THE SOLUTIONS(솔루션스)

Superstar K season 3 contestant, Park Sol has announced his European tour along with fellow bandmate, Naru of the THE SOLUTIONS. THE SOLUTIONS' signature pop synth sounds will be performed live for fans that request the duo through concert making platform, MyMusicTaste.
The talented duo will embark on their first tour outside of Asia, and are looking forward to introducing new fans to their stylistic sounds. THE SOLUTIONS received critical praise for their first album, "THE SOLUTIONS" having a unique but easy listening sound that wasn't too familiar with the K-pop trends of Korea. They didn't disappoint with their second album released just last May titled, "MOVEMENTS."

THE SOLUTIONS has teamed up with MyMusicTaste so that current and future fans may have the opportunity to hear the duo live and up close. Head over to MyMusicTaste and request THE SOLUTIONS by stating the city and country of your choice to fall in love with something different. Stop Wishing! Start Making! - Johnny Au

Name: The Solutions (더 솔루션스)
Members: Park Sol (lead vocals, keyboard, guitar), Naru (lead guitar, vocals)
Where You’ll Find Them: Live clubs in Hongdae, Seoul
What They Sound Like: A blend of ’90s Brit-pop (Oasis, Coldplay) and American alternative rock (Smashing Pumpkins, Weezer).
Fun Fact: Member Park Sol auditioned for Superstar K3, but was eliminated at Super Week.
Tracks You Need to Hear: “Talk, Dance, Party for Love,” “Silence,” “Lines“

With all the recent international buzz and attention, it should come as no surprise why all of K-pop is trying to prove just how original and uniquely Korean they are. Cue The Solutions, who have been doing the exact opposite. Take a listen to their most recent single, “Talk, Dance, Party for Love,” and see if you can pinpoint anything Korean about it. Because we certainly can’t …except maybe their English pronunciation.



From Happy Robot Records (home to the KOXX and Daybreak) comes The Solutions, a two-piece band made up of Park Sol and Naru, both originally solo artists. It all started when the pair met through a collaborative project for Mint Paper called Support Your Music early last year. (Listen here.) Surprised at how much they had in common, the two joked over drinks that they should just form their own band.

Lo and behold, a few months later, The Solutions was born. It was fate, a perfect match — Park Sol had always dreamt of being the lead vocalist of a band, and having a lead vocalist meant Naru could focus more on his guitar and production skills. And thanks to their respective solo careers, the band had quite a following even before releasing their first album.



According to Park Sol (left in white) and Naru (right in blue), their band name doesn’t mean anything in particular — the two just wanted something memorable and liked that ‘Solutions’ took from each of their names (Sol from Park Sol and Lu from Na-ru/lu). So far they’ve released one full-length album, THE SOLUTIONS, since their debut last June, which won them Rookie of the Year at the 2012 Mint Paper Awards. (Fun fact: Park Sol was actually nominated for that same award a year earlier, but he lost to Glen Check.)

Their motto for making music? “Simple is the best.” Playing what they call future pop, The Solutions fall in step with other experimental Korean bands like the KOXX, the Black Skirts and Glen Check. They call their music a reinterpretation — taking music they grew up listening to and making it their very own.



But there is one thing about The Solutions’ music that has scored them bonus points with industry professionals: they never mess around with their vocals. Maybe it’s because of pride (thanks to Park Sol’s past as an acoustic singer-songwriter) or some other unmentionable musical force, either way Naru’s track-mastering consistently resists any and all temptation to auto-tune or play around with Sol’s voice.

For the most part, their songs are sung entirely in English. Naru explains that because their sound was so “foreign,” Korean lyrics just seemed out of place and awkward. “So we started writing lyrics in English, and the problem was solved.” And with relatable, slice-of-life lyrics, there’s definitely a spot in the soundtrack to your life for a song or two by The Solutions. Try “Lines,” for a taste. - Anna Park

It’s not everyday we get a submission from South Korea, but after listening to he indie styles of The Solutions, we felt we needed to share. Coming to us via Happy Robot Records, check out the songs My War, Sailors Song, and Can’t Wait. For more information from the band please visit: http://bandthesolutions.com - admin

Seeing The Solutions live as opener for Japanese artist Satsuki in Le Garage, Liège, Belgium on a cold Sunday evening was one of the best musical surprises of the year. Especially realising that this band was unintentionally playing music that could happily be a soundtrack to a rock and roll loving dieselpunk lifestyle. Unintentional or not, The Gatehouse jumped on the occasion and thanks to kind tour manager Ethan, got an interview with the band on the same evening, so we and our readers can get to know this fantastic South Korean band a little better.


Could you say something positive about each other by way of introduction?
Naru (vocals, guitar): Sol is very talented, he’s really good at putting his emotions into the music. His emotions really have power to them that way.
Sol: Naru’s had a really good year when it comes to being creative.

Why did you chose The Solutions as the name for the band?
Naru: It just popped to mind suddenly and because it sounded good we went for it without thinking it through too much. It sounded like a cool name so we went with it.

Your music sounds very genuinely 1950s rock. Is this intentional?
Naru: No, not at all. We experiment mixing our favourite sounds from the 80s, 90s and contemporary music. Using both guitars and synthesisers, which I like both. We are experimenting with mixing them, without making it sound complex. We want people to be able to just listen, not hearing all that complexity. It’s pretty difficult to do that.

I saw you guys wearing 50s rock outfits on one of your posters, what do you like best of that era?
Naru: To be honest we just loved that particular look and thought it would look great for those posters. We take what we like from every era really and mix it together, making it our own.

Your music fits right in with the dieselpunk subculture. Is this something you were aware of?
Sol: You know, I had never heard of it before I must admit.
Naru: Me neither, but it’s really cool to hear that our music could be listened to like that.

You normally perform at much larger venues and festivals in Asia. How does it feel to perform at smaller venues here in Europe?
Naru: Every place is unique, and we like all of them. And the reception of our music has been really good, so that’s great!

What’s been the best about touring Europe so far?
Naru: we would love to play in Europe more frequently. The streets are beautiful here, and the people are very kind and gentle. We really like all of it so far. We did not actually expect people to come and see our shows because we’re not well known here yet, but some people came especially for us, telling us they are fans and thanking us for coming in Korean. Seeing people enjoy our performance is the best.

How would you compare European audiences to those of South Korea?
Naru: People in South Korea really get into it and get really enthusiastic. It doesn’t matter who the artist is, they just really go all out and go for it because they admire them. Their reaction is great really. Europeans enjoy the show in the same way, but they are more introvert, they shout and scream less than South Korean fans. But no matter where we performed, the fans were similar during our performances.
Ethan (tour manager): I think Koreans are more into the artists, and Europeans are more into the performance, but once the show stars they are similar.

If you had to introduce your music by making people listen to just one of your songs, which one would you choose?
Naru: Talk, Dance, Party for Love.
Sol: Jungle in Your Mind.

How do you feel touring outside of Asia will influence your future works?
Naru: It will definitely influence our future works, of that I’m sure, but I’m not sure in which way yet. Emotionally in any case I’m sure *smiles*.
Ethan: They like walking around just soaking up the general atmosphere for inspiration.

It’s nearly the new year, what are your plans for 2015?
Naru: In February we will go to Miami to work with producer Jimmy Douglas.
Ethan: Jimmy Douglas is a producer that has also worked with Pharrell Williams and John Legend. He chose The Solutions at a Korean music conference, and will work together for a single.
Naru: we will learn many things, of that I’m sure. We look forward to it. And of course we’ll write more songs and tour more intensively. Hopefully we can come back to Europe as well next year.

One a closing note, could you say something about the band that isn’t commonly known?
Naru: we may be a rockband, but in our daily lives we’re not like rock stars at all *smiles*. I like to listen to folk and classical music *laughs*. And Sol also likes being with his family, he’s very kind to them. We’re not loud guys at all. I like to go for a walk and pet my cats and sleep *chuckles*.
Sol: I was in a talent show before I joined The Solutions.
Ethan: He participated in a South Korean talent show called “Super Star”. He was in season 3. He did pretty well in it actually.
Sol: Before we started The Solutions we were solo artists, so basically I went on the show to get exposure.

Find The Solutions online:
Twitter
Tumblr/Official website
Facebook

Korean translation: Ethan Lee


About Hilde Heyvaert
Hilde Heyvaert is a self taught fashion and costume designer with a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and a speciality in advertising. She has been fashion editor and reviewer for the Gatehouse Gazette since the first issue. View all posts by Hilde Heyvaert → - Hilde Heyvaert

This week end, we had the chance to interview the band ‘The solutions’, this alternative rock band with a british sound is composed by Park Sol (Known for his appearance in Superstar K) and Naru. With two other band members, they just finished they very first european tour, performing in the biggest cities of our old continent.
We met them in Brussels, where they played at the Atelier as guests at Woo Kim’s paitings exhibition.
1. Could you first introduce The Solutions ?
We are the Solutions from Korea ! Nice to meet you. We are Naru and Sol.
2. Why did you decided to create « The Solutions »? Is there any meaning behind it ?
We met when Sol was a solo artist and I (Naru) was a producer for his album. We made this album together, and now here we are, doing our music together. We didn’t think much about our name, it just popped out suddenly.
3. How would you define your music style ?
This is kind of like the alternative music of the 90’s, but we added some kind of ambiance together.
4. You both were solo artists and then you united to create The Solutions, what impact did it have on your music ?
We used to play folk or modern rock, but as The Solutions, our music is more alternative, close to rock music.
5. How do the both of you work together to write and produce your music ?
Sometimes we work together to write our songs, but we usually bring both of our sound sketches, then we finalize it, and do the arragement together.
6. From your album ‘The Solutions’ to ‘Movements’, do you think you music evolved a lot ?
We have to evolved, and we really want to.
7. Surprisingly, Most of your songs are in English, not in Korean, why did you choose to use that language ?
Sol : The first time we made a sound sketch, I made it in english.
Naru : It was supposed to be in english, but there was not a lot of lyrics, but it was good, sounded better than Korean. So we decided to write our lyrics in english to put more emotions into our music.
It is a little bit harder to make it in english since our mothertongue is korean, but we really want our songs to have an impact and to be stronger.
8. It is your first tour in Europe, how do you feel about it ?
The streets are beautiful, people are kind and so bright. It is so interesting to be here. I really love Europe. The culture is totally different from ours, I find it exciting and interesting.
9. Now that you’re far from Korea, what do you miss the most ?
Sol : The korean food, I think. And my family…
Naru : My cats. And… My cats ! (laugh)
10. How does the public react to you music ? Is there a huge difference between your korean public and the Europeans ?
Koreans like to dance a lot, but here it is different, people dance very well, more, and freely.
11. What is your best memories from Europe so far ?
The fact that we met our overseas fans is a good memory for us. We didn’t even imagine we had fans overseas, because we haven’t released an album available in other countries yet, so they can’t really see or hear us. But now we wish we will be able to come back here to meet them again.
12. What are you plans for the coming year ?
In february, we are going to Miami to work with the Jimmy Douglass*. We will hold some shows, and maybe release a new single or EP.
13. What is your biggest wish for The Solutions ? How far would you like to go in the music industry ?
We want to keep on playing, and feel free with our band. We don’t have any limit.
14. Any last word for your european fans and our readers ?
Naru : Thank you for being interested in our music, we came here for you. We really hope we will come here again and again. So let’s keep in touch and see you again next time !
Sol : Please, listen to our music more and more, and if you like it, tell your friends ! We really want to come back to Europe again. Plus, someone stole my phone in Paris, so if you see it, please tell me ! (laugh)


*Jimmy Douglass is a famous american producer who worked with the biggest artists of the music industry.
Thanks to The Solutions and their team for this interview.
We also want to thank the artist Woo Kim for organizing this event.
The solutions facebook page
Woo kim’s blog & L’Atelier Sinon - HyoRin

The Solutions are a Korean duo offering a delicate blend of rock and electronic dance music that showcases influence of 90’s British pop and American rock. The duo, consisting of Park Sol and Naru, were originally solo artists, and they found in each other a match, and thus The Solutions were born. As The Solutions, they share the job perfectly between them: although he also plays guitar and keyboard, Sol focuses more on the lead vocals, while Naru concentrates more on the lead guitar. Their sounds, that combine the sounds of guitars and synthesizers, have been called ‘dieselpunk music’ by The Gatehouse, an online dieselpunk and steampunk magazine.

Last year (2014), through the concert-making platform MyMusicTaste, The Solutions held a European tour, visiting Moscow, Paris, Liège, Rotterdam, Brussels, and Cologne, before going home to Seoul to perform the final and encore shows. We talked with the duo about their music and latest tour.

What did you see in one another that made you decide to form a band?
Naru: His vocal uniqueness and the ability to make different melodies. I also liked that he always had a really positive attitude.
Sol: The fact that Naru is able to create really unique guitar riffs and has great sense as a producer made me want to be in a band with him.

Before this band, each of you had had experience as solo artists. What experiences from those times that you still remember and find useful for the development of The Solutions?
Naru: I gained a lot of experience by being involved in all aspects of making music. From writing songs, recording, making the actual album, and performing on stage.
Sol: Being a solo artist and being the front man of a band is similar but different. Especially the different between promoting as a soloist and performing as The Solutions. The music genre in itself is quite different, which allowed me to orchestrate and learn how to perform and what type of energy I should use when on stage.

There was quite a long gap between the release of your first and second albums. What progress would you say that the long gap had given you the chance to develop?
Naru: I learned a lot as to how to perform within a band. Aside from just writing a song for an album, I also learned a lot about what it takes to promote an album and artist.
Sol: I had the opportunity to challenge myself and try different things out. Through such opportunities I was able to figured out what I needed more work on, and what my strong points were.

How did it feel like to be able to hold a show based on fans’ demand? Previously, had you ever expected that you have fans outside Korea enough to convince MyMusicTaste to hold a show on their demand?
Naru: I would have never imagined it possible. We were so so thankful for fans who showed to our concerts in the different cities.
Sol: I was extremely surprised that our fans were signing along to our songs and having such a great time despite the fact that they spoke a different language, were from a different culture, and from different countries. It was a time for us to feel so inspired and blessed.

How different was the atmosphere and the audience in Europe with those in Korea? Any interesting experience you’d care to share with us?
Naru: They actually enjoyed our shows just as much as our Korean fans do. How we felt after the concert ended, quite pleased, wasn’t much different from Korea.
Sol: How they enjoy the show might have been a little different but we were totally able to feel their huge love for us and our live music.

Can you tell us the story behind you bringing ‘Make the Girl Dance’ to Korea for a triple-bill gig at the end of the year in Korea?
Naru: The fact that Make the Girl Dance and we were planning a tour in our respective cities, gave us this huge opportunity to plan a tour in Europe, which was “THE SOLUTIONS MOVEMENT TOUR”. We were very honored to be a part of such a famous French artist’s show.

After Mu:con, Jimmy Douglas expressed his interest to work together with you. Any progress or follow-up so far that you can share with RekON?
We’re working on some songs with him. We’re very much looking forward to co-working with him for more good music.

Now a bit of personal questions, if you don’t mind. Does each of you have a song that you can never forget ever since you heard the song for the first time?
Naru: The Smashing Pumpkins – Set The Ray To Jerry
Sol: Radiohead – just

Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions this year?
Naru: Starting with making music State side, we will be working on various songs and release an EP. We will continue to have many shows, which we’ve always done. Personally, I plan to practice and study music even more.
Sol: I feel like I’ve grown and improved as a band and personally. Therefore, I can now see my faults a bit clearer as well. I plan on taking my time in figuring out those faults one at a time.

Either with songs that make us want to take to the dance floor like Talk, Dance, Party for Love or just sit silently weeping like Lines, The Solutions have clearly stolen our hearts. If you too are interested in their music, here is a list of The Solutions’ releases so far (with links to buy them on Bugs, Naver Music, Olleh, Melon, Mnet, etc.):

The Sounds of the Universe

Talk, Dance, Party for Love

The Solutions (self-titled)

Movements - Relawan Konser