Rock 'N Seoul

It’s raining today. It’s one of those days where you don’t want to do anything put listen to something soft and love while watching as fat teardrops speckle your window. On a day like this, I’m reminded of a band that I’d come across while looking over the bands attending last year’s Zandari Festa.

Room306 is a surprise to me. Not simply because I’d not actually heard much lo-fi nu-jazz come out of South Korea. They also have a stage presence and dedication to jazz that could throw listeners for a loop if they’re not expecting it.

The music is… pure I think is the best way to describe it. There’s so much rawness, such musicality. If I think about it, Room306 very much reminds me of those bands you see by chance when you walk into a new coffee house or jazz club. What’s even more exceptional about the band is the ability for each musician to adapt and transform. If you’re looking for a band that sounds as good or better on stage as they do on the album, most definitely. However, if you’re looking for them to sound the same, you may be shocked to find just how different their stage performance is from their studio output. Then, of course, there’s the elegance of Hong Hyo-jin’s voice. Unfettered with the need to impress with ad-libs, her voice is the stuff of real jazz: scat, smooth, blissfully simple yet technically brilliant.

Adaptation. Improvisation. Jazz. From First Aid’s stellar composition, to Yu Eun-ju’s flawless improvisation on the keys, Kim Ju-min’s pretty strumming, JY Lee’s immaculate time keeping on the drums, and Hyo-jin’s lovely vocal, Room306 is a just a delightful band to invest your time in. If you’re a fan of jazz, or if you’re just a fan of really good music, please take a moment to this band.

You can learn more about Room306 on:
Facebook
First Aid’s Soundcloud