Whang Bo-ryung = Smacksoft ( = Smacksoft), commonly known as Smacksoft, is a South Korean

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-roc ...

and experimental rock band formed in 2000 by the lead singer-songwriter

Whang Bo-ryung Whang Bo-ryung (; born February 26, 1970) is a South Korean-American singer, songwriter and painter. She is the lead vocalist and founder of the band Smacksoft. She released her first solo album, ''Cat With Three Ears'', in April 1998. Life and ...

. The band is prominent in the local indie scene in Hongdae, Seoul where front woman Whang is known as one of the most respected female rockers. Two of their albums were nominated for Best Modern Rock Album at the

Korean Music Awards The Korean Music Awards () is an annual South Korean music awards show that honors both mainstream and underground musical artists from a variety of genres. Unlike other major South Korean music awards, which largely rely on record sales to det ...

: ''Shines in the Dark'' in 2010 and ''Follow Your Heart'' in 2013.

History

2000–02: Formation and hiatus

The band's founder and lead singer-songwriter Whang was born in Seoul and moved to the United States as a teenager. After performing as a university student in New York City, she returned to Seoul in 1998 and released an album of her own. In 2000, she formed the Smacksoft band when they played a final track on her second album, ''Sun Sign'', which she was recording. The band toured in South Korea and Japan in 2002, in support of ''Sun Sign'', then took a hiatus when Whang took time off to continue her education and travel.

2008–present: SXSW, North American and European tour

Returning to Seoul in 2008, Whang reunited the band and released the EP ''SmackSoft 2.5'' in January 2009. She is also a professional artist and provides original artwork for the album covers. On July 24, 2009, they appeared with a group of musicians of different genres in concert at Gwanghwamun Art Hall, title Star English Concert, for the Educational Broadcasting System, a fundraiser for the hearing impaired. They released studio albums ''Shines in the Dark'' in 2009, which received a nomination for Best Modern Rock Album at the Korean Music Awards, and ''Mana Wind'' in 2010. Whang said the title ''Mana Wind'' stood for a supernatural wind, and symbolized a strength to overcome hardships in your life. One song on the album, "Blue Marbles", was based on her remembrances of the light's reflections on a favorite blue

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

that she had played with when young. On February 26, 2011, the band participated in a fundraiser in Seoul for

post-rock Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. Post-rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with ...

indie group Apollo 18, an indie band traveling to North America and

SXSW South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...

. The band was featured on

Arirang Radio Arirang Radio (, stylized as arirang) is an English-language South Korean television network based in Seoul and aimed at an overseas audience. It is operated by the Korea International Broadcasting Foundation and is financially supported by the Mi ...

in February and March. In August 2011, they performed at the

Pentaport Rock Festival Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival () is a rock festival which is held annually in Incheon, South Korea for three days in August. Launched in 2006, it is considered one of the biggest live music events in South Korea. The festival covers various genr ...

. In 2012, they released the album ''Follow Your Heart'', which received the band's second nomination for Best Modern Rock Album at the Korean Music Awards. On March 2, 2012, they played with nine bands at a benefit concert in Hongdae, "Rock & Resistance", in support of the Gangjeong Village's concerns about government construction of the

Jeju Naval Base The Jeju Civilian-Military Complex Port for Beautiful Tourism (Hangul: ; Hanja:) or Jeju Naval Base (Hangul: ; Hanja:) is a joint civil and Republic of Korea Navy base constructed by the South Korean government in Gangjeong village on the souther ...

. On June 30, 2012, three of the band members played an acoustic set at

Jeju City Jeju City ( ko, 제주시, Jeju-si; ) is the capital of the Jeju Province in South Korea and the largest city on Jeju Island. The city is served by Jeju International Airport ( IATA code CJU). Located on an island off the Korean Peninsula, Jeju ...

's One Night Acoustic in Jamaica Concert. On April 19, 2013, they participated in a

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States established to provide the means to cure cystic fibrosis (CF) and ensure that those living with CF live long and productive lives. The Foundation prov ...

charity event in Hongdae, called Shake Shop, with bands

Jambinai Jambinai () are a Korean avant-rock band formed in Seoul in 2009. Their debut album ''Différance'' won the award for Best Crossover Album at the 2013 Korean Music Awards. Their second album ''Hermitage'' was released in 2016 on Bella Union. Duri ...

and Juck Juck Grunzie, and bellydancer Eshe. On December 15, 2013, the band appeared on the SBS special ''Legends Cover'', a tribute for underground singer Kim Hyun-sik. On March 14, 2014, they performed at

's 2k14

Seoulsonic Seoulsonic (SEOULSONIC), ( ko, 서울소닉) is an annual concert tour in the United States and Canada, organized by the DFSB Kollective with support from the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), which began in 2011 in an effort to introduce ...

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

with Big Phony, Glen Check, Rock N' Roll Radio and Love X Stereo; with a continued US tour, including

CAAMFest CAAMFest, known prior to 2013 as the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF), is presented every March in the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States as the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asia ...

in San Francisco. On March 29, 2014, they played the second Hongdaefest, joining older and newer groups in an effort to introduce the Hongdae music scene, "once known as an incubator for indie bands such as Crying Nut and Rumblefish". In April 2014, they performed at

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

's CinemAsia Film Festival. On October 27, 2016, they released their sixth album, ''Urbane Sanity'', with eleven tracks, following single releases of ''Are You Ready?_Urbane Sanity'' in August and ''Go! Urbane Sanity'' in September, with songs from the same album. They performed some of the new music at a Seoul art exhibition, "Mundo", held by Whang and artist Sin Ifie, also in September. The album's ninth track "You Are There_R.I.P" is a memorial song for

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice", she is one of the bestselling music artists of all time, with sales of over 200 million records worldwide. Houston in ...

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

and Whang's father, who died the previous winter. Whang, also, humorously credits her house cat "Bach" for work on the song's creation, as he was sleeping on the synthesizer, then suddenly awakened and kicked off with his back foot, creating some notes on the last verse that she retained on the song.

Musical style and influences

The band's sound is influenced by artists such as

Brian Eno Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop an ...

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1964. The original line-up consisted of singer/guitarist Lou Reed, multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and drummer Angus MacLise. MacLise w ...

, and

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth was an American rock band based in New York City, formed in 1981. Founding members Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals), Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the b ...

. John Redmond of ''

The Korea Times ''The Korea Times'' is the oldest of three English-language newspapers published daily in South Korea. It is a sister paper of the ''Hankook Ilbo'', a major Korean language daily; both are owned by Dongwha Enterprise, a wood-based manufacturer ...

'' described their musical style as "a fantastic, densely-layered hybrid sound of post-punk, rock and electronica". Kim Young-jin of the same newspaper described the band as having a "penchant for

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

", with "the music angingfrom ambient to electro-synth", and compared lead singer Whang's "husky voice" to

Cat Power Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and model. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a ...

. In 2014 at

, Luke Winkie of ''

The Austin Chronicle ''The Austin Chronicle'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demogr ...

'' said they "weave layered, smoky synthetic blankets like Portishead".

Lineups

The band's members who accompany Whang have changed over the years. In 2000, the band included Yoon Sung-hoon (guitar), Lee Min-jung (bass) and Hirsch (drums); in 2008, Park Jong-geun (guitar), Park Jin-sun (keyboards) and Seo Jung-hyun (bass); in 2009, Park Jong-geun (guitar), Park Jin-sun (keyboards), Seo Jung-hyun (bass) and Kim Heon-deok (drums); in 2010, Nicholas Ellis and Yoon Sung-hoon (guitar), Park Jin-sun (keyboards), Lee Jung-hyun (bass) and Seo Jin-shil (drums); in 2011, Yoon Sung-hoon (guitar), Bachan Kyu-neun (keyboard), Seo Jung-hyun (bass) and Seo Jin-shil (drums); in 2012, Rainbow99 (guitar), Kang Ha-neul (keyboard), Shin Ji-yong (bass) and Seo Jin-shil (drums); in 2013, Ryu Seong-hyun (guitar), Kang Ha-neul (keyboard), Shin Ji-yong (bass) and Seo Jin-shil (drums); and in 2014, Rainbow99 (guitar), Kang Ha-neul (keyboards), Shin Ji-yong (bass) and Seo Jin-shil (drums). Since 2015, the members are Whang (vocals, guitar, ukulele), Choi Hi-je () (lead guitar), Shin Ji-yong () (bass guitar), and DeAnthony Nelson Jr. (drums).

Discography

EP

* ''SmackSoft 2.5'' (2009)

Studio album

* ''The Sun Sign'' (2001) * ''Shines in the Dark'' (2009) * ''Mana Wind'' (2010) * ''Follow Your Heart'' (2012) * ''Urbane Sanity'' (2016)

Awards and nominations

In 2011, they were number 54 on Louder Than War's "Top 57 new bands for 2011".

References

External links

{{Authority control Musical groups established in 2000 South Korean rock music groups