Born and raised in Osan, around 21 miles away from Seoul, Blish found his early childhood filled with pure moments of joy while hanging out with friends, playing soccer, and taking part in festivals and school stage performances, whether it was singing or dancing. However, it wasn’t until adolescence that Blish’s musical goals began to take shape.

His voyage into music production began with a melange of influences, ranging from Korean idol music, including Girls’ Generation and BigBang, to American artists like Akon and T-Pain.

In December 2023, Blish unveiled his first full-length album, Wanderland, a stunning release that cannot be defined by one genre alone. Drawing inspiration from several artists such as Jacob Collier, Frank Ocean, Daniel Caesar, Bon Iver, and Kanye West, the album reflects his eclectic taste and beautifully gathers all his feelings and experiences in one place. With each song, he creates an anthology of his struggles and victories. His collaboration with artists like 4BOUT and DAVII shows that working with other talented individuals can add even more emotions and feelings to one’s work. 

As he sets his sights on future projects, including singles, covers, and even a second full-length album on the horizon, his future looks bright.

VOA: Do you remember the first time you realised that music might be your calling? What inspired you to pursue music production, and how did you develop your style?

Blish: When I was studying in the Philippines, I found that their pop culture was mostly American. I heard music by T-Pain and Akon and developed an interest in music. Before I was supposed to go to college, I had been thinking that I would do music as a hobby. I didn’t get into the university that I wanted to get into, so I thought it would be good to really make music instead of simply doing it as a hobby. That’s when I started working on music. In terms of my style; I don’t like just one style or genre. I like several styles and genres, and I enjoy experimenting with them to create something that is uniquely mine. 

VOA: You mentioned before that Wanderland is a mix of elements that make it difficult to categorise into a single genre. Can you elaborate on the influences and inspirations behind the diverse sound of the album? How did you balance your work between different genres while maintaining consistency in your musical storytelling?

Blish: Artists that I was most influenced by are Jacob Collier, Daniel Caesar, Frank Ocean, 070 Shake, Bon Iver, and Kanye West. And I listened to their music the most while working on this album. As for the theme of the album, I started making music in my early twenties, and the album is a compact story of the things I have experienced. The album narrates the unfortunate/negative things I went through during that period and how I worked through those things and overcame them. I don’t feel down or depressed now, though. As for the theme/topic, I expanded the idea of losing a family member to include love or my goals or dreams. I constructed the album in such a way that, depending on who’s listening, it could feel like it’s about a love story or life goals.

VOA: Your debut album, Wanderland, features collaborations with several artists, including 4BOUT and DAVII. Can you tell me more about the process of selecting these collaborators? 

Blish: I chose those artists because I felt they had voices that went well with the songs, and they were also artists I had some sort of relationship with. I felt they were aware of the story I wanted to tell, and I believed they could sympathise/identify with the story [in some ways]. 

VOA: I hear a lot of various beautiful sounds in your songs, whether they are musical instruments or just sounds of nature, and I find it very interesting how you work with different sounds. You also used a handpan in Reminisce, why such a choice? This sort of instrument is often used in Caribbean music and meditation; let’s just say it is not widely used in music in general. 

Blish: Since the theme is reminiscing, I used musical instruments that I felt were used in the past. So, I took instruments that I thought sounded pleasing to my ears and also went well with the theme of the song.

VOA: You also said that with this album, you wanted to share difficult emotions and experiences, offering comfort and support to listeners going through challenging times. How did you translate these emotions into your music, and what was the creative process behind this album?

Blish: I worked on the first song, Rewind, with the mindset that I was rewinding the things I experienced in the past – like the title says – from my current state. Sometimes, I felt anxiety for no reason, so I thought it would be good to face the things I experienced before without avoiding them. So, the first one is about rewinding the past.

Tracks two (Wander), three (Dazed in White), and four (Morrow) deal with my younger days. When I was a kid, I was bullied, and my relationships with friends were difficult. Therefore, I focused on the depressing feelings that came out of that and wrote about them. When my father passed away, DAVII called me that day, and we talked. I thought about that as I worked on Dazed in White. I expressed the feelings that I felt around then.

Morrow is about me questioning what I should do after my father’s death. I felt like there was no tomorrow for me. The fifth song onward, Reminisce, is a turning point, showing the process of overcoming these challenges. While reflecting on the past, I realised the need to move forward and let go of depression. I also cherished the positive memories and lessons my father imparted. Through this track [and the rest remaining song], you’ll witness gradual progress towards overcoming the issues [I had] and embracing growth. 

VOA: Dazed in White shows your belief in God – you have that spoken word in the middle of the song mentioning suicide, pain, and finding your path – it is all done in English, too. I wonder, what was on your mind when you wrote this song? Why have you chosen to have that part of the song in English? 

Blish: What I was thinking at that time was that if I wrote this part in Korean, Korean listeners would have reacted differently to those lyrics. What I’m observing now, and it seems quite common, is that whenever you talk about God and sing about it, especially anything related to Christianity, Koreans won’t listen to that music much. That’s why I decided to do it in English.

VOA: I also noticed you write more about God and depression in Morrow. What experiences were you drawing from with this? 

Blish: It connects to the track Dazed in White. [As I mentioned before], my father passed away suddenly, so the struggles I had in my early twenties became heavier, and I felt more confused. My emotions at that time felt like I had lost everything, and it felt like there was no tomorrow, so I tried to capture those feelings.

VOA: How do you balance personal storytelling with creating music that relates to a broad audience? What techniques or strategies do you employ to ensure your music connects with listeners?

Blush: Morrow and Carry On are the ones I’m pretty satisfied with technique-wise. The song that I think tells the story I wanted to tell and that a lot of people identify with is Reminisce.

VOA: If you can remember it, how would you describe your first song?

Blish: My first music was kind of in the style of GroovyRoom, but more rudimentary.

VOA: Who have you enjoyed working with this year? And why?

Blish: Everyone who helped was great to work with, but the most memorable person was probably eAeon. He had been making music since before I entered elementary school, so his experiences and advice were a great help to me. And I was grateful as a rookie to receive a lot of support and interest from him.

VOA: How do you see yourself as an artist?

Blish: As an artist, I always feel like I’m someone who pursues something different. I want to tell my own story that stands out from others, and I want to create a sound that reflects my feelings. But at the same time, I always think about how to make those things enjoyable for the public.

VOA: Improvisation is a large part of the creative process for many artists. How strictly do you separate improvising and composing in your work?

Blish: I don’t strictly separate them. I enjoy improvising and composing spontaneously. Working impulsively rather than overthinking seems to yield better results for me.

VOA: When I listen to music, I see shapes and colours. What happens in your mind when you’re listening to your favourite tune, and how does it influence your approach to creativity?

Blish: I feel euphoria, joy, empathy, and various other emotions. I try to express experiences I’ve directly felt during those emotional moments.

VOA: How does your approach to producing differ when creating music for yourself compared to producing for other artists, such as Yang Hong-won and Youra, for whom you’ve procured songs in the past?

Blish: I arrange music closely with their desired style and references when producing songs for others. However, when producing my own songs, I tend to be more daring in arrangement and sound. For example, incorporating recorded everyday sounds or adding more transitions.

VOA: When you’re not working, how do you unwind and escape from the noises of the big city?

Blish: Even when I’m not working, ideas related to music keep popping into my head every hour, every day. When I want to unwind, I play or watch soccer, and I spend time with my girlfriend.

VOA: What’s next for you after the release of Wanderland? Are there any new projects in the pipeline?

Blish: This year, I am planning to release seven singles, and I am also considering releasing some covers and remixes of songs by other artists. I will be releasing my second full-length album sometime in March next year. 

Written and interviewed by Maggie Gogler

_{View of the Arts is an online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}