BØJEONG Looks to the Future
By Sam Dougherty (@samtdougherty)
BØJEONG is a band that knows what it’s doing. The Seoul Indie rockers released their first single just seven months ago but already have a fully formed sound and a killer live show to boot. With the release of their excellent debut EP, Neom 0541, BØJEONG firmly belong in the “bands you need to know” category and lead singer Kang Hmm gave us some insight into their story.
The name BØJEONG is phonetically said as bi gong jeong or 비공정 in Korean and comes from the Chinese characters for “airship.”
The airship, explains Kang Hmm, is seen “often in fantasy works, and as the name implies, it is meant to fly freely and share what it sees, hears, and feels with the public, becoming a different world and an escape.”
This kind of consideration for what the band represents starts with the group's name and is heard just as vividly in their sound. Where some rock bands thrive on chaos, the thrill of BØJEONG comes in the kind of thoughtful experimentation that helps their songs reach for the stars.
The first single on their EP, Unreal, and its following track, Hyenoid, are favourites among the band members and are certainly the best examples of their bombastic side. They both feature spacey sliding guitar verses but find very different endings.
“Unreal” is an energizing anthem with warm verses and a psychedelic chorus that brings to mind Yves Tumor, while “Hyenoid” sneakily builds to a jazzy jam session. Kang Hmm gives a shout-out to the work of drummer Seo Mingwang on this track, and the tension chords brought by guitarist Ryu Kyungsun left the lead singer “screaming at him because I loved it.”
Kyungsun, Mingwang and Kang are joined by Jung Hwankyu on bass and engineer Park Sangkyu. The group originated years ago as a band called FAVST, says Kang, “but when I enlisted in the military, we temporarily disbanded. Then Kyungsun contacted me while I was in the military and said, ‘Let's prepare well, do a good job, and continue our activities after we’re discharged,’ so we got back together, and that's how the current BØJEONG lineup came about.”
Kang is grateful to be from Seoul and live close to the cultural hub of Hongdae but finds challenges in trying to break even as a young band.
“We have to keep spending money until we become successful.”
The challenging realities of the world are heard in Neom 0541, which is a concept album. The title is referring to an airport arrival time in a desolate fictional city.
“Basically, [we are] looking to the far future. We started this album with the idea of 'what kind of world will we face if we continue this way?', and it's not as positive as the mood of the songs suggests. It's a story about an unofficial arrival in the ruined city of 'Neom' and listening to the survivors' stories. 0541 is the arrival time, and if you look at the airport, it says INCHEON 06:45 or something like that, right? I thought, if it's the time of day when the sun is coming up, that light could be like BØJEONG.”
This description matches the atmosphere of these tracks, which might be described as ‘bleak sci-fi that finds a happy ending.’ This worldview is found in the lyrics and electronic textures, which tie together tracks of varying genres, like the acoustic guitar-led FAST and EP closer WICK, a brooding synth power ballad inspired by the John Wick films “where the main character overcomes adversity.”
It’s notable how all the layers of sound in their recorded material come across seamlessly on stage. Petals and soundboards maintain the finer details of their sound while the band rips through the rock tunes with great synergy and smiles on their faces.
“At first, I thought it was going to be difficult.” Continues Kang Hmm, “Last year's performances left something to be desired. But once we finished working on the album and jammed together… I think we were able to have fun every time we performed.”
BØJEONG play in Hongdae every week, with recent shows at Club FF, Club A.O.R. and Cafe Idaho. No matter the size of the stage, their music is immediate and clearly connects to the crowd. Kang Hmms voice and presence play a big part in that. The knack for dramatic suspense in his singing could be compared to the music of David Bowie, and the theatricality is something Kang Hmm worked on. “I went to a cram school and took lessons from a friend who does musical theatre, so I think my delivery is better on stage and on the album.”
The band is grateful for their early success, acknowledging that people don’t often spread the word about new bands unless they “come across really good performances and music, so it's nice to know that we've touched people's hearts. We're proud and happy to know that.”
BØJEONG has big plans for new music this year, and when asked what’s ahead for the group, Kang Hmm says they want “to travel the world and make good albums and performances. I've always dreamed of touring since I was a kid, but I think it's going to be a challenge.”
Just like the stories in their music, each challenge comes with a hopeful look to the future.
“I hope that the message we're trying to convey isn't just a story, but an empowering one, because at the end of the day, it's about being vigilant and overcoming and not letting things get to you. It's up to us to make sure that it gets through.”
If this is the BØJEONG gospel, seeing them perform will make you a believer.
