Okay, so here I am yet again to regale you with something fantastic concerning my favorite band, Decadent. This time around, it’s about the place where they actually create their incredible music.
For longtime fans of the band, they’ll remember a little documentary they made about a year ago, following them as they created their full-length self-titled album. Fans will also notice it seemed homier than most studios. This place where the band both creates music and a little madness is aptly called Janitor Studio. I’m not sure the story behind it, as such. But considering it seems more like the home of a handyman than the creative space of four musicians, it makes sense to me.
The studio, which mostly seems to be the brainchild of band leader Pahk Chang-hyun and sound engineer Song Ji-won, has its own YouTube channel. There you can watch as Chang and Ji-won conceive of ideas for music and even the band’s live shows. You even have the opportunity to watch as Ji-won and his friends actually build parts of the studio!
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Janitor Studio and its YouTube channel is just how intimate it is. Insofar as viewers are allowed a very close look at how Chang creates music. There are a number of covers (a couple of them are, shall we say, quite interesting) and original songs on the channel, all composed and/or arranged by Chang and Ji-won. There are also a series of vlogs following Chang and Ji-won around Seoul, sometimes accompanied by their friends, oftentimes acting a fool.
Even more spectacular is that every Sunday without fail Chang and Ji-won have a live stream where they basically shoot the shit with die-hard fans and at times musician friends. (You’ll even see me lurking around the chat, mainly talking to Chang, the only person on stream that speaks fluent English. They humor me, of course, because my Korean is pathetic!) If you’re lucky, you might even be able to hear the band rehearsing in the background. (It is a studio, after all.)
Fans of Decadent have so much more to be excited about now. Chang and Ji-won are giving them an up-close-and-personal look at their creative process, but mostly just how they are outside of the band. It’s really a fantastic gift to thier fans. Not many bands allow you to get that close to them. So if you have a minute, subscribe to the channel. It’s a great time!
Follow Janitor Studio:
YouTube
Instagram
If you happen to be in the Hongdae area on May 4th, you should check out Decadent’s solo concert at Sang Sang Madang. If you get the chance, ask them about the studio and how you can support them!
Rock 'N Seoul 