Kpop: WJSN / Cosmic Girls (우주소녀)

Their early Catch Me this winter got me slightly interested in WJSN, but it was still average, and to be honest "Secret" is nothing special, but I like the lucious mystic and witchcrafty theme of the video so here goes.

• Cosmic Girls - Secret (비밀이야)
• Cosmic Girls - Catch Me
• Cosmic Girls & Monsta X - Do Better
• Cosmic Girls - Mo Mo Mo (모모모)

Kpop: 220 Volt - Night Glow

I loathe writing about artists that I don't know that much about, but 220Volt seems to be a kind of project group with Gyro, Mirror Boy and D. Ham making the debut song "Night Glow". It is anyway a really nice and dark hiphop / electronic track with a superb ambience.

• 220 Volt - Night Glow

Kpop: Stellarjet - Right Before A Storm

I really appreciated the debut "Guiding Light" of indie band Stellarjet. Ara is a lovely girl but I like that we in the new "Right Before A Storm" get to see all the five members show themselves.

• Stellarjet - Right Before A Storm

Jpop: Czecho No Republic - Dream Beach Sunset

The return of Czecho No Republic this year is playful and joyous electronic, best represented with their "Dream Beach Sunset". All the big and small sounds are just great, it's like a pokemon hunt trying to find them all. ;-)

• Czecho No Republic - Dream Beach Sunset
• Czecho No Republic - Forever Dreaming
• Czecho No Republic - Electric Girl

Kpop: Eric Nam (에릭남)

American-Korean charmer Eric Nam has some real charisma and like many western stars kind of started of with a YouTube cover and got attention from Korean music industry and participated in shows and so forth, today having established himself as a nice alround entertainer. The new "Can't Help Myself" is yet another example of this, he really has that musical charisma going for himself.

• Eric Nam ft Loco - Can't Help Myself (못참겠어)
• Eric Nam ft Hoya - Ooh Ooh
• Eric Nam - Melt My Heart (녹여줘)
• Eric Nam - Interview
• Eric Nam - Good For You

Kpop: Sweet Sorrow (스윗소로우)

It all started out as a glee club at prestigous Yonsei University but ended up with the four members left at the end starting the music group Sweet Sorrow in 2002 and them going professional. They won some competitions and have a number of albums behind them. Though loved by many, I often find them a bit to sweet for me, but their likable "Just Get Away" from 2012 now got some great company with their new single "No Dae-bak" (meaning 'No big success"), which is a song full of attitude and vocal gymnastics.

• Sweet Sorrow - No Dae-bak (대박금지)
• Sweet Sorrow - Just Get Away (You deserve it) (괜찮아 떠나)
• Sweet Sorrow - Pounding Heart (설레고 있죠)
• Sweet Sorrow - First Date (첫 데이트)
• Sweet Sorrow - Hiding My Heart (사랑한다는 말은 못해도)
• Sweet Sorrow ft Park Ji Yoon - Again and Again (몇번이고)
• Sweet Sorrow - Wonderful Day (멋진 날)

Jpop: Charan-Po-Rantan (チャラン・ポ・ランタン)

These sisters is ... intensive. Charan-Po-Rantan have a very unique blend of accordion, balkan, french, jewish, gypsy and circus influences that still becomes one unity in the hands of Koharu and Momo. I love it and slightly hate it. It is just like a heavy cake or intensive kitsch - you have to digest it in reasonable amounts... ;-) Read good articles on their background here and here, they make you want to see a movie about their life.

• Charan-Po-Rantan - The End of the Möbius Strip (メビウスの行き止まり)
• Charan-Po-Rantan - Last Supper (最後の晩餐)
• Charan-Po-Rantan - Parade of Life (時計仕掛けの人生)
• Charan-Po-Rantan - Obesessed with France (フランスかぶれ)
• Charan-Po-Rantan - The Marie who wasn't caught by the trapeze (空中ブランコ乗りのマリー)
• Charan-Po-Rantan - Beauty and Youth (美しさと若さ)
• Charan-Po-Rantan - 7.1 Billion Pieces of a Puzzle (71億ピースのパズルゲーム)
• Charan-Po-Rantan - With us to the Grave (墓場までご一緒に)