Latest news with #Drifting
Scoop
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
PHOEBE RINGS Release Their ‘Quietly Beautiful' Debut Album Aseurai
June 6, 2025: Tāmaki Makaura dream-pop quartet Phoebe Rings – dubbed an 'indie supergroup' by RNZ given its members' involvement in other notable projects such as Tiny Ruins, AC Freazy, Princess Chelsea, Fazerdaze and Lucky Boy^ – today release their anticipated debut album Aseurai via Carpark Records with the focus track 'Playground Song', alongside a string of new live dates including supporting Japanese Breakfast in Auckland tomorrow night + their first live shows in South Korea and Japan this month (full details below). Stream/order Aseurai HERE. A lullaby-like, cyclical track which reflects on childhood friendship and nostalgia, focus track ' Playground Song ' features stereo acoustic guitars, warm synth textures, and gentle wave-like noises, with its centrepiece – a flute solo played by Lukas Fritsch – adding a dreamy, reflective touch. It's released alongside its floral-adorned live performance video directed by Nahyeon Lee – watch HERE. On Aseurai, Phoebe Rings continue to explore their disco and city-pop influences while staying true to the dream-pop sound of their self-titled debut EP released last year. 'Aseurai means around you in the atmosphere, hard to reach, fading away,' singer Crystal Choi says, 'it's a poetic expression. You wouldn't say it in normal conversation, but I like that.' Across its four singles so far – 'Aseurai', 'Drifting', 'Get Up' and 'Fading Star' – the album has garnered praise from international outlets like Pitchfork, FLOOD, Beats Per Minute, Rolling Stone, frankie, Happy, Northern Transmissions and Paste Magazine, who said the album finds the band 'sharply in the pocket that makes them terrific.' While Phoebe Rings – named for the outermost ring around Saturn which is known to be the largest, but the least visible – was originally a solo project of singer Crystal Choi, who is also a university-trained jazz pianist, Aseurai marks a shift with contributing songwriting credits from the whole band, which includes guitar/synthesist Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent, bassist Benjamin Locke and drummer/producer Alex Freer. With a more ambitious collection of instruments, Choi says this album heralds the start of true collaboration: 'I feel more precious about this LP because it includes everyone's gems.' The broth is richer with more cooks in the kitchen, and the brewing of textures creates a distinct ' Phoebe Rings ' sound. If their S/T EP was spacey, then Aseurai settles on earth, rooted in tangible moments. 'Without getting too gloomy, it's a weird world out there. A lot has changed in the world since the EP came out,' says Kavanagh-Vincent on this transformation. The album delves into hope and longing across all possibilities, and this exploration of holding on and letting go is organically threaded throughout. They mark out a brilliant new constellation in their sky, bringing their individual compositions to the fore whilst seamlessly threading them into one celestial body all underpinned by their ongoing inspirations: Studio Ghibli films, Zelda and Stardew soundtracks, Bossa Nova, Stereolab, and 90's Korean ballads. Phoebe Rings' storytelling ranges from tongue-in-cheek musings on gentrification, to commentary on the housing crisis (' Mandarin Tree '), musicians moving on in their careers (' Fading Star '), finding small oases in everyday life (' Not A Necessity ') and tender autobiographical memories – including on the title-track and 'B lue Butterfly ' both wrapped in grief, Crystal yearns for people she can't see anymore, in this case her late grandmother who she was separated from for a large period of her life (she also thinks that's why she wrote ' Aseurai ' in her mother tongue of Korean, in a way using it to be closer to her grandmother through song and shared language), ' Get Up ' on which drummer Benjamin Locke talks of the paralysis of extended periods of struggling with mental health and leaning on the famous scene from The Matrix to try to will yourself out of it, and ' Goodnight ', a tender, loving ode to our cats and the comfort they bring us.
Scoop
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
PHOEBE RINGS Release Their 'Quietly Beautiful' Debut Album Aseurai
June 6, 2025: Tāmaki Makaura dream-pop quartet Phoebe Rings - dubbed an "indie supergroup" by RNZ given its members' involvement in other notable projects such as Tiny Ruins, AC Freazy, Princess Chelsea, Fazerdaze and Lucky Boy^ - today release their anticipated debut album Aseurai via Carpark Records with the focus track 'Playground Song', alongside a string of new live dates including supporting Japanese Breakfast in Auckland tomorrow night + their first live shows in South Korea and Japan this month (full details below). Stream/order Aseurai HERE. A lullaby-like, cyclical track which reflects on childhood friendship and nostalgia, focus track ' Playground Song ' features stereo acoustic guitars, warm synth textures, and gentle wave-like noises, with its centrepiece - a flute solo played by Lukas Fritsch - adding a dreamy, reflective touch. It's released alongside its floral-adorned live performance video directed by Nahyeon Lee - watch HERE. On Aseurai, Phoebe Rings continue to explore their disco and city-pop influences while staying true to the dream-pop sound of their self-titled debut EP released last year. 'Aseurai means around you in the atmosphere, hard to reach, fading away,' singer Crystal Choi says, 'it's a poetic expression. You wouldn't say it in normal conversation, but I like that.' Across its four singles so far - 'Aseurai', 'Drifting', 'Get Up' and 'Fading Star' - the album has garnered praise from international outlets like Pitchfork, FLOOD, Beats Per Minute, Rolling Stone, frankie, Happy, Northern Transmissions and Paste Magazine, who said the album finds the band 'sharply in the pocket that makes them terrific.' While Phoebe Rings - named for the outermost ring around Saturn which is known to be the largest, but the least visible - was originally a solo project of singer Crystal Choi, who is also a university-trained jazz pianist, Aseurai marks a shift with contributing songwriting credits from the whole band, which includes guitar/synthesist Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent, bassist Benjamin Locke and drummer/producer Alex Freer. With a more ambitious collection of instruments, Choi says this album heralds the start of true collaboration: 'I feel more precious about this LP because it includes everyone's gems.' The broth is richer with more cooks in the kitchen, and the brewing of textures creates a distinct ' Phoebe Rings ' sound. If their S/T EP was spacey, then Aseurai settles on earth, rooted in tangible moments. 'Without getting too gloomy, it's a weird world out there. A lot has changed in the world since the EP came out,' says Kavanagh-Vincent on this transformation. The album delves into hope and longing across all possibilities, and this exploration of holding on and letting go is organically threaded throughout. They mark out a brilliant new constellation in their sky, bringing their individual compositions to the fore whilst seamlessly threading them into one celestial body all underpinned by their ongoing inspirations: Studio Ghibli films, Zelda and Stardew soundtracks, Bossa Nova, Stereolab, and 90's Korean ballads. Phoebe Rings' storytelling ranges from tongue-in-cheek musings on gentrification, to commentary on the housing crisis (' Mandarin Tree '), musicians moving on in their careers (' Fading Star '), finding small oases in everyday life (' Not A Necessity ') and tender autobiographical memories - including on the title-track and 'B lue Butterfly ' both wrapped in grief, Crystal yearns for people she can't see anymore, in this case her late grandmother who she was separated from for a large period of her life (she also thinks that's why she wrote ' Aseurai ' in her mother tongue of Korean, in a way using it to be closer to her grandmother through song and shared language), ' Get Up ' on which drummer Benjamin Locke talks of the paralysis of extended periods of struggling with mental health and leaning on the famous scene from The Matrix to try to will yourself out of it, and ' Goodnight ', a tender, loving ode to our cats and the comfort they bring us.
Scoop
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
PHOEBE RINGS Share Talking Heads Inspired New Single 'Fading Star'
May 8, 2025: Rising Tāmaki Makaurau band, Phoebe Rings share 'Fading Star,' the charming new single from their forthcoming debut album, Aseurai, due June 6th on Carpark Records. Fading Star is the final single to be released from Aseurai and follows 'Aseurai', 'Drifting' and 'Get Up', which have seen support and acclaim from Pitchfork, Paste, Flood, Rolling Stone, Happy Mag, Northern Transmissions, plus adds to Spotify Fresh Finds AU&NZ. Phoebe Rings have just announced a 35-date US tour including supporting The Beths this Oct-Dec and a string of headline shows. The groove persists with 'Fading Star,' through which the dream pop quartet continues to evolve their sound by adding rhythms that snap into place and steely jazz/rock guitar solos. 'Fading Star' sees the group return to work with Punctum Productions and director Nahyeon Lee for their office themed music video, which was made with assistance from NZ On Air Music. 'Fading Star' was conceptualised by drummer and producer Alex Freer after seeing musicians and bands that he loved and respected tour NZ to smaller crowds, and feeling like the size of their audiences was not equal to the impact they had on his, and everyone else's lives. Freer shares, "'Fading Star' was built upon harmony inspired by city pop and disco jazz. I wanted the verses to have more of a Talking Heads/Orange Juice rudimentary groove while the choruses have twinkly, dreamy layers with string synth and warbly guitar. The bridge allows a moment of full disco excess with percussion, clavinet synth, and a tube screamer guitar solo.' To celebrate the release of 'Fading Star' and Te Marama Puoro o Aotearoa (NZ Music Month) Phoebe Rings will perform in-store at Real Groovy on May 16 with Bub and George Villa. The event kicks off at 6PM and entry is free!
Korea Herald
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
26th JIFF Unveils Korean Competition Lineup
LGBTQ+ themes and women's narratives dominate selection The 26th Jeonju International Film Festival, set to run April 30 to May 9, 2025, has unveiled its Korean Competition selection. Ten films — nine narrative features and one documentary — from first- and second-time directors have been selected for the Korean Competition, which has historically served as a launching pad for Korea's indie directors, with previous winners like "Kim Min-young of the Report Card" (22nd edition), "Jeong-sun" (23rd edition) and "Time to Be Strong" (25th edition) going on to gain international recognition. Programmers Moon Seok, Moon Sung-kyung and Jeon Jin-soo noted that this year's selection process was "historically difficult" due to the wealth of excellent submissions. The festival received a record-setting 165 submissions during its three-month call for entries. There are two dominant themes -- LGBTQ+ narratives and stories of female solidarity within nontraditional family structures -- in the works selected for competition, according to the programmers. Park Joon-ho's "3670" follows a young gay North Korean defector who faces alienation from both the defector community and LGBTQ+ social circles. Divine Sung's "Summer's Camera" offers a hopeful coming-of-age narrative about a high school girl who experiences her first crush on a classmate. Bang Mi-ri's "Save" features a young woman about to leave foster care who meets an older woman claims to have saved her life in the past. They journey together to recover deposit money from a scammer. Lee Eun-jung's "The Sound of Life" portrays three generations of women who lean on each other through life's ups and downs. Yun Sim-kyoung's "Sua's Home" tells the story of a 15-year-old abandoned by her adoptive parents who becomes a tennis coach for a wealthy girl and develops a connection with the girl's mother. The programmers noted that these narratives of female solidarity may represent an evolution of women-centered storytelling that emerged following the #MeToo movement in Korea. Meanwhile, Jung Ki-hyuk's "Drifting" and Kim Jun-seok's "All Is Well, I Love You" received special recognition for their impressive ensemble performances. "Drifting" follows a insurance call center worker on a road trip. "All Is Well, I Love You" explores the intersection of art and life through the story of a married actor couple. Other selections include Cho Hyun-suh's "Winter Light," about a financially struggling high school boy questioning his family's situation and future, and Kim Tae-yun's "Where is My Father?," which follows a young man who uncovers unknown aspects of his father's life before leaving his hometown Jeju Island for Seoul. Only one documentary made the cut this year: Lee Eun-hee's "Colorless, Odorless." The film uses company records and historical archives to expose the health hazards faced by semiconductor factory workers, including occupational illnesses, and the systemic issues that lead to repeated workplace accidents.
