James Chae's List List List
I asked James Chae, the first person to write an essay for Issue 01. What is your list. His list, list, list.
What kinds of devices did you have and long for?
Well, the specific devices I’ve forgotten the names of and weren’t very popular models. At the time, there were so many different models of everything that there weren’t many singularly special ones. This is different from the way smartphones are branded today. Unlike the iPhone or Galaxy line of phones, companies like Sony made Walkmans for all different price ranges and uses. Here are some commercials of the popular cassette, MD and MP3 players.
Nippon Retro – Iconic Sony Walkman in 1979 TV ad
Sony Walkman TPS-L2 commercial
Graphic designer and writer Ray Masaki writes about the strange phenomenon of Anglo-saxon models appearing in Japanese commercial culture and how it’s complicit in white supremacy. This is another example of such behavior and it’s a weird one for sure.
Nippon Retro – Iconic Sony Walkman in 1979 TV ad
Curve – Sony MiniDisc – full length advert 1997
Action-packed Sony MD commercial
One of the key features of MiniDiscs were that they didn’t skip, like CD players did. MiniDiscs still used a laser and spinning motor to play, but the size and compact nature of the devices allowed for such stunt-like moves shown in this commercial.
Curve – Sony MiniDisc – full length advert 1997
First iPod Commercial 2001
The first Apple iPod commercial from 2001
It’s funny that this commercial touts the ease of managing a MP3 library. It shows the promise of a convenient present from the future where your whole CD collection fits in the palm of your hand. It also prefeatures the San Francisco tech bro in all his plain khaki glory.
First iPod Commercial 2001
What are some tracks that still stick with you from all those mixtapes you made?
I was really into pop punk music during the time I made cassette mixtapes. Honestly, I don’t listen to that music much anymore, so it’s hard to revisit. Not really because the music hasn’t aged well, in fact the sound is so full of integrity that it brings me right back to my angsty teenage years. That’s why it’s hard to listen, because rarely does one want to reach back and relive the horrors that was puberty.
Little Honda
The Queers – Little Honda
This song is a great track in the tradition of bebop punk. It’s a short love story about a motorcycle of little significance. It’s not about a roaring Harley, or a sporty Kawasaki, but a 500cc Honda. I must admit that my mid-life crisis is going to be purchasing one of these little babies.
Little Honda
Sheena Is a Punk Rocker (2001 Remaster)
The Ramones – Sheena Is a Punk Rocker
The classic four piece Rockaway group, the Ramones, really created a definitive sound. Although not purely original in structure, they created their own universe of punk, which was both edgy and approachable. Pretty cool for some kids from Rockaway, a weird little enclave in the south end of Brooklyn.
Sheena Is a Punk Rocker (2001 Remaster)
Phonographic Memory – Asian Man Records
Interview with Mike Park from Asian Man Records
Mike Park was a god to me. A mini god, but still a god. To be a Korean American whose peers were in to Kpop and RnB, I stood out. But Mike Park showed me that you could eat kimchi at the table and be proud of it. He was a singular identity within a predominantly universe and showed me it was ok to like this music and be against.
Phonographic Memory – Asian Man Records
You said that you lost so many MP3 player playlists that you collected before due to the death of a computer hard drive. Can you introduce some songs that come to mind depending on your memory?
아직도 자주 생각나는 음반들은 많죠. 유튜브를 활용하면 아마 그 곡들을 떠올리는 데 큰 문제는 없을 거예요. 제가 대학생일 때 친구들의 도움으로 수많은 음악 파일을 모을 수 있었기에 하드드라이브와 함께 지워진 음악이 아까워서 가슴이 아파요. 친구들과 밤새 노래를 들으며 파일을 교환하고 토론하던 기억들도 함께 사라진 거잖아요. 그때 제 음악 취향이 발달하면서 음악을 감상하는 태도에 다양성이 생겼어요. 친구들에게 많이 고마운 부분이에요.
Dump – Raspberry Beret
Dump – Raspberry Beret
In college I fell in love with the smooth, somber tones of Yo La Tengo. But their music can be somewhat esoteric at times and a bit too NPR. Dump was a fun project by the band’s bassist James McNew. They were just his private four-track recordings, but the lo-fi quality really delivered an earnest passion for pop, which he probably couldn’t explore within the confines of Yo La Tengo.
Dump – Raspberry Beret
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Neutral Milk Hotel – In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
사실 이 곡은 지금 들으려고 하면 무척 힘들게 다가와요. 대학교 2학년 때인가 춥고 외로운 겨울을 보낸 적이 있었어요. 친구와 저, 둘이서 차 안에서 이 음반을 들었는데, 제프 매그넘의 가사를 음미하며 우울하고 아름다운 삶의 아픔을 함께 고민했어요. 슬픈 기억들이 담긴 곡입니다.
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Arab On Radar – Queen Hygiene II LP Full Album (1997)
Arab On Radar – Queen Hygiene II LP Full Album 1997
Providence, RI is known for its Italian and Portugese American food, the mafia, and noise music. Arab on Radar wasn’t a big band on the scene, but they crafted a more unique sound in comparison to the guitar mashing and drum crashing groups around them. This album was also lost in the epic post-graduation hard drive crash.
Arab On Radar – Queen Hygiene II LP Full Album (1997)
Are there any genres that you’ve gotten to enjoy thanks to streaming platforms?
Well, to be honest I’ve lately been falling in love with K-pop, which has greatly benefitted from streaming. I don’t like all K-pop, but I consider myself a Blink and prefer YG groups over JYP groups or SM groups. Today Kpop production reminds me of the sugary goodness of J-pop. Specifically groups like Perfume and Capsule, both produced by Nakata Yasutaka. But unlike J-pop, which is much more classical in song structure and presentation, K-pop is really all over the place. There are anthem choruses next to raps and huge dramatic peaks and valleys. This hodge podge (짬뽕) mix is super appealing to a shorten attention span, which streaming is designed for (or prolonged, honey dripping Muzak that puts you in a trance state). Here are some tracks that have been on constant rotation in my streaming mix.
BLACKPINK – 휘파람 (WHISTLE) M/V
BLACKPINK – 휘파람 (WHISTLE) M/V
Blackpink’s debut single is a wonder. The spare and minimal beat is compelling to the point of confusion. It is a genius move on the part of Teddy, the main in-house producer at YG and who’s responsible for much of Blackpink’s sound. The reason is because the track really highlights each member and their talents, while creating a strong harmony between the four.
BLACKPINK – 휘파람 (WHISTLE) M/V
TWICE – Feel Special M/V
TWICE – Feel Special M/V
Twice is a JYP group and their song writing is diverse. This track was introduced to my Tokyo-based designer Ray Masaki. He wrote a compelling essay about how he escapes into Twice when he feels overwhelmed by how much his design work is ensnared by capitalist enterprise. I agree that this bubbly song is a salve to such trauma.
TWICE – Feel Special M/V
CL – SPICY (Official Video)
CL – SPICY (Official Video)
After CL’s controversial break from her management, she’s returned with a highly representative track of Kpop kimchi goodness. When I heard this track, I smell aged kimchi jjigae and haemul sunndubu jjigae. CL is interesting to me also because she’s not quite a Korean American or a purely native Korean. She’s been able to craft an identity out of both and has become singular, like Beyoncé, which is incredibly hard to do within the idol structure.
CL – SPICY (Official Video)
You credit the Spotify playlists Rap Caviar and K-Pop Daebaek in your opinion piece for breaking certain artists. Could you share some of the artists from that playlist that you consider worthy of this success.
Well, I don’t personally pay much attention to those playlists. Also, they change weekly so I can really only pick through the recent crop. These playlists are also human-curated and crafted based on popularity and an amount of discovery. So, they’re a bit more trustworthy and try to describe a moment more than just create an algorithmic vibe.
Pop Smoke – Tell The Vision (Audio) ft. Kanye West, Pusha T
Pop Smoke – Tell The Vision (Audio) ft. Kanye West, Pusha T
Pop Smoke was a raspy voiced rapper from the Bronx. He unfortunately passed away right at the rise of his stardom. This posthumous track encapsulates his “vision” and also solidly places him amongst rap greats.
Pop Smoke – Tell The Vision (Audio) ft. Kanye West, Pusha T
Sleepy Hallow – 2055 (Official Video)
Sleepy Hallow – 2055
I know nothing of this rapper, but he seems to be working in the tradition of the sadly passed away rapper Juice World. There’s a mix of hard edged rap flow with a sing-songy teenage angst. His flow is also reminiscent of peer rapper Lil Tjay.
Sleepy Hallow – 2055 (Official Video)
AKMU – 낙하 (NAKKA) (with IU) OFFICIAL VIDEO
AKMU – 낙하 (NAKKA) with IU
I think AKMU is interesting because they’re sort of uniquely situated between Kpop and the indie scene. Also, I love how singer Lee Su-hyun preserves a really basic appearance. I think she looks “normal” seems like a pretty punk statement in Korea.
AKMU – 낙하 (NAKKA) (with IU) OFFICIAL VIDEO
Writer
James Chae is a Korean-American designer living in Seoul. He is working as an educator while working on design. He is an assistant professor of design convergence at Hongik University and is considering the role of design and designer between commerce and art.
