Echoes of the Korean Diaspora

This album transforms the journey of the Korean diaspora, particularly the significant migration of Koreans across Asia, into a deeply expressive musical experience. Inspired by historical events, it reinterprets the traces of the past, transforming numbers and coordinates into structured melodies through algorithmic composition. For example, Stalin’s declaration on relocation, documented as “1428.326,” becomes a melodic sequence through a method that interprets numbers into musical notes, like “Do Fa Re Do Mi Re La.” Similarly, the geographical coordinates “45.30988095425594, 78.05636920071484” represent symbolic settlement sites, crucial in guiding the album’s soundscape.

The album merges sounds of traditional Korean instruments—like the pansori and piri—with the percussive depth of drums and the haunting resonance of synthesizers. Each instrument conveys distinct emotions: the piri embodies the uncertainty of relocation, drums evoke tension, and the synthesizer introduces the modern, surreal experience of diaspora. Improvised performances from high-altitude locations, such as Chimbulak in Kazakhstan, add raw expression to the journey’s hardships.

Through music, Album 1937 aims not just to retell history but to transcend language, speaking directly to the heart. It offers listeners an immersive bridge to a collective past and hopes to foster a profound connection and understanding.

1937

Code

Approach

Charyn

Chronicle

Bownight

Through the process of translating contemporary sensations into auditory experiences, SEAYOOL enables audiences a chance to perceive the zeitgeist through music.

A composer, music director, and innovative piri (Korean Traditional Bamboo Instrument) performer, SEAYOOL creates sensory compositions that carve out his unique artistic world. His work explores the theme of "how we perceive," presented in settings ranging from fully improvised solo, to fully scored suite for string quartet.

SEAYOOL’s 45-minute improvisational performance <Pyridoxine>, which repeatedly constructs and deconstructs musical elements, makes for a perfect introduction to this unique artistic voice.


Following this, SEAYOOL delves into "scoring the senses" through <Island: Island>, a performance combining music and installation art that he developed during a four-month residency on Jeju Island (Southwest island of Korea, Jeju is famed for exotic beauty, yet scarred by unresolved genocide 'Jeju 4.3' from the aftermath of the Korean War.)


The musical result of this creative experiment was transformed into his score for string quartet and piri, resulting in the premiere of <Suite for Jeju No.1>. 

SEAYOOL's work has since evolved to include <Data Scoring>, which visualizes real time sensory data using brainwaves to drive visual projections.