Hi everyone, this is Umu, and today I'm here with a very special guest. Please introduce yourself.
What's up, everyone? My name is Samuel Seo.
I'm a local musician based in Seoul. Umu: And I was wondering what genre of music you associate yourself with, or if you don't associate
yourself with anything.
Samuel: I wouldn't associate myself to any kind of music, because there's so many possibilities for me to go
to different, jump to different genres,
know what I mean? Yeah it's just, yeah. U: Yes. I really, really respect that.
U: So, we'll just jump into the very first question. I have little categories.
This is general questions: S: Yep U: And I saw, I read somewhere that you've been a pianist since age five, S: Um-hmm
so I was wondering at how your music theory knowledge or classical training with piano helps your songwriting, and maybe could you give us
a few examples?
It's nothing fancy, as a kid I was just messing up with Beethoven and Mozart
like every other kids in Korea. You know, it's kind of typical when you grow up in a Korean family , they start learning piano at early ages, U: Ahh, right.
S: So, it just happened to me naturally, like, nothing fancy, yeah.
U: As you continued, was it the kind of like, forced piano learning, or did you actually... S: Yeah. it was, actually. I didn't enjoy even enjoy it back then.
Umu: So when you were learning piano and you played Beethoven and everything,
did they also teach you music theory on the side, or you just mainly learned the usual pieces?
S: Nah, I just learned the usual pieces. I just learned how to play rather than all the theological stuff.
I wasn't really interested in all that knowledge, you know what I mean? U: Right.
U: When you compose, you do everything by ear?
S: Um-hmm. By myself.
I'm a multi-instrumentalist, so I try to keep everything myself, yeah.
U: Okay, well, yeah, I was gonna ask, because your vocal melodies are so recognizable throughout all the different genres that you try out,
so I was wondering if there are specific types of melodies, specific intervals or harmonies that
demonstrate your sound the best, that you tend to lean towards. S: Whoa, that's kind of fancy, but not that I know of.
I tried all that theological movements during the process of majoring in music as a college student, but
you know, when something becomes the thing that you have to study, it suddenly turns into a thing that's no longer
enjoyable, right? U: Um-hmm, um-hmm.
S: So, I just
told myself, and I just found out that why don't I just enjoy it rather than make an approach like study, you know what I mean? U: Right.
S: Yeah. S: All right. Next question. What is music to you? Is it a form of art, a way of communicating, or just a simple passion?
S: A little bit of this and that, but mostly it's a form of art.
U: Um-hmm S: People do music for all kinds of reasons, right?
U: Right. S: Some of them do it for money, some of them do it for fame and all that, but for me,
I just want my music to be a
invisible form of art that triggers people for my reason--to live happier
and I don't know, a more chill life just by listening to it. U: Um-hmm
S: Yeah, you'll see what I mean when I release my third album next year. U: Ooh!
S: Yeah. U: Ooh, that's so exciting! S: Yeah, it's gonna be amazing, I promise. It's gonna be freakin' amazing, yeah.
U: Okay, but before I start asking for more spoilers, moving onto the next question,
I actually reached out to my YouTube subscribers to see if they had any questions for you about your UNITY album, and
Christine Doe asked, what is your favorite part about writing and releasing songs?
S: Mmmm,
I wouldn't say a part, because music is like the only fun thing to do with my life U: Oh, my goodness, relatable.
S: I know there's a lot of things to enjoy,
but in most cases kind of temporary, right? U: Mm-hmm S: It's at the moment, but music, it just gives me endless
joy for no reason. U: Right.
So, you both enjoy the creative,
in the moment making music process and releasing it to your fans? S: Um-hmm, um-hmm U: Like just everything?
S: Like everything about music is enjoyable to me, yeah. U: Oh, that's wonderful.
S: Yeah U: Okay, which I guess kind of brings us to the next question, which is when you write your music,
do you write for yourself or for your audience?
S: I really don't consider about the audience because I write 100% by myself,
and that's because I want people to hear me out, U: Right. S: since I had no friends for a long time.
U: Oh! S: Well, I do now, but U: Right. S: back went back when I was a kid
I was really a shy person. U: Uh-huh S: Didn't know how to talk to others,
didn't know how to chill out with others and stuff, so
I just needed someone to talk to, right? U: Um-hmm. Right. S: So, that just naturally led me to write about my own self and
just hope that someone will listen, and yeah. U: Okay, moving on to UNITY questions.
So, you mentioned that your title UNITY came to you while collaborating with the studio musicians you featured. S: Um-hmm.
U: What was the recording process like for this album?
Like, did you finish the lyrics and main vocal melody by yourself first and then you got together with
musicians for a jam session to create, you know, the instrumental in the final products, or... S: Before I answer to that question,
I have to say it was
the most fun process I've ever done in my entire career. U: Yay!
S: Yeah, everything happened in one huge recording studio in chauhan area--that's a local name in Korea.
First, I had everything in my mind,
the directions were set, where the instrument to be put and all that but, U: Um-hmm
S: when the instrumentalists came through and started playing all the random stuffs that were not in my head,
I started thinking why don't I just give them some freedom to do their own thing and call the album UNITY?
It's like a mixture of everyone who participated in the album, right?
U: Wonderful, yeah. S: Yeah, it was just random, and the lyrics and the form of the songs did change a lot during the session.
U: Right. This was all done in one session?
S: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
U: That must have been crazy! S: I know.
S: Yeah, but it was fun, you know what I mean?. U: Right.
S: Yeah
U: That's amazing, yeah. S: Because as long as it's fun, it's just good to me. Yeah.
U: There are so many moments of improv, so I was wondering like, okay, uh,
did you want to correct them on anything, or you're just like, know what? You guys take the lead S: Nope, nope, nope,
every bit of impromtu and
even the mistakes that they've made, U: Uh-huh. S: it was perfect. It sounded so human, you know what I mean?
U: Yeah. S: Everything is so digitalized nowadays, and I just wanted to bring the form of
handcrafted music to the world these days, like, yeah. U: Samuel, I can not thank you enough for that. I can not thank you enough.
Honestly, yeah. Cuz, I mean, I've been,
starting last year, I started listening to more and more and more music,
S: Um-hmm. S: and as my channel grew, I started getting used to these typical, you know,
electronic sounds, S: Yeah U: and I started realizing like, you know, what,
I'm going into the world as a musician, and with all these electronic MIDI sounds, S: I know. U: I'm not going to be able to get a job!
S: I know! U: so whenever I hear the acousticness of actual musicians, I'm like, yes! S: Um-hmm. U: Someone's giving them a job, and it sounds so good!
S: Um-hmm! U: So, thank you! S: That's what I'm talkin' about, yeah.
S: Thank you so much. And I guess,
yeah, this is another question about the recording process:
so
when you recorded, did the musicians first record to a click track
and then you recorded the vocals
afterwards over that already recorded instrumental, or did you all record at the same time, kind of like an ensemble?
S: It began as a MIDI work. U: Mm-hmm. U: But like I said, as soon as the
instrumentalists walked into the studio, I just erased all that project and started it from scratch.
Yeah, it was just an ensemble.
U: So, did you like record the vocals first over the MIDI? S: Uh, nope. I got rid of it as well. U: Oh. Oh, I see. Wow.
S: And I kinda changed it during the process of recording instruments, and then, yeah,
instruments first, and the vocal after. Yeah. U: Okay. It came together
so well. Whoo! S: Yeah, it came together. U: And then, what was the most difficult song to record because 'Jazz in My' has that (screaming) screaming,
'Happy Avocado' has so many different styles and background vocals, S: Um-hmm U: and keep things simple,
if not for the drum kit, with like really a lot of improv sounds, kind of difficult to keep a steady rhythm over,
S: Um-hmm U: so I was wondering if one song's recording process was a little bit more difficult than the others.
S: Mmm, since all the instrumental parts were done by the players,
all I had to do was just put my vocals on top of there, right? But it was nothing
difficult during the process, because if I had no idea how to control my voice like I used to back in 2015 or
2014, it would have been hard. But now I know how to play along with the instruments my own style,
so it was rather fun than difficult. Yeah. It was fun. U: I love to hear that.
And also, UNITY mostly contains sounds that we don't often hear in mainstream music, S: Um-hmm, um-hmm. U: like you said, actual, real
instruments and a jazzy style what made you decide to go this direction? S: My fans would know
I'm a 90s kid, grew up listening to a lot of analog-based music and acoustics, U: Um-hmm
S: Rather than digitalized audios.
U: Um-hmm. S: I'm not saying digital is bad, right? U: Right. S: But I just suddenly came to a point where
finding out what fits me well the most is what I grew up jamming onto. U: Ah. S: And the warmth than the analogs and acoustic sound
gave me were it, you know what I mean? U: RIght.
U: So do you feel like you finally found your sound, or you're still wanting to try and... S: Um-hmm.
S: I think I kinda got a clue of what I want to do in the future, and I intend to develop this new possibility.
U: Yeah! Exciting! S: Yeah. Yeah!
U: All right, next is another fan question: S: Um-hmm. U: Chloe Lou asked, what are your favorite lyrics from this album, and why?
S: Uh, 'Keep it Simple': Nothing special was written, but like the name of the song. I usually think a lot, like whole bunch of stuffs--
what to eat today? I have to think about an hour before I eat, where to go,
what to do, what's right--but when I was working on this song, I was literally thinking nothing.
U: Mmm S: I just wrote the daily routine of myself on that song without thinking, so.
U: Uh-huh
It's not about the lyrics, but it's about the approach of the songs that I love the most. U: Right
U: So, I guess you just kept things simple! Well, naturally. S: Um-hmm, I just kept myself simple, yeah.
U: All right, so the first track in UNITY is 'Jazz in My', and S: Um, hmm
U: towards the end, there's this really fun clapping, slapping, snapping rhythms. S: Yeah, yeah, yeah U: Who is the one who recorded that, was that you?
S: Uh, no no, no., it's a body percussionist called Kim San. He's a local one. He has been messing with his body for more than ten years.
U: Whoa!
S: Yeah. He's an amazing person. The ideas of this song was how one's negative use of language
affects other people in a bad way, and so I just wanted to get rid of human voice as much as possible.
So, at first I thought that why don't I just get rid of my whole voice and just leave the
lyrics, but we have to care about the sales and that, U: Yeah! S: and I had to
record my voice,
but I wanted to minimalize, but I wanted a part where it's packed with
no sounds coming out from a human throat,
but only with the sounds made with our hands, and that just naturally made me call him to record. U: Wow! S: Yeah.
U: Cuz, he also, did he
record for 'Happy Avocado'? S: Oh, no, no, no, that was me.
U: Oh! S: That was me on 'Avocado', yeah.
U: Did you take inspiration from his... S: Yeah, yeah, definitely, I did, yeah. U: Whoa. S: And actually I learned some from him during the process.
U: Did you go up to him and be like, hey, can you teach me S: Yo, yo, yeah, yeah, that's what I said.
I just went up to him, and he's like six or seven years older than me. So I just called, I just went, hyung, can you teach me some of that, some of your moves? And he was like, yo, that's cool, man,
I'll teach you some. And we just spent another hour or two, giving me lessons and just applied to it.
U: And yeah, so I'm guessing he did that all at the same time. It wasn't layered at all, S: Um-hmm.
U : in post-editing? Was that just one take? S: Nope. It was just one take. U: Holy cow!
S: Yeah, I know. He's amazing. U: Yeah, that was fantastic. And I think that was an absolutely brilliant choice to
just have so much of the song centered around instrumentals and noises. S: Um-hmm. Thank you
U: And then I didn't include this on the doc that I sent you, but I'm really curious:
What made you decide to stream 'I Got Jazz'? Cuz it really shocked me the first time I listened to it.
S: Oh! U: Wow, that was random!
S: To be honest with you, when I was working on the lyrics for this album, I wasn't really thinking at all, U: Ah-ha!
S: And the jazz with the word jazz, just popped up when I was driving.
It's just happening randomly.
I was listening to jazz music, Umu: Uh-huh S: and I just started singing, "I got jazz in my ride",
and oh, that's sounds random, but
why don't I just put it to my lyrics, and that's the beginning of the song.
U: That's amazing. is the reason why it's first on the album because of the lyrics or
because you feel like maybe the screaming would catch someone's attention and pull them in?
Uh, I just wanted to keep the dynamic of the album, U: Um-hmm S: because, like you know, no other songs on the album is
as aggressive as that track, you know what I mean? U: Right. Um, hmm
S: So, I just wanted to put the aggressiveness on top to make people feel more
relaxed listening to other tracks, you know what I mean? U: Um-hmm
U: Moving on to 'Keep it Simple'.
So, this song has such a free texture under such a structured melody
and, which makes me wonder, I guess you kinda already went over this, S: Um-hmm U: but you came up with the title and lyrics,
or did you come up with the melody and instrumentation of the song?
S: Uh, I came up with the title and the lyrics first, and I wrote it, I finished it, and the rest was impromtu. U: Cuz, yeah,
S: Nothing was set.
U: Wow!
U: Yeah, cuz when I was listening to it, I
thought, wow,
this is kind of opposite, because the instrumentals are so, since they're so improvisatory,
it isn't very simple at all. I can't predict what's going to happen. S: Um, hmm. U: It's you know, it's jazz.
so it was super cool to hear, you know, a more structured melody under not so simple of S: Mmm-hmm.
instrumentation.
S: Mm-hmm. U: So I was curious of
that process. Yeah. S: It just happened in studio.
U: So, basically, it's just everything that happened that day is brilliant, S: Um-hmm U: and meant to be, S: Um-hmm U: and
created one one of my top like, three albums of 2018. S: Thank you, thank you.
U: So, I was also gonna talk about the texture of the song being quite simple. S: Um-hmm
U: So, beforehand, you said that you already had an idea for what instrumentation you wanted
this song S: Uh-huh
U: to have, so what made you decide to have only, you know,
like, piano, bass, drum set, and then vocal line. S: The original version was contained of like 20 different instruments. U: Whoo!
S: Yeah, I know. It's too much, you know what I mean?
U: Yeah S: It had brass set
recorded, it had electronic guitars all distorted, and U: Whoa
S: it even had pick basses that sound really aggressive, and it even
had my voice samples on top,
so, U: whoa
S: it was too messy, at the first version was too messy, that I couldn't even stand listening to it, so. U: Mmm
S: Yeah, so I try to...
How do I say? I mean, I tried to keep it that way but U: Um-hmm
S: later, I just came up that
this is too much. U: Mm-hmm S: Maybe I should get rid of everything and start from scratch, you know what I mean?
Umu: Yeah. And so, once you got to the studio you're like, oh, so we already have our instrumentalists here, let's just... S: Mm-hmm
S: So, I just left my vocal lines, and let's just redo the whole thing, and it just happened. U: Wow
S: Yeah
U: That's great. S: Yeah U: Okay, so, 'Happy Avocado'--holy cow!
S: Yeah U: So, I was originally, I've heard your past songs and
my job on this channel is to basically just check out every single song released every day, just as soon as possible. S: Yeah, yeah
U: But when this music video popped into my feed, I immediately clicked on it, because I really like avocados. I love avocados! S: Ahhh, ????????
U: Yes! S: Yeah U: You may have gotten this question a lot,
S: Uh-huh U: But why did you choose
avocados to be the center of the music video and song. S: Uh, because I'm obsessed with avocados.
U: Yass! S: That's like the only reason. I just wanted to write about how life without avocados was like,
and share with you guys, that's all. U: And so, the inspiration behind the lyrics is like, I guess with Diablo, also,
is just, S: Oh, yeah! U: I guess, happiness that comes with these simple things?
S: Um-hmm, um-hmm,
I just wanted to express that happiness is nothing fancy. We don't need a fancy ride to be happy,
we don't need a fancy house to be happy,
all we need is just something we like, and U: (clapping)
just all that little things that we feel happy about, you know what I mean?
U: Yes! S: And Diablo 2 was one of the elements.
U: Ooh!
S: Yeah U: So, you already answered my question number S: Yeah, three U: ?????????????
S: But I have to say, if you want to play or if you are going to play or if you've been playing,
it has to be Diablo 2, not 3.
U: All right, I will keep that in mind. Yeah it was what my friend who came up with that. S: Yeah, I've been playing that game for like 18 years, and I'm obsessed with it.
U: Right. S: I know. U: Happiness comes from the simplest of things. S: Um-hmm.
U: That's also my life motto, S: Yeah U: so that song really, really vibes with me. It's just, and
it's just the small things that can really make your day.
Yeah, and I'm curious--so, people usually put their title tracks at the top of an album, so why is 'Happy Avocado' fifth?
S: I care a lot more about the flow of an album than sales, U: Um-hmm, um-hmm
S: and 'Happy Avocado' sounded just great when it was put in the fifth, simple as that
U: Wow, do you spend a lot of time trying to order your album tracks? S: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I do. I do, usually. I take about a month,
U: Oh! S: yeah, to organize, before I release.
U: Uh-huh. So you just go through like all the tracks... J: And the reason I can do that is because I don't really care about the sales at all, you know what I mean?
U: I have mad respect for that. Yeah, it's all about creating music S: Um-hmm, um-hmm. U: and just putting out, you know, what you love.
S: I want the Korean music industry to develop in a different way. You know what I mean?
U: Yes! S: They have already the K-pop scene so well done, you know what I mean? U: Um-hmm, um-hmm S: But what about,
then it comes to this question: What about the other part of the Korean music industry? U: Yes
S: Yes, so I just want it to develop, and it's just way of developing music industry here--caring more about the
completeness of an album. U: Mm-hmm S: than the sales. Yeah. U: That--oh, my goodness. S: Yeah
U: I--wow. I am falling in love with your work more and more, as we talk. S: Thank you. Thank you.
U: Yeah, cuz, a lot of songs nowadays are just pure songs,
S: Um-hmm U: and if there are albums, sometimes it's just like they're throwing random songs into it.
S: I know, yeah. U: I feel like this album is art in itself, because you put so much work behind.
S: Oh, trust me, the third one is gonna be much more better than this one. U: Whoo!
S: Yeah. U: Oh, my goodness, wow. I am so looking forward to that. S: Yeah.
U: Okay, next question for 'Happy Avocado':
So, what made you decide to have so many different sections, and to keep changing the hook course
instrumentation background textures instead of copying and pasting what you used before? Was that
instrumentalists' idea, or?
S: Uh, no, it's all mine, actually. I recorded the whole session
U: Uh-huh
S: except the guitar, so. The thing is, I first wrote the song about a year and a half before, U: Um-hmm
S: I wrote it in 2017, then I got just--I had really bad things going on with my life. It was like a disaster in 2017, so U: I'm sorry to hear that, yeah. S:I don't want to remember that year, but
I really got tired of listening to people's voices, people talking,
I couldn't walk among all the crowd, and I even had a hard time on the stage, too, so. U: Um-hmm
S: Back then, I
listened to a lot of
music without human voices. All the instrumental albums, you know what I mean? U: Um-hmm. S: All the players' albums.
And like you know,
all the instrumental albums have so many
Improvisations, U: Yeah S: unexpected textures, and all that, and I just wanted to have all the kind of feelings
into one of my songs, and that happened to be 'Happy Avocado'. U: Oh, gosh.
U: I really wish that I'd filmed my reaction or something, because, S: Yeah so, of course, I clicked on this because I love avocados,
S: Um-hmm U: and then this wonderful, you know, the beginning hook. S: Yeah U: Yeah, that drew me in with these fun,
really fun background instrumentations.
And I was like, okay, I'm gonna like this song if this repeats for the rest of it, right?
Umu: No, you kept changing it, and I love things that change. S: Thank you. U: I was so blown away.
Okay, so now we move on to our final
sum-up questions: S: Um-hmm U: Your fan Isabella asked,
what was the best thing that happened to you this year, since you've achieved so much?
Is there anything else that you would like to accomplish? S: I pretty much accomplished everything that I wanted during my twenties U: Um-hmm.
S: because next year is my last year of my twenties, so
but I guess the most memorable thing I've done in my twenties is,
it's a cliche, but I got my parents a new ride.
U: Yay!
S: Yeah, that's a cliche. U: Oh, well, I mean,
it's always great, you know, to say thank you S: Yeah, I know it's a surprise gift,
I always wanted to do that since when I was young, since when I was like 10. Yeah, that was my dream,
so it's like dream come true, so
I accomplished that. And I don't know,
I still got one more thing to achieve, releasing my third album in 2019. U: Right S: I'm working really hard on that!
U: Right, so that's my very last question S: Yeah U: Since you've been working super-hard S: Yeah
U: on your 2019 album, and in past interview it says it'll be the start of your new career,
S: Yeah
U: So I was---
if you don't mind giving us a spoiler, what genres or styles are you looking forward to do in this album?
S: Mmm...
U: Or is it a secret? S: I can't tell you the details for the album, but it'll be a mixture of everything I've learned throughout my twenties,
both in music and life. U: Uh-huh S: That's all I can tell you for now.
U: Okay S: The title's already set. U: Ooh! S: I can't wait to reveal it,
but you guys have to wait until like next April or May. U: Okay.
U: Are you gonna spend a month ordering the tracks and everything?
S: Uh-huh. I'd say I wrote like 300 songs for my third album. U: Oh, my gosh, wow! S: So, I gotta work on picking
U: Right. S: which song to put now, so.
U: Will we see
more collaboration with studio musicians?
S: I can't guarantee that, because U: Ahhhahahaa
S: This next album is going to be more focused on myself and
showing more how
multi-instrumentalist I am. U: Oh! S: So, yeah. You can expect more of me playing different instruments on that album.
U: Right, so you play piano, and guitar? S: Piano, guitar, bass, drums--
pretty much everything. But...
Yeah, just wait for it. That's all I can tell you. U: Oh, we definitely will. Well,
along with all the other people who end up watching this and S: Um-hmm
U: Me, myself, we are very much looking towards what you're doing next, and thank you so much for doing this interview with me. I had a lovely
time talking with you. S: Thank you so much. Me, too
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