Normal Aliens : Normal Aliens

Normal Aliens‘ four-song self-titled EP is weird and great. It’s a collaboration between HU:MIN, Sandoe, and Jo eun byul. The album is split across different genres. According to their album introduction, Normal Aliens is a presentation of “three artists with distinct genres and identities express their individual sense of alienation and the diversity of their existence through music.” With a 13-minute play time, it’s definitely worth giving it the time.

HU:MIN takes the first track with a pop and rock song. “I feel like the “Dwarf planet” is interesting because it’s lighter than her previous singles. The light and upbeat tone has a bright feeling that welcomes you in. So I wonder Normal Aliens was a way for her to try a new direction with some freedom.

Sandoe’s track is a firm hip-hop track. Since my hip-hop knowledge is limited, all I can say is that the flow and rhythms are excellent. He flows over the instrumental with a clear and attitude-driven style. It makes me want to explore more of his discography.

“Bigebi” is the most surprising track because it’s an electronic instrumental combined with Jo eun byul’s pansori. It’s another example of traditional Korean music combined with contemporary styles. The instrumental here is a little simpler and that enables the vocals to drive the song. The faster tempo feels a little rushed though.

“Normal Aliens” is a collaboration between all three artists. The track leans more into jazz and soul. HU:MIN easily adapts to the instrumental. Sandoe, too, is able to jump right into the rhythms and add a kinetic performance. And, at this point, I’m less surprised how Korean traditional music is able to adapt and mesh with other music styles.

The standout track is understandably, “Normal Aliens,” and the solo tracks serve as artist introductions. As a way to showcase Jeju artists, Normal Aliens does this really well. More collaborations between artists would have made this even better, but you can’t discount learning about three new artists.