There aren’t a lot of official live albums from South Korean bands. I think it’s mainly because of the work needed to record a live show and most venues properly aren’t set up for it. But at SangSangmadang Live Hall, from my memory, has a good infrastructure to record. Parannoul‘s music gained a lot of popularity outside of South Korea and it’s great that there’s a live album for people who can’t get to experience it themselves.
What’s also great is that his live band featured artists like BrokenTeeth and Asian Glow and Yo, 9Suk, and Fin Flor rounding out the rest. Parannoul’s mix of indie rock, shoegaze, and synth is presented over eight songs. Most songs ranged between four and six minutes but Parannoul adds two long songs at the end of the performance. “White Ceiling” is a 10-minute and 30-second track and the live finale, “Into the Endless Night” is a 46-minute epic.
After the Night captures the essence of Parannoul’s music. The recording isn’t perfect and there is some bleed between instruments and vocals. But this is the best way for most people to experience the music. The album covers songs across the entire discography so you’re hearing some of the best songs.
It’s interesting when listening through After the Night that Parannoul has evolved across releases, but consistently keeps a core foundation in the music. Even though there are multiple genres attached to the style, you could say that the overarching style is melodic indie rock.
Because even with the post-rock, shoegaze, post-hardcore, and emo elements that weave throughout the music, Parannoul never leaves the melody behind. It’s proven over and over again on each of the tracks.
Since After the Night might be the only real chance listeners will be able to listen to Parannoul live, it’s great that it showcases so many sides of the discography and provides a 46-minute closing track. Parannoul is a different type of artist and this collective of artists who work together are creating an interesting space in the independent scene.
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Chris P
Korean Indie owner and Editor at Large. Constantly looking for new music and working on library parity on Spotify and YouTube Music.