조윤 - Jo Yun (Yun)

first impression on cdr : "I once heard a CDR copy of this : nice and calm and moody partly instrumental Gothic-progressive/neo-symphonic, with some calm sung parts (female vocals), accompanied by various moody guitars. The music has a certain sweetness..."...

조윤 / Jo Yun : Mobius Strip

시완레코드 | Si Wan Records 2006년 09월 15일

1 Prologue

2 방랑 야인 (放浪野人) / Wandering Woman

3 암영 (暗影) / Umbra

4 잃어버린 천국 (天國) / Lost Heaven

5 Glissang

6 방랑야인 / Wandering (Epilogue)

After some research I finally could find a copy of this album. And what an impressive package. This is an oversized glossy box that opens like a temple with in the middle a pyramid containing the CD with booklet.

The music is presented as a real art project, which is well produced and arranged in the studio, based upon different sorts of keyboards, drums and electric/amplified guitars. The tracks build up moodily and atmospherically, a special way of arranging layer by layer with a certain open evolution, and still a natural way of progression. Parts of it, due to the keyboards this might sound a bit in the direction of neo-classical gothic prog, a genre which isn’t too rewarding, the results here are more magnificent and done with perfection, with enough variety to work for each second.

On the first few tracks different voices contribute, each with their own special character, one of them being a person enjoying herself playfully like a child, by an expressive female singing voice, some of the arrangements have an orchestral fullness. The fourth track is based upon a song focus (female voice again) with more dominance in the guitars (picking and electric).

The conclusive track has Baroque melodic elements in the keyboards, electric guitar workouts, funky bass elements, it still is all very mood-provoking. Very good !

On a Korean page I found out about the extra singers & musician : Lead Male Vocal : Kim, San, Lead Female Vocal : Seong, Ma-Ri, Bass : Kang, Hyoung-Suk.

New review:

The album starts off as a kind of musical and spiritual mediation with acoustic guitars, reverberation, sparse percussion and texturing keyboards and sound effects, like a filmic and spiritual adventure. It first unfolds really beautifully like such a musical mediation. From the third track onwards however it becomes more clear how it gradually turns a bit more into programmed music, thus turns itself for a moment into Neo-prog territory and neo-gothic arrangements as well mixed with a certain Klaus Schulze kind of repetitive mood, then providing associating links to Dark Side of The Moon alike female vocals and mood with some electric guitar leads as well. The album returns thoroughly through a dreamy mode back into the meditative mode while losing focus a few times before in chaotic flashes of visions until a long and at times somewhat stretched and rather melancholic epilogue concludes the album with a certain open time frame.

Because the album is considered as one piece it's best to listen from start to finish.

Wikipedia: 조윤이 이끄는 솔로 프로젝트 윤(輪)의 데뷔 음반으로 조윤이 23세 때부터 구상해온 데모 테이프인 〈Modern Eve〉를 토대로 한 음반이다. 프로그레시브 록, 아트 록을 추구했으며 가사와 음악에 담긴 철학적 메시지가 인상적이다.

It is a solo project Yoon's debut album led by Cho Yun based on Modern Eve, a demo tape that Jo Yun has been planning since the age of 23. He pursued progressive rock and art rock, and his philosophical messages in lyrics and music are impressive.

조윤이 이끄는 솔로 프로젝트 륜(輪)의 한국 초유의 프로그레시브 록 앨범 발매!! 국내 최초의 프로그레시브 록 앨범으로 기록될 조윤의 데뷔작은 시완레코드가 세계 시장에 자랑스럽게 소개하는 야심작이다. 번뜩이는 아이디어, 이국적인 세련된 연주와 효과음, 뛰어난 작품성 그리고 엔지니어링의 극치를 들려주는 본작은 한국 아트록의 가능성을 들려준다. 작곡가 조윤은 1962년 4월 8일 제주에서 출생하여 중학교 2학년때 처음 클래식 기타를 독학하면서 음악계에 입문했다. 1986년 일본 동경으로 건너가 한국 학생으로서는 최초로 TCA(Tokyo Communication Art School)에 입학, 3년동안 본격적인 작곡, 편곡 및 엔지니어링을 공부하였다. 1989년 귀국하여 CF전문 녹음 스튜디오에서 영화음악과 가수들의 편곡등을 담당하다가 23세때부터 구상하고 있었던 “MOBIUS STRIP”을 1년여에 걸친 스튜디오 녹음 작업끝에 12년만인 1996년에 결국 빛을 보게 되었다. 그는 자신이 체험한 괴리감-나는 內라고 생각했었는데 外였다는 것을 음악으로 구체화시켰으며 우리가 살고 있는 세상의 “안과 밖의 혼란” 그리고 “모든 질서의 연속성”을 표현하고자 했다. 본작은 6개의 테마로 구성된 토탈 컨셉트 앨범으로 음향을 중시하는 프로그레시브 록에 철학적인 가사내용을 접목시켰다. Pink Floyd, Ry Cooder 그리고 Klaus Schulze의 음악세계를 넘나드는 신비롭고 환상적인 사운드를 체험하시기를.

"Cho Yun's solo project, Korean colostrum progressive rock album release!

Cho Yoon's debut work, which will be recorded as Korea's first progressive rock album, is an ambitious work proudly introduced by the world market. The brilliant ideas, exotic sophisticated performances and sound effects, outstanding workability and the extremes of engineering reveal the possibilities of Korean art rock.

Composer Cho Yun was born in Jeju on April 8, 1962, and entered the music world when he first studied classical guitar in his second year of middle school. In 1986, he moved to Tokyo, Japan, where he became the first Korean student to attend TCA (Tokyo Communication Art School), where he studied composition, arrangement, and engineering for three years. After returning to Korea in 1989, he was in charge of arranging film music and singers in a CF recording studio. Afterwards, he ended up seeing light in 1996, 12 years after he finished his studio recording for over a year.

He felt that the dissension he had experienced—I knew it was external, embodied in music that it was external, and expressed the “confusion inside and outside” and “continuity of all orders” of the world in which we live. This is a total concept album consisting of six themes, which incorporates philosophical lyrics into a progressive sound that emphasizes sound. Experience the mysterious and fantastic sound across the music world of Pink Floyd, Ry Cooder and Klaus Schulze."

아마도 국내에 Progressive라는 장르가 처음 시도되는(제대로!!!) 최초의 앨범이 아닐까 싶습니다. 국내 굴지의 장르인 프로그래시브/아트락 전문레이블인 시완레코드를 통해 발매된 1996년작 조윤의 데뷔앨범입니다. 제주도 출신의 뮤지션으로 조윤은 앨범 전체의 작사,작곡 및 모든 연주를 혼자서 해내는 대단함을 들려주고 있습니다. 본 앨범은 '서막(Prologue)', 'Part I 방랑야인'. 'Part Ⅱ 암영' '잃어버린 천국' 'Part Ⅲ 글리상', 그리고 종장인 'Part Ⅳ 바람코지' 'Epilopue' 이렇게 모두 6개의 부분으로 이루어진 Concept앨범입니다.

영감의 탄생을 신비로운 교회의 종소리와 중후한 전자음향으로 상징하고 있는 1번곡, 커다란 천둥소리와 함께 전개되며 맑은 전자음향을 기반으로 수도승의 주문소리를 Backward Masking으로 완벽히 처리한 초반부와 그 이후 드라마틱하게 전개되는 맑은 기타음향은 마치 핑크 플로이드를 연상케하며 고양이의 울음소리, 유리 깨지는 소리, 그리고 매서운 바람소리 등등 수많은 효과음을 동반하고 있기도 한 2번곡, 여성스캣과 전자음향의 사운드가 넘치는 3번곡, Part Ⅱ 암영의 두번째 파트에 해당하며 프로그래시브와 대중가요의 요소가 서로 만나 가장 귀에 쉽게 감기는 대중적인 매력을 보이는 4번곡, 특히 객원 여성싱어인 성마리의 호소력 짙은 보컬은 가슴 속을 마구 파고들만큼 매력적인 곡입니다. 5번곡은 휘파람을 통해 어린 시절을 회상하는 곡으로 휘파람 소리는 유혹을, 그리고 빠른 템포의 기타 스트록은 자기 꿈을 쫓아 달리는 젊은 세대를 상징하며, 만돌린 소리는 회상, 그리 고 신디사이저 부분은 성숙한 인간들의 자격상실을 표현하고 있습니다. 바람이 몰리는 곳을 뜻하는 '바람코지'라는 곡으로 본작의 결말부분에 해당하는 6번곡, 특히 이곡에서 또 다른 객원싱어린 김산의 읊조리는 소리를 알아들을수 없는 마치 주술같은 느낌도 줍니다. 특히 불교의 윤회사상 및 각종 효과음등으로 마지막의 총소리는 너무도 카리스마적이라 가슴을 사무치게 만드는 마력을 가지고 있습니다.!! 앨범을 장식하는 앤딩곡인 7번곡!!

앨범 재킷을 펼치면 피라밋모형이 만들어지는 특이한 구도를 지니기도 했으며 현재는 절판되어 희귀한 앨범이 되어버린 불후의 걸작입니다. 아트록을 좋아하지 않더라도 꼭 한 번 들어보시길 바라며 국내에도 이런 절대명반이 있다는 사실에 자부심을 느껴봅니다.

"Perhaps this is the first album in Korea where the genre of Progressive is first tried. This is Cho Yun's debut album in 1996, which was released through Shiwan Records, a leading professional and attic label. As a musician from Jeju Island, Cho Yoon tells the greatness of writing, composing and performing all the albums alone. This album is 'Prologue', 'Part I Wandering'. It is a concept album consisting of six parts: 'Part Ⅱ Amyoung', 'Lost Heaven', 'Part Ⅲ Glee Award', and the endorsement, 'Part IV Wind Cozy' and 'Epilopue'.

The first song, which symbolizes the birth of inspiration with the mysterious church bells and the profound electronic sound, unfolds with a loud thunder sound. The clear guitar sound is reminiscent of Pink Floyd, and it is accompanied by a number of effects such as cat crying, glass cracking, and a bitter wind. It is the second part of Amyoung, the fourth song that shows the elements of progressive and popular songs that are most easily worn on the ears. Attractive song. Song No. 5 recalls childhood through whistles, whistling the temptations, and the fast tempo guitar stroking the younger generations who are pursuing their dreams. Expressing disqualification It is a song called 'Bamkoji' which means the place where the wind is blowing. It is the sixth song that corresponds to the ending part of this work, especially this song. In particular, the last gunshot is so charismatic with the Buddhism wheel and various sound effects. Ending song number 7 to decorate the album!

Unfolding the album jacket has an unusual composition that creates a pyramid model, and it is an immortal masterpiece that is now out of print and a rare album. Even if you don't like Art Rock, you should listen to it once and feel proud that there is such an alum in Korea."

http://blog.daum.net/_blog/BlogTypeView.do?blogid=03jnm&articleno=15859723&_bloghome_menu=recenttext