Dae Kim: Solace
mü-nest
2000 doesn't seem like all that long ago, yet enough time has passed for the music associated with that period to now feel like it's part of some distant, long-past era. It's not entirely out of reach, however: on his remarkably assured debut album, Dae Kim, who was born in Seoul, Korea in 1993 and now calls Malaysia home, finds solace in music productions that strongly recall the melodious electronic music created during the late ‘90s and early years of the new century. As you listen to his fifty-two-minute collection, don't be surprised if its heartwarming tunes remind you of classic Morr Music releases by the likes of ISAN, Christian Kleine, and Opiate. The affection Kim feels for the period resonates powerfully in the album's ten pieces, which he largely crafted by himself over a two-year span, though contributions from Okamotonoriaki, flica, Stemilyn, and Kent Lee appear on a small number of tracks.
Working with a mix of acoustic instruments and digital gear, Kim generated his ambient-electronic songs using synthesizers, piano (acoustic and electric), guitars, accordion, and beat programming. Solace sparkles from the outset, with “Evenfall” immediately highlighting the producer's strong command of melody and arrangement. In this radiant scene-setter, unison lines of synthesizers and electric piano exude a palpable innocence, while electronic beats pitter-patter in time-honoured fashion. It's with the second track, “Obscure Dusk,” however, that Kim's fervent allegiance to that earlier period comes most vividly to the fore. With Lee's bass playing providing kinetic thrust, the song is as meticulously assembled as an ISAN production, and draped across its skittering beat are chiming guitar figures that wouldn't sound out of place on Manual's Until Tomorrow.
An uplifting song like “Solemn Solace” exudes so much infectious joy it can't help but endear itself to even the most jaded listener. Offsetting its sunny disposition are pretty exercises in melancholy (“Nightfall,” “Andromedids,” “Dawnfall”) that capture Kim's sweetly nostalgic side in a different way. On the guest tip, Stemilyn and fellow Mü-Nest artist Okamotonoriaki add soft wordless vocals to the respective meditations “Intermission II: Arête” and “Ethereal Cosmos,” whereas Schole artist Flica (Euseng Seto) embellishes the stately downtempo of “Cosmic Inflation” with extra keyboard sparkle. Individual track differences aside, Solace is warm, melodic electronica that references an earlier time without sounding dated; if anything, the argument could be made that there's never been a better time for a revival of vintage Morr Music-styled material than now—not that such a revival would ever be unwelcome.June 2018