music, but I wrote the song using imagery of a type of spring that I feel. To me spring is full of light, which is almost blinding. The lyrics are about wanting a spring encounter with power and daze. The song used lots of electronic sounds to express movements of particles of light.
LP6 : The song “You” by Sweater has a very uptempo…almost disco’ish type of sound. Could you tell us a little bit about the creative process behind that song.
Earip: The drummer for Sweater, 신세철, wrote the music. When the other members of Sweater heard the song for first time, we all couldn’t stop dancing.
LP6: The album “Sweater 2.5 – Songs In The Air” seems to have songs with lyrics submitted by your fans. Could you explain a little bit by how and why the album was made that way?
Earip: We made a guest appearance on a radio program on Christian broadcasting. On the show we proceeded the program, which included lyrics sent in by the audience. For a year we somehow got 20 songs and played a couple of those songs in concert. We then got an offer, ” how about making an informal album with these songs?” That was how that album came about, however I regret making that album a lot.
LP6: Have you traveled outside of Korea? If so what were some of your favorite places that you have visited?
Earip : I traveled to lots of islands and other continents but there was no place i liked especially. I can just say ” all good” or “all ordinary” but my journey hasn’t finished.
LP6: Do you enjoy performing live?
Earip: As occasion requires, it is different now. But when i was a kid i had many chances to sing in front of people and during those times I remember being so scared.
LP6: What was the most memorable live performance that you have done and why?
Earip : It was the concert “live addiction” at the Jung-Dong theater in Seoul in 2003. The reason is whenever i remember that time, every scene is so clear in my mind that i can still feel what I felt at the concert.
LP6: Could you recommend some Korean bands that you are particularly fond of?
Earip: 우리는 속옷도 생겼고 여자도 늘었다네 (we got underwear and also women increased), 윈디 시티 (windy city)
LP6: What English speaking bands have you been listening to lately?
Earip: Pet Shop Boys, Daft Punk, Jack Johnson
LP6: On Lunapark6 we cover a lot about Asian films, in particular Korean. Could you list your 5 all time favorite Korean films?
Earip: 지구를 지켜라 (Save The Green Planet), 꽃피는 봄이 오면 (Springtime), 아는 여자 (Someone Special), 살인의 추억 (Memories Of Murder), 질투는 나의 힘 (Jealousy Is My Middle Name)
LP6: When did you know you wanted to be a musician?
Earip: When I was 19 years old I watched a River Phoenix movie and I wanted to become a musician so he could hear my songs.
LP6: What is your favorite place to visit in Korea and why?
Earip: boon-dang, samg chung-dong, boo arm-dong, cafes. The reason why i like cafes is the power of the cafe – particularly so for its open space and coffee. A good cafe has a power similar to a cat “sluggish and quick.”
LP6: Is Earip a name that you picked or a variation of your given name?
Earip: I made it when i was at the University, at that time i liked writing so i made my pen name of Earip. Actual Korean name is 아립 (Ah lim).
LP6: What do you enjoy doing when you are not making music?
Earip: Being lazy or cooking.
LP6: Whats the secret in Kimchi tasting so good?
Earip: I don’t know how to explain it, but maybe it’s because the mother’s hands usually spends a lot of time making the dish. Any way it really is the best.
LP6: Thank you!
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Comments
9 Comments so far
The song included in the CD is actually by Sweater not her as a soloist…The title is “날아라 멀리 뛰어라, 그게 내 이름” I haven’t listened to the full CD yet but I like what I’ve heard. Some of the other artists featured are Casker and Humming Urban Stereo. ^.^
Anyways, I will def. check out the review thanks!
msweete6 : check out a review of her new album
here its really sweet. Which song from Earip is on “Cat’s Story”?
I just recently discovered them on a compilation album called 고야이 이야기 (Cat’s Story) so I was esp. excited to run into this interview….thanks!
Well I bought Sweater’s Vol. 2.5, not knowing anything about the background of that album. I loved Humming Street and thought Staccato Green was good, so I was very excited seeing that in the cd shops and bought it immediately. My reaction after listening to it, went from something like “wtf?” to “damn this is bad.” I’m guessing Earip regrets it for similar reasons. 2.5 doesnt sound anything like their two prior albums. Humming Street is the one to check out by them if anyone is interested – it’s greatness. I can’t wait for Sweater’s next one as well.
I’m glad to hear Sweater will be releasing another album! Kinda curious to know why she regretted doing the 2.5 though. The English name for 우리는 속옷도 생겼고 여자도 늘었다네 would be “underwear band” btw. Thanks for a nice interview ^^
Also, Earip’s EP is available from http://www.mrkwang.com/-strse-1496/CD–cln–Earip-1st./Detail.bok now for anybody that didn’t manage to get a copy directly from Hyang Music.
Panda that second track on the webpage you linked to is the track featured in the movie “Bus Stop.” Pretty good film and when I heard that song in the movie..I was like “Whoa …I need to find out who that band is!”
Oops! My bad. This will take you there faster. And pardon the typo back there.
http://phillyi.blogspot.com/2006/03/sweater.html
Don’t know anything about them, but this is what I could dig up:
http://phillyi.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_phillyi_archive.html
I’m afraind it will only serve to wet your appetite. You can listen to two of Sweater’s songs there. Quite catchy tunes!
Nameless Afternoon sounds very good. I would love to hear the entire album and I want to buy it. Google searcg turns up a Hyang Music, but the entire site seems to be in Korean and I can’t make out what to fill out. If someone could tell me where I could buy the ep, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for the interview.