Mirror City

Two instruments evoke Korea like no others: the daegeum bamboo flute (and its smaller equivalent, the sogeum) and the ajaeng long zither. Both play beautiful, lyrical melodies, but a mirliton on the daegeum makes it breathe, buzz and fizz, adding a unique and appealing quality. And in ancient times, when the ajaeng was bowed (rather than plucked) it was said to literally creak. Both instruments historically trace back almost 1500 years, but while they stand witness to a massive depth of tradition, here they meet contemporary electronica, ghostly whispers, multi-tracking, and a use of reverb that seems to nod to the days of analogue tape. This is Dasom Baek’s second solo album. It is personal, but it also evokes a contemporary zeitgeist as Baek holds a mirror up to herself and to the millions living amid the bustle of modernity, longing for a return to a more spiritual existence. This is a theme dear to many Koreans; it was even tackled in early K-pop by the legendary Shin Hae Chul and his group NEXT. Baek has appeared with international orchestras and at festivals such as SXSW, while back in Korea she is currently working on a PhD at the top university, Seoul National (where the first Korean electronic music was made many years ago). Tracks build from minimalist vamps that layer over each other before receding into the ambient background texture to allow sweeping daegeum melodies to emerge. Melodic flurries take us into the clouds, vocal interjections suggest the unease of city life, and singing bells and bell trees evoke temples in distant mountains.