The other week when I first came across the music of Paryumchiakdan I heard the sound of something great. I listened to 와인의 밤 plenty of times on ReverbNation and then proceeded to ask the band’s leader and drummer Akhee Ahn for an interview. He swiftly agreed and made sure his band members answered my questions as well:

How would you like to introduce Paryumchiakdan?
Ji-Hyun Hong : Punk with oriental taste. But it’s hard to describe. The best way to introduce us is, come out and see our show.

Hyun-woo Kang : Some people could think we’re just a retro band, we are the band who always want and try to find new things.

Kong Jin : I also think it’s hard to say in a simple words… so I love to be here. Just come to the show and feel it.

Akhee Ahn : Well, originally I wanted to make a band that playing music of ‘based on 70’s punk rock, sound like East Asian pop, and playing like a 60’s garage band’. But now it’s pretty much different I thought, so it’s really hard to describe. Even sometimes I can’t explain what we play. Sometimes I used to describe us as “garage punk pop band”, but it cannot be an answer exactly. 

You say that Paryumchiakdan loves Japanese 60’s garage and old Korean rock music. What bands in particular does this apply to and how is this reflected in your own sound?
Ji-Hyun Hong : There’s a lot of bands back in days of 1960~1970 in Korea. My favorite band is He 6. I got many inspirations from those kinds of Korean psychedelic music.

Hyun-woo Kang : In fact we’re a group of persons who got different type of tastes. But in Paryumchiakdan, I’m influenced by Go!Go!7188 (Japanese band) and Kim Jung Mi (Korean psychedelic musician), so those bands are effected.

Kong Jin : Personally I love various kind of 80’s and 90’s Japanese, Korean and British music (also I focus on specific genres). But I’m influenced by another things since I joined this band (it means I met another different kind of music since I joined this band). I think I’m still constructing my thing between the things I like, I want to do and I can do.

Akhee Ahn : My bandmates already told everything… I was a big fan of 60’s garage music, but I want to localize this kind of music. And I don’t want to stuck in the time of 60’s. cos we’re the people of 21st century. I love 60’s garage (The Sonics, The Seeds, etc) and 70’s Korean rock (Shin Jung Hyun, Kim Jung Mi, Kim Choo Ja, Mujigae Quintet, etc) and Japanese GS (The spiders, The Tempters, The Carnabeats, Lind and Linders, etc). Oh, too many to say. Originally I was in a psychobilly band, so I think it’s time to play the melody of East Asia.

I understand that Paryumchiakdan has undergone several member changes. What impact has this had on the direction of the band?
Ji-Hyun Hong : When I joined this band, I was a last guitarist of Paryumchiakdan. But when I compare the sound files before I’m in, the changes of guitar playing style is sticks out.

Hyun-Woo Kang : The sound of Paryumchiakdan have many changes by member changes. but it’s hard to say what was good and what was bad. It means our sound was changed by each other’s personality and interaction, rather than member changes. So to speak, it’s like a changes of structure but theme wasn’t changed. But I think we’re still progressing.

Kong Jin : I don’t know much about that cos I’m a latest member of the band. But I want progress more fast and more powerful.

Akhee Ahn : When we first started, we sounded much closer like 70’s punk rock. But during several member changes, we’ve changed a lot. But I think it’s getting better. Although I throw away the strict ethos of punk, now I learned how to play more music. But our direction isn’t changed. the direction is “making new music for new people”.
 
You just self-released your first EP. What is the next step?
Ji-Hyun Hong : Of course shows. More shows. I want to play on a much more bigger stage. 

Hyun-woo Kang : I want to play music more various and more fun. It means I want to try and experience many things.

Kong Jin : I hope many people would listen to us and we could have many shows. and I hope the situation of band become more interesting in many ways.

Akhee Ahn : I want to make changes in this country. Even if that would be a total chaos, I don’t care. Oh, I mean, musical chaos. I don’t want to violate national security law. Korean music is so boring today. We need another exciting musics. Not hipsters’ meaningless self confession.

—

And just like that I’m liking Paryumchiakdan even more! Akhee Ahn revealed that the band used to go by The Infamous Orchestra, but that they prefer the original Korean name. And if you’re curious about that psychobilly band he mentioned above, that would be Command 27 where he played the bass.

In the photo above, from left to right members are Hyun-woo Kang (vocals), Kong Jin (bass), Akhee Ahn (drums), and Ji-Hyun Hong (guitar).