Tierpark – 여름잠 (Summer Hibernation – 2017)

South Korea is not a hotbed of math rock bands (There’s a joke here about maths and Asians but it’s derivative) however that doesn’t mean that the country is totally void of that music we like. One such act is Tierpark who have been creating lush, dreamy, miss-your-stop music for over five years now and already have two applause-worthy albums under their belt, 2015’s The Moment Two Worlds Meet is especially deserving of your ears.

This latest release 여름잠 is the first part of their third album which will be split into Summer and Winter suites. The band continue their excellent tradition of mixing complex structure and untypical timings with moments of shimmering soundscape and moments where you find yourself in a dark smoky room with a fine cognac in hand. There are sections where the instruments seems to go off on their own, each dancing to a different leader, but it never sounds cluttered, it never sounds convoluted. Listen again and you’ll catch something different, it’s okay, it’ll make sense, they’re in control…

This is a testament to Tierpark’s probably tiresome songwriting process, and the excellent sound engineering in which each moment a different element is brought to the fore for the listeners joy. The wonderful trademark to 여름잠 is that there is always something beautiful and something memorable keeping the song together. Nothing more so than singer Sehee Kim’s haunting vocals that wash in and out like a wandering phantom, exhibit A: the track “여기가 아닌 어딘가에” (Somewhere, Or Anywhere).

As we reach the final moments of this long ferocious summer, it’s time to take some shade and take a moment to prepare for what’s next. This is the soundtrack for just that. Go listen.