Whang Bo Ryung, a painter and musician, brings depth and experimentation to popular music.

[seoul, south korea] Whang Bo Ryung, who writes, produces, and performs music is critically acclaimed among Korean female pop music musicians. Whang Bo Ryung is a female punk musician who pulls popular music to the artistic level by creating haunting, layered, soundscapes.

In February, he released his first solo acoustic special album, As if nothing ever happened. He also released the world’s largest music showcase South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Texas, USA, PMPS Festival, and so on.

You’re still busy crossing the border. Please keep me updated.
“I came back and it was so terrible that there was an accident in the country, and after that there was a constant incidents in the country of Korea, and the more I think about it, the more I can think of things I can do as a figure and a musician. That’s the topic nowadays, and I’m preparing SmackSoft’s 6th album. “

Can you give us a clue about the sixth album you are working on?
“It’s a secret(laughs), please wait.”

What does the name of the band SMACKSOFT mean?
“If you drink something like wine, you do not know that you are drunk, yet you are drunk at that moment, it feels like that: smack it softly. (laughs) That’s what I intended. “

What is the music that Whang Bo Ryung and SmackSoft are aiming for?
“The genre is POST PUNK, I seek depth rather than breadth, for example, it’s a piece of wood rather than plywood.”

Your music is very visual. You seem to use music as a medium in the same way you use paint. Many critics said that each song has a string sense of imagery and uses layers of sound to create an environment. What is your creative process like?
“I get a lot of questions about the difference between painting and music because I am a person who paints picture and creates music. The popular culture critic, writer, collector Mr. Choi Kyu-sung, suggested to me “why not release an album that combines all of these things completely?,” so, that’s what I did on this acoustic album, As if nothing ever happened.

What inspirations, or influences effect the performance of a song or work?
“When we see something, hear it, smell it, feel it, or remember something, we think of all the senses connected together. I think it feels like that. First, imagine the image and then sound the image.

“On the other hand, when I draw or paint a picture, I hear a certain sound. There are many times when I actually draw a picture with a sound. There is certainly a sound associated with each color, but it’s not just a combination of sounds that are always good to listen to or like to work with. Feel more dissonant? “

Since your second album, The Solar Wheel, you have been working as a band – SmackSoft. Was there a special reason to create an acoustic album?
“I think I wanted to get closer to the natural sound, but even if it was an acoustic album, I had to use electricity after all, because I like creating with contrasts and contradictions.

I see that there are still many people wondering your last name that if it is Whang or Whangbo, but can I take this opportunity to clarify?
it’s Whang (Laughter) My English name is ‘Bo’ from ‘Bo Ryung’, so I think I’m more confused. “

What if you have plans for the future?
“I want to be steady – both body and mind.”

via OhMy News, written by손주희(jsl1222)