“Dog Dreams (개꿈)” by Lucy Liyou
An experimental ambient record whose emotions run deeper than the ocean.
Hello! 😊👋
Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!
Today’s music pick is an experimental ambient record that, if you let it, will stop you in your tracks with its chiaroscuro approach to vulnerability.
Genre: Ambient, Experimental
Label: American Dreams
Release Date: March 28, 2023
Vibe: 🥹
In an interview with Our Culture earlier this year, Korean-American composer Lucy Liyou described the significance of her latest record’s title: “[Gaekkum,] ‘dog dreams,’ is a term typically used to dispel and dismiss dreams as nonsensical or silly or ridiculous.” She explains that the dismissal made her want to put more weight behind those experiences, which can range from euphoric moments to the blackest of nightmares. This record, subtitled 개꿈, grapples with both, creating an expansive sonic environment that, above all else, cries out for connection and healing.
A quick subject matter trigger warning: the album’s centerpiece, “April in Paris,” uses the dreamscape framework to process memories of sexual violence. It’s also an inroad to talking about the artist’s queer identity (though it’s not necessarily addressed head-on), with minimalist lyrics that are so vulnerable they’re cutting: “Sometimes, I worry I want to transition/To feel clean again.” The sparseness of her delivery, absorbed against such a panoramic soundscape, allows both elements to sparkle without getting in each other’s way.
The individual elements may be simple, but the listening experience is far from simplistic. It’s an emotional experience that’s at times genuinely frightening but, taken as a whole, incredibly moving.
👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈
Got thoughts on this album? Did you love it? Sound off in the comments.