All Photo Cr. May S. // KpopWise
"And we just embrace the flow. Dancing with the Earth, you know. In this endless glow."
And for one night, we did.
Some might have found, nestled amongst the urban hustle and bustle of Brixton, a small corner where the air was slightly more tranquil, and the world a tad bit slower. Crowds of people flocked to the O2 Academy Brixton to witness Korean indie-rock band Wave to Earth, as they made their return to London for their "0.03 World Tour." Fans lined up around the block waiting to finally catch a glimpse of vocalist Daniel Kim, bassist John Cha, drummer Dong-Kyu Shin and accompanying saxophonist Min Jeon.
The night was a convergence of indie sounds, rock, jazz and more. Lulling the audience into a dreamlike state before waking them back up with sick guitar riffs and wonderfully anarchic drumming.
They began with "are you bored?" and "play with earth!", setting a mellow atmosphere with a smooth, slow bassline and melodic drums - sentiments which rippled through the night as the musical equivalent of a boat rocking on calm tides under the stars.
You will find that the best bands are the ones with great drummers - who know how to set the right tone, and are rightfully the backbone of every good act. Credit could be attributed to the massively talented Dong-Kyu who sat amongst his drums, mysterious, hiding behind long dark bangs as he expertly controlled the ambience of the room. Adding to this was John, yellow Epiphone in hand, lending a deep, rhymic bass that resonated through the crowd and beyond. Alongside them was saxophone player Min, who supplemented the jazz aspect of the groups unique sound, melodically adding depth to the drums and bass. Altogether creating a rich, layered ambience for vocalist Daniel to complete.
They periodically took breaks to chat with the audience, breaking into a "Cheers for coming out here tonight!" from Daniel, egging on the crowd. Though when speaking of frontman Kim, one cannot ignore his smooth and stunning vocals, seamlessly melting into the instrumental from Shin, Cha and Jeon as he switched between his Gibson and Fender.
Though the night was not all dreamy and light. The band made sure to take the time and show the crowd the full extent of what they could do, with Daniel breaking into heavy electric riffs, John and Min having their own intricate instrumental solos, and Dong-Kyu losing all restraint with his drums - all before they all came together in a melodically chaotic clash of instruments that rattled through the stalls and burned deep into each audience member in something they will never forget.
They, of course, moved to play the fan favourite "annie." - their first explicit song. And just as John told us before, both band and audience held little back as they jointly sang: "Fuck you, I am saying."
On closing, aside from the usual "Thank you!", the band expressed their appreciation for British music, with John mentioning how they "grew up listening to so many English bands." And with the final wave of a British flag, they left the stage.
Overall, melodically they are stunning. Favourites of the night were "annie." and "slowdive". The synergy between the instrumentals, vocals and backing vocals from each member was near-perfect. From their layered sound to the dreamy atmosphere they cultivate, they truly bring an aura of ethereality amongst the anarchy. It's obvious when a band truly love their craft and, aside from creating all their own music, Wave to Earth are a perfect example of just that. We wish them luck on the rest of their tour, and can only hope that they return soon.
Until then, let us know if you attended, grab tickets to the tour here and follow KpopWise for more.
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