DIFFÉRANCE

Jambinai was a really promising band, when I got this their first album after their concert in Finland. And the promises fullfilled in their next "a Hermitage"! I am not an expert of postrock, but I believe this first is more the style of that genre than the second one. Of course here are too those Korean instruments to make this more interesting. This album also includes one of their greatest songs "Connection". Ilwoo had told in Finland´s first gig, that there were many years, when North and South Korean relatives couldn´t meet each other. Some years ago this was again possible and then Jambinai decided to compose this instrumental song about that.

"Time Of Extinction" starts with Eynyong playing a riff in Geomungo. Soon there comes really heavy beat back of it, but also soon the song changes acoustic but keeps its` very depressive feeling in the end of it. Next "Grace Kelly" starts with acoustic guitar and then comes really Ministry-like uptempo electric musicwall. Soon there´s just mystical guitar and ladies of the band singing something very dark. Song ends into same uptempo part. The next "Glow Upon Closed Eyes" is opposite of previous song, it´s mostly acoustic and reminds the ambient songs of Pink Floyd. Both Paramita´s have same structure: quiet acoustic background growing tension that outbursts into end of piece. "Hand Of Redemption" is again uptempo Ministry-like piece that slows into end of it, but stays very depressive. Empty Pupil pt.1 starts with electric noise, but slowly changes acoustic towards it´s part 2. When Geomungo starts it´s riffs, there come also hard beats and songs intensity grows again. The Last "Connection" is the crown of this album: it starts really serene, then comes short electronic sound and after that Bomi starts to play a beautiful melody with her Haegum. Ilwoo joins her with the Piri, also guitar starts to play really beautiful chords into back of the main melody. The song grows really great way. This song moves me always when I hear it!

This first album was really hard to find anywhere soon after it´s release, but gladly there has been made re-releases with different cover that seem to be available at least in Discogs. In my first Jambinai review I forgot to mention that I believe many King Crimson fans will like Jambinai, specially the ones who like KC after seventies material. Both bands have same kind of dynamic changes, from very heavy to really sensitive. This album sounds still so great that I really would wanted to give it also four stars, but because a Hermitage is so much better, I give it only three.