Seo Taiji - 8th ATOMOS PART MOAI

The return of Seo Taiji has been one of the most highly anticipated events in the Korean music scene this year. After the date and nature of the comeback being changed several times, eventually it was announced that Seo Taiji planned to do something he'd never done before: release a single. If reports are to be believed, the comeback will consist of 2 singles, an album and a world tour. Phase one of this plan surfaced at the very end of June in the form of the single 8th ATOMOS PART MOAI.

The single opens with the song MOAI. Starting out with rain and heavy percussion affects, the track eventually evolves into an almost lounge sounding song, completely different from anything that he's produced before. It would be almost impossible to pin this as a Seo Taiji song if it weren't for his distinctive vocals. The song has a very positive and quite summery feel to it, so it's easy to find yourself dancing to its smooth sounds. It's a bit of a shocking way to start the single if you're familiar with his typically heavier work, but it is by no means a bad song.

The next track is HUMAN DREAM, which once again is a very light and positive sounding song. It seems to take more influence from techno music, with effects on the vocals as well as immersed in the music. It's certainly a catchy song and more poppy than the opening track, which is not a bad thing at all.

The final new song on the single is T'IKT'AK, which brings back some of his more trademark sounds (guitar riffs and vocal harmonies) combined with his newfound mellow sound. The verses are in a similar vein to the rest of the singles, while the choruses are much heavier and sound more traditionally "Taiji". After listening to the single once, this is the most stand out track, possibly because it gives the Seo Taiji fans some familiar ground while at the same time offering up something new.

MOAI[RMX] signals the end of the single. This remix offers more depth to the music than the original but still produces a similar feel.

Though this single is different from what he's done before, it's definitely not a weak release. It once again proves his ability to be a musical chameleon and to do it well. If you're not a fan of his usual more metal style then this could work for you as it's a beautifully crafted mellow single with just the right amount of variety to keep it fresh and interesting.