MUSIC IN MANIC TIMES (South Korea and Beyond)

 MUSIC IN MANIC TIMES

In 2021 I would like to hear more new music and not just the same artists which I love and grew up with because for obvious reasons it gets boring. I hate Spotify and streaming, my google music evaporated with all of my downloads, they said download them on but that didn't work. I love to chat with people about what they like; alot of friends love music from the 90's and the grunge era. Sure I can listen to Alice and Chains albums Ive never heard or have a retake on hidden gems of the 90s including My sweetheart the drunk Jeff Buckley's follow-up to Grace released posthumously. But I want new music, new adventures, new sounds that Ive never heard before. For instance when I tapped into the Voidz they instantaniously became my favorite band. Their music was just so fresh and even to this day I fully enjoy the songs. There's lots of Arcade Fire I plan to revisit and truly enjoy soundtracks that have a theme of solid music. But I am all for discovering new music; I use Cult Records Radio for example to hear bold newer artists I would not normally be introduced to. Online radio is fab while at work and of course I'm hooked onto a solid internet connection. I only really get a gig of data hence why Spotify or Youtube stream will simply not do. I like the data of music uploaded onto my phone because its more reliable then a stream which may not work or could even lag depending on what's going on. Music is so extremely valuable to me and lagging will absolutely drive me mental. 

 

Music has a way of encapsulating a memory in time and unleashing that moment in time directly to your brain once he hear it. When I taught English in Korea the year was 2015 and I was turned onto some most notable musical sounds. One of my favorite albums to this day is 'All Things Must Pass' which my dad burned a CD for this most incredible trip. I was received by my Kind, Smart, Bigger than life older Bro; jetlagged as hell I grabbed the wrong bag. When I got back to his Korean apartment I found a gun in my luggage. WHOOPS- luckily we managed to take it back with the help of friends and I got my proper gear. Listening to George Harrisons most triumphant moment (well solo) invigorated new life into my music escape. The sound was so pure and concise; mellow but symbolic on all fronts. His voice, the choir and the instrumentation of an orchestra so powerful it gave life to my own song writing. My Bro Joshua handed me Incubus Morning View which his best mate from Montreal had given him. This album I was sold from the start and began playing the guitar in a different fashion trying to achieve those magical sounds. As Incubus plans to stream this full album live on October 23rd I'm excited to revisit how I felt during those early Korean days. Then of course Audioslave Out of Exile was released; this beast of an album displayed guitar solos from the Gods and gave way to Chris Cornell's crushing vocals in the most beautiful way(although his solo albums always did as well). I was hooked up by my Brothers gf at the time with this one, still listening to my portable CD player as ipod's were just being born. There was so many notable albums of this period that will be exciting to touch on but the combination of a whole new world and being able to experience life in the most exciting place gave way to an even bigger appreciation for music. 

Those days in South Korea allowed me to play guitar at work for the children and when getting my own apartment allowed me to write lots of tunes. When I did move I was without a TV or internet; I had my guitar and this would prove to spectacular cause I could work music with little distraction. Though there were raging horny cats making he most obscure sounds I could gladly drown them out with my acoustic. I was losing though and even considered buying a bb gun to scare them off; although Im sure Korea had a full ban on anything of this nature. South Korea and Seoul was a modern haven for technology and actually had the highest per capta rates of high speed internet in the world at least at the time. There were PC cafes on about every corner and the luxurious sauna houses were breathtaking whenever you needed a spa to relax, sweat and appreciate the small of fine cooking wood. Those days in Bangbae close to  Lotte World (one of the largest malls ever!) were cool but I eventually did move on. I took jobs wherever I could, I did not have a visa and I was 21 at the time. I had no degree or particular expertise in teaching English but my Bro Josh told me it did not matter; teachers were so in demand. I even took tutor jobs which my Bro became disinterested in or because he became too busy focusing on other hobbies like his photography. We had a world of technology at our fingertips; I remember visiting a car show and there were full on robots greeting you with facial expressions. This was in 2005 and we don't have anything close to this technology here in Canada even in 2021. Sometimes I wish it were like CyberPunk2077 and we could have bionic limbs to work for us and fly in cars above the clouds. I digress; I must have found another job at this point and moved and also met a girl in 'The Bar' in Sinchon. Little did I know this encounter would be an invaluable relationship for me and I even got to see her in the dog when the visited Canada last year. Being in this world with a girlfriend came another nice perk to life in South Korea and motivation to write more songs for which I did. She was heavy inspiration and I've found my best relationships have given me this sparingly.

I ventured around Korea looking for more jobs and it came to a point where my income was running out when I was presented with an opportunity to work on an island. This took me to Jeju island which was on the southern pennesula of South Korea and a honeymoon island. Though a good Korean Yong who was like our older brother warned that it may not be the best decision; I still embarked on this journey. I would need to go back to Canada specifically Vancouver and gain a visa before I could make my way there. This was not too difficult as I had a cousin living in Gastown which was conveniently located very close to the Visa office. So I got to catchup with an older very cool cousin, his wife and their two very glorious children. Cousin Sean picks me up and what does he have playing.. one of my good friend's favorite band's Big Sugar cranked with a cover of Canada's BTO 'Let it Ride'. I always loved this group; had seen them multiple times and I knew positive vibes were in my corner all around. On the walk to the Visa office were street performers and I even played chess with a friendly stranger. I loved Vancouver for this kind of atmosphere which Calgary was devoid of. It was beaches and sunshine; a valuable break from Korea so far and I truly appreciated my friendly cousin for putting me up for that time. Everything went peachy and thanked my cousin and his family very much for their kindness and hospitality. He was the kind of cousin who loved 90's music just like I did and we reminiced about seeing all the great artists back in that decade. Music was always there no matter where I would go and I was so thankful to connect with family on this expedition. 

The flight I never really liked but I had to get through it and my music would always be with me along the way. I currently sing a song in band now called 'Annie (a Beautiful Flight) dedicated to this American girl I sat next to on my first trip to Korea. I sing it with passion as she showed me how to mix Korean liquer with a yoghurt drink and even showed me a Buddhist retreat which I thoroughly enjoyed. It went alright and I had to say goodbye to my girlfriend before I went to work on the island with this man and his family. Since we had been dating for a few months things were not too difficult though we would miss one another as we'd be on the other side of the country. I got there and remember living a 10 minute walk from the ocean. This was the most incredible aspect; I would visit this rock lookout every morning and think about jumping off into that fresh crisp aqua marine water below. I recall listening to 'All things must pass' lots at this point and the songs will transcend me back to those vibrant ocean colors when I listen to this day. There was also incredible seafood and I began tutoring his son in the first week as he showed me around some temples and other attractions. My girlfriend got to visit my place to and we had a really warm reception visiting the ocean and her staying with me for a few days. As I lived there longer I noticed the growing accumulation of cockroaches; my washroom was literally a crevace with a poorly guarded window to the outside world. They were getting in somehow and I always made sure I barricaded my door so they could not crawl into my bedroom. There once was this massive fat juicy bug in my living space; not knowing what to do I dropped the heaviest book I could find on it. Alas it crawled away as if nothing happened, this was the king cock roache's. Things still were good but ultimately would take a turn on the days went on by.

I got a call to meet a potential student for a mock class and this would be my first new student; or so I thought. When I got there a student was nowhere in sight and there was tall slinky man and a very plump man holding out handcuffs. The gig was up; I had been found teaching without a degree or the proper work visit since the visa I had got back in Van was just to extend my stay in Korea past 6 month's. I went willingly so the handcuff's were never necessary although it was still a scary ordeal to go through. I was taken to the immigration offices where they asked me loads of questions and grilled me on my intentions teaching English without the proper authorization. They are a very black and white country and they don't fuck around; I was asked to sign a confession, pay a fine and leave immediately. (To this day I've inquired to work there again; they say chances are I won't ever be able to because of this scenario 16 years later!) I was shipped back to Seoul and chatted with my brother; he thought it was silly I signed a confession but I just wanted to fully cooperate and who knows what could of happened if I had resisted. Joshua told me it would be simple to visit Japan and then come right back and start anew since I was not quite ready live back in Canada yet. I was struggling as a 21 year old in Canada; Iwas not working and did not have many connections so it was a dismal thought. I still am truly grateful I had such a brother to look out for me and help me out in the way that we did. We had struggles when we first met up but worked alot of shit out; ultimately hugging and crying and burying our past in the process. So I did that; I went direct to Japan to stay at Korean hostel a few days then the plan was to return to the giant metro that is Seoul.

I was used to manuvering Seoul; it was relatively easy and paled in comparison to the massive place that is Tokyo Japan. From the moment I got there with an overnight flight I struggled finding the right stations on the subway; finding the right streets and I walked for what felt like forever. I'd say I got in maybe 1 am; I did not reach the Hostel til maybe 7 am; the line Lost in Translation is very real! I went to pc cafe cause I needed to rest; it was literally all stations where men would masterbate. Since it was like a little cot I rested my head until I had the strength. Looking back this was completely my fault and winging it in a foreign land like Japan would not fly; Seoul had English everywhere but Japan was not nearly as foreigner friendly. I called the Korean hostel on a payphone; of course they only spoke Korean but once I eventually found the place and I passed out until dinnertime. I remember that groggy evening just being thankful I had 'a place to rest my head' just as the Band so eleqeuntly put it. I found some food and soon realized Tokyo was expensive as hell compared to Seoul. I went to pet store and found appropriate equipment for my two turtles which were heated bulbs and also a heater for the water. I had some excellent Ramen and wandered around some of the most interesting city attractions I had ever seen. I believe it was the next day I found Harajuku the fashion capital of Asia where I saw a guy wearing on his backpack a Canadian flag. I hailed him and when he finally heard my calls he greeted myself and asked if I wanted to join him and his friends for dinner. He was younger then me; teaching illegally in Tokyo and with some German friends enjoying life on all fronts. We went to fancy place with an amazing view; little did I know that we'd pay for entrance, pay for the supposed free snacks on the table and all these other hidden charges you have no idea about. The German guy I remember getting mad after I looked at the bill; I had ordered this deep fried sausage and I don't think I even finished it. 

The next day I met my newfound friend Patrick who was actually from Edmonton and was in awe of Asia just as much as I was. We visited Tokyo tower that day and took in all the electric sights which it had to offer including wax figurines of the Beatles. When I had met him I had actually just visited this Beatles store that was unlike something I had ever seen where I purchased a poster of a collage of this most famous group. We shared why we were in Asia and the experiences we had so far; particularily with women. We stopped at a shop and looked through some most amusing comics of pornography and had to laugh at some the strangest images we'd ever seen. He became a lifelong mate and I even stayed with him last time I visited Seoul; he was in a downtown apartment and let me crash before I connected with my Brother and his wife Harika in Tokyo. Music was in my ears, my heart and my brain all along and the memories will never be forgotten. Once I began writing this blog the memories of music were so powerful and the connection to Korea forever changed my life. I went back and found a steady job at a middle school; I was with another Canadian teacher and he did not want to be Santa Claus so I took on that most prestigious role. Since I had my guitar with me I was happy to churn songs as Santa and attempt to make some great memories cause it was all about the kids of course. I would play them 'All together now' by the Beatles from Yellow Submarine and 'I'll follow the sun' along with some other covers that I cannot really recall. Music to teach English was incredible and people knew the Beatles everywhere so if they could sing along it could really help them learn the proper pronounciation. I had a nice apartment with the school and had memorable times the rest of those Korean days dancing at the Bar with my girlfriend and requesting vinyl. Seoul had amazing live music, the best cuisine I had ever tasted and incredible vibes on all fronts which I was truly thankful to be apart of. 

Music gives me lessons in life; Music gives me feeling and I will always gravitate to the sounds of vibrance no matter what my future holds. I have delighted in recalling this tremendously inspirational time in my life and am so happy to share the stories that arose from this time. Another portion of Korea was getting to attend a wedding in Korea with my girlfriend and one of her good friend's. She was marrying an Australian man named Mark and her name was Sunnie. Mark was headed back to Austrailia before the wedding; since no store in Seoul had the album Institute 'Distort Yourself' I asked Mark to grab a copy for me back in his Native land. Bush was my favorite band and they had broken up three years earlier so this was the new project Gavin Rossdale had concocted with American musicians. When the time came he brought me a release with Austrailian bonus songs included; the album rocked and I really appreciated the songs. Coinciding with my favorite author Stephen King was 'The wastelands' song which was also the third book in the Dark tower series. The album was perfectly compelling and connecting to my time in Korea with the angst and sheer power of the songs bleeding through into my life. Although being kicked out of Korea initially was tough I had come through with success thanks to my Brother and amazing Korean friends which were totally just like family to us. New and old music will live on in my life forever and I'm surely grateful for all that I have experienced in this life. The songs I wrote in Korea I still tinker back on and I am happy to write and express all those feels I had back in those times. They were manic times and could get dark but music lead the way and is still and always will be the light of my life.