The band The Electriceels proves how sound electrifies human eardrums. When you listen to their music, it gives you a shock. This is not because their music is amazing but because you feel empathy for their lyrics. Their fresh expression might be quite unfamiliar regarding the main subject of their songs. However, the emotion that they transfer is enough for every listener to nod.

This band is composed of four members of the following: Kim Ye Seul (Guitar), Hwang In Gyeng (Vocal and Guitar), Kim Na Yeon (Bass Guitar), and Kim Min Hyuk (Drum). They released their first full album, The Best Date, on October 16, after releasing two EP (extended play) albums. The musicians appeared on the TV show, Top Band Season 2. Also, they performed on the stage of a Korea University (KU) event.

   
▲ The Band Electriceels

Some people might be quite perplexed by the band’s name. You might think they play electronic music. However, The Electriceels’ music features lovely melodies and love-themed lyrics. Even the birth of the name is trivial. When they went to Nagwon Arcade, they saw a restaurant which sold broiled eels and then just named themselves The Electriceels.

Surprisingly, only Hwang and Kim Ye Seul are members who have remained from the start. After Hwang was discharged from military service, he made a suggestion of organizing a band to Kim. As time went by, other members left the band because of their own reasons. After that, the bass guitarist, Kim Na Yeon, joined the band and Kim Min Hyuk, whom they met around Hongik University, started sharing his history with this band.

Hwang hesitates to define which genre the band’s music belongs to, saying, “We borrow sound and ways of garage rock. The genre itself has a vague border. In addition, by restricting our music to one genre, possibilities of music is blocked.” Kim Ye Seul adds, “If we must restrict, our music is garage rock. However, artists do not want to pay attention to such a problem.”

The vocal looks back on the past and comes up with their first audition where they felt the most nervous. After passing the audition of a club, they could perform once or twice right there. They were on a stage without any audience except the club’s boss. Hwang says, “Although it was not a big audition, the stage was a first audition as a band to us. Moreover, we had not experienced many performances at that time.”

Empathy of their music does not come without effort. They have their own keynote. Hwang says, “I write lyrics which I can empathize myself. I exclude bombastic stories which I do not know well and which are written to show other people. It is good to include trifling contents which everyone can write in their diary.” In the case of the track “Arrow” on The Best Date, they used a poem in which they feel empathy as a motif.

The second EP album has more correlation with The Best Date than the first. That is because, during the term between the first and the second, the band performed much more and found which music they had to play from then on. Kim says, “The Best Date is our first ‘regular’ album. Therefore, it means a lot for us. I think this album as our debut album.”

Hwang says, “In the indie music field, there are few bands which earn money by selling music and invest it into the next album. We have to work part-time as other bands do.” Kim Ye Seul says, “We finished our first aim because we released our first regular album. I hope that the band economically and externally becomes my perfect occupation.” Passion for music alone cannot let them be musicians.

When you fall in love or your love is under way, try to listen to this band’s music. You cannot skip even a track. On November 24, the band will hold a solo concert. How about going there and becoming electrified?

저작권자 © The Granite Tower 무단전재 및 재배포 금지