Armature Amplifier [Polar Coordinates]

"You've never heard such a romantic album in South Korea"
Armature Amplifier - Polar Coordinates

This album is in the form of a moderator or voice actor introducing each song. You might be surprised by the playlist of 18 songs, unlike the 9 songs written on the back. Is there even a hidden track? However, a simple introduction with a smooth voice serves as a coordinate in front of each song as an independent track, and the actual songs in this album are 9 songs including the last untitled track.
Is this like a short film?
The introduction of the song, performed by Felix, the drummer of "Oyster Boy Scouts", in which Amateur Amplifier was a part, is very simple. It's nothing more than an introductory song. Kind explanations of homonyms (Park), explanations of stories (Sailor), and somewhat meaningless explanations (Plateau). This form of is like watching a short film focusing on a common theme, and serves as both a coordinate and a hindrance to finding that theme. The common emotion that each song has - the very emotion that stands out through the repeated expression of the phrase 'no-' in the lyrics of the amateur amplifier. Yes, it's a feeling, not a subject. What kind of feeling is that?
Hanhan, the only component of the amateur amplifier, is usually the No. 1 South Korean musician who has been most respected and influenced by Kang Byeong-cheol and Samtaegi. And as their musical achievements, they cite everyday romanticism. Is it because they think that the daily life of ordinary people living here in this land is expressed with a cheerful melody? Then, of the amateur amplifier is probably the best successor to that everyday romance. Isn't it even more commendable that it was expressed through a simple and seemingly poor work process using a classical guitar and a computer?
However, this South Korean young man's lonely, full, exhausting, happy, and ordinary life is expressed through beautiful lyrics and melodies that are not at all ordinary. This is the unusual emotion of , the romance of an amateur amplifier close to fantasy. “A greedy boy” who wants to walk with you in “in a forest thick with greenery”, “a park where I come out with a guitar under the night sky and sing about you appearing in my dreams”, what comes to mind is “your body alone”, finally “a street with no one ”, an unknown young man “walking in two”, a lonely young man “with no one in my room”, and a “weak idealist who has lived a life stained with selfishness”.
However, even this romanticity is not smooth, so there is no doubt that the sensibility of is really strange. Anyone can notice -- the rough sound of albums recorded in so-called lo-fi methods and the composition of unusual songs turn the slick atmosphere back into an amateur amplifier style and drive you into reality. Direct and repetitive lyrics, noise that can be heard above a certain level in any song, and pleasant bass line played by a classical guitar play a really big role in building an amateur amplifier-type sensibility that can't be heard anywhere else.
In fact, what is easy to overlook on this album is the flow of the melody/bass line played by an amateur amplifier on a classical guitar. A basic guitar solo heard on the first track “Peace Tower”, which is likely to be played by a bass, and repetitive guitar phrases heard on “Park”, “Moment”, “Highlands”, etc., are accompanied by vocals and another main melody line in each song. is making The choruses from “Sailor,” “Shall We Ponting,” and “Polar Coordinates” are also worth listening to. (This is a part where you can glimpse the musical influence of the Hanbari Petsham Boys.)
In addition, the rhythm guitar, which explains that the amateur amplifier “plays the role of a drum and rhythm maker in the background of the voice,” makes simple repetition never boring, but rather fresh and fun. The repeated stroking of this rhythm guitar also creates an amazing synergistic effect with the repeated lyrics, and strangely, if you listen to the song of an amateur amplifier even once, the lyrics and melody keep ringing in your ears, creating an aftereffect. Now, this is the end of the troublesome explanation of . After all, music is not something you read with your eyes, but something you hear with your ears and feel with your heart. Since early 2003, amateur amplifiers' songs, which have provided unforgettable impressions and pleasure to numerous audiences centered on club bread, are in front of you under the name of . Please immerse yourself in the world of strange and beautiful daily romance unfolded by an amateur amplifier.

Amateur Amplifier is a one-man band of humble and polite young people. The name amateur amplifier is said to be derived from the words “amateur” and “amplifier” respectively in the sub-genre of pornography and in the field of electronics and electricity. An amateur amplifier who likes and respects Kang Byeong-cheol, Sam Tae-gi, and Petsham Boys, has been making songs by himself in the corner of his room since around 2002, and since 2003 has performed numerous performances at Club Bread, Rolling Stone, Hongik University Free Market, and DigiBridge. Musician Amateur Amplifier is also a film director. In 2002, the famous song “Rubber Doll” featured in the self-produced <29-Year-Old Self-Defense Force> was made into a video by Hanbat.

Polar coordinates, as amateur amplifiers say, are probably the best successor to romanticism, one of the musical achievements of Kang Byeong-cheol and Sam Tae-gi among South Korean albums released so far . And the lyrics show the sensitivity of the literary youth (the lack of which is still severely sensed), and the life of South Korea under the influence of the Petsham Boys - not talking about everyday life, but talking about perverted (?) lyrics with fantasy - It shows signs of trying to reflect. The lyrics are as short as the songs. What the hell is singing - in terms of material - sometimes stands out. Whether the repetition was effective, I don't really think that each track is short despite its short duration.
This album is incredibly intoxicating and enjoyable to listen to. I'm not sure if that's a good thing. It's fun. The music of the amateur amplifier sounds like that to the audience. till now. If you listen to this album, an amateur amplifier is not an amplifier stuck in a room singing. It's not a song for disabled people, it's not a song for unemployed people, it's a song for people who are drunk somewhere. Not a song for good-looking people, no yellow kitchens, no basement velvet, too slick compared to these drunk songs.
[Geumjatower] has a melancholy atmosphere and is the song that received the most support during the monitoring process. In terms of melody, it might be the best track of "Polar Coordinates". [Shall we ponting] is a strange track with a psychedelic charm that seems abrupt and distracting. [Polar Coordinates] is a track that is a little closer to handcrafted techno and retains a very psychedelic state at some moments through the overlapping of multiple tracks of vocals.
is an album full of romance that only becomes clearer when you listen to it while drunk. Not much to say about mixing or sound quality. I can only guess that there are achievements that can be achieved in home music work.
|I'm using up
|I'm getting old
|I smell good when I wash my hair
|When I'm drunk and sing while walking down the street |
Children come and play guitar
|Adults come and offer me another drink and dance
While repeating 'Father Petsham Boys', it seemed like he was proposing a trip to the next world, so on the one hand, I was very relieved.
Ah, another musical achievement of is the musical use of Gyeongsang-do dialect. The uniqueness of the melody, which can be felt in the lyrics, will be easily discerned by the discerning (?) quick listeners who pray in the dialect as well. (It's embarrassing to say it's an achievement, but it might be a natural result derived from the fact that the songs came out in real life.)
Here, the guitar plays the role of a drum or rhythm maker, laying in the background of the voice. So, when drunk people hear these songs, they may shake their hips around. There are songs that tenderly express tender emotions. I want to appreciate songs that express tender emotions without being weak. But those songs won't make me happy.
An album that's hard to imagine unless you're drunk, is an album that you listen to without even thinking about it if you're not drunk.

* Side A features the original track released in 2004, and side B features the remastered track from 2023.
* There are no song intro tracks on side B.
* Made in Taiwan
* 12-inch 180g Black Barn LP
* Inserted inner sleeve for lyrics

JAMESRECORD019

[Credit]
all works in PingPongStudio
*; uselessly extended version

all sounds by amature amplifier
except each introducings by felix, '?Gowon [Gowon]' chorus by food, and 'last untitled track' electric guitar stroking by sp
recording, mixing and producing by amature amplifier

mastering by PingPongSound
publishing by PingPongSound (www.pingpongsound.com)
remastering by Jungil Kwak

amature amplifier @Web:amature.pingpongsound.com

recording materials : tongue, classic guitar, PC, Mic, sound card, recording and mixing software program,
recorder, electric guitar, camcorder, mobile phone and unknown television program.

cover designed by Hanbat

Production / James Records
Distribution _ Music Bus

(P)&(C) 2023 JAMESRECORD
Issued by JAMESRECORD
Manufactured and Released by MUSICVERSE.
WARNING: All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized duplication and lent is prohibited.
Vinyl Manufactured in Taiwan
JAMESRECORD019