92 episodes
I listened to Hwang Sae-byeok’s vocals and just started making songs that fit it.
Strangely, I didn’t even worry about it, I just thought of the songs one after another in order. Even the title of ‘Dramagi’ came out right away.
Since most idol music now is based on band music, rock was the closest genre to me.
And at the same time, it was also the genre that felt the most distant due to the unique closedness of rock.
To me, if the music of a rock band is rock, then rock ballad is a genre, but Hwang Sae-byeok used to complain that soft rock is soft rock, ballad is ballad, and rock ballad is a bit strange.
Knowing how I was working, Yang Yi-hyung came into my studio. I looked back at Yang Yi-hyung and asked.
“How did you know you were working?”
“How do you know that? It just came.”
“You want to see me?”
After ignoring my aegyo mercilessly, Yang Yi-hyung brought a chair and sat down next to him. I handed the headset and filled my cup with coffee brewed from the coffee maker. There’s also a capsule machine next to it, but it’s annoying to take it off now.
I told Yang Yi-hyung.
“Just arrange it right away.”
“Hey, you bastard. Were you slaves?”
“It’s like you’re going to do it.”
I said, grabbed my coffee and sat down on a chair. Any other person would ask if I could give you coffee when I woke up, but Yang decided not to. After all, except for the members, they are the most attached to each other, so it meant saving energy to spend on such useless things.
Yang Yi-hyung put on the headset and listened to the music and said.
“Rock?”
“yes. Our leader solo.”
I answered, waited for Yang Yi-hyung to listen to where he was working, and then said.
“There is something. I want it to look sad and rough.”
“It’s a start again. Hey, call your members. interpret.”
So I called the Stork Byeok. Hwang Sae-byeok came in and asked if he was practicing while listening to the recording.
“why?”
Then Yang Yi-hyung asked.
“What is sad and harsh?”
“Are you sad and harsh?”
Hwang Sae-byeok scratched the back of his neck and listened to the song I was working on. After listening to it over and over again, I picked up the guitar in the studio. Distorted it, tweaked the tone a few times, and immediately started playing the guitar on top of my classic track. Yang Yi-hyung said at the intense guitar sound that seemed to tear the amplifier apart.
“… … That’s right. Ha, it’s a dirty world.”
“It’s hard rock.”
“It’s hard rock. You’re a real Born2B rocker. He’s weak in alcohol, let alone drugs, but he plays like he’s drunk.”
“Your face looks tired too.”
To my words, Hwang Sae-byeok responded, not playing.
“I am really tired.”
“Yeah, I got it.”
“So, is this mine?”
“uh. it’s yours Call me all over.”
At my words, Hwang Sae-byeok pulled the stool and sat in front of the pop filter. I listened to the song one more time on the spot and started singing.
Yang Yi-hyung, who was listening to the song, rubbed his chin with a serious expression and asked me.
“What is a stork wall? Why are you singing so well?”
“It was good at first. I’m a little bit better today because I taught you a few moves.”
Yangi hyung said it was ridiculous because I was helping out.
“you? Do you teach vocals?”
Fortunately, Hwang Sae-byeok was a witness.
“I can’t believe it either, but really, Jung Hae-won did vocal training today.”
“… … Can it be? What are you dreaming of?”
“Really.”
That’s how it happened. hahahaaha.
I continued working on the second verse verse again, and Yang Yi-hyung received and arranged it right away as I made it. Hwang Sae-byeok went to his dorm, brought his guitar, and even recorded the session on the spot.
* * *
As the scope of A&R’s work has expanded so much without the public, TRV Entertainment’s A&R’s A&R’s A&R Park Geon-hoon’s sleep time was almost exclusively for Jeong Hae-won, who is working on the first light song.
Park Gun-hoon also liked music, so he became an A&R, so it wasn’t a problem to stay up all night if the song was good. So when it comes to songs.
Staying up all night, skipping meals, and just throwing away time was never enough for a song to come out. Therefore, there were far more regretful nights of ‘I’d rather go to sleep at this time’ than ‘a day where something plausible came out of staying up all night’.
Nevertheless, the reason why I stayed up all night while repeating such regrets for several days in a row was because of the thought that good results would be obtained if I piled up such wasted days.
When Park Geun-hoon bought rice with hot soup and went into the control room, three people, who were exhausted from composing the song, were lying down and sleeping here and there.
After listening to the demo recorded by Hwang Sae-byeok himself, Park Geon-hoon said, ‘Why are you working so hard?’
“Isn’t that a song you made in the shortest time?”
Yang Yi-hyung and Hwang Sae-byeok didn’t even have the strength to answer. Jung Hae-won, who was lying down in the same way, raised his upper body while moaning with his social power, answered.
“It was hard, but it was really fun.”
Listening to it, the three of us talked about music without realizing the passage of time, and it seems that we worked, played, and worked while working on the music recommended by Hwang Sae-byeok. Jung Hae-won shook them as the other two did not agree.
“Oh, it was fun. Please understand quickly.”
“Sleep three more minutes… … .”
Hwang Sae-byeok buried his face on the sofa and muttered. It seemed like he knew it was his dorm because he had a nightmare. Yang Yi-hyung was lying face down in front of the monitor, looking at Park Gun-hoon and said.
“Uh, when did you come?”
“… … Haewon wasn’t the only one having fun, wasn’t it?”
Park Gun-hoon looked at the two half bodies and asked Jung Hae-won, but Yang Yi-hyung intercepted them.
“He is a tyrant when he works.”
“Oh, that was fun.”
Hwang Sae-byeok answered Jung Hae-won’s words.
“I was brainwashed by you, so I feel that way… … .”
“That’s right.”
Yang replied.
“I don’t know why they don’t want to admit it was fun.”
Jung Hae-won grumbled, and then turned on the music again to listen to the demo on the high-end speakers in the control room.
Even though the guitar sound felt strong like the main character, when Hwang Sae-byeok’s vocals started, even that guitar changed to auxiliary. It was a voice full of charm. There was the desperation and loneliness of a man in unrequited love, hoping that this love would end with a happy ending for the drama.
[The sixteen words that still continue]
[The song I sing for you]
[The reason I am sick is because the story continues]
[I cry because it is a scene, because it is a drama]
[The fact that the sincerity you appeal to is not reached]
[Because this is a drama, it’s just an epic]
[I hope that’s why the story of you and me hurts]
[The drama is over when we are happy]
[If it’s a drama, we end happily]
[That’s why our stories hurt]
Even though the season farthest from January is autumn, listening to this song made the surroundings feel like autumn.
Park Gun-hoon thought about the songs that have been released so far.
When I think about what came out after Jung Hae-won joined, there were no bright, cheerful love songs, all of them were songs about love that was difficult and painful.
Come to think of it, it seemed like a good concept.
“It’s a group specializing in sick love.”
At that, Hwang Sae-byeok, who sniffed the food and took out the soup, grinned. Yang Yi-hyung said.
“That’s it. Because I don’t understand. Have you ever tried to have unrequited love?”
Then Jung Hae-won took the soup that Hwang Sae-byeok gave her and said,
“There must be no one in our members who can talk to the person they like first. If there is someone I like, I don’t think I can even click and stay far away.”
“Then why can’t you pay your face like this?”
Yang-hyung grumbled. And even while eating soup, the four of us continued to talk about music.
* * *
January was really busy.
Whenever I couldn’t act as a person because I was too busy, the A&R team and manager hyungs next to me took care of me and time passed.
And the biggest turning point in January was the recording of one of the Big Blue members, Daniel.
I was waiting impatiently for Daniel in the control room of Pom d’Api Enter. It looked like he was running from the airport.
The schedule had already been set, and I accepted it, but I was too apologetic to the employees of Pomdaffy Entertainment and the members of Big Blue.
“I’m really sorry, at this hour.”
“I usually sleep late, so it’s really okay.”
I said and checked my watch.
Fortunately, it was exactly 4 o’clock as promised. Daniel has arrived.
“Isn’t it late? Hello, Mr. Haewon.”
“Hello… … .”
I was about to say hello, but Big Blue’s manager pushed Daniel away.
“Dani! I don’t even have time to say hi!”
“No, you still have to say hello to Koreans!”
“Your brother is American!”
With that push, Daniel entered the recording booth.
After recording for exactly 30 minutes, I had to go to the concept photo shoot right away, so I started recording in a hurry.
My parents are watching Daniel’s show very diligently these days, so when they said they were recording, they were looking for an autograph. However, the 30 minutes allotted to me was not enough time to record, so that seemed impossible.
Unlike the other members who recorded euphemisms, Daniel only recorded his own parts. It was also impossible to record corrections, so I started recording with more attention than usual.
“Brother, please listen to the beat again.”
“yes.”
“brother. Let’s beat it.”
“okay.”
Because I was in a hurry, I gradually reduced the lengthy requirements.
I’ve been practicing diligently, but probably because I couldn’t play music and practiced alone, the beat came out a lot.
“Brother, one more beat.”
“… … Sorry.”
“I’m not sorry, I don’t have time to say that.”
It was so rushed that I felt like I was losing love while recording, but I had no choice but to do it.
There has never been a time when it was impossible to record a correction, so the limitation felt big to me.
I didn’t mean to be rude to my seniors who are more than 10 years different from me. Also to the members of my favorite idol team.
But since it’s my favorite team, I couldn’t ruin this work. Of course, as I gain more experience, I can relax at this moment, but not now.
Without the music turned on, I repeated the beat with Daniel on the metronome, then went back to recording.
Fortunately, he wasn’t a pro for nothing, and in the short time given, Daniel corrected his mistakes.
Then the manager said.
“You must go now.”
“Just once. It takes 3 minutes. If it’s late, I’ll step on it.”
I spoke and finally went into recording. The 3 minutes was a generous sang, so the last recording was over in 1 minute and 20 seconds.
I followed Daniel as he rushed out into the hallway and bowed his head to greet me.
“I’m sorry.”
At those words, Daniel looked at me for a moment, and then ran frantically as if he was busy.
After organizing the tracks that Daniel had recorded, I finished the work and left Pomdaffy Enter. When I looked at my phone then, I saw a text message from Daniel a while ago.
[Dani hyung: Why? Was the recording not good?]
I think my apology seemed like a foreshadowing that the recording would be bad. I quickly explained.
[Sorry to see you late]
[Recording went well, hyung! I’ve been directing with arrogance. Even if you’re in a hurry, you shouldn’t do that, I’m sorry]
And after a while the reply came.
[Dani hyung: ??]
[Dani hyung: I didn’t understand]
[Dani hyung: We’re going to start filming, so we’ll talk again after we finish]
read at https://noblemtl.com
Oh, it seems that Korean is difficult. In fact, I’ve been filming dramas in the US for the past few years, so it’s no wonder if I forget the Korean language I’ve learned the hard way.
[My parents are huge fans of Dani hyung. Watch the drama every week on Xflix. Have fun filming and leave safely!]
I sent a text message with apologetic feelings and put my phone in my pocket. And I lay straight down in the backseat of the car heading home.
“finished!”
As I shouted with a sad heart, Manager Kang Young-ho laughed.
With this, Big Blue’s song work was finished.
While working on it, I thought that we could still do any song, but Big Blue, whose expectations are already high, couldn’t do that. The fact that there are still so many steps ahead of us feels good now.
Now we just have to wait for the day when Big Blue’s sound source comes out and focus on our work.
Anyway, for now… … .
“Youngho hyung, I’m going to sleep.”
I feel like I’m going to have a heart attack, so I need to sleep… … .