Author's note: A version of this article appears in the July 2010 issue of Groove Magazine. All pictures below are my own; pictures in the printed version may not be the same.
With decades of combined musical experience, this 4-piece band has been around the block and back, and just may be the next ‘big thing’ to explode onto the music scene. Although each comes from different musical styles and tastes, the whole definitely seems greater than its parts. Having closed out the Haebangchon Festival last month, and with a new CD coming out soon, I sat in at a band practice in Hongdae to learn about the guys who call themselves Mirror House.
"This'll be like the first time I f***ed a gorilla", said Ripley (drums / bass) just as they began rehearsing one of their newer songs “Arbitrary” for the first time. Or so they claimed. The wheels didn't fall off, the tempo didn't slack, and things worked so well that I jokingly asked them, "first time, huh?".
Each member of the quartet claims a significant amount of musical experience. Keegan (guitar/bass) began his musical career by taking piano lessons "since I could walk"; Nick has honed his technique on the sax for 18 years before picking up keyboards; Ripley started playing drums when he was 11, and Vadim (say it Va-DEEM) started singing "when I was 6, and started playing bass when I was about 14."
At first listen, Mirror House struck me as the product of a U2, Green Day, and Rage Against the Machine threesome. "It's like there was an orgy and no one knows who the father is," Nick (keyboards) agreed. Considering the wide range of influences these guys bring to the table, it's hard to pin it down much further.
"We're not trying to reinvent the wheel or do anything that hasn't already been done," said Vadim, who either plays the bass and sings or smacks the drums. "We're just out to write some good songs, and have some fun in the process.” You won't see anyone jumping off the stage or the gimmicks some other rock bands resort to when the energy begins to flag. Simply put, they don't need to - their music speaks for itself. "Watch Me Go” is the quintessential rock anthem with a chorus you'll hear the crowd singing. "Zero Gravity" brings out more of the band’s pop sound ("think more Stone Temple Pilots and the Beatles, rather than Britney Spears," notes Nick). "Price You Pay" is an explosive track which features catchy guitar riffs, and gets clever with the lyrics - “Well you look like Sinatra / and you f*ck like a porn star / and the more you make, then the larger the entourage… if you got it, then you might as well flaunt it / and pray your home in Aspen won’t get hit by an earthquake”. “The song is an attack on certain celebrities who let fame go to their head,” explains Vadim.
“In the future, we hope to add another guitarist to our line-up, who can bring a cool new element to the table, until then, we have no problem rocking out as a 4-piece,” proclaimed Keegan. When asked about working with a Korean guitarist, everyone proclaimed “absolutely!! Ripley explained that "music is a language of its own. When we're playing, it doesn't matter whether we speak Korean or English. It doesn't matter where you're from."
When asked what each member brings to the table, Vadim stated, "It’s a bit difficult to really pin-point exactly. I guess you could say that Keegan brings the rock. Nick adds an electronic flavor & great backing vocals, Ripley helps evolve our sound into something more experimental, and I bring a bit of a pop element to it all."
As expected, their live shows are energetic, fun to watch, and induce fans to jump along, sing along, and even mosh during certain songs. Original music bands in this town might seem a dime a dozen, but bands that rock without making you go deaf are a lot harder to find.
While I got to preview some songs from their upcoming debut album, Mirror House feels they still have a lot of work left to be done, and strive to make themselves even better. “I could say we’re at the 70% completion point, but then again, we’re still bringing great new tunes to the table, so it’s really difficult to say…Hopefully, we’ll have it ready this August,” Vadim declared. “We don’t want this to drag out or become our Chinese Democracy", said Keegan, “ but at the same time, we want to get the best songs on there, and make it as strong as it could possibly be”.
For now, catch Mirror House on July 17th at Club FF in Hongdae, and expect a CD launch sometime this August/September. Keep your eyes out for these guys - they'll be rocking for a long time to come.
For more information about the band, check out http://www.myspace.com/mirrorhouse.
© Chris Backe - 2010
With decades of combined musical experience, this 4-piece band has been around the block and back, and just may be the next ‘big thing’ to explode onto the music scene. Although each comes from different musical styles and tastes, the whole definitely seems greater than its parts. Having closed out the Haebangchon Festival last month, and with a new CD coming out soon, I sat in at a band practice in Hongdae to learn about the guys who call themselves Mirror House.
"This'll be like the first time I f***ed a gorilla", said Ripley (drums / bass) just as they began rehearsing one of their newer songs “Arbitrary” for the first time. Or so they claimed. The wheels didn't fall off, the tempo didn't slack, and things worked so well that I jokingly asked them, "first time, huh?".
Each member of the quartet claims a significant amount of musical experience. Keegan (guitar/bass) began his musical career by taking piano lessons "since I could walk"; Nick has honed his technique on the sax for 18 years before picking up keyboards; Ripley started playing drums when he was 11, and Vadim (say it Va-DEEM) started singing "when I was 6, and started playing bass when I was about 14."
At first listen, Mirror House struck me as the product of a U2, Green Day, and Rage Against the Machine threesome. "It's like there was an orgy and no one knows who the father is," Nick (keyboards) agreed. Considering the wide range of influences these guys bring to the table, it's hard to pin it down much further.
"We're not trying to reinvent the wheel or do anything that hasn't already been done," said Vadim, who either plays the bass and sings or smacks the drums. "We're just out to write some good songs, and have some fun in the process.” You won't see anyone jumping off the stage or the gimmicks some other rock bands resort to when the energy begins to flag. Simply put, they don't need to - their music speaks for itself. "Watch Me Go” is the quintessential rock anthem with a chorus you'll hear the crowd singing. "Zero Gravity" brings out more of the band’s pop sound ("think more Stone Temple Pilots and the Beatles, rather than Britney Spears," notes Nick). "Price You Pay" is an explosive track which features catchy guitar riffs, and gets clever with the lyrics - “Well you look like Sinatra / and you f*ck like a porn star / and the more you make, then the larger the entourage… if you got it, then you might as well flaunt it / and pray your home in Aspen won’t get hit by an earthquake”. “The song is an attack on certain celebrities who let fame go to their head,” explains Vadim.
“In the future, we hope to add another guitarist to our line-up, who can bring a cool new element to the table, until then, we have no problem rocking out as a 4-piece,” proclaimed Keegan. When asked about working with a Korean guitarist, everyone proclaimed “absolutely!! Ripley explained that "music is a language of its own. When we're playing, it doesn't matter whether we speak Korean or English. It doesn't matter where you're from."
When asked what each member brings to the table, Vadim stated, "It’s a bit difficult to really pin-point exactly. I guess you could say that Keegan brings the rock. Nick adds an electronic flavor & great backing vocals, Ripley helps evolve our sound into something more experimental, and I bring a bit of a pop element to it all."
As expected, their live shows are energetic, fun to watch, and induce fans to jump along, sing along, and even mosh during certain songs. Original music bands in this town might seem a dime a dozen, but bands that rock without making you go deaf are a lot harder to find.
While I got to preview some songs from their upcoming debut album, Mirror House feels they still have a lot of work left to be done, and strive to make themselves even better. “I could say we’re at the 70% completion point, but then again, we’re still bringing great new tunes to the table, so it’s really difficult to say…Hopefully, we’ll have it ready this August,” Vadim declared. “We don’t want this to drag out or become our Chinese Democracy", said Keegan, “ but at the same time, we want to get the best songs on there, and make it as strong as it could possibly be”.
For now, catch Mirror House on July 17th at Club FF in Hongdae, and expect a CD launch sometime this August/September. Keep your eyes out for these guys - they'll be rocking for a long time to come.
For more information about the band, check out http://www.myspace.com/mirrorhouse.
© Chris Backe - 2010This post was originally published on my blog, Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.
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