Lucy Liyou translates recurring dreams into 3 refined tracks for new EP
The release of ‘Dog Dreams (개꿈)’ is accompanied by a unique interactive 3D game developed by Rustin Lee
San Francisco-based Korean-American artist Lucy Liyou has announced their new EP ‘Dog Dreams (개꿈)’ via American Dreams Records.
Available for digital download and in the form of both black and teal-coloured vinyl on May 12, the release also comes with another unique attribute; an interactive 3D game developed in collaboration with Rustin Lee that features Liyou’s immersive compositions. Check it out here.
The title of the EP is a literal translation of a Korean term “개꿈” that suggests anything from fanciful daydreams to terrifying nightmares but always hints at them being nonsensical, unrealistic, or simply silly fantasies.
The entire EP resounds an elegant blend of ambient music, impressionism, sound poetry and jazz in its three tracks ‘Dog Dreams (개꿈)’, ‘April In Paris (봄)’ and ‘Fold The Horse (종이접기)’ — each composed and written based on the artist's recurrent dreams.
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“Dog Dreams is about desire. It is about naively rejecting “dog dreams” (개꿈) — a Korean term used to dismiss and diminish dreams as nonsensical impossibilities — and endlessly searching the mercurial ‘face’ of desire. The music and interactive game attempt to capture this elusive face through a sonic and tactile terrain woven together by a narrative thread based on dreams of my own,” Liyou discloses.
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The fourteen-and-a-half-minute title track is a crescendo of sound that feels boundlessly evocative, featuring an ongoing dialogue soundtracked by a delicate piano melody that ebbs and flows throughout.
Though some might consider them a newcomer, Liyou contributes a refreshing take on sound in the form of synthesizing field recordings, text-to-speech readings, poetry and elements from Korean folk opera into her compositions.
‘Dog Dreams (개꿈)’ by Lucy Liyou comes out May 12; pre-order it here.
Adrianna Cheung is Mixmag Asia’s Culture Curator, follow her on Instagram.
