Mini-Interview with saram12saram

I’ve been following eunchurn since the remix of Mot‘s “매일 그대와” cover for Han Sang Hyuk‘s fashion week show in 2011 and as such I’ve come to consider him a very skilled remixer. With saram12saram I’ve come to appreciate his work even more, so when I reached out to the duo to ask if they’d like to take part in the Music Alliance Pact I also made sure to ask for an interview. The answers came back in Korean and Sangha was kind enough to translate it all.

saram12saram

 
How did saram12saram come into existence?

2010년경 우리는 작은 공연에서 만났습니다. 그리고 저(은천)는 지음의 어쿠스틱 기타곡이 담긴 영상을 보게 되었고, 그 많은 곡들이 카피곡이 아닌 자작곡임에 저는 매우 놀랐습니다. 그래서 같이 밴드를 해보는것이 어떨까 제안을 했습니다. 그러나 지음은 입시를 앞둔 고등학생이었고 대학들어가면 같이하자고 했습니다. 그리고 2011년말에 만나서 사람12사람을 결성하게 되었습니다. 당시 지음은 중학교때부터 자작해오던 수많은 곡들이 있었습니다. 초기 계획은 풀랭스 앨범이었지만 작업의 효율과 집중도를 높히기 위해 그중에 몇곡을 정리해서 EP로 발매하게 되었습니다.

We met at a small concert in 2010. Then I (eunchurn) had the chance to see Zieum’s acoustic guitar performance, and was very surprised to find out that they were not copy songs but original songs. So I suggested that we start a band together. But Zieum was a high school senior preparing for university applications and suggested that we start a band when she’s in university. So we met again in 2011 and started saram12saram. Our initial plan was a full-length album but to increase the productivity and concentration of our work, we organized a couple of songs and released them as an EP.

 
Raindrop Cloud Typhoon and the Sun just came out on vinyl. What can you tell us about the album and this release?

빗물구름태풍태양의 vinyl 프레싱은 2013년 초기에 정하게 되었습니다. 단순히 사람12사람의 12에 공통점인 12인치 vinyl을 계획하였고 동시발매를 목표로 진행하였으나 국내 로컬프레싱의 문제로 연기되어 발매하게 되었습니다. 저희에게 vinyl앨범 발매는 많은 의미가 있습니다. 사람12사람은 전자음악을 기반으로 작업을 하고 있지만 밴드이름대로 사람을 향해있습니다. 예를들어 지음의 목소리에서 귀에 거슬리는 치찰음을 인위적으로 제거하지않고 그대로 사용함과 가사속에 발음이 아름다운 단어들의 선택함이 그러하고, 특히 이번 EP앨범은 전곡 지음의 작사 작곡인데 지음이라는 사람의 지극히 개인적인 이야기를 담고 있습니다. 전자음악이지만 사람을 향할 수 있는 매체인 vinyl발매는 필수적으로 보였습니다.

We decided on Raindrop Cloud Typhoon and the Sun vinyl pressing in early 2013. Simply we decided on 12-inch vinyl since we had 12 in our band name. We were initially going to release it simultaneously with the CD but because of issues with the local pressing we had to delay the release. The vinyl album release means a lot to us. saram12saram works with electronic music as a foundation but like the band name suggests we are about people. For example, we don’t add any effects to Zieum’s voice nor do we try to autotune it. We also use words that sound beautiful. And this EP in particular is composed and written by Zieum and tells her very personal story. To us, a vinyl release seemed very human and necessary, despite our music being electronic.

 
What is saram12saram’s connection to Korean fashion?

저는 eunchurn으로써 오랫동안 한상혁디자이너(당시 크리에이티브디렉터)와 컬렉션음악을 작업해왔습니다. 우연의 일치인지 저희 EP발매시점에 한상혁디자이너도 크레에이티브드렉터의 위치에서 가장 개인적인 디자이너의 역할로 새로운 브랜드(HEICH ES HEICH)를 런칭하였습니다. 디자이너로서의 첫시도와 같은 변화답게 컬렉션음악도 변화가 필요한 시점이었습니다. 따라서 저 또한 현시점에서 가장 잘 작업할 수 있는 저 다운 방식인 사람12사람(지음의 도움을 받아)으로 작업에 임하게 되었습니다. 아마 앞으로도 계속적인 작업으로 컬렉션음악의 작업물을 쌓아나갈 예정입니다.

As eunchurn I have collaborated with designer Han Sang Hyuk (then creative director) for a really long time, working on collection music. Coincidentally, when we were releasing our EP designer Han Sang Hyuk also launched his own brand HEICH ES HEICH. As it was his new beginning as a designer, he also needed something new for his collection music. So consequently, I worked on the collection music as saram12saram with the help of Zieum, as that was also a new beginning in my musical career. I will probably continue working on collection music in the future.

 
What are your plans next ?

지금은 부족함이 많은 공연을 좋은 공연으로 만들기위해 연구중입니다. 그리고 올해여름이 끝나기전에 새로운 EP작업을 완료하고 가을중에 두번째 EP를 발매할 예정입니다.

Currently we are working to improve our performances. And we want to finish working on our next EP before the summer ends, as we are planning on releasing our second album in the fall.

 


Very much looking forward to the new EP already! If you have yet to listen to saram12saram, you can find the complete Raindrop Cloud Typhoon and the Sun on SoundCloud:

 

And if you missed saram12saram’s work for HEICH ES HEICH, head over to SoundCloud for an interesting take on Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg‘s “Je T’aime…Moi Non Plus”.

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