Over the past few years, the Hallyu wave, the name for the global expansion of Korean entertainment, has become more of a tsunami. Korean music acts are touring sold out venues around the world, getting radio play outside of Korea, and topping charts worldwide.
What some global fans might not know about is the incredible indie music scene in Korea.
I’ll admit, I used to be one of these fans. There’s so much music coming out of Korea that it’s hard to know much about it other than the big names in K-pop. But if that’s your only exposure to Korean music, you’re missing out.
Most nights, you'd have a hard time not finding a concert somewhere in Seoul. Throughout the year, there are dozens of music festivals throughout South Korea… many celebrating music that isn't mainstream.
If you’re a fan outside of Korea, there are different YouTube channels, Twitter accounts, and blogs to keep you in the know. That’s how I came across a group that spent the summer festival season making a name for themselves – NOVADOX.
NOVADOX (from left to right) – J-One, Yoon Kim, AZ, Vin, and Alan. Photo courtesy of NOVADOX
NOVADOX is comprised of five members: Vin (vocalist), AZ (guitar), Alan (guitar), Yoon Kim (bass), and J-one (drums). The name NOVADOX is a combination of two words: “Supernova” and “Dogs.”
I first came across NOVADOX after they released their latest single, "In My Sight." The song, a pleasant combination of emo, punk, and metal, instantly had me hooked. As I tried to learn more about the group, I realized there wasn't much info on them out there. And if you're a fan who doesn't speak Korean, there's almost none.
As a fan, I wanted to learn more about NOVADOX. I was lucky enough to be able to talk to the members recently. After lots of e-mails back and forth, I can share what we talked about with you.
They told me how they came to be, what inspires their music, and their plans for the coming year.
[Writer’s note: All of their responses are translated from Korean.]
NOVADOX debuted on March 22, 2017 under their label, NX Entertainment, with the mini album, escapism. The album included five tracks: "Monster" (featuring music producer Cha-Ilhun), "Fate," "Alone" (the title track), "All Is Well," and "Inside of Me."
One of the first things you'll notice when listening to escapism is how much of the album is in English. "Monster" and "Alone" were written entirely in English and "Fate" is a nearly 50/50 split between Korean and English. The other two songs – "All Is Well" and "Inside of Me" – are almost entirely in Korean.
Thanks to the members' backgrounds, they're not interested in sticking to one language or genre of music. Despite their recent debut, the members have long been a part of the indie music scenes in Korea and Japan. That history is what brought them together to form NOVADOX.
VIN and AZ helped create the OST "Go Fight! Show Your Energy" for the multiplayer game MapleStory.
AZ was a guitarist in Japan, working with the group G.O.D. (Guitarists on Demand).
Alan was active in the K-rock band EZEN, formed by Jang Ho Il, a K-rock veteran with more than 20 years of experience in the scene.
Yoon Kim was a bassist in LUGNASAD and has worked as a co-producer and bass technician for other musicians.
J-one played drums in several other bands, including LUGNASAD and HÜ, before joining NOVADOX.
Alan and Yoon Kim were working as composers and producers when they started looking to form a band, and they eventually connected with Vin and AZ who were working as session musicians in Korea and Japan at the time. J-one, who had worked as a session drummer with Alan and Yoon Kim, was invited to join as well. After establishing a vision and direction, NOVADOX was created. Within just a few months of their debut, they were already making an impression.
NOVADOX after winning the BuRock Battle. Courtesy @NOVADOX_
In early August, they took home the BuRock Battle statue from the Busan International Rock Festival. Just a few weeks later, they won the Grand Prize at the 2017 Pyeongtaek Rock Festival for their song "Alone." Quite a feat for a group that only debuted in March of 2017.
As you listen to escapism, you get the strong sense of a battle between villains and heroes. I asked what their inspiration was for the album and they explained:
In our first mini album escapism we tried to convey the feelings of youth who crave dreams and freedom.
[The album] is the story of a someone who's willing to become a villain, to breakaway from being safe in a cage for the sake of a dream. We wanted to make a story that shows the dream through the word "escape," rather than being in a cage. Stories of escaping from everyday life for true dreams or passionate love can be heard through each track.
When you watch the music video for "Alone" you might notice that the lead vocalist, Vin, looks a little like the Joker from the "Suicide Squad" film.
NOVADOX – Alone
In an episode of NOVADOX TV (a regular series on their YouTube channel), Vin explained he wanted to look like his favorite villain to suit their album concept. According to Vin, the first three songs on the album directly revolve around the villain.
Alan explains that in "Monster", the villain "wants to be like the hero but can't." The hero has all these good qualities that the villain can't obtain. But you get the sense that the villain is wondering just how different he is from the hero.
In "Fate," the villain has realized that even if he wants to become a hero, he can't no matter how hard he tries. Fate has already determined his path.
Once we get to "Alone," the villain has abandoned his quest to become a hero. But more than that, he's lost all hope for the future and believes he has no choice but to just be alone.
The final two songs on the album offer hope to the villain.
"All Is Well" is a reminder that many of us as children dream of being a superhero like we read about in comic books. But it takes more than a costume to really be a superhero. The song tells us it's okay to fall down and make mistakes, and as long as you're not afraid to move forward, to not let your past define you.
The final song on the album, "Inside of Me," continues the theme of not being burdened by your past. You don't need to forget your past to move on from it. Memories are precious, but you can't let them hold you back.
NOVADOX – In My Sight
With a whole album focused on a character’s journey, Novadox unexpectedly switches themes in “In My Sight,” their first single released after escapism. In this song, Vin wanted to portray "love that is expressed actively and directly rather than tenderly." The lyrics are about holding onto someone you love. It's a love confession telling the listener, "don't look at anyone else, just look at me."
We’ll likely see more of this thematic detour in their future work. The members told me they’ll continue to use anything from their lives that inspires them.
Similar to their goal of having diverse themes in their music,they also refuse to be defined by a single genre. In the small discography they currently have, you'll hear metal, classic rock, punk rock, alternative, with hints of pop all seamlessly blended together. NOVADOX explained:
We have eclectic tastes in music, different sounds give us identity and this is our directivity. There are a variety of factors from classic rock to dance pop in NOVADOX’s music.
Vin bases his sound on 90’s alternative rock. AZ is specialist of J-Rock. On the other hand, Alan likes K-Pop. Yoon Kim loves punk rock, and J-one enjoys jazz and funk.
With all their effort in creating the perfect album for their sound, it’s even more impressive that NOVADOX is also working hard to make themselves accessible to a wide audience.
In addition to recording original songs entirely in English, which isn't typical in Korea, especially for a group without native English-speaking members, all of the NOVADOX TV episodes are subtitled in English and Japanese. The members also make an effort to tweet in English, a welcome sight for an international fan.
As a fan, I had to ask when we should expect more music. The group plans to release a single in January, and their first full-length album containing a variety of music in the first half of 2018. After that, they hope to have an overseas tour once their album is released.
With all the noise surrounding the Korean music industry, it’s hard to find musical gems. I’m talking groups that not only put out good music, but put in the effort to make their music and themselves accessible to fans all over the world.
NOVADOX is doing all of that. I know I’ll be here to see what’s next.