Releases to Look Forward to in 2016

As great of a year as 2015 was when it comes to music, the year of 2016 has come off to a great start and promises to offer plenty more. The Black Skirts is now with HIGHGRND and has just released what is supposed to be the last single before his 3rd full-length album. Big Phony gathered 50% more than he asked to support the making of his 6th full-length album. Idiotape have already recorded a cover album that is rumored to be their best release yet. To just mention a few. Then there are those albums I’ve been looking forward to for quite a while already that should finally see the light of day this year.

Mot 3

Mot‘s first full-length album, non-linear, has remained one of my all-time favorites since the release in 2004. The 2nd album followed a few years later and after interviewing the duo I became an even bigger fan. And then… years and years and years with just talks of a 3rd album that never materialized.

Come October 2015 and Mot announced the return as a quintet. 3 digital singles came out before the end of 2015, and now we even have a release date for the album: February 18.

 

Jun Bum Sun and the Yangbans 2

Jun Bum Sun and the Yangbans사랑가 (Love Songs) was one of the most overlooked albums of 2014. Perfect songs with what may just be the most captivating male vocals I’ve ever come across. Fortunately the band has earned more attention during the autumn so hopefully any new albums will gather more interest from the start.

Earlier today the band launched a tumblbug campagin to crowdfund second full-length album 혁명가 (Revolution Songs). The second part of Jun Bum Sun’s Yangban rock trilogy, it is supposed to have a rather different sound from the first. If all goes well the release should be out on March 23rd. Then all we need to do is wait for the release of the concluding part of the trilogy, 방랑가.

 

Lang Lee 2

Lang Lee‘s first album, 욘욘슨 (Yon Yonson), was one of the best albums of 2012, gathering songs she’d written years prior. I’ve waited for more recent material since, and this should be the year that it happens.

The exact details surrounding Lang Lee’s second album are kept mysterious, so surprises are to be expected. The first single from the album should be out sort of soon with the album itself following within the next few months, if mixing etc. goes according to schedule.

 

Jambinai 2

Jambinai‘s 2nd full-length album was supposed to come out already in 2014, then was delayed till March 2015, and then delayed again. The band has simply done too well internationally to be able to put out their new material.

In a 2014 interview with Arirang’s K-Populous Jambinai’s Lee Ilwoo explained that with the second album the band seeks to break the stereotype of what their music is like, moving even further away from the post-rock style of their first EP and becoming more chaotic: “It’ll be stronger, darker and more powerful than our first album.” Finally it is clear that the album will be released early summer this year. More information will become official ahead of Jambinai’s SXSW appearance.

 

Apollo 18

I have such an incredibly weak spot for Apollo 18. They’ve been with me through ups and downs, some of the most important moments of my adult life, and have meant more to me than any other band ever had or could. Though I suspect I will never love an album as much as Red+ I’m always full of anticipation for any new material they may unveil. It’s already been four years since The Black Album, so fans have been waiting for quite a while already.

The guys in A18 are notoriously bad at delivering on schedule, however that just makes whatever they do put out so much more interesting. A year ago I was told all they needed was a better studio to rehearse in and probably the new album would be out in autumn. In the autumn it suddenly sounded more distant, in spite of new songs being played at Zandari Festa. And checking in a couple of weeks ago I was informed that “someday, something will be coming…” I’ll keep my fingers crossed and hope that 2016 will be the year that the next Apollo 18 release finally happens.

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