You’re carrying a briefcase around like an office worker. What’s in it?
GIRIBOY | I saw it from an image somewhere, and thought that it was cool to carry a briefcase around. There’s a laptop, as well as a file folder full of A4-sized papers. In the file folder, there are lyrics, minutes from the meeting regarding the music video, notes from my pronunciation practice and acting lessons. I have been learning how to speak well as I’m really bad at speaking. In order to make a habit of it, I’m always carrying this bag around.
I can see your huge desire to create stories through music. The title of this album is also <9Cut>, are you referring to the scenes from movies?
GIRIBOY | I’ve loved movies ever since I was young, so I really enjoyed going to video rental shops a lot during elementary school. When people borrow a newly released videotape, (the place would be) turned upside down. “When will it arrive?” I always waited while wondering like that. I’ve always wanted to write a movie scenario someday. When I first started making this album, I thought of making music with the vibes of a movie OST, but as I wrote, I created even more stories and came up with different scenes. As there are nine songs, the album is titled ‘9Cut’. I added an instrumental track titled ‘Interlude’ in the middle, and that changed the mood of the scenes. It’s a nice progression.
I’d like to ask you about (your) attitude of releasing regular albums continuously, which is different from the trend these days. Is there a reason for it?
GIRIBOY | These days, I guess it can be inefficient. In the past, if you purchased CDs or tapes, you have to listen to the songs in order. Especially for tapes, it can be hard to skip the songs. Thanks to that, I got to listen to the hidden songs as well. The emotions that you can feel when you listen to the meaningful songs that filled up the whole album, one by one, without skipping. I think that (I’m releasing regular albums regularly) because of the emotions I felt when I listened to the senior artists' albums.
When I looked at your YouTube channel, you were diligently purchasing and collecting Depeche Mode, Bjork, and WuTang Clan t-shirts. Your last EP album <Like a Film> was also released as a tape, and you also have a song titled ‘Used’. Why are you so fascinated by things of the past?
GIRIBOY | I really like vintage items, to the point of obsession. Even for sneakers, it’s too burdensome for me to wear new shoes, so I deliberately purchased dirty shoes on purpose. My mother hates that so much, though. I think it’s because of my childhood memories. I used to always go to Yongsan to purchase old Nintendo Gameboys, handphones, and MP3 players. New things are greasy. They need to be dirty to look cool.
If this album is a movie, it seems like a love movie - can you explain what kind of movie it is?
GIRIBOY | It’s talking about ‘to what extent can separation between people be like’. I dislike (writing about) good feelings because they’re embarrassing. It has to be stories about breakups/separation. The director is Giriboy, and from time to time, Hong Siyoung (Giriboy’s real name) appears as a cameo. As a whole, the stories are all fiction, but there are times when lines containing my experiences are inserted without me even realizing it.
Love songs can be easy to relate to, but it’s hard to make them feel new. You’ve already created love songs like ‘Tongue Wrestling’, ‘Secrets of the Human Body’, ‘Bitter Words’, ‘Divorce Papers’, and so on from another point of view, why did it have to be love songs again?
GIRIBOY | The person who looks the coolest is the person who’s in a desperate crisis. I only watch depressing movies. I rarely watch movies that aren’t rated 19+. 'La La Land’ was once famous, right? I wondered if it’d be interesting since it was rated PG, but I decided to watch it since many people saw the movie. But right from the start, the people started to do a musical after the car got stuck in traffic. I turned it off right after seeing that (laughs). I watched ‘Inception’ and ‘Matrix’ more than once. Even for music, it’s not fun to write stuff about ‘love love’, so I write weird love songs instead. I like stories about lovers who are fighting and in a crisis.
Why does a person who’s stuck in despair look cool?
GIRIBOY | I’m not sure. The more the man cries and behaves in a loser manner, the more I want to become like him. Though I’d hate to be in that person’s position in reality.
Like the leading character in 'Smile, Wait for the Flash'?
GIRIBOY | When you listen to ‘Smile, Wait for the Flash’, you start to imagine the frightful story in it. In the movie ‘Deadpool’, the words "Smile, Wait for the Flash" are written on the gun. In other words, the words that you say when you take a picture are written on the gun. While we smile and take photos like this, I had the thought that the camera could look like a gun. Even when filming, there are times when I'm a little scared (of the camera) too. It's a song I made to express that cameras can be something scary.
What’s the reason behind your fascination with making up fake worlds and creating stories, and having a methodological yet clumsy style? You’ve once mentioned that you like the feeling of songs sung by ordinary people, and you also sing as if you’re not on the right pitch.
GIRIBOY | I’m not sure. I think it sounds better that way. It’s more interesting when there are flaws. If something’s too perfect, it feels repulsive. I’m working hard these days to pay more attention to details. I thought it would be cooler if I tried and said that it’s better not to do it (laughs). When I made this album, I was sensitive and tried to fix things that I would have just let go of if it were me in the past.
In some of your lyrics, it seemed like you’re just improvising the song, such as mentioning Itaewon’s spectacles shop out of nowhere, but there are also times where it seemed like you’re showing a profound world of unconsciousness as if you planned it on purpose, in songs like ‘It’s a Long Story / Down’ or ‘Panic’. What is the actual song making process like?
Is that why the album is titled <Mechanical Album>?
GIRIBOY | Yes, I was embarrassed when I looked at myself getting criticised, being arrogant and proud of myself. I was also scared of standing in front of others. That album has the least public appeal. When I look at my bank statement, it’s the album that did the worst (laughs). However, I’m proud that I tried out music that no one else did at that time.
I heard that there’s a song about your music journey in this album. What is the song about?
GIRIBOY | It’s the song called ‘My Place’. It’s about change - The people who made music with me are no longer by my side, the people I used to laugh and talk to in the past are no longer contactable. “Where did everyone go? Isn’t this my place? Everyone will return to their original spot eventually.” That’s what the song is about. While filming <Show Me The Money 9>, what I liked a lot was that I could meet Lil Boi again. He was a friend that I used to make music with when I first started making music. We used to meet every day in the past. But after the other hyungs dissed each other, we found it awkward to contact each other so we didn’t really meet each other for more than five years. I kept thinking about the past while filming <Show Me The Money 9>.
How do you feel that you’ve changed?
GIRIBOY | First of all, I can’t listen to the music that I made in the past. They were so bad (laughs). That’s the biggest change. I used to be unable to speak in front of other people. Even though I’m still not good at that now, just the fact that I’m doing it now is a huge improvement in itself. I used to not care about other people’s businesses, but now I try to intervene in others’ lives. After <Show Me The Money 8> ended last year, Seo Donghyun’s father came to me and gave me a Dupont lighter. I cried a little after I reached home. I realised then that I can’t live thoughtlessly and that if I do something wrong, it can negatively impact the people around me. Since then, I started exercising and working out hard as well.
How have your thoughts about music changed?
GIRIBOY | It’s still the same. If I like it, then it’s good. The reason I started making music was to make music that I wanted to listen to. There are times when you listen to a song and think, “This is pretty good, but if the lyrics were about a breakup, I’d have been able to focus better”. That’s how I end up making the song. I’m still keeping the standard of making “music that I can listen to every day”. Even when I’m in the car with my manager, I only listen to my songs (laughs). I feel a little sorry for him.
“Don’t be too famous, don’t be too successful, don’t be first place, be moderate.” Is your mindset still the same as before?
GIRIBOY | I seriously hope that I won’t get first place. If I get first place, people become focused on it. I really dislike it. It’s better to go back and forth around 22nd place, for people to listen to it from time to time such that someone says “I know this song”, and then disappear quietly after that.
Do you hate being in the spotlight?
ORIGINAL POST FROM VOGUE KOREA
TRANSLATED BY @OHGIRIBB
PLEASE TAKE OUT WITH CREDITS
No comments:
Post a Comment