Noise Emission - Album 3: Fire and Light

■ Product Description

Liner Notes: “Love at the end of cold and hot anger” — Lee Su-jeong

I happened to see an interview with American geneticist Dr. Francis S. Collins on Instagram Reels. When asked, 'What is there other than exercise as a representative activity that generates endorphins?' Dr. Francis answered without hesitation. Music. He said that the moment you are moved by listening to music, a huge amount of dopamine is released and the ventral striatum, an area of the brain associated with reward processing and pleasure, is stimulated. In the comments, confessions of people testifying to the miraculous results of music therapy followed. However, what I paid attention to in the short Reels conversation was the phrase 'Listen to the right kind of music'. I don't think he specified a genre. The reason for this can be found in Noise Emission's third album [Fire and Light].

Noise Emission's 3rd album is more desperate than the 2nd. It sings of deep and dark despair and desperate annihilation that are tied to a bubbling stomach and hot blood vessels. Not a single song reveals hypocritical hope or vain expectations. The first song, 'Midday', which starts with a guitar full of effects, is like shouting loneliness in a square under the scorching sun. "I couldn't overcome the heat of this midday / I couldn't overcome the heated desire," borrowing the progression of metal music, it plants the flag of defeat as if it were a preemptive strike. The following post-punk track 'Yellow' reflects on his "yellowed" self. The guitar riffs that overlap after the clear drum run exude a catharsis that is not inferior to the many post-punk tracks that are popular in the UK and Ireland right now. It's not just about running, but the appropriate variations and solos of the guitar and bass shake the heart. And this catharsis continues through the fantastic counterpoint that continues from the beginning of track 3, 'Sledgehammer'. Kang Dong-soo's song has no melody, but the rich riffs of the guitar that support his shouts and recitations sound like a sledgehammer with more destructive power than a fist swung at the world.

Let's be honest. We always think of the twisted forms of self-deprecation and destruction as real life, rather than beauty that is only good. So, I want to avoid it, but I unknowingly sympathize with and become fascinated by such a life. On the other hand, there is little music that honestly sings about the miserable, ugly, wretched, and lonely aspects of life, rather than a bright and sunny life. Whether you are familiar with noise or not, Noise Emission [Fire and Light] makes you want to secretly confess every time you listen to it that this is no different from my own story that comes from deep within my heart.

Track 4, 'Black Water', sings of the fear and exhaustion that coexist on one side of exploding emotions. 'Black Water', which has already been released as a pre-release single, is perhaps like a hand that Noise Emission first extends to us to hold. You can hear familiar lyrical melodies like those felt in Lee Seung-yeol and Bang Jun-seok's 'You and Me Blue', and you can also sense the delicacy and sensitivity that could be heard in Lee Eon's band 'Mot's debut album [Non-Linear].

After a short break in track 5, 'Rest and Breath', track 6, 'Footsteps', openly—to borrow Kang Dong-soo's words—scolds, 'Is there anything as ugly as you who only look at clean things?' This anger leads to the next track, 'Eyes'. Even in the lyrics and sound, no hope can be found. The scream continues. In track 8, 'Room', he sings about a friend who went first and didn't return, and himself who doesn't have the courage to follow. In the emptiness, he rusts and confesses, "Will an irresistible end come and just wait for it to end all this?"

However, what follows at the end of the pain is always a desire and love for others. The warm and simplified guitar riffs and Kang Dong-soo's singing voice lightly얹힌 on the drums that have been reduced quite a bit show that there is love at the end of cold and hot anger, but the last track implies a fire dance that continues by inserting the noise of the guitar that has not yet been꺾이지.

Recently, post-punk, post-rock, and hardcore songs have been released frequently in Korea. However, the sound making shown in Noise Emission's 3rd album shows a sophistication that is absolutely not inferior to the heat of Black Midi, the resistance of Idles, and the chaos of Black Country New Road. How did they make such a complete rock album? Noise Emission, which is active in Busan and based on D.I.Y. attitude and method, chose Choi Tae-hyun of Kwang Program as the music producer for this album. In this way, a great album was born with the most honest rock songs in Korea in the most excellent composition.

I think this album gives great musical emotion by perfectly castrating the sentimentality that hypocritical we pretend to want and facing reality, and I believe that through the endorphins of tragedy released by the brain stimulated by this emotion, we can ultimately meet the moment of healing.

Written by festival planner Lee Su-jeong.

Credits

Noise Emission

Kang Dong-soo _ Vocal, Electric Guitar

Kim Seong-bin _ Electric Bass

Park Seong-gyu _ Electric Guitar

Ma Jae-hyun, Choi Ah-yeon _ Drums

Choi Ah-yeon left the band due to personal reasons immediately after recording. The performance on 《Fire and Light》 is Choi Ah-yeon's performance, and Ma Jae-hyun participated in the post-production of 《Fire and Light》.

Music Producer _ Choi Tae-hyun

Lyrics•Composition _ Kang Dong-soo

Arrangement _ Kang Dong-soo, Kim Seong-bin, Park Seong-gyu, Choi Ah-yeon, Choi Tae-hyun

Drum Recording _ Cheon Hak-ju @Mushroom Recording Studio

Electric Guitar•Bass Recording _ Kim Byeong-gyu @Beach Town Music Studio

Vocal•Electric Guitar Recording _ Choi Tae-hyun

Mixing _ Cheon Hak-ju (except 05), Choi Tae-hyun (05)

Mastering _ Cheon Hak-ju

Design _ Jang Hee-moon @Nice Kora

Illustration _ Lee Ha-rin

Photo _ Jeong Ha-rin

〈Black Water〉 Video Direction _ Kim Seong-min

〈Sledgehammer〉 Video Direction _ ML

〈Sledgehammer〉 Video Production Assistant _ Danpyeonseon, Lee Seong-min

〈Sledgehammer〉 Video Equipment Support _ Yang Jae-hyeok

Production Manager _ Danpyeonseon @Osori Works

Music•CD Distribution _ Fokranos

Sponsorship _ Busan Music Creation Center

This album was produced through the 2024 Busan Music Creation Center support project.⠀

■ Other Special Notes

Lyrics included