Rockstar Again - Chapter 79



Only Noblemtl

Episode 79. Two Men’s Secret Hobbies (2)

Even after uploading the songs from our first album, which we had worked on in 1994, to Bandcamp, a music streaming site, the two of us continued to make songs.

To call it a new song… … it’s not too grandiose or anything like that.

It’s not like I’ve written it before, so it’s a new song after all.

Anyway, those ambiguous songs went straight into recording and were uploaded back to our Bandcamp page.

Certainly, music is great.

Clearly, I was trapped and longed for freedom.

The moment I took hold of music, I felt free.

That doesn’t mean I’ve let go of music.

But it is true that there was a loss in terms of motivation.

There was no urgency to create something.

The songs for the debut album were already completed and were just waiting to be recorded.

Debut, whether it’s death or life, is set to happen after the competition ends.

As early as March.

May at the latest?

So while waiting for the standby, I only looked forward to my brothers’ improvement in skills, and the recording studio felt like a prison.

Tae-joo hyung gave me joy.

Competence is the fruit of effort, and creation is the expression of that fruit.

However, music released to the public cannot simply end with release.

Even if you shit, you have to go through a process of purification to make it public and gain their sympathy.

This is why so many creative people in the world are pulling out their hair.

Purification of emissions for public persuasion.

What Taeju hyung and I are doing now is pure, unrefined discharge.

If you like it, record it.

If it seems appropriate, I’ll upload it to Bandcamp.

We are having fun pooping, just pooping.

“How about this?”

Taeju Hyung picked up the guitar after a short performance and asked.

“Good. The leaf is unique. It’s unique, but it sticks well.”

“okay?”

“I’ll try to attach the latter.”

Again, I pick up the guitar and continue the song with the guitar riff that Taeju hyung made.

A riff is a short, repetitive melody played on a guitar. Good rock music almost inevitably has a good riff.

But does that mean that capturing the listener’s ear with repeated riffs is a prerequisite for a good song? … No, that’s not the case.

Anyway, it’s better to have a good riff than not to have one.

This time, I stopped playing the guitar and looked at Taeju hyung.

“Okay. You’re definitely different.”

“Do you want to try the back, hyung?”

“okay.”

Tae-ju hyung picks up the guitar and moves his hands without saying anything or making any moves.

I appreciate it with my eyes and ears.

‘I’m the one who’s happy.’

This is how we make songs.

roughly.

Wherever your hand goes.

As the feeling moves.

The end result of making a song like that is band music. It’s rock. But the songs we’re putting out now are closer to guitar pieces.

Rather than saying it’s close, I would say it’s a guitar piece in terms of form.

Because we didn’t add any sound other than Taeju hyung and my guitar sound.

They even brought the guys upstairs to record while they were practicing in a tunnel in the underground practice room.

However, I had no intention of filling the sound with a machine.

It’s just play.

A game between two men who love music.

Once the song is finished, I write the lyrics as they come to me.

Without considering rhyme or rhythm.

That doesn’t mean there weren’t any songs that couldn’t be used.

Because we were pretty good cooks.

The dishes we make with our play cannot be inedible toys made of clay by three-year-olds.

“There isn’t as much of a reaction as I expected.”

I opened my mouth, staring at the computer screen.

“You are so greedy.”

“Isn’t that obvious? But we worked on it. I told you not to expect much, but I really thought you’d explode with reactions.”

“Isn’t this getting a lot of response? There were quite a few comments. And quite a few people bought it?”

“Is that okay? If you look at the things posted there, they’re all pretty weird, but they’re all there. It’s not that I’m greedy, it’s that you’re just too humble.”

Tae-joo just smiles at my words.

Suchan, who had been watching our work from behind, stands up from his seat.

“It’s almost time to leave. Should we go… … okay?”

“It’s already like that?”

“Yeah. Already.”

As I was getting up from my seat, Taeju hyung added a word belatedly.

“What is this? Aren’t you going to check it?”

“These are probably just advertisements or scammers trying to get us to sign a contract. Leave them alone.”

* * *

Recording studio in Los Angeles, USA.

A man with his hat turned backwards slammed down on his keyboard.

“Damn. I’ve written several times and haven’t gotten any response. Are you crazy?”

“What else is the problem?”

A man with his hat on backwards stood up from his seat at the sound of a calm voice coming from behind him.

“Are you here?”

“It’s been a while since we last saw each other. Is that all you can say in a greeting?”

“Long time no see. Didn’t I see you just recently?”

“That was early last year, so I guess it’s fair to say it’s been a while, right?”

“… … Is that so? As I get older, time seems to pass by so quickly. I’m not the problem. It’s time that’s acting up.”

The long-haired customer laughed at the words of the man with his hat turned over.

“I guess it was a matter of time.”

“There must be one or two problems. I should be preparing for the next album, but that damn James is stuck in Colorado and I can’t even see his nose. All the inspirations that filled my head are gone like hair falling out and are not coming back. Everyone is full.”

“Haha, I ate a long time ago. And time has passed, how can things be the same as before?”

“Did you come here to say something like that?”

“No. That’s not it. I just didn’t get a reply.”

“Reply?”

The man with his hat turned upside down sat down again and looked at the long-haired guest.

“Yeah. I sent you a link, but you didn’t respond, so I came here in person. I thought it might help you with your work.”

“… … Talking about replies makes me mad again. Those damn kids dared to contact me even though I contacted them… … .”

The long-haired guest smiled.

This guy, the leader of the band, is always like this.

Self-centered conversation.

Still, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. This is just a character. That person’s personality. We’ve become accustomed to it after spending so many years together. The long-haired guest asked.

“Who the fuck is that kid?”

“A guy who uploads a few pretty good songs and a bunch of crappy songs in a jumbled manner. I don’t know if he’s that guy… or if he’s the guy.”

“Can I hear it?”

“That’s no problem.”

The man moved the mouse and clicked on the song.

Then, the guitar sound flows through the speakers.

After one song, the long-haired guest did not open his mouth.

It means I want to hear more.

After checking the guest’s intentions, the man played another song.

like that.

It was only after the third song that the long-haired guest opened his mouth.

“… … Good? All three songs.”

“Not old.”

“So fresh.”

“Yeah. It’s the feeling from back then. Before it got dominated by that fucking alternative sound or whatever.”

“Is this what you were contacting me about buying?”

“That wasn’t my intention. … … Of course, I can’t say that I didn’t have that intention. I wanted to ask. Are you going to sell this song? And how did you make this song? I thought that if I met this guy with the 80s hard rock sensibility and had a conversation, my blocked inspiration might be unblocked.”

The long-haired guest understood the meaning behind his friend’s words.

Rock bands do not work in a separate fashion between song writing and vocals, which is a recent trend.

Song is identity.

So, buying someone else’s song is no different from entrusting your identity to someone else.

It meant that my colleague, who was a leader and producer, was so frustrated that he wanted to buy other people’s songs.

It meant that the three songs they had just heard were similar enough to their identity that they could have written them themselves.

The long-haired guest opened his mouth.

“It’s old… … fresh… … just the feeling we need.”

“yes.”

A long-standing and deep fan base.

Also to meet their needs.

If only to maintain their own identity.

Their music shouldn’t be too new.

Because we have to maintain the genre’s characteristics and fans’ expectations.

However, it was even worse to become bored.

If you’re going to release a new song that’s just so-so after hearing it over and over again, it’s better to just stay still.

“Can’t you contact me?”

“Oh. For fuck’s sake. If you do metal, there’s no way you wouldn’t know me. Are you ignoring me or something?”

“Haha, I understand how you feel. I felt that way too.”

The man with his hat turned over turned his chair and looked at his friend.

“What are you talking about?”

“You didn’t see the link I mentioned earlier, did you? If you did, you wouldn’t have reacted like this. You probably didn’t see it. Anyway, it’s been a while since I found it, right? But no matter how many times I leave a comment on YouTube, there’s no response. I was wondering who it was.”

“Looks like we’re being treated like old people in the back room.”

“That’s right, right?”

“shut up.”

“Listen to the song first. It’s only one song, but it’s amazing. Judging from the fact that there’s no information about the song, it seems like it’s an original song that hasn’t been released yet.”

The two men gathered their heads as they looked at the cell phone held out by the long-haired guest.

and…….

“……wow.”

“Are you okay?”

“Nothing else?”

“Oh, that’s all.”

I want to listen to other songs.

I liked the song that the unknown guy named B&A uploaded that I told my friend about earlier, but this one is even better.

Of course, an absolute comparison is impossible since it’s only one song.

If the songs from earlier were spoon-fed from the 80s and poured into the 21st century, then that’s why I was so curious about that emotion.

The song you just heard is ‘Daegok’.

I feel confident that I can do this, crossing between alternative and hard rock.

In particular, it was clear that it was only one guitar.

“This is for the band. The work is already done.”

“Really? I don’t know about that. If that’s what you’re saying, then it must be that way.”

“Sure. It’s full. By the way, who is this guitarist? Is it his own composition?”

“Maybe? I’ve tried everything I can to find out, but I can’t find anyone who knows about this song.”

The man smiled bitterly at his long-haired friend’s words.

“Damn. I’m so nervous. Where am I anyway? The screen is weird so I can’t tell where I am, but it doesn’t feel like a familiar place.”

“korea.”

“korea?”

“Do you remember?”

“Of course I remember. That crazy country. It was the first time I’d ever seen that country, but they sang along to all our songs, so I thought all the people there were crazy.”

“Let’s put off the next album that’s not being written. Should we start with the tour first?”

“Tour?”

“Yeah. It’s been years since we last went on tour.”

The man was deep in thought.

It’s definitely been a while since I’ve been on a tour.

Although touring is one of the biggest sources of income for rock bands, they have no reason to tour when they need the money.

To be honest, I’m getting physically weaker and weaker. When starting a world tour, there are more than one or two things to worry about, from health checks to physical strength.

“Um… … No. I’ll think about it. I feel frustrated starting the tour like this.”

“The fans will be waiting?”

“Even if the fans wait, first. I need to know what kind of arrogant brats they are. Then I’ll think about whether or not to go on tour.”

“Is there a way? You say there is no answer?”

“Yeah. I contacted Bandcamp, but they asked for personal information and stuff, so I’m trying to find out who wrote that song through another route.”