Cloud Underground performs for the primary time in Seoul at The Studio HB, June 1. Korea Instances photograph by Jon Dunbar
By Jon Dunbar
Graham Parkinson has been a part of Korea’s underground punk and hardcore scene since 2012. His newest band, Cloud Underground, is fairly far faraway from that, at the very least musically, if not catering primarily to the identical crowd.
“Punk and hardcore are finest made by individuals with a ardour for it,” Parkinson stated in an unhinged interview with The Korea Instances that oscillated between brutal honesty and blatant falsehoods. “The flame would not precisely nonetheless burn for me. I am not offended anymore, I am simply drained.”
The brand new band blends digital music, post-punk, shoegaze and various. With digital beats and heavy synths, the songs sound nearer to new wave or prog rock than something within the traditional punk and hardcore library.
“I wish to strive new issues musically. I get bored simply. It is not like there’s any cash on this, so it simply comes right down to entertaining myself,” Parkinson stated. “If there was some critical money concerned, I would write regardless of the fuck they wished me to. I’ve little or no integrity.”
There was a spate of comparable bands showing world wide, like Excessive Vis, Residence Entrance and Oi! Division, made by musicians coming from high-energy music like hardcore and punk who’re making one thing new that is — no offense — slightly extra refined.
When requested about this sort of music, Parkinson stated, “I truthfully don’t know — I do not take heed to something that got here out after 2004.”
This is not his first time in a band with the opposite two members of Cloud Underground. They’ve performed collectively earlier than, and all of them had been a part of the infamous Seoul hardcore band Yuppie Killer.
“Effectively, look, we’re all gettin up there in age,” stated Parkinson, who had been the drummer for Yuppie Killer. “I’ve all the chums I want. I do not like going exterior anymore. Inside kinda sucks, too. However I wanted musicians that do not have lofty objectives of inventive or monetary success.”
Parkinson, who additionally beforehand led the band Acid Occasion and has performed in Sufferer Package and Leper Temple, fronts Cloud Underground as an uncharacteristically soulful singer, backed by Ali on guitar and Ian White on synth.
Ian White performs his previous synth throughout Cloud Underground’s first Seoul present in The Studio HBC, June 1. Korea Instances photograph by Jon Dunbar
“To start with, (White) performed a Cyberdyne Methods Mannequin 101 (T-800),” Parkinson stated. “It had a handful of cool sounds however was finally too heavy and had an excessive amount of low finish. A pair months in the past, he offered it and upgraded to a T-1000. It suits the stay sound loads higher. A lot faster response and flows naturally, like water.”
White clarified that he used to play an analogue Moog Grandmother, and has switched to a digital Arturia Microfreak.
Ali, in the meantime, lives throughout the nation in Busan, the place he’s additionally a member of Bandits.
“Ali really did not all the time stay on the opposite aspect of the nation, however somewhat, as soon as at band follow, he got here in late on the refrain and was exiled to the countryside,” Parkinson stated, earlier than taking one other low cost shot at Korea’s second-largest metropolis. “Some individuals would argue that Busan is not the countryside however I’d argue shut up.”
The band additionally makes use of a drum machine, and every member packs their very own pedals to tweak their sound, even on the vocals.
“There are a minimum of 437,000 pedals on this band,” Parkinson claimed.
Ali, left, performs guitar throughout Cloud Underground’s first Seoul present in The Studio HBC, June 1, underneath the scrutiny of Jennifer from the band Lucy Valentine, of which he was additionally a member. Korea Instances photograph by Jon Dunbar
Regardless of Parkinson’s interview responses rising slightly unhinged, he was in a position to take a praise in regards to the band’s five-song debut EP, launched on Bandcamp Aug. 31. The songs are moody and darkish, and Parkinson’s voice stands tall amid the layers of sound.
“It sounds good as a result of Jeff at Binary Studios cranked the fuck out of the Studio Magic knob,” Parkinson stated. “Like a film made within the enhancing room, this was actually made within the mixing stage. There have been quite a lot of concepts we got here in with. Some labored, some did not. However we had been in a position to get one thing cohesive by the top of it. It took fucking perpetually. Discovered loads for subsequent time.”
Graham Parkinson crouches throughout Cloud Underground’s first Seoul present in The Studio HBC, June 1. Korea Instances photograph by Jon Dunbar
Because of the lengthy distance separating the bandmates, they do not play too typically, having solely executed two official exhibits collectively to date. White known as this “Sufficient to know higher.”
Their subsequent one might be at Block Occasion, occurring Sept. 21 and 22 in central Seoul’s Haebangchon and Gyeongnidan neighborhoods.
“We’re taking part in the coveted Sunday midnight at Pet Sounds slot,” Parkinson stated. “Come fuck up your Monday with us.”
Go to cloudundergroundsk.bandcamp.com to hear, and observe @blockpartykorea on Instagram for extra details about the competition.
