* Release dates and product specifications are subject to change due to production circumstances.
* All products are non-refundable, non-exchangeable, and non-returnable once opened.
* In the event of product defects or missing components, re-shipment/returns/refunds can only be processed if a video recording is provided, from the moment the delivery box is opened until the components are confirmed after opening the packaging.
* Please note that defects or missing components cannot be acknowledged without a recorded video.
* External damage that occurs during the delivery process is not eligible for refunds/exchanges/returns if the product's plastic wrapping has been opened or removed.
* Minor scratches, dents, or discoloration on the exterior that may occur during the product packaging/delivery process are not grounds for exchange.
* Random components included in this album are distributed with equal probability.
*Album Introduction
Swiimers' 1st Full-Length Album [Swiimers High]
Back in those winter days, we'd just meet, chat, cry, and get drunk, then part ways only to meet again soon after. Time strangely overflowed, and even if we didn't believe in forever, every day felt like eternity. We savored fleeting things, like exhaled breath or flowing alcohol. We were so desperate that even a moment felt enough.
Band Swiimers' first full-length album [SWIIMERS HIGH] brings back those forgotten winter days like a dream. Even after 10 years since their first single ‘Polaris’ (2015), Swiimers are still naturally 'in the moment,' like they're floating.
The album is filled with 12 songs, forged by capturing fleeting time. Drifting, evaporating, flickering, and pouring moments are seized and unveiled with thick guitar noise and whispering vocals. Even when the songs are filled with dizzying, flamboyant, and sometimes precarious sounds, anxiety is not felt. Perhaps it's due to the band's seasoned skill. In addition to original members Jo Mi-kyung (guitar/vocals) and Jang Sun-woong (drums), Song Jae-kyung (guitar/producer) has joined as a new member.
Previously released singles, forming the 'Promise Trilogy'—'Even If I Don't Believe in Forever,' 'Knight Verse,' and 'Winter Resolution'—form the album's backbone, while things beautiful like eternity, though not eternal, fill the spaces between.
This is true from the very first track, 'Beautiful Days.' The old days, summoned from a long drift, are beautiful despite offering no comfort. 'Gravity (Anchor)' attempts to anchor the 'present'—where “butterflies flutter and flower petals fall like rain”—which, however, cannot last forever. In 'Butterfly: Non Terra Sed Aquis,' instead of anchoring in the moment, they choose to simply become a flowing wave.
Naturally, the desire to linger in beauty that soon evaporates often leads to exhaustion. The second track and title song, 'MOMMY,' embraces the heart that wishes to break free “from an incompetent and useless body,” telling it, “It's not your fault.” Tender melodies embrace arduous despair. It's a heartwarming comfort.
Navigating through shattering time, a song that unexpectedly captivates the ear is ‘Neon Blue.’ It's a low voice, rarely heard from Swiimers. It shines like neon and is warm like an incandescent bulb. The final track and album title, ‘SWIIMERS HIGH,’ is truly a festival of the moment. A height without height, a depth without knowing its depth, perhaps it makes one dream of endless swimming in eternity.
After going through all 12 songs, one's body and mind somehow become more sensitive. Is it a good thing? It's hard to say, but it will help make life more thrilling than before. Like a beer after swimming, it's cool and dizzying.
/ Reporter Kim Ji-hye, Kyunghyang Shinmun
[Swiimers High] Producer's Note
Noise rock with the heart of K-Pop, ready to expand globally
Having witnessed and experienced many joys, sorrows, rises, and falls over the past 30 years, wandering the fringes of the Korean popular music scene as a fan, musician, producer, engineer, creator, and lyricist, the common characteristic of musicians who endure is 'irreplaceability.'
While creating this album, I thought a lot about why Swiimers must exist, and why it has to be Swiimers.
Swiimers' lyrics are remarkably beautiful and highly refined. They could even be said to be close to pure literature or poetry, being equally evocative and challenging, requiring careful attention to uncover hidden meanings. I hope that the spirit embedded in 'MOMMY,' the indelible pain of 'Knight Verse,' the life and thoughts of today's youth depicted in 'Neon Blue,' and the comfort contained in 'Butterfly: Non Terra Sed Aquis' can be fully conveyed.
Swiimers' musical spectrum is broad, yet their sound is concise and consistent.
Jo Mi-chi's complex musical tastes, who enjoys post/indie rock acts like Bon Iver, Sigur Ros, Joy Division, and Slowdive, but is also a fan of aespa and Crush, combined with Jang Sun-woong's preference for straightforward rock like Acidman and Arctic Monkeys, form the foundation of Swiimers' sound.
Dreamlike sounds created by guitar effects and synthesizers layer like a soft blanket over refreshing rhythms. When catchy pop melodies and Jo Mi-chi's airy voice are cozily embedded within, a sound that can only be described as 'Swiimers-esque' is perfected. As a producer, I would define it as 'Noise Rock with the heart of K-Pop.'
Swiimers possess a solid foundation and broad potential for expansion.
Their debut EP, released in 2016, garnered significant attention both domestically and internationally. Through their appearance at the Liverpool Sound City Festival in 2017 and subsequent club tours in the UK and Berlin, Swiimers confirmed their potential in the overseas market. The single ‘Erika,’ pre-released this September, received favorable reviews from music webzines in places like Poland and Canada, and their upcoming tours in Thailand and Japan in November are also highly anticipated locally.
Swiimers' versatility can also be explained genre-wise. Starting with the languid bedroom pop feel of the first track 'Beautiful Days,' through the bouncy guitar pop 'MOMMY,' 'Neon Blue' which evokes the early Korean indie scene, 'Ice & Fire' which will be welcomed by traditional post-rock fans, 'Gravity' created as a wedding song, and 'Butterfly: Non Terra Sed Aquis' containing an homage to shoegaze legends—this album contains a colorful array of music like a gift set.
Although much time has passed since their EP until this full-length album, activities have continued steadily with singles like ‘Even If I Don't Believe in Forever’ (2018), ‘Knight Verse’ (2022), and 'Winter Resolution’ (2022). Starting in 2024, 9 (=that's me...), who had previously only participated as a producer, joined as a guitar member, overhauling the overall live sound and solidifying the band's foundation by gaining stage experience through regular performances at Hongdae clubs. Now, they are ready to expand globally.
/ 9 (Song Jae-kyung)
[Swiimers]
MQ CHO
Jang Sun Woong
Jay Song
[Tracks]
01. Beautiful Days
Lyrics and Composed by
MQ CHO
Arranged and Performed by
Swiimers
02. MOMMY
Lyrics and Composed by
MQ CHO
Arranged and Performed by
Swiimers
M/V directed by
Kim Yoo Seok
03. Erika
Lyrics and Composed by
MQ CHO
Arranged and Performed by
Swiimers
M/V Artwork by
Pory (with MidJourney)
04. Knight Verse
Lyrics and Composed by
MQ CHO
Arranged and Performed by
Swiimers
M/V Artwork by
Pory
05. Neon Blue
Lyrics and Composed by
MQ CHO
Arranged and Performed by
Swiimers
06. Ice & Fire
Lyrics by
MQ CHO
Composed by
Jay Song
Arranged and Performed by
Swiimers
M/V film by
MQ CHO
07. Even If I Don't Believe in Forever
Lyrics and Composed by
MQ CHO
All Arranged and Performed by
Swiimers
Except Bass by
Kim Nam Yoon (3ho Seon Butterfly)
M/V film by
MQ CHO
08. Gravity (Anchor)
Lyrics and Composed by
MQ CHO
Arranged and Performed by
Swiimers
09. Butterfly : Non Terra Sed Aquis
Lyrics by
MQ CHO
Composed by
MQ CHO
Jay Song
Arranged and Performed by
Swiimers
10. With the Lie That We Are Alike (Watermark)
Lyrics and Composed by
MQ CHO
Arranged and Performed by
Swiimers
11. Winter Resolution
Lyrics and Composed by
MQ CHO
Arranged and Performed by
Swiimers
M/V film by
MQ CHO
12. Swiimers High
Lyrics and Composed by
MQ CHO
Arranged and Performed by
Swiimers
M/V Film by
Sean Yoo (Lilly Eat Machine)
MQ CHO
[Credits]
Produced by
Jay Song
Recorded by
Jay Song (Lil Folks Studio)
MQ CHO (Dazed & Abandoned Studio)
Except
Drums on Track 2, 6, 9 Lee Sang-chul (Tone Studio)
Drums on Track 1, 10, 12 Ryu Ho-geun (Studio Tardis)
Drums on Track 7 Park Yong-hee (Black Key Studio)
Guitar on Track 4 Lee Jae-hyun
Bass on Track 7 Kim Nam Yoon (Southpole Soundlab)
Mixed by
Jay Song (Lil Folks Studio)
Mastered by
Chae Seung-kyun (Sonic Korea)
Cover Artwork by
Jaemin Lee (Studio fnt.)
Cover Image by Louis Fleckenstein, courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Public Domain)
Photography by
Mugung Sonyeo (Mugung)
Hair & Makeup by
Gukhwa (GH Makeup)
Styling by
Hyangsook (Sooksmell)
Management
Choi In Hee (ORM ENT.)
Executive Producer
Swiimers
