Whang Bo-ryung = Smacksoft ( = Smacksoft), commonly known as Smacksoft, is a South Korean

post-punk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad genre of music that emerged in late 1977 in the wake of punk rock. Post-punk musicians departed from punk's fundamental elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a broader, more experiment ...

and

experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, wit ...

band formed in 2000 by the lead singer-songwriter

Whang Bo-ryung Whang Bo-ryung (; born February 26, 1970) is a South Korean-American singer, songwriter and painter. She is the lead vocalist and founder of the band Smacksoft. She released her first solo album, ''Cat With Three Ears'', in April 1998. Life and c ...

. The band is prominent in the local

indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media *Independent media, media free of influence by government or corporate interests *Indie art, fine arts made by artists independent of commer ...

scene in

Hongdae, Seoul Hongdae () is a neighborhood in Mapo District, Seoul, South Korea, near Hongik University ("Hongik Daehakgyo" in Korean), after which it is named. The neighborhood is known for its urban arts and indie music culture, local shops, clubs, cafés a ...

where front woman Whang is known as one of the most respected female rockers. Two of their albums were nominated for Best Modern Rock Album at the

Korean Music Awards The Korean Music Awards () is an annual South Korean music awards show that honors both mainstream and underground musical artists from a variety of genres. Unlike other major South Korean music awards, which largely rely on record sales to de ...

: ''Shines in the Dark'' in 2010 and ''Follow Your Heart'' in 2013.

History

2000–02: Formation and hiatus

The band's founder and lead singer-songwriter Whang was born in Seoul and moved to the United States as a teenager. After performing as a university student in New York City, she returned to Seoul in 1998 and released an album of her own. In 2000, she formed the Smacksoft band when they played a final track on her second album, ''Sun Sign'', which she was recording. The band toured in South Korea and Japan in 2002, in support of ''Sun Sign'', then took a hiatus when Whang took time off to continue her education and travel.

2008–present: SXSW, North American and European tour

Returning to Seoul in 2008, Whang reunited the band and released the EP ''SmackSoft 2.5'' in January 2009. She is also a professional artist and provides original artwork for the album covers. On July 24, 2009, they appeared with a group of musicians of different genres in concert at Gwanghwamun Art Hall, title Star English Concert, for the

Educational Broadcasting System Korean Educational Broadcasting System () or EBS is a South Korean educational public radio and television network covering South Korean territory, and the only major South Korean radio and television network joint venture Ministry of Science a ...

, a fundraiser for the hearing impaired. They released studio albums ''Shines in the Dark'' in 2009, which received a nomination for Best Modern Rock Album at the Korean Music Awards, and ''Mana Wind'' in 2010. Whang said the title ''Mana Wind'' stood for a supernatural wind, and symbolized a strength to overcome hardships in your life. One song on the album, "Blue Marbles", was based on her remembrances of the light's reflections on a favorite blue

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

that she had played with when young. On February 26, 2011, the band participated in a fundraiser in Seoul for

post-rock Post-rock is a subgenre of experimental rock that emphasizes Texture (music), texture, atmosphere, and non-traditional song structures over conventional rock techniques. Post-rock artists often combine rock instrumentation and rock stylings wit ...

indie group Apollo 18, an indie band traveling to North America and

SXSW South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

. The band was featured on

Arirang Radio Arirang Radio (, stylized as arirang) is an English-language South Korean television network based in Seoul and aimed at an overseas audience. It is operated by the Korea International Broadcasting Foundation and is financially supported by the ...

in February and March. In August 2011, they performed at the

Pentaport Rock Festival Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival () is a rock festival which is held annually in Incheon, South Korea for three days in August. Launched in 2006, it is considered one of the biggest live music events in South Korea. The festival covers various gen ...

. In 2012, they released the album ''Follow Your Heart'', which received the band's second nomination for Best Modern Rock Album at the Korean Music Awards. On March 2, 2012, they played with nine bands at a benefit concert in Hongdae, "Rock & Resistance", in support of the Gangjeong Village's concerns about government construction of the

Jeju Naval Base The Jeju Civilian-Military Complex Port for Beautiful Tourism () or Jeju Naval Base () is a joint civil and Republic of Korea Navy base constructed by the South Korean government in Gangjeong village on the southern coast of Jeju Island (cotermin ...

. On June 30, 2012, three of the band members played an acoustic set at

Jeju City Jeju City (; ) is the capital of the Jeju Province in South Korea and the largest city on Jeju Island. The city is served by Jeju International Airport (IATA code CJU). Located on an island off the Korean Peninsula, Jeju has mild, warm weather ...

's One Night Acoustic in Jamaica Concert. On April 19, 2013, they participated in a

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in the United States established to provide the means to cure cystic fibrosis (CF) and ensure that those living with CF live long and productive lives. The Foundation pro ...

charity event in Hongdae, called Shake Shop, with bands

Jambinai Jambinai () are a Korean post-rock band formed in Seoul in 2009. The band currently consists of Kim Bo-mi, Lee Il-woo, Sim Eun-yong, Yu Byeong-koo and Choi Jae-hyuk. Their debut album '' Différance'' won the award for Best Crossover Album at the ...

and Juck Juck Grunzie, and bellydancer Eshe. On December 15, 2013, the band appeared on the SBS special ''Legends Cover'', a tribute for underground singer

Kim Hyun-sik Kim Hyun-sik (; 7 January 1958 – 1 November 1990) was a South Korean musician, active during the 1980s. He debuted in 1980, releasing his debut studio album, ''Spring Summer Fall Winter'', along with his band of the same name. He died at the ag ...

. On March 14, 2014, they performed at

's 2k14 Seoulsonic in

Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

with Big Phony, Glen Check, Rock N' Roll Radio and Love X Stereo; with a continued US tour, including

CAAMFest CAAMFest, known prior to 2013 as the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF), is presented every May (Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month) in the San Francisco Bay Area in the United States as the nation' ...

in San Francisco. On March 29, 2014, they played the second Hongdaefest, joining older and newer groups in an effort to introduce the Hongdae music scene, "once known as an incubator for indie bands such as

Crying Nut Crying Nut () is a punk rock band from South Korea. They are often credited as being pioneers of the Korean punk rock and indie rock scenes. The group began performing in 1995 in the Hongdae (area), Hongdae club scene in Seoul. They released the ...

and Rumblefish". In April 2014, they performed at

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

CinemAsia Film Festival CinemAsia Film Festival (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) is a leading Asian film festival in Europe. The first edition of CinemAsia was in 2004 and started as a biannual film festival. Since 2012, the festival is an annual film festival held in Mar ...

. On October 27, 2016, they released their sixth album, ''Urbane Sanity'', with eleven tracks, following single releases of ''Are You Ready?_Urbane Sanity'' in August and ''Go! Urbane Sanity'' in September, with songs from the same album. They performed some of the new music at a Seoul art exhibition, "Mundo", held by Whang and artist Sin Ifie, also in September. The album's ninth track "You Are There_R.I.P" is a memorial song for

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

and Whang's father, who died the previous winter. Whang, also, humorously credits her house cat "Bach" for work on the song's creation, as he was sleeping on the synthesizer, then suddenly awakened and kicked off with his back foot, creating some notes on the last verse that she retained on the song.

Musical style and influences

The band's sound is influenced by artists such as

Brian Eno Brian Peter George Jean-Baptiste de la Salle Eno (, born 15 May 1948), also mononymously known as Eno, is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, visual artist, and activist. He is best known for his pioneering contributions to ambien ...

The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1964. Its classic lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Lou Reed, Welsh multi-instrumentalist John Cale, guitarist Sterling Morrison, and percussionis ...

, and

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...

. John Redmond of ''

The Korea Times ''The Korea Times'' () is a daily English-language newspaper in South Korea. It is a sister paper of the ''Hankook Ilbo'', a major Korean language, Korean-language daily. It is the oldest active daily English-language newspaper in South Korea. ...

'' described their musical style as "a fantastic, densely-layered hybrid sound of post-punk, rock and electronica". Kim Young-jin of the same newspaper described the band as having a "penchant for

avant-garde In the arts and literature, the term ''avant-garde'' ( meaning or ) identifies an experimental genre or work of art, and the artist who created it, which usually is aesthetically innovative, whilst initially being ideologically unacceptable ...

", with "the music angingfrom ambient to electro-synth", and compared lead singer Whang's "husky voice" to

Cat Power Charlyn Marie "Chan" Marshall ( ; born January 21, 1972), better known by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer-songwriter. Cat Power was originally the name of her first band, but has become her stage name as a solo artist. Born in ...

. In 2014 at

, Luke Winkie of ''

The Austin Chronicle ''The Austin Chronicle'' is an alternative weekly newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demogra ...

'' said they "weave layered, smoky synthetic blankets like Portishead".

Lineups

The band's members who accompany Whang have changed over the years. In 2000, the band included Yoon Sung-hoon (guitar), Lee Min-jung (bass) and Hirsch (drums); in 2008, Park Jong-geun (guitar), Park Jin-sun (keyboards) and Seo Jung-hyun (bass); in 2009, Park Jong-geun (guitar), Park Jin-sun (keyboards), Seo Jung-hyun (bass) and Kim Heon-deok (drums); in 2010, Nicholas Ellis and Yoon Sung-hoon (guitar), Park Jin-sun (keyboards), Lee Jung-hyun (bass) and Seo Jin-shil (drums); in 2011, Yoon Sung-hoon (guitar), Bachan Kyu-neun (keyboard), Seo Jung-hyun (bass) and Seo Jin-shil (drums); in 2012, Rainbow99 (guitar), Kang Ha-neul (keyboard), Shin Ji-yong (bass) and Seo Jin-shil (drums); in 2013, Ryu Seong-hyun (guitar), Kang Ha-neul (keyboard), Shin Ji-yong (bass) and Seo Jin-shil (drums); and in 2014, Rainbow99 (guitar), Kang Ha-neul (keyboards), Shin Ji-yong (bass) and Seo Jin-shil (drums). Since 2015, the members are Whang (vocals, guitar, ukulele), Choi Hi-je () (lead guitar), Shin Ji-yong () (bass guitar), and DeAnthony Nelson Jr. (drums).

Discography

EP

* ''SmackSoft 2.5'' (2009)

Studio album

* ''The Sun Sign'' (2001) * ''Shines in the Dark'' (2009) * ''Mana Wind'' (2010) * ''Follow Your Heart'' (2012) * ''Urbane Sanity'' (2016)

Awards and nominations

In 2011, they were number 54 on

Louder Than War ''Louder Than War'' is a music and culture website and magazine focusing on mainly alternative arts news, reviews, and features. The site is an editorially independent publication that was started by the English musician and journalist John R ...

's "Top 57 new bands for 2011".

References

External links

{{Authority control Musical groups established in 2000 South Korean rock music groups