Singer Kim Bada Interview
March 21 Mapo Cultural Foundation 'Eotteongayo 5' 3 Rockers Stage
"The Source of Creativity Is the Unquenchable Thirst Within Me"
The journey of singer Kim Bada, as if swimming through the sea of music, is so diverse that it is ever-changing. Having been part of various bands such as Sinawe, Nabi Hyogwae, Raycios, Art of Parties, and BAADA, he has continuously showcased different yet familiar facets, always imprinting himself on the public as ‘Kim Bada.’ He produced Kim Jaejoong’s mini-album, achieving chart-topping success in Japan and Germany with its strong commercial appeal. He also formed the group Black Velvet Feel with first-generation hip-hop musician MC Meta and rapper Yureong, presenting new music that mixes psychedelic and shoegazing (a genre that pursues music built like an architectural structure of noise, named for the characteristic of playing while staring at one’s shoes). Continuing his unique musical adventures, he is now meeting audiences again after a long time. On the 21st, he will appear alongside Kim Jongseo and Kim Sangmin in the fifth program of the Mapo Cultural Foundation’s ‘Eotteongayo Series,’ titled ‘3Rockers.’ He says he feels excited and happy to return to the stage after it disappeared due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The following is a Q&A with Kim Bada.
South Korea's representative rock vocalist Kim Bada is posing before an interview on the 16th at Mapo Music Creation Center in Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@
▲It’s been a while since your concert stage; I’m curious about what songs you prepared.
= I will open the stage with “Turn on the Radio,” then sing “Lay a Carpet in My Heart.” After that, “First Love,” and finally “Moonage Dream.” In total, I prepared four songs. Since the three of us will be on stage together, there is a time constraint, which is a bit regrettable, but we are happily rehearsing while jamming.
▲As a singer, you have always presented new musical worlds through various bands.
= I think it’s because I continuously try new things. With Nabi Hyogwae, I challenged soft and popular music, and with Raycios, I was able to produce the desired sound through more evolved electronic music than Nabi Hyogwae’s second album. Art of Parties was formed as a trio with drums, bass, and guitar to try a primitive band, and through the process of creating songs by jamming (improvisation), I experienced the completion of the ideal band vibe I imagined. Perhaps because the thirst that must not stop continued, I changed companies and worked on BAADA while wanting to collaborate with rappers on hybrid music, so I formed Black Velvet Feel with MC Meta and Yureong to present new work. Now, I am preparing a drum and bass style DJ album and practicing hard to debut as a DJ someday. (laughs)
▲What is the source of this tremendous energy and creativity?
= Thirst. It’s an unquenchable thirst inside me. Even at this moment, music keeps evolving, crossing over, and moving forward, and I don’t want to stay still. Along with the endless desire to develop, there are also parts I want to return to in some ways. At my age now, I sometimes think that although I am a musician, in some sense, I am also a writer. These days, I even write lyrics myself...
South Korea's representative rock vocalist Kim Bada is being interviewed on the 16th at Mapo Music Creation Center in Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
▲When did you decide to set the direction of your life to music, specifically rock?
= In the second year of middle school. Until then, I was obsessed with tennis, winning local tournaments and preparing to enter a sports high school. By chance, a close friend in the classroom asked, “Have you ever listened to heavy metal?” and handed me earphones. At that moment, a shiver ran through my whole body... That friend gave me a 120-minute heavy metal tape, and the moment I played it at home, I was completely overwhelmed by the bursting sound. Naturally, I started frequenting Pagoda Art Theater and became a rock kid. Watching performances by seniors like Sinawe and Museeros, I thought I could do it too. At that moment, I decided to pursue music, sold my saved stamps and coins, went to Woosung Arcade, bought a guitar, and have come this far.
▲When you think of Kim Bada, your distinctive vocal tone comes to mind first, but surprisingly, you started as a guitarist.
= I originally had no desire to become a vocalist. After entering high school, I formed a band with friends and prepared for our first stage, but there was no vocalist. Since we had to perform, we divided the parts, and I was told to take the vocal part. I said, “I will sing only twice, then I will play guitar,” and went on stage. Now, I’m still doing this, so life is really unpredictable. At that time, I thought my voice wasn’t great. I liked William DuVall, the vocalist of Alice in Chains, the most, and I wanted to sound like him, so I used to go into the closet, cover myself with a blanket, and practice shouting blindly. It wasn’t so much vocal training as wanting to express myself through that act.
▲Is musical talent innate, or is it perfected through effort?
= I think 95% is made through effort. I believe innate talent is perhaps generated through educational environment, but even if there is innate talent, ultimately, isn’t it the innate ability to focus on work? Musical sense and understanding are areas with innate qualities, but the process of creating tone and playing is much more about effort. If everything were done by innate talent, wouldn’t the world be too unfair?
▲Do you emphasize effort to your students on stage as well?
= I do emphasize it. For example, with students majoring in vocals, I try to teach them about understanding tone and the spatial aspect of the body. Usually, people think tone is made by the throat, but I make them recognize the spatial area that cannot be done by the throat and teach them how to utilize and refine that space, encouraging effort. I emphasize that this space never ages. I know the method that when the tension and balance of my throat and muscles are just right, this sound comes out, and I have acquired and produce it. The distortion singing technique is not about using the vocal cords but protecting them. I teach them to find this through effort.
▲What do you consider most important on stage?
= The chemistry with the members is absolute. Even for this stage, I prioritize the chemistry with the session members during practice. It’s not just me feeling energized; the members playing behind me also feel the energy, and when a floating, cohesive feeling is created, the audience naturally follows the atmosphere. So, during practice, I create an environment where the session members can enjoy playing.
▲As a musician, you cannot help but be conscious of trends; how do you think about and respond to them?
= If you chase trends, trends run away from you. I have tried chasing them, experienced it, and soon realized it wasn’t right. Even if it looks like you are leading trends in Korea, from a global perspective, sometimes you are just following. When you hear that some music next to mainstream music has become a hit, it means it has already become a trend. If you follow it, you feel like you are missing it. Ultimately, if you do your own music, there comes a moment of synchronization. Trends inevitably come full circle.
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