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“A 100% live album by the legendary rock vocalist Park Keunhong! OVerdrive Philosophy”
It’s been a while since I’ve seen the term ‘legendary’. Anyway, how would I introduce the legendary rock vocalist Park Keunhong?
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First of all, as you can see from the album cover, I can't appeal with my looks, and I don't make sweet music either, so I had to present something... It doesn’t mean I’m better than anyone else, but just understand that I’m a vocalist who delivers unique sounds. There was at least one person who said, ‘If the taste matches, he’s the best vocalist.’ Anyway, I became known to the world through Gate Flowers, which appeared on KBS TOP Band in 2011, and I am currently also active as a member of ‘Hongdae Avengers’ ABTB.
What does ‘100% live recording album’ mean?
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Generally, album recording is done by recording each position separately and then combining them later. This [OVerdrive Philosophy] album was recorded live in clubs or concert venues. It captures the sound of the band playing without any corrections or modifications. Rock bands from the 1960s, considered the heyday of rock, mostly recorded that way. To reproduce their sound, we also recorded 100% live.
So what is OVerdrive Philosophy?
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It is a band formed with members I met through Choi Hangseok, the representative of the Korean Blues Society, and Choi Hangseok of Boogie Monster. The full name is OVerdrive Philosophy, but everyone finds it difficult, so we plan to shorten it to OVerPhil. After all, rock is excessive music. It’s excessively rough and excessively loud. OVerdrive Philosophy - the philosophy of excess is ultimately about the essence of rock.
What members are you working with?
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Guitarist Richiman is also active with ‘Richiman and Groove Nice’. He delivers passionate yet brilliant performances. Some say, ‘Park Keunhong is lucky to have such a guitarist,’ calling him ‘Korea’s Ozzy Osbourne,’ and Richiman is also an outstanding guitarist who participated as Korea's representative in the International Blues Challenge held in the U.S. in 2022.
Bassist Baek Jinhee is active in various fields. No matter what equipment you give her, she produces her own sound, delivering truly rock-solid performances. In fact, I am as lucky to have a bassist as I am to have a guitarist.
Drummer Kang Sungsil is a technical drummer who delivers very unconventional performances, contrary to his name. Yet, he also possesses the power that is fundamental to rock. And he is the youngest member.
With Gate Flowers and ABTB, was there really a need to form another band?
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If I were to compare the music of the two bands, it would be like processed food. Each member refines the raw materials to make them palatable. But if you keep eating processed food, it can get a bit tiresome. So I wanted to create something less refined, music that bursts with juices or blood. In fact, I was a bit depressed due to COVID, but through the work on the OVerdrive Philosophy album, I was able to regain my vitality. For me, this project was truly disaster relief and aid supplies.
I have no idea what you’re talking about. Can you explain the details?
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First of all, I composed and arranged almost entirely as I pleased. Of course, the members' performances are the foundation, but I made the decisions. You could say it’s an album that feels like mine but isn’t quite mine. However, it’s different from a solo album. Without the members, I could never have produced this sound.
I heard you pursued a raw sound?
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I composed through complete improvisation. Typically, after jamming for a while, the arrangement process is done based on that, but in the case of OVerdrive Philosophy, we composed in a truly raw manner by continuously trying different choruses while the drums kept playing during practice.
The recording was also done live in one take at Korea Blues Theater. We captured 100% live without autotune or beat correction. Capturing the overall sound with just vocal and drum mics, and even guitar pickups made it fundamentally impossible to isolate individual instrument sounds. Thanks to that, the mixing engineer had a tough time, but we chose this method based on the judgment that the natural resonance of the instruments, including vocals, does not come out well with the typical tracking method.
If it’s raw, it sounds like it would be hard to listen to?
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If we recorded separately and combined them later, we would have to correct the sounds in the studio, which could feel awkward. We recorded simultaneously, adjusting only the sound balance as if we were actually performing live. This made it much more natural and easier to listen to. Bands from the 1960s recorded this way, and if you listen to their music, it has a very natural sound, right? Since we followed their method, we are the same.
To preserve these sounds, we commissioned Ted Jensen from Sterling Sound, who has worked on several albums since the 1970s, for mastering. It cost quite a bit, but the result was very satisfying.
Now, can you talk about the album?
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The first album of OVerdrive Philosophy [OVerdrive Philosophy] contains tracks that can give the feeling of dipping freshly sliced, live fish into spicy wasabi soy sauce and downing it with a shot of soju. Ah, in our case, it should be butter, but nothing specific comes to mind. Anyway, we tried to capture something raw yet matured in sound. While it’s not a concept album, I arranged the tracks to follow a certain story.
Fine Dust | A song that hopes someone will provide an answer to the frustrating situation. When we started jamming, I asked drummer Kang Sungsil to play a fine dust-like beat, and he ended up playing a broken beat, resulting in an unintended progressive rock song. In a way, it’s the only rock number on the album.
Relief Supplies pt.1 | A song about living with hope amidst a frustrating life. I wanted to sing in a style reminiscent of 1960s rhythm and blues or soul, so I tried to imitate that. I also added a chorus that openly encourages sing-alongs.
Relief Supplies pt.2 | A song about realizing that hope was ultimately in vain. Naturally, it’s melancholic and desperate. The vocals are desperate, and Richiman’s guitar is desperate too. They say that when you’re truly sad, listening to sad songs can actually be comforting. I hope it serves that purpose.
Holodisco | A song about a situation of giving up. A disco of despair, perhaps. It’s fun but can’t be fun. Through this song, I realized how broad the musical spectrum of the members is.
Unknown Contract | A song that questions whose fault all of this is. Since I’m working with blues musicians, I couldn’t miss out on a blues track. I combined my taste to create a somewhat bizarre song. Be sure to listen to it all the way through.
get out | This is a bonus track that will only be included in the CD. It can be considered a tribute to those who love Nirvana. Half of it was made as a joke, but somehow the response around me seems to suggest this song is the best…
If I could say one last thing?
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Thanks to many people’s help, I have been able to live as a musician until now. It seems impossible to repay that grace in this life. I think making a good album is a way to repay it, even if just a little. So I worked hard on this [OVerdrive Philosophy] album. Please listen to it a lot and often. Thank you!
[Credit]
OVerdrive Philosophy | OVerdrive Philosophy
Vocal Park Keunhong | Park Keunhong(Vocal)
Guitar Richiman | Richiman(Guitar)
Bass Baek Jinhee | Baek Jinhee(Bass)
Drums Kang Sungsil | Kang Sungsil(Drums)
OVerdrive Philosophy Album | OVerdrive Philosophy Album
Executive Produced by Choi Hangseok | Executive Produced by Choi Hangseok
Produced by Park Keunhong | Produced by Park Keunhong
Composed by OVerdrive Philosophy | Composed by OVerdrive Philosophy
Lyrics by Park Keunhong | Lyrics by Park Keunhong
Arranged by Park Keunhong | Arranged by Park Keunhong
Performed by OVerdrive Philosophy | Performed by OVerdrive Philosophy
Recorded by Kim Bumsik(Korea Blues Theater) | Recorded by Kim Bumsik(Korea Blues Theater)
Mixed by Ko Hyungjoon | Mixed by Ko Hyungjoon
Mastered by Ted Jensen(Sterling Sound) | Mastered by Ted Jensen(Sterling Sound)
Cover Art by Woo Junghoon | Cover Art by Woo Junghoon
Music Video by Ted(HELIX STUDIO)/Lee Dongwon(Badlamb) | Music Video by Ted(HELIX STUDIO)/Lee Dongwon(Badlamb)