Project Muyo

K-pop meets Dancehall

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 03:11:00 +0000

I must be slipping in my old aged or too busy, I can't believe I missed this. Miss A released their song Breathe back in October.

I'm digging this song really hard. It's your standard run of the mill k-pop song but what I really enjoy about it is the dancehall vibe it throws out. It's fresh and needed change to a k-pop scene that is becoming stagnant. It's a standard 4-on-the-floor beat but the stylistic troupes of dancehall had been included really make it interesting.

The dancing is incredible. I love seeing korean girls poppin'. Not it an objectifying way though. I think Korean girls poppin' is amazing because it is so out of the ordinary for them. They traditionally don't take to that style of dancing in the mainstream. It's refreshing to see. I would have been amazing if they could have incorporated Junko from Japan in the dance.

Live@Pavox 10 Year Anniversary Party

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 07:12:00 +0000

On Nov. 27th I djed at Pavox in Yeongtong for their 10th Anniversary Party. It was a really good time. I decided that I would record the set. The mix could be a little better. There was a crap ton of people there and people kept coming up to say hi and bumping into me. There are some mistakes but oh well. I had fun this not and the party got live. There is a little bit of everything there. I did a lot of K-pop that night and threw down tons of dubstep. Enjoy!

Live@Pavox 10 Year Anniversary

Interview with My Grandma #6

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 03:02:00 +0000

In this episode, my grandma talks about fun, walking, basketball, and singing.

Interview with My Grandma #6 from Andy Whitmore on Vimeo.

2ne1 is back and not sure what I think

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 03:44:00 +0000

Yesterday on Inkigayo, 2ne1 had their comeback special. I have love-hate relationship with 2ne1. I either really enjoy them or I despise them. Most of this stems from their talent, song choice, and marketing.

To begin, I believe that 2ne1 is actually a really talented girl group. They have a good enough variety of vocal sound and are exceptional dancers. I especially like the youngest member, Minzy. Though she is only 18 years old, she has shown great talent in their videos and live performances. I promised in six years, once she has left 2ne1 behind, she'll be the biggest star in Korea.

Their songs on the other hand, have always left something to be desired. Their debut song with with Big Bang, "Lollipop," didn't really sell them as well as it should have. The first solo debut song, "Fire," is a definite club banger. The tune is a fast paced reggaeton-electro burner that set them up as the dance hall queens of Asia. The latter songs they had released were the ballads "In the Club" and "I Don't Care."

This brings me to my next point, the Marketing. Yes, I know that it is great to make music accessible to all audiences. I understand the importance of 20-something cool factor and adolescent disposable income, but choose an audience and stick with it. This is one of my problems with all pop music. When there is too large of a demographic everyone is let down.

On Inkigayo, the first song they performed was "박수쳐 (Clap Your Hands)." OK, pick a style and stick with it. They're not John Zorn or Dj Qbert. They don't have to ability to switch from genre to genre every transition from verse, chorus, to bridge. It goes from drummed up club banger to R&B House to reggaeton stomper and back again. I really like the reggaeton part, it's refreshing to here in Korea, where the four on the floor and synth get really monotinous. You can easily tell the R&B House style chorus was thrown in there for two reasons. First, Koreans need a melody otherwise they won't listen to it. Second, Park Bom is probably contractually obliged to sing on every song. The main riff is good but leaves something to be desired.

My true complains are with the vocal work. In most of the world, Autotune is dying. Thank God! It seems as though 2ne1 didn't get the memo. This track has so much autotune it's almost unlistenable. What is really distressing is that they are actually good singers and they're covering it up. Did they just phone in the whole record? Autotune is so dated now and 5-10 years from now it'll be just a flash in the pan and anyone who relied on it will be forgotten. If Jay-Z says to stop using autotune, you better listen.

The dancing is ok in this video. Minzy obviously out shines most the group. CL tries her best to keep up. Dara keeps it steady and Bom, was she even in there? The usage of the bench is pretty cool and adds an extra dimension to an otherwise lackluster choreography. There was no "you got served" moment. No wow-that-was-ill moment. Some more popping and dancehall moves would have been welcomed.

The costumes are actually really cool. Who ever was the stylist on this did a good job. I really did the combat-ready aesthetic that they were working with and the ninja motif was sweet. I enjoy how they weren't overtly feminized, sexualized, and infantilized. The fake tattoos are a little much but I enjoyed them.

Overall, I give this a 3 out of 5. The lost major point for the autotune.

Battle for Cretaceous Centauri vol. 1

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:25:00 +0000

This is the first volume of a series of mixtapes that I'm making. I'm obsessed with dinosaurs and robot. Yes, I know that is really cool yet childish, but keep in mind I teach children for a living. All the music in this series is representational of what I think a war between dinosaurs and robots would sound like. This is the first movement. This first battle is usually the worse so this one is uber-heavy. There is sound metal, techno, dubstep, and kuduro mixed up in there. Listen enjoy and comment.

Battle For Cretaceous Centauri Vol 1

Interview with My Grandma #5

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:02:00 +0000

In this episode, my grandma talks about World War II

Interview with My Grandma #5 from Andy Whitmore on Vimeo.

Interview with My Grandma #4

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:37:00 +0000

In this episode, my grandma talks about her father, education, and food.

Interview with My Grandma #4 from Andy Whitmore on Vimeo.

Interview with My Grandma #3

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:44:00 +0000

In this, my Grandma talks about her mother and noodles.

Interview with My Grandma #3 from Andy Whitmore on Vimeo.

Interview with My Grandma #2

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 10:13:00 +0000

One of my grandma's favorite things is the County Fair.

Interview with My Grandma #2 from Andy Whitmore on Vimeo.

Interview with My Grandma #1

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:07:00 +0000

I'm finished with my intensive classes and now I finally have time to make videos again.

This video is a long time over due. When I first got my camera, I took it to my grandparents home and interviewed then. I got a lot of compelling stories from them, but I was never able to get the footage off my camera. Now that I have access to the footage, I'm now making it into short videos to be posted regularly.

This first video features one of my grandma's earliest memories.

Interview with My Grandma #1 from Andy Whitmore on Vimeo.

Damn it! I did exactly what I didn't want to do.

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:24:00 +0000

I was able to produce something recently. I made a mixtape. I'm really into Dubstep music and I'm really trying to learn this style. It has the same raw feel and intensity I look for in my music but it has an ease and relaxed atmosphere I'm more a keen to in my later age.

Some parts are sloppy. The only time I can really use to record is late at night and at my apartment I can't have the tunes too loud. All of this was recorded and mixed in headphones so levels and timing is off.

I call this one Mecha Godzilla Goes Out on the Town. I thought that is what it sounded like.

Download it here
http://www.mediafire.com/?ykndnque3mm

My Top 5 Tracks/Videos of 2009

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:33:00 +0000

My Top 5 tracks/videos of 2009 from Andy Whitmore on Vimeo.

This is a compilation of my top five tracks/videos of 2009. I enjoyed all of these immensely and want to share them.These are the songs that defined my 2009. There's a little bit of everything in there.

5. Mastodon-Obliviion
4. Major Lazer- Pon De Floor
3. Duck Sauce- Anyway
2. Mayer Hawthorne- Maybe So Maybe No
1. Girls' Generation- Genie and Gee

Durkee in Korea

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:45:00 +0000

Check up this great vlog.

Mike Durkee is an amazing videoblogger that I got the pleasure of meeting while he was in Korea. Not only did he sell me a bitchin' sampler but is also one of the reasons I started vlogging again. I really dig his style and has excellent quality videos.

Spooky Plays Fetch

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:30:00 +0000

Spooky Plays Fetch from Andy Whitmore on Vimeo.

I adopted a stray cat for a couple months last year. My girlfriend and I named her Spooky. She got this name because Arum thought the black spots on her face looked scary and the only word she could think of at the time was "spooky."

When we had Spooky the only thing she liked to do with us was play fetch. Strange, we thought only dogs played fetch.

My Walk to Work

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:53:00 +0000

My Walk to Work from Andy Whitmore on Vimeo.

This is what I see everyday when I walk to work. I started filming as I left my building and finish when I sat in my desk at work. The image is a little bumpy from walking. Also, I double the video speed. Normally the walk is 15 minutes.

Mixtape from 11/27/09

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:35:00 +0000

112709 by andrewhart24

I did this mix at a party on Black Friday in Korea. There is really nothing Thankgivingy or Christmasy about it. I was listening to a lot of Reggae that week and it really influence the set. This is the complete set I played at Pavox Cocktail Bar in Yeongtong, Suwon, Korea.

Project Muyo

noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:12:00 +0000

Hello! This is Andrew Hart, aka Andy Whitmore

I first started blog and vlog while I was a student at the University of Iowa. I originally posted at allinthegutter.blogspot.com I had a pretty good time blogging and I have decided to return to the blogosphere.

Currently, I'm a English teacher and DJ in Suwon, South Korea. It is quite an unique experience and I'm thoroughly enjoying myself. On this vlog, I'll be posting videos about my life and Korea. I will also be posting mixtapes I create and various other forms of media.

I chose the name Project Muyo for two reasons. If I view this as an never ending project, I'll always be working on it. Thus "project". Muyo comes from how you write Andy on a Korean keyboard. If you type "a-n-d-y" on a Korea keyboard it appears as 무요. When you write this hangeul phonetically it is muyo.

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noreply@blogger.com (AndrewHart) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:53:00 +0000

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