Glen Check (band)
Glen Check | |
---|---|
Origin | Seoul, South Korea |
Genres | Electronic, indie |
Years active | 2011–present |
Labels | Soundholic, BANA |
Members | Kim June-one Kang Hyuk-jun |
Past members | Ryu Jeon-yeol Choe Tae-geun |
Glen Check (Korean: 글렌체크) is a South Korean indie band, consisting of singer and guitarist Kim June-one, and bassist and synthesizer player Kang Hyuk-jun.[1][2] They debuted in 2011 with the EP Disco Elevator, and released their first full-length album, Haute Couture, in 2012.[3]
History
Kim June-one (김준원) and Kang Hyuk-jun (강혁준) were both born in South Korea, but spent much of their childhoods abroad, listening mostly to Western music.[4] They met after returning to South Korea, while attending Busan International High School, where they decided to pursue music as a career. After graduation, they formed a band called The Closure, which Kim later described as being "quiet and boring."[1][5]
They changed the band's name to Glen Check, and began releasing electropop and synth-pop music, starting with their first EP, 2011's Disco Elevator.[5][4] Their first full-length album, 2012's Haute Couture, was met with rave reviews from critics, and won Best Dance & Electronic Album at the 2013 Korean Music Awards.[1][6] The band's second album, 2013's Youth!, also won Best Dance & Electronic Album the following year at the 2014 Korean Music Awards,[7] and Billboard called the album track "Young Generation" one of the best South Korean songs of 2013.[8]
In 2014, Glen Check performed at the South by Southwest music festival as part of a Korean rock showcase.[9] That same year, Melissa Locker of Time singled out Glen Check as her favorite band from South Korea, praising their "edgy '80s energy" and "style that's nearly impossible not to dance to."[10]
In 2017, the band released its first album in four years, the EP The Glen Check Experience. The album was a departure from their synth-pop sound and featured genres including psychedelic rock, old school hip hop, acid jazz, and techno.[2] The album charted at number 38 on South Korea's Gaon Album Chart.[11] Billboard named it as one of the twenty best South Korean albums of the year and described it as "perhaps the most sonically adventurous album on the list."[12] On 3 August 2018, the band released the track "Velvet Goldmine".
They released the single Dive Baby, Dive on 13 September 2021. This was followed by the release of the song "Raving" and the announcement of a new album, Bleach,[13] expected to be released on 5 March 2022.[14]
Artistry
Glen Check is notable for only singing in English.[2] While the duo have cited Western music as being an influence on them, they were also inspired by African music and traditional Korean music on their album Haute Couture.[15][16] For Cliché, they looked to funk and disco music from the 1970s and 1980s for their inspiration.[17] The duo has said that they do not want their sound to be limited, and that they plan to experiment in many different styles. The band places an emphasis on the visual aspects of their live shows and have been noted for their stage design.[5]
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales |
---|---|---|---|
KOR [11] | |||
Haute Couture |
Track listing
|
— | N/A |
Youth! |
Track listing Disc 1
Disc 2
|
— | N/A |
Bleach |
Track listing
|
— | N/A |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Extended plays
Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales |
---|---|---|---|
KOR [11] | |||
Disco Elevator |
Track listing
|
— | N/A |
Au Revoir |
Track listing
|
— | N/A |
Cliché |
Track listing
|
— | N/A |
The Glen Check Experience |
Track listing
|
38 | N/A |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Remix albums
Title | Album details |
---|---|
'84 |
Track listing
|
I've Got This Feeling Remixes |
Track listing
|
Pacific Remixes |
Track listing
|
Paint It Gold Remixes |
Track listing
|
Awards
Year | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Best Dance & Electronic Album | Haute Couture | Won | [6] |
2014 | Youth | Won | [7] | |
2023 | Best Electronic Album | Bleach | Nominated | [18] |
2023 | Best Electronic Song | 4ever | Nominated | [19] |
References
- ^ a b c Doo, Rumy (2017-09-04). "[Next Wave] Glen Check tells stories of Seoul, curiosity, experience". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
- ^ a b c Lee, Eun-jeong (2017-08-20). "글렌체크 '음악 모험에 성취감…시대의 대표 장르 담겼죠'". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-03-29.
- ^ "Glen Check 앨범" [Glen Check Albums]. [Mnet (in Korean). CJ E&M Music. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
- ^ a b Kim, Young-jin (2013-02-19). "Match made in synthpop heaven". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
- ^ a b c Park, Anna (2012-06-15). "Indie ID: Glen Check". MTV K. Archived from the original on 2012-07-20. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
- ^ a b Seo, Jeong-min (2013-02-28). "버터플라이·싸이 '화려한 귀환'…인디·비주류 음악 대중속으로". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-03-29.
- ^ a b Yang, Eun-ha (2014-02-28). "윤영배, 제11회 한국대중음악상 음반상 3관왕(종합)". News1 Korea (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-03-29.
- ^ "20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2013: K-Town Picks". Billboard. 2013-12-23. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
- ^ Park, Jin-hai (2014-02-10). "Here comes K-rock". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
- ^ Locker, Melissa (2014-05-26). "From Brazil to Iceland to Korea: Go Around the World In 11 Bands". Time. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
- ^ a b c "Gaon Album Chart". Gaon Music Chart.
- 2017년 33주차 Album Chart. Gaon Music Chart.
- ^ Jeff Benjamin; Tamar Herman; Caitlin Kelley (December 14, 2017). "The 20 Best K-pop Albums of 2017: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
- ^ 글렌체크, 신곡 '레이빙' 발매…새 정규앨범 내년 공개, Naver, 16 December 2021.
- ^ Bleach by Glen Check, Amazon.
- ^ Edwina Mukasa (April 2012). "An Interview With Glen Check". thislondonchick.com. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ Pancho Paradela (August 25, 2012). "P&B ON-TOUR KOREA Glen Check". Pull the Metal (in Spanish). Archived from the original on August 28, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
- ^ Kim, June-One; Kang, Hyuk-Jun; Ryu, Jeon-Yeol (2012). "B-Sides Episode 5: Glen Check". MTV K (video). Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2013.
- ^ Kim, Chian (2023-02-10). "The Complete List of Korean Music Awards 2023 Nominees윤". K Pop Post. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
- ^ Kim, Chian (2023-02-10). "The Complete List of Korean Music Awards 2023 Nominees윤". K Pop Post. Retrieved 2023-05-26.