To See the Next Part of the Dream | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 23 February 2021 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 61:37 | |||
Label | Self-released[a] | |||
Producer | Parannoul | |||
Parannoul chronology | ||||
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To See the Next Part of the Dream is the second studio album by South Korean musician Parannoul, released independently on 23 February 2021. It was later released through Longinus Recordings and Poclanos.
Background
Parannoul (Korean: 파란노을; lit. blue sunset) is a solo project by an anonymous South Korean man. According to him, no one in real life knows he produces music; "[I]f my acquaintance listens to my song[s], I might commit suicide because of embarrassment."[1] Little is known about him.[2] His debut album was Let's Walk on the Path of a Blue Cat (2020).[1] The text accompanying To See The Next Part Of The Dream's release on Bandcamp includes Parannoul talking of himself as an "active loser," "below average in height, appearance and everything else," with "singing skills [that] are fucking awful".[2] The album took several years to complete.[3]
The cover art is a scene from All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001),[4] and its title is a line from Satoshi Fukushima 's Hoshikuzu Nina .[1]
Composition
To See the Next Part of the Dream was recorded and produced with a single old computer "in the bedroom" using an old digital audio workstation.[4] Almost all instruments in To See The Next Part Of The Dream are virtual, using the Virtual Studio Technology technology; Parannoul felt his guitar skills were "terrible" and that he could replicate its sounds using a virtual instrument.[4] He distorted the drum and guitar sounds on purpose, including through clipping.[4] The pulled-back vocals were recorded on a Samsung Galaxy 5.[4] The album contains samples from his "favorite things", as well as multiple instruments such as synthesizers, pianos, xylophones and violins, to have the album feel more dynamic and different from other shoegaze bands.[4]
The album blends shoegaze,[5][6] emo,[6] emo pop,[5] and bedroom pop,[6] while also being lo-fi.[6] Eli Enis of Stereogum said that the album "unleash[es] a downpour of lo-fi shoegaze that's both caustic and brittle, panoramic and intimate" and, in retrospect, compared its low-quality computerized sound to the "artificial rumble" present in songs by Jane Remover, quannnic, and flyingfish.[7] Lizzie Manno felt that the record contained "starry-eyed", dense soundscapes, and that it was uncommon for "songs [to burst] with that much rawness and life".[8]
To See The Next Part Of The Dream was influenced by Parannoul's depression, personal struggle, and rock star dreams;[6] he wrote the lyrics at "the darkest time in [his] life".[4] He described it as a concept album with a story about "the future of an adult who only dreams about the past while denying reality".[4] It is full of contradictions: "longing for the nostalgia that doesn't exist, denying reality while living in reality, and wanting to love oneself while hating oneself."[4] Depending on the listener's interpretation, the album's ending can be seen as the narrator's suicide or succeeding in moving on to reality.[4] The tracklist was organized as if it was a live album.[4] The album includes themes of nostalgia and contains many references to the culture of the early 2000s, such as Welcome to the N.H.K., Goodnight Punpun, and All About Lily Chou-Chou.[2]
Release and reception
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Consequence of Sound | B+[9] |
IZM | [10] |
Pitchfork | 8.0/10[2] |
Parannoul self-released To See the Next Part of the Dream via Bandcamp on 23 February 2021. The album didn't receive coverage for about a month.[6] It later developed a cult following,[7] appearing on the front page of Rate Your Music[11] and topping the 2021 chart.[4] In response, Parannoul felt the album was overrated.[11][4] After finding the album on the platform, Matt Cruz emailed Parannoul and founded Longinus Recordings with him; according to Cruz, "We all know the story of how that seemed to gain an audience at an exponential level."[3] To See the Next Part of the Dream was Longinus' inaugural release, with Cruz selling physical copies of it.[12][13] On 19 April, Poclanos released the album on streaming services.[14]
To See the Next Part of the Dream received critical acclaim.[8][5] Grant Sharples of Consequence of Sound wrote that "Each song is its own exercise in catharsis, an instrumental foundation that gives Parannoul the liberty to drown their voice amidst the noise."[9] Ian Cohen of Pitchfork stated: "The ambitious and alluring music expertly captures the feeling of a sound so uncannily familiar that it truly feels like a dream."[2] On 23 February 2022, a follow-up extended play titled White Ceiling / Black Dots Wandering Around was released to mark the album's first anniversary, composed of B-sides not included on the initial album.[15][16]
Accolades
In June 2021, To See the Next Part of the Dream appeared in Stereogum's list of "The 50 Best Albums of 2021 So Far". It later appeared in best albums of the year lists by Stereogum and Our Culture Mag, and in a list of the best rock albums of the year by Pitchfork. In 2022, it appeared in Consequence of Sound's list of "The Top 15 Emo Albums of the Last 15 Years".
Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Consequence of Sound | The Top 15 Emo Albums of the Last 15 Years (2022) | 6 | [17] |
Pitchfork | The 31 Best Rock Albums of 2021 | — | [18] |
Our Culture Mag | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 41 | [19] |
Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums of 2021 So Far (June) | 49 | [20] |
The 50 Best Albums of 2021 | 30 | [21] |
Track listing
All tracks are written by Parannoul
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Beautiful World" (아름다운 세상; Areumdaun sesang) | 5:20 |
2. | "Excuse" (변명; Byeonmyeong) | 5:51 |
3. | "Analog Sentimentalism" (아날로그 센티멘탈리즘; Analrogeu sentimentallijeu) | 4:24 |
4. | "White Ceiling" (흰천장; Huincheonjang) | 10:00 |
5. | "To See the Next Part of the Dream" | 5:07 |
6. | "Age of Fluctuation" (격변의 시대; Gyeokbyeonui sidae) | 9:20 |
7. | "Youth Rebellion" (청춘반란; Cheongchunbanran) | 7:00 |
8. | "Extra Story" (엑스트라 일대기; Eokseuteura il-daegi) | 2:59 |
9. | "Chicken" | 6:00 |
10. | "I Can Feel My Heart Touching You" | 5:36 |
Total length: | 61:37 |
Notes
- ^ While initially self-released, Longinus Recordings sold physical copies of the album and Poclanos released it on streaming services.
References
- ^ a b c 鴉鷺 (5 April 2021). "青春の闇と光についてのサウンドトラック 파란노을(Parannoul)インタビュー". Sleep like a pillow (in Japanese). Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Cohen, Ian (25 March 2021). "파란노을 (Parannoul): To See the Next Part of the Dream". Pitchfork. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
- ^ a b Roxie, Marilyn (12 July 2022). "Sonemic Interview: Longinus Recordings". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Taconelli, Jesse (1 May 2021). "Sonemic Interview: Parannoul". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ a b c Noel, Jude (18 February 2022). "The Softer Side of Skramz: Bedroom Pop and Screamo Collide". Bandcamp Daily. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Devile, Chris (19 March 2021). "Stream Parannoul's Bedroom Shoegaze Blast To See The Next Part Of The Dream". Stereogum. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ a b Enis, Eli (18 December 2023). "TikTok Has Made Shoegaze Bigger Than Ever". Stereogum. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ a b Manno, Lizzie (19 January 2022). "Great Records You May Have Missed: 2021 Year-End Edition". Paste. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ a b Sharples, Grant (31 March 2021). "To See the Next Part of the Dream by 파란노을 (Parannoul) Is a Masterful Bandcamp Gem: Review". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
- ^ Jang, Joon Hwan (April 2021). "To See The Next Part Of The Dream". IZM (in Korean). Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ a b Haddad, Michael (2021). "A Conversation With: 파란노을 (Parannoul)". The Woove. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ McPherson, Matty (13 August 2021). "An Interview with Longinus Records". Tabs Out. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ "To See the Next Part of the Dream". Longinus Recordings. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ Lee, Jaehoon (23 April 2021). "[초점]인디업계 화제...뮤지션 '파란노을'은 누구인가". Newsis. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
- ^ Rettig, James (22 February 2022). "Stream Parannoul's White Ceiling / Black Dots Wandering Around EP". Stereogum. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
- ^ Darville, Jordan (22 February 2022). "Parannoul shares new EP White Ceiling / Black Dots Wandering Around". The Fader. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ Jones, Abby (21 September 2022). "The Best Emo Albums of the Last 15 Years". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "The 31 Best Rock Albums of 2021". Pitchfork. 8 December 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2021". Our Culture Mag. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2021 So Far". Stereogum. 8 June 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2021". Stereogum. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2024.