Dean is a South Korean alternative R&B singer, songwriter and record producer. Dean collaborates with many famous American and South Korean artists. In 2016 he released a solo mini-album "130 Mood: TRBL".
Youth, early career
Kwon Hyuk born November 10, 1992 in Hongeung-dong, Seoul. In high school, he developed an interest in American hip-hop and rap, and that’s when the guy started playing music. At the time, he considered music an "escapism from studying" rather than a serious pursuit. Initially Dean wrote songs in his room and kept his passion a secret from his parents. However, his parents supported his decision to become an artist, despite the fact that he was the first musician in the family.
He began his career at the age of sixteen, performing with hip-hop artist Keith Ape. By the age of eighteen, he was writing songs for K-pop stars under the pseudonym Deanfluenza. The pseudonym was invented on behalf of the actor James Dean, whose rebellious image he liked, and the word "influenza" ("flu"), referring to his desire to spread his influence through the music industry like a virus.
At the age of twenty, he was under the guidance and tutelage of Joombas Music Group executive director and producer Hyuk Shin (writer of EXO's "Growl" and Justin Bieber - "One Less Lonely Girl"), in a team of composers from the Los Angeles company. At this time Dean worked on songs EXO- "Black Pearl" and VIXX - "Voodoo Doll".
2015: American and Korean debut
Dean debuted in the United States in July 2015 with the single "I"m Not Sorry", released with the participation of the Grammy Award winner Eric Bellinger. This is the difference Dean from the majority Korean singers, who began collaborating with American artists after their debut in Korea. Same year Dean collaborated with Mila J - "Here & Now" and Anderson Paak - "Put My Hands on You".
He made his South Korean debut in October 2015 with his second single, "Pour Up", co-produced with Block B's Zico. The single was awarded for " Best R&B and Soul song" at the Korean Music Awards on February 29, 2016. Dean worked with Korean hip-hop artists Zion.T, Crush and Junggigo, recording the single "247", as well as with DOK2 - "I Love It" and Dynamic Duo - "How You Doin"?".
2016: SXSW and EP 130 Mood: TRBL
January 8 Dean performed the tracks " Pour Up" And " I"m Not Sorry" on the show "Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook". In addition, in January, he released the single "What 2 Do" together with the rapper Crush and Filipino-American singer Jeff Bernat, and also appeared on the show "Sugar Man" as a producer to recreate the once popular song Mose - "It's Love", which was then performed by the members of iKON.
In March 2016 Dean became the first Asian artist to perform at the Spotify House at the SXSW music festival, joining artists such as Miguel And Chvrches. The American magazine Spin wrote about him positive feedback, comparing with the young Asher(one of the most successful African-American R&B musicians). Vibe noted that he had " smooth sound reminiscent of Usher's '90s era and Bryson Tiller".
On March 21 he released music video for the track "Bonnie & Clyde", which was later included in the first mini-album "130 Mood: TRBL". On March 23, the video for the track “D (Half Moon)”, recorded with the participation of Gaeko, was presented, and a showcase was held in Gangnam, Seoul. The album, which included 7 songs, was released the next day, its name was given after the racing number " 130
", which James Dean painted on his car, and which embodies the same experimental spirit in music, and part of the title " TRBL" is a stylization of the word " trouble" ("Problems"). The album tells a love story through successive tracks written and produced by Dean in collaboration with various artists, some of the tracks were previously released as singles. The album entered several well-known charts: Gaon Album Chart (10th line), Billboard World Albums (3rd line), Billboard Heatseekers Albums (22nd place). The song "D (Half Moon)" was on the Melon chart at number 5, and " Bonnie & Clyde"Took 12th place on Billboard's World Digital Songs chart. Billboard K-Town Commentator Jeff Benjamin described the album's position on the international chart as " a rarity for a k-pop artist, especially considering this is his debut release". He said the album was " an impressive creative debut that elevates R&B to new level
", he especially remembers "Pour Up" (feat Zico), "21
" and "What 2 Do" (with Korean R&B star Crush And Jeff Bernat). Horizon Asia magazine called " 130 Mood: TRBL"an innovative album introducing a new musical genre in k-pop world. "D (Half Moon)"the review describes it as " the most romantic a sad song album with the unique sound of Dean's vocals", "filled with vocal harmony and echo, highlighting the feeling of emptiness".
Also in March, he reappeared on the show" Sugar man", this time producing the song Hey - "Je T"aime" for Winner.
In April Dean participated in a photo shoot for Vogue magazine together with other artists with whom he performed in underground clubs. On May 28, he performed at the Seoul Jazz Festival.
On June 3, he appeared on the show "Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook" and performed the songs " D (Half Moon)" and "Ordinary People" (John Legend). On June 4 the first solo concert Dean"legendary" in New York.
Older generation Soviet people famous singer, actor, musician, director and composer Dean Reed. The biography and photos of this American in the Land of the Soviets were reproduced by many political and cinematic publications. In the 70s, the American magazine People Magazine wrote about the actor that Russians consider him the third most important American personality after the US President and Secretary of State. The newspapermen were disingenuous: the popularity of the mentioned politicians in our country did not even approach the fame of Dean Reed.
He would have turned eighty in 2018. During his life he published about thirty albums. However, his fate turned out to be strange, to say the least. He, of course, died at the peak of his talent, while having considerable influence on the army of his fans. Many thinking people had the impression that he had become a bargaining chip in a game that was too big and from which he could not emerge alive.
Childhood and adolescence
The future singer was born on September 22, 1938 in Colorado (Denver). There were three sons in the family. His father worked as a rural teacher, and his mother was a housewife. Dean grew up alive and active. The parents sent the ten-year-old boy to a cadet school, where the restless child studied for only a year.
The boy was interested in horse riding, athletics, and basketball. At the age of eleven he was given a riding horse. His parents also had the imprudence to give him a guitar for his twelfth birthday, and this gift seemed to determine his fate.
Dean Reed, the always leader of the boys, grew up as a strong, impetuous guy. His biography in teenage years indicates a fickle, amorous and addictive disposition. Fate was kind to him, giving him credit for his talent. At the age of sixteen, Dean wrote his first touching love song, Don't let her go.
In 1956, following the wishes of his parents, he entered the first year of the meteorology department at the University of Colorado. During his studies, the student additionally earned pocket money by playing the guitar and performing songs in bars.
First contract
In February 1959, his song “Memory” made its way onto the American charts for the first time. Two years later, the talented performer managed to sign a contract with the Capital Records recording studio (Los Angeles).
Dean left university without regret and went to school acting Warner Brothers. After his first disc, the second, third, and fourth were released one after another. Moreover, each subsequent one testified to the growing skill of the composer and performer.
In 1961, his fourth disc, “Our Summer Romance,” took 2nd position on the US national hit parade and became a big hit in other countries. South America. In the same 1961, “hot on the heels” of his newly gained popularity, twenty-three-year-old Dean Reed went on a tour to conquer the continent closest to his homeland.
His biography as a traveling artist, singing live for his fans, begins precisely with these tours. Stately, photogenic, with a pleasant timbre of his voice, an innate, rather than acquired, artistic charm and plasticity of movements, the artist very quickly became an idol for young Latin Americans. He visits Peru, Argentina, Chile, Brazil.
Change of political views
Exploring mysterious death singer, it is worth paying special attention to this period of life. After all, speaking in theatrical language, the beginning of the plot happened right then. Someone who quickly gained popularity suddenly finds himself outside his homeland, in a society where his familiar American values are not respected. He, as an artist (and this is understandable), is trying to better understand the people who admire his songs.
In Chile, the young singer meets personally the future President Allende, a fiery orator, a man of deep intellect, and the head of the socialist revolutionary party. His new friend, carried away by the political struggle for the presidency, even then saw in the talented American, his potential supporter, a natural, heightened sense of justice. An experienced lawyer played it and won the game.
Let's take a moment away from the biography of the American for generalization. History tends to repeat certain basic patterns. Thus, in today’s confrontation between two worldviews in the Arab East and North Africa, echoes of the events that took place in the 60-70s on the South American continent are noticeable.
At that time, Chile was in the sphere of competing interests of Soviet and American intelligence services. Some supported Allende, others tried to remove him from politics. Almost fifty years later, only bits of this information are becoming public thanks to the memoirs of British professor and intelligence expert Christopher Andrew. However, this is not the main thing for us. The point is that Dean Reed, being in Latin America and having contact with Allende, came to the attention of foreign intelligence services.
Life of a singer in Argentina
He was admired by the youth of Latin America for his innate talent, sincerity and touching love songs. He filled stadiums in Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Brazil. Naturally, enterprising businessmen, seeing the prospect of profits in Dean, offered him a contract to work in Argentina. And the producers were not mistaken. Here he had his own television show, he was popular, fruitfully made films (“First Love”, “Guadalajara in the Summer”) and, in addition, successfully recorded extremely popular discs.
Meanwhile, his tour directors and managers were indignant. After all, Dean Reed, in addition to his creativity, was fascinated by leftist views. And above all, the fight for peace and poverty. The ideas of Marxism and the ideology of his opponents became close to him nuclear weapons. He actively participated in the political struggle, and, as we know, it is impossible to do such a thing alone.
Soon everything changed in Argentina, after the thaw there was a reaction. A dictatorial regime supported by the CIA came to power in the country in 1966. Violence has become a common practice in the fight against dissent. By this time, Dean Reed, in addition to protesting against the Vietnam War, regularly began to take part in political rallies within Argentina. The singer became an oppositionist, giving charity concerts, the proceeds of which went to prisoners.
The house of the unreliable singer was shelled several times with automatic weapons, which forced him to leave Argentina. It became impossible to remain in a country where his life was in danger.
Dean in Western Europe
Dean Reed flew from Argentina to Spain. The biography of his wanderings thus continued in Europe. However, in June, cautious Spanish authorities preferred (to be on the safe side) to label the politically active singer as unreliable and expel him from the country.
The next place of stay of the actor and singer, and quite a successful one, was cheerful and apolitical Italy. Singer Dean Reed has been quite successful and has starred in westerns by local directors. The actor’s biography says that this period of his life was bright and eventful; his filmography was enriched with romantic roles in the films “Gang of Three Chrysanthemums” (a gangster film about the Great Depression era), “Farewell to Sabata” (western), “Pirates of the Green Island” (adventure film ).
Dean Reed's acting has finally received recognition. In 1964, Guadalajara was awarded two prizes at a festival in Mexico (Acapulco).
Dean Reed in the USSR
In 1966, from October 1 to November 30, the American risked a tour “for iron curtain", V Soviet Union. He made our listeners fall in love with him by performing the songs “Bella Ciao” and “Hava Nagila”. The Soviet authorities gave him the green light. The geography of his performances as a singer is impressive: Moscow, Leningrad, Tbilisi, Baku, Rostov-on-Don, Kislovodsk. And after he performed the song “Elizabeth” on TV, in the program “New Year’s Light,” his vinyl discs began to be sold out in hundreds of thousands of copies in the USSR.
The actor stars in the films “God Created Them, I Will Kill Them” and “The Nephews of Zorro.” Dean Reed writes poems “To You”, “My Poor Homeland”,
And again Chile, Argentina
Agree, if external intelligence services had worked with Dean, then this stage in his life would have been inevitable. In 1970, the singer actively participated in the election campaign of Salvador Allende. Then, inspired by the victory of democratic forces, Dean went to Argentina, where he organized a press conference in Buenos Aires at which he called for the overthrow of the dictatorial regime. He was arrested, but after 16 days he was released and deported from the country.
After his friend, President Salvador Allende, died in a military coup in Chile in 1973, the singer went to Peru in 1975, then illegally crossed the border into Chile. Here the brave activist was imprisoned for a long time, but was soon released. Adversity stimulated his talent and forced Dean, as a creative person, to create a masterpiece. In 1977, director Dean Reed made the best film of his life.
The biography of singer Victor Jara and his tragic death during the Chilean military coup served as the main motive for this film.
Let us summarize the above: the singer, headlong, semi-illegally (and this at least requires the help of the station) goes to a country hostile to his views in order to show political activity. Moreover, he guesses that he will inevitably be “imprisoned.” And this really happens. However, he is always and constantly pardoned and released. What conclusion does this suggest? At a minimum, about the intercession of influential foreign intelligence and its legal profession.
Personal life
Let's break the chronology of the story to talk about the actor's personal life. In 1964, the twenty-six-year-old actor married Hollywood actress Patty Hobs; they traveled and toured a lot. It was love. The biography of singer Dean Reed testifies: he and his first wife traveled halfway around the world. In 1967, he divorced Patty Hobs in Italy, but the feeling did not leave the former spouses, and they continued to live together, and, already divorced, their daughter Ramona was born.
The fatal quarrel happened in 1970. Patty opposed Dean going to Chile on election campaign When he ignored her requests, the woman left him for the USA, to live with her parents.
After this, Dean Reed lived for some time in a civil marriage with Estonian actress Eva Kivi. She fell in love with him creative man, also categorically did not share the exaggerated political views of the American, and the couple soon broke up.
His next novel should be discussed in more detail.
In 1971, Dean “accidentally” met his future second wife, a thirty-year-old teacher and model Wiebke Dornbach. After a two-year relationship, they got married. In 1976, Wiebke and Reed had a daughter, Natasha. However, the very next year after the birth of the child (unexpectedly quickly, isn’t it?) Dean Reed divorced his wife.
The biography and personal life of the singer during his second marriage give rise to some thoughts. A logical question arises: “Didn’t there take place a purely external “correction” of his fate?”
Why should we ask it? It was under the influence of Wiebke (according to his own memoirs) that the restive American Dean Reed settled in the GDR, and this strangely coincided with the interests of eastern geopolitics.
Since 1973, Dean Reed's biography has been associated with permanent residence in the GDR. This is where his home appeared. He returned here from trips. Here he recorded 13 albums. Among the films produced was the hugely successful USSR Blood Brothers (1975), a Western in which Dean starred alongside Gojko Mitic.
By the way, after her divorce from Dean, “teacher” Wiebke Reed committed a dizzying career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (organizations where either diplomats or spies work). Such “accidents” are quite indicative. Comments, as they say, are unnecessary.
In 1981, the singer, who fell in love, married actress Renata Blume and adopted her son Alexander. Already at an age, he takes long and touching care of a woman, dreaming of finally finding his quiet bay in life. Renata also fell in love with him.
At the pinnacle of glory
The last seven years of his life were the period of maximum popularity in the world of the singer and actor. His discs come out in millions of copies. Any planned tours come true. At the same time, there is inevitably an element of politics in his activities. So, in 1978, the singer took part in a farm demonstration in Minnesota (USA). He was arrested, a trial took place, but the singer was acquitted. After which he returned to the GDR.
In 1979, he went to the Soviet Union to visit the builders of the Baikal-Amur Mainline with concert program Dean Reed. The biography and songs of this paradoxical American seemingly won over the entire Soviet viewing and listening audience.
The singer had another trip to the USA, perhaps fatal.
Provocation
On the threshold of his fiftieth birthday (and this is natural), Dean began, according to the recollections of the same Renata, to yearn for his homeland. In 1985, US director Will Roberts fueled interest in him with the documentary American Rebel. And when the CBS channel invited him to an interview on the TV show “60 Minutes of Red Elvis,” he had hopes of gaining popularity in his homeland.
However, he fell for the bait: politically engaged showmen pursued opposite goals. They played along with the CIA, which had a long-standing grudge against the singer.
Before the interview, the television crew deliberately pumped up the anti-Soviet audience with excerpts of tapes where Dean was filmed in Beirut, posing with an AKM; was at a meeting with Yasser Arafat; walked along Red Square. The script for the show itself matched the announcement. Americans, brought up on anti-Soviet propaganda, heard from Dean Reed, answering tendentiously selected questions, information that was certainly repulsive to them:
- support for the construction of the Berlin Wall;
- approval of the deployment of troops to Afghanistan;
- criticism of American complicity with Pinochet.
As a result, viewers flooded the studio with letters demanding that the “red” singer be kicked out of America. Dean Reed returned to the GDR morally devastated.
Version 1. Suicide
It was like a flight suddenly interrupted. The body of the forty-seven-year-old singer was found on June 13, 1986 on the southeastern outskirts of Berlin, on the shore of a lake, near the house where he lived. GDR law enforcement officers came to the conclusion of suicide.
In their opinion, there was logical evidence that America's pariah had intentionally committed suicide. But this is not at all how the biography describes the person Dean Reed was. The cause of death is likely due to the fiasco he suffered at the aforementioned show. The actor in the USA was called a traitor, although he loved his homeland, criticizing its politicians. In fact, he simply knew how to separate his true patriotism and his political views, which contradicted the generally accepted ones in America. Of course, he suffered from a lack of understanding of this by his compatriots.
What is striking is the stubborn silence of Renata Blume after the sudden death of her husband, accompanied only by the meager phrase: “I’m sure it’s not suicide,” devoid of any comments.
Later, tempting creative offers suddenly fell on the widowed actress, as if from a cornucopia (for example, the role of Jenny Marx). She is awarded prizes and titles. Isn't this a kind of payment for her silence?
However, we must pay tribute: the actress was not lying. In the interview, she hoped that the truth would become clear when documents stored in the archives of the GDR security service were revealed.
However, there was no sensation. Not long ago, the singer's biographer Chuck Lozewski, having gained access to secret archives, published information about Dean's suicide note, containing a request to his family for forgiveness, written on the back of a piece of paper sent to him from the script. In the stomach of the deceased there was an incompletely dissolved sleeping pill. The journalist concluded that Dean, having decided to commit suicide, deliberately took sleeping pills and went swimming.
Version 2. Murder
Let's consider the second version. She also has the right to exist. At the very least, a well-worn scenario is that of a person writing a suicide note under duress. The intelligence services cannot be denied the ability to cover their tracks. Or maybe Dean figured out the game that undisclosed people were playing with him?
Renata Blume in one of her interviews expressed her belief that Dean Reed could not commit suicide in such a way. The actress never believed it. She provides collateral evidence for this. He was soon going to work on a new film. According to Renata, he was “burning with him”; he had dreamed about him for several previous years. Therefore, the voluntary death of such a workaholic as Dean Reed was, and even on the eve of the coveted job, looked very unconvincing.
By the way, the relatives of the deceased share the same opinion. And (and this is important) Dean never stopped communicating with them.
Conclusion
The whole world seemed to freeze when it became known that Dean Reed, a favorite of the people of Eastern Europe and Latin America, had suddenly and unexpectedly died. His biography, cause of death, and his songs became part of the legend about the artist - a fighter, a truly fearless, non-mercantile man who values his convictions and is able to defend them, no matter how hopeless it may seem.
He was, of course, a man of remarkable talent and courage, and such a combination is worth a lot. Therefore, the foreign intelligence services of many superpowers fought for and against him. Any opponent would admit this wonderful person worthy opponent. It is easier to deceive or destroy such a person than to defeat him.
The selection deliberately did not include idol groups - this is a separate, unique world. Only solo artists and indie bands, you won’t be disappointed when you meet them.
Sunmi
Lee Sunmi - former member group Wonder Girls, who began their solo career with the release of the highly successful single 24 Hours. It was followed by the EP album Full Moon - and Sunmi finally established herself as a talented vocalist who sounds great in compositions of different styles.
Sunmi takes part in writing the lyrics and music for her songs, the choreography of her performances is always on point, and the girl also plays the bass guitar.
Gashina is the singer’s latest release after a three-year break, and it’s definitely a hit. You will definitely want to play this energetic synth-pop composition with dancehall elements more than once, and the chaotically bright and stylish video is simply a feast for the eyes.
Drug Restaurant
Rock music is not particularly popular in Korea, but this does not stop talented and passionate people from doing what they love. The guys from Drug Restaurant (until 2016 the group was called Jung Joon Young Band - in honor of the founder and frontman Jung Joon-yong) make excellent music, even if they are not invited to perform at popular shows, and their clips.
The group brings together fans of Western alternative, post-punk and garage rock, and you will certainly notice familiar notes in the work of Drug Restaurant. But who said that this is necessarily bad? Incendiary guitar parts, the deep timbre of the vocalist, the spirit of freedom and moderate rebellion - just listen.
Zico
Zico is the pseudonym of Woo Chiho, a rapper, composer and songwriter, producer and leader of the group Block B. He has two solo albums, several mixtapes and many collaborations with other talented representatives of the Korean music scene.
This versatile young man’s repertoire includes both aggressive tracks with a powerful beat (Veni Vidi Vici, Tough Cookie) and hypnotic r’n’b compositions ( Bermuda Triangle) and lyrical ballads (I Am You, You Are Me, She's a Baby).
The song Anti from the new album Television is dedicated to the specific relationship that arises between the musician and the listeners (“The product has no personal space, the buyer is the king”). And in the video, Zico takes a trip into the dark afterworld, where every artist ends up when a capricious viewer turns off the TV.
Gain
From time to time, some Korean performers go beyond pop cultural sterility and create something provocative. But no one does it as stylishly and aesthetically as Song Gain, a member of the group Brown Eyed Girls.
Together with the group, Gain tried different styles and concepts, but truly blossomed in solo work. She is not afraid to sing about difficult things: for example, in FXXK U the topic of coercion in a couple is raised.
In her stage image, Gain confidently expresses the sexuality of an adult woman who knows about her desires (and reluctances) and is not going to hide them. The song "Paradise Lost" from the album called "Hawwah" ("Eve" in Hebrew) is about seduction - and the dark, mesmerizing video with "snake" choreography complements it perfectly.
Jay Park
Since the American Korean Park Jaebum moved to Seoul in 2005, he managed to be the leader of an idol group, leave it due to a scandal, release four full-length albums, found a hip-hop label, and join the cast Korean version comedy show Saturday Night Live and star in the Charlie XCX video.
Jay Park names Michael Jackson, Chris Brown and Usher among his role models. His videos are regularly banned on conservative Korean television - you can watch Mommae to understand why.
The track Me Like Yuh with its Latin American motifs will give the atmosphere of a pool party in the cold autumn, and honey voice Jay, combined with hot dances from the video, will warm him up extra.
Nell
The indie rock band was formed in 2001 and has received numerous music awards during its existence. Korean critics always note the richness of the arrangements and the freshness of the sound.
When listening, there is a feeling similar to that of Snow Patrol, The Editors and early Coldplay. But they are far from direct similarity; rather, they are similar in mood.
In general, the influence of Brit-rock is noticeable in Nell’s music, and the lyrics written by frontman Kim Chongwan are almost always filled with melancholy, existential longing and big city- although in latest releases notes of hope were added to them.
Ailee
The vocal range and lung capacity of Amy Lee, or Ailee, would be the envy of Christina Aguilera in her heyday. Seriously: the performer is sometimes criticized for the fact that she “oversings” some notes (as an antonym for the word “underscore”) and sounds too powerful.
Ailee grew up in America and quickly captivated the public after moving to Korea: her second mini-album A's Doll House sold out on the first day of release. The singer’s repertoire includes many ballad soundtracks and songs that can only be called “typical” of Korean pop music. But we can say with confidence that her true element is good old r’n’b.
Trumpeters, a Broadway atmosphere, shimmering light bulbs and a little jazz - in the image of a luxurious diva, Ailey feels great and looks amazing. If all this is to your taste, then we also recommend Don’t Touch Me. And if you want something more modern, there is a wonderful Home, a collaboration with hip-hop artist Yoon Mirae.
G-Dragon
“I'm a celebrity to your celebrities,” says Kwon Jiyong, better known as G-Dragon, on a track with rapper PSY. And he's not exaggerating: dozens of young performers call GD sunbaenima "Sunbaenim" is a Korean polite way of addressing an older colleague. to those who inspired them to pursue music.
Debuting in 2006 as the leader of Big Bang, G-Dragon wrote and produced most songs of the group, and in 2009 he released his first solo album, Heartbreaker.
GD does not recognize any boundaries when it comes to creativity outside the group, and it is very difficult to choose one clip to represent it. So to start with, here are two very different breakup songs.
Crooked is an energetic pop song with electronic sound keyboards and drums reminiscent of punk rock.
This is the title track of Kwon Ji Yong's album released in June. There is nothing here but a piano and a voice - and it is emotional, dramatic and slightly theatrical in places the performance makes the melody so beautiful.
For those who like a little strange, we can recommend One of a Kind. If you want something even weirder - Coup D'Etat, and if you want something completely crazy, please: MichiGO and Crayon.
Dean
The work of Kwon Hyuk, who took a pseudonym in honor of the American actor James Dean, will not disappoint fans of sensual sounds in the style of Zayn Malik and The Weeknd. Dean writes and produces songs for himself and other artists, and is also in the crew of Fanxychild along with Zico, r'n'b artist Crush, DJ and producer Millic and underground rapper Penomeco.
Bonnie & Clyde from the debut album 130 mood: TRBL is almost 4 minutes of pulsating beats and velvety vocals, periodically turning into falsetto, and the melody of the chorus will softly penetrate your head and stay there for a long time.
IU
Lee Ji-eun is a singer and actress, songwriter and producer, recognized by the strict Korean public as the “little sister of the nation.” IU made her stage debut at age 15, released four albums, and acted in several dramas, including - main role in the very popular Scarlet Heart.
If her talent as an actress does not always evoke everyone's admiration, IU has definitely achieved success as a musician. Her songs are very sincere and simple, which, combined with a gentle voice and a “girl next door” image, creates a very captivating combination.
Palette is melodic electro-pop, the title track of the album of the same name released in April. IU talks about the little things that may seem completely unimportant, but are always good to discover and embrace because they make you, you.
BeWhy
Rapper Lee Byung-yun is one of the most promising representatives of Korean hip-hop. Appearing on the fifth season of Show Me the Money - a TV show where both famous rappers and newcomers compete in skill - BeWhy earned a well-deserved victory and gained popularity.
With each new release, he remains true to himself: rich multi-layered sound, ragged, not boring rhythms, sincere lyrics, in which BeWhy often raises philosophical questions. If you decide to find translations, you definitely won’t regret it. But even without translation, listen to this talented person- sheer pleasure.
The Solutions
Pay attention if you like to throw cheerful indie parties, but Foster the People, OK Go and Two Door Cinema Club are already boring. The group's founders, vocalist Park Seol and guitarist Naru, claim that they are greatly influenced by American and British rock 90s and 00s, but I don’t really believe this - the guys create too life-affirming music.
The Solutions are catchy melodies, pleasant vocals, experiments with synthesizers and energetic rhythms that will definitely make you want to dance or go for a run. Well, or at least take a car ride through the evening city.
Many songs are sung in English, so if Korean still sounds too unfamiliar to you, you should start with these guys.
Mad Clown
Rapper, songwriter and producer Mad Clown (Jo Dong-rim) made his debut in 2008 with the album Love Sickness and has since released five full-length records and numerous tracks in collaboration with soft-voiced singers and other rappers.
Mad Clown, in his constant oval glasses, always looks a little embarrassed and does not at all correspond to the stereotypical image of a “bad guy” rapper. This impression is supported by the soft manner of performance and lyrical lyrics about the complex relationships that exist between two people.
The track Lie, created with the participation of singer Lee Hari, is a melancholic rap ballad about one-sided feelings, written from the perspective of the receiving party: “Not knowing how to swim, I came to the ocean. Not knowing how to love, I came to you.”
Hyukoh
Founded in 2014, this group is perhaps the most famous among Korean indie groups. Hyukoh sound truly unique. From uplifting tracks to reflective rock ballads, frontman Oh Hyuk's gravelly voice sometimes serves as just an accompaniment to rich instrumentals, and sometimes takes center stage - and then you can't help but admire his capabilities.
In addition to the work of the group itself, it is worth paying attention to Oh Hyuk’s collaborations with hip-hop producer Primary. Bawling, Island and Gondry - here the rock vocalist switched to the side of r’n’b and soul, and it turned out very well.
For an initial introduction, we offer Hyukoh’s hit - the energetic Comes and Goes from the group’s second album called 22.
Jessi
Jessie (Heo Hyunju) is a singer, rapper and member of the hip-hop trio Lucky J. Her career cannot be called smooth: from 2009 to 2014, Jessie was forced to take a break from musical activity. Since then, she has released several singles, participated in many collaborations and recorded a solo album, Un2verse.
A charismatic possessor of a wide vocal range and deep timbre, Jessie is capable of both aggressive rapping (Ssenunni) and melodic singing ( Don't Make Me Cry, Excessive Love). She clearly demonstrated both of these talents in a joint composition with rapper #Gun in the semi-finals of the Show Me the Money 5 competition. True, Jessie herself is present here only on the screen, but this does not diminish the expressiveness of the performance.
Do you listen to Korean music? Who else would you add to this list?
September 22 to the famous American actor, singer and public figure Dean Reed could have turned 79 years old, but in 1986 he passed away at mysterious circumstances. He was found dead in a lake near his home in Berlin, and his body was hastily cremated. The artist was originally from Denver (USA), but because of his political views he was forced to leave there, and therefore was a welcome guest in all socialist countries. In the USSR, Dean Reed enjoyed incredible popularity.
His musical career began in the United States, but Dean Reed's songs were more popular in Latin America. After several successful tours, he decided to stay in Argentina, where he recorded albums, acted in films and hosted a television program. In addition, the artist took an active part in social and political life, speaking out against nuclear tests and the war in Vietnam. He organized charity concerts, participated in anti-war rallies and criticized American politics. Because of his views, he was forced to leave Argentina, lived for some time in Italy, and then settled in the GDR.
The convictions that made Dean Reed an unwelcome guest in his homeland ensured that he received a warm welcome in the USSR. He first came here in 1965, and after that he visited quite often and even gave concerts at BAM. Dean Reed starred in films in the USSR and in Eastern Europe, which were extremely popular among Soviet viewers, especially Westerns, where Gojko Mitic played noble Indians and Dean Reed played honest cowboys. In the USA he was nicknamed Red Cowboy and Red Elvis, however, despite his leftist views, the artist did not declare himself a communist, did not join a socialist party in any country, did not renounce American citizenship and never tired of declaring his love to ordinary Americans.
From 1979 to 1985 Dean Reed actively toured, spoke at political rallies, acted in films and recorded discs. In 1985, a documentary about the artist called “American Rebel” was released in the USA, after which he was invited to take part in the TV show “60 Minutes”. Dean Reed really hoped that this would help his compatriots understand his position and contribute to the growth of his popularity at home. However, the authors pursued other goals, and on the screens the artist appeared as an ardent supporter of the communist regime and an opponent of “democratic values.” The singer returned to Berlin in upset feelings.
A month and a half after 60 Minutes aired, in June 1986, Dean Reed was found dead in a lake near his home. The official report stated that death was the result of an accident. According to the main version, that day the actor quarreled with his wife, got behind the wheel, crashed into a tree, flew out of the car, fell into the lake and drowned. However, many fans of the singer and actor doubt that it was an accident. American relatives of Dean Reed were sure that he was killed because, after a long stay in the East, he expressed a desire to return to the West. Foreign newspapers even wrote that his murder was connected with “terrorist activities of the intelligence services of the communist regime of the GDR.” A version was also put forward that Dean Reed was recruited by the KGB, and the CIA, having learned about this, eliminated the dangerous agent.
In 1986, Literaturnaya Gazeta published an interview with Dean Reed’s widow, actress Renata Blume, in which she stated: “ Any suggestion that my husband was killed is the most disgusting slander. Such speculation only insults the memory of Dina, causing pain to me and our daughter. My husband drowned. He was found dead in the lake. IN Lately Dean's health deteriorated sharply: he had diseased heart. As for the assumption that he wanted to return to the USA - and this is an absolute lie. He didn't intend to do anything like that" At the same time, in an interview with other publications, Blume said that she doubted the version of suicide and was inclined to think that it was an accident, and another time she stated that her husband was killed.
After the documents of the state security service of the GDR were declassified, the artist’s suicide letter was discovered, in which he asked forgiveness from his loved ones for deciding to commit suicide. A graphological examination confirmed the authenticity of the letter. The medical report indicated that an autopsy determined that Dean Reed had taken a powerful sleeping pill before his death. If you believe these documents, the version of suicide was still true: the artist fell asleep at the wheel and died. But the reasons that prompted the singer and actor to commit suicide still remain unclear. Some biographers are inclined to believe that after an unsuccessful television broadcast in the United States and lost hope of returning to his homeland, Dean Reed fell into depression, which led to tragic consequences. However, this remains at the level of speculation, and the reasons for the artist’s death are still a mystery.
Despite his incredible popularity in the USSR, Dean Reed’s partner in Westerns also failed to achieve recognition in his homeland: .
American singer and film actor Dean Reed was a favorite of Soviet audiences. Always cheerful, open to communication, the American artist was a welcome guest in all socialist countries. Therefore, when a message appeared about the unexpected and equally mysterious death of the artist, many versions of the cause of his death appeared.
When Reed's body was found in Lake Zeutener See on June 17, 1986, it was underwater, covered with rocks. Forensic experts concluded that the singer died almost four days ago. Further data on the causes of death are surrounded by various contradictory details. By official version According to police, the singer's death was an accident. However, his mother and first wife Patricia are sure that Dean was killed for his decision to return to America. His last wife Renata Blume does not give interviews. But one day she let it slip that her husband was killed with five stabs. And yet, most of his acquaintances are sure that after a quarrel with his wife, the singer decided to take his own life.
His neighbor, General Eberhard Fansch, talks about this in the film - he and his wife heard Dean and Renata arguing loudly shortly before the tragedy. After some time, it became known that on the seat of the deceased singer’s car there was suicide note, addressed to the general. Fansch himself recalls that Dean often had thoughts of suicide, but his neighbor managed to talk him out of the terrible act. In the film, Fansch bitterly admits: “He promised that he wouldn’t do anything to himself. He swore that he wouldn’t do it, but he did...”
Doubts that Dean Reed's death is suicide are expressed by the singer's friend, translator Oleg Smirnov. He is sure that there are a lot of blank spots in this case, and the fact that the body was hastily cremated proves that the GDR authorities wanted to hide something. Random witnesses also disappeared in unknown ways. When Patricia, who arrived at the scene of the death, asked one of the police officers why Reed’s wallet was dry if it was found in the lake, she heard an unexpected answer: who said that the body was found in the lake? When the woman later tried to find this policeman, he disappeared without a trace. Many people are puzzled by another detail. If it was suicide, then why was the body pressed to the bottom by stones? The filmmakers are trying to understand all versions of this case.
After the liquidation of the Stasi (GDR Ministry of State Security), residents East Germany We learned that there is a detailed dossier on each of them. A person like Dean Reed, especially, could not help but be under the close supervision of this service. However, according to Stasi Museum expert Felix Müller, there is not a single dossier on Reed in the Stasi archives. And there is no true information about how the artist died.
One of the great successes of the film's authors is great exclusive interview with Estonian actress Eve Kivi, with whom Dean Reed had a long-term affair. Despite the fact that the singer was very much loved in the USSR, he was not allowed to buy an apartment in Moscow and was forbidden to officially register his marriage with the woman he loved. And for many years Eva and Dean had to meet in hotels...
Not only is the interview with Kiwi unique - the documentary is entirely built on exclusive materials. For example, it shows documents that none of the TV viewers could see before - the results of the autopsy of the body, refuting some versions of the death, the text of Dean Reed's suicide letter.
The authors of the film trace the entire creative and life path Reed, starting when he was 12 years old, without knowing musical literacy, having learned six chords on the guitar, he began writing songs. He sang them to anyone who would listen. Once such a random listener turned out to be a Columbia Records producer... Already in 1961, the 23-year-old singer, having albums of recorded songs, went on tour to Latin America. He meets Salvador Allende, Che Guevara, Victor Jara. Political Views cheerful Americans are rapidly changing. The whole world was discussing the singer’s act when Reed demonstratively washed the American flag “from the blood of Vietnamese children.”
Due to conflicts with American government the singer leaves the country and, without receiving permission to stay in the USSR, finds a new home in the GDR. Why did Dean Reed once say during a meeting with Ewe Kiwi: “How I hate this country and the people from the GDR”? Why did the singer receive death threats in Germany? According to the film participants, Dean Reed played his role in the political arena. And at the turn of the era, there is no need for witnesses to either ups or downs. Those who had been his puppeteers all his life, who had manipulated him, knew this. But will we know their names?
Bernard Battalova
