Seo Taiji is musically brilliant in 'Quiet Night,' an album which extends beyond the K-Pop stratosphere. "Quiet Night" is an album for indie pop fans who have yet to explore Korean pop. 

K-Pop legend Seo Taiji reinvents himself through the incorporation of synthpop on his newest release “Quiet Night.” “Quiet Night” is a nine track album that was released by Seo Taiji on October 20 through CJ E&M Music. Korean pop music has continued to venue into electronic music, but few acts have fully embraced electropop and synthpop as competently as Seo Taiji. On “Quiet Night,” Seo Taiji ventures into the gauzy, synthesizer infused territory that has previously been explored by Korean indie acts Discovery and Glen Check.

In 1992, Seo Taiji led his Seo Taiji and Boys in their debut with the single “Nan Arayo.” While his work with Seo Taiji and Boys was heavily influenced by nineties American R&B and hip-hop, his latest release is reflective of the sounds of indie groups like the Depreciation Guild.

“Quiet Night” is the first album Seo Taiji has released since his 2009 studio album “Atomos.” “Quiet Night” opens with the aurally arresting instrumental track “Intro.” The track comes in under sixty seconds but provides a segue into “Sogyeokdong.”

The single “Sogyeokdong” was released in two parts prior to the album “Quiet Night.” On October 2, solo vocalist IU contributed ethereal vocals to the female version of “Sogyeokdong.” Seo Taiji followed up with his October 10 release of a male version of “Sogyeokdong.” Both versions of “Sogyeokdong” are subtly nuanced, creating two of the most complex K-Pop tracks to be released in 2014.

The third track on the album “Christmalo.win” conjures images of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” where the two holidays begin to inexplicably collide into one another. “Christmalo.win” is one of the darkest songs on “Quiet Night,” but helps to set the tone for the rest of the album. As an established artist, Seo Taiji does not have to cow-tow the expectations of critics, which allows for the zany nature of songs such as “Christmalo.win.” “Christmalo.win” concludes with the eery voice of a child, lending itself to the overall creepy atmosphere of the song.

“The Fighter In The Forest” is a whimsical song that incorporates playful vocals from Seo Taiji. While most of the album is an homage to the '90s, “The Fighter In The Forest” reflects eighties vocal intonation of groups like Culture Club.

“Prison Break” is one of the most uptempo tracks on the album which ventures into the territory of the experimental rock group Yeasayer. “Prison Break” is not a cautious song in its sampling but Seo Taiji incorporates pop vocals which make the track as catchy as its instrumentals. A gloriously simplistic synthesizer break at the three minute mark helps to make this one of the stand out tracks on “Quiet Night.”

“Prison Break” is followed by the intricately soulful song “90s Icon.” “90s Icon” includes musical flourishes like the incorporation of piano accompaniment along with the ever present synthesizers of “Quiet Night.” “90s Icon” is a nuanced track which would easily appeal to people who would normally avoid listening to K-Pop.

On “Lost,” the seventh track of the album, Seo Taiji closely approaches the music of his boy band past. “Lost” could easily be a song for a male group but its appearance on “Quiet Night” reflects a more mature approach to general pop sensibility.

The album begins to draw to a close with the more solemn track “A Sad Record.” “A Sad Record” is more of a adult contemporary pop song than the previous tracks, but its inclusion on the album is apropos.

“Quiet Night” concludes with “The Miracle of Christmas.” “The Miracle of Christmas” makes best use of Seo Taiji's vocals beyond “Sogyeokdong.” Like “Sogyeokdong,” “The Miracle of Christmas” is musically beautiful and entrancing, with its old-school simplicity.

“Quiet Night” is an album which has allowed Seo Taiji to demonstrate that some artists improve over time. While it is a far cry from the early releases of Seo Taiji and Boys, the album “Quiet Night” is one of the best K-Pop releases of 2014.

Listen to the new Seo Taiji album “Silent Night” HERE.