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Rising K-R&B artist oceanfromtheblue recently dropped an immersive, dreamy, and genre-fluid album. It’s the first full-length project from the singer-songwriter; the 12 tracks were assembled with 10 different producers, and the effect is a series of individual stories that come together for a cohesive complete listen.
The self-titled album features collaborations with Yeeun (alum of K-pop group CLC), singer Sunwoojunga, and emerging vocalist Kuhyun. I connected with oceanfromtheblue for a Q&A about the project — give it a spin and read on for his insights.
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I love the album so much — sonically, it reminds me of keshi and DPR. What were some of your goals when it came to this record?
Thank you for listening to the album. I often ran into limitations when I made music by myself, but I wanted to go further, so it took a long time and a lot of participants. I think it’s because I made an album with an alternative genre mixed with various genres.
You worked with ten different producers to tell self-contained stories on this album. What’s your songwriting process like? Did you set out initially with this vision of separate stories, rather than a listening journey across an album as a whole?
The first time we all got together, I told them this: “There is no point in making one song by yourself. It is meaningful to make each song together,” and it was actually done that way.
Who are some of your personal inspirations? What are you listening to right now?
These days, nature and people around me inspire me a lot. I often listen to Kehlani’s songs!
What do you hope listeners take away from the album?
It is a story about a young man who is agonizing between romantic ideals and reality. If the listeners are in a similar situation, I hope it will help them live their lives through their own interpretation.
What else are you excited about in 2023?
There will be more album releases and live performances. I think I’ll be busier than last year, so I can’t wait to meet my fans.
