自稱是另類K-POP樂隊的來自南韓的收藏家Balming Tiger(伯明老虎)。他們憑藉其充滿活力的表演和獨一無二的聲音和視覺吸引了全世界的關注,自2024年4月起一直擔任澀谷PARCO的內部背景音樂選擇器。11月,他趕來慶祝澀谷PARCO更新5周年的活動的開幕派對,表演了僅限一夜的特別的現場表演。從現在有11名在籍成員中,我們將向大家介紹表演者歐米伽薩皮恩、索格姆、bj元金、Mad The Stedent、視覺藝術家洪昌熙的採訪,以及現場充滿熱情的現場直播影像。
- Photo
- Tsukasa Kudo
- Movie
- Atsuki Ito
- Text
- Tomoko Ogawa
- Edit
- Satoko Muroga(RCKT / Rocket Company*)
―-Balming Tiger在所有視覺表現中都能感受到獨特而有趣的創意,包括視頻、音樂視頻、紀錄片、藝術品和造型,是如何創作這些作品的呢?
在洪昌熙隊中,基本上能處理兩個以上種類的人很多,我想這是很大的影響。例如,隊長Sunyan參加了指導,出演了演唱會,還參與了造型,成員李秀浩也製作了影像。自己也負責設計,有時也會站在舞台上。本來,Balming Tiger聚集了很多對流派感興趣的成員,所以我認為這些都是自然融入其中的。
―——大家活動的基礎是輕鬆開放,從某種意義上來說也有包含愚蠢的幽默,我想這獨一無二的氣氛會讓看的一方捲入其中,讓觀眾樂在其中。
我們真的喜歡互相笑著開玩笑、開玩笑。因為一起度過的時間很開心,所以我覺得這樣自然地開玩笑的部分反映在表演、影像、歌曲中。
索格姆大概是因為有富餘吧。在Balming Tiger創作的時候,幾乎沒有“必須帥氣”或者“必須展現最前衛的東西”的意識。當然也有樂趣,但是正因為心裡充裕,才能加入這樣的幽默。
正如Mad the Stedento歐米伽薩皮恩所說的那樣,雖然會互相開玩笑,但基本上是因為有大家一起表演的能量而聚集在一起的。雖然很難說明這是什麼,但總之我們有自己的程式碼,以彼此的信賴為基礎,所以看到這些的人們會感覺到更緊密的羈絆。
——站在表面上的人、幕後人員、職務等角色分擔也是如此,在音樂流派中,如果用一句話來表達Balming Tiger的創作,那會是怎樣的表現呢?
bj元鎮遊戲。
雖然馬德·The Student各自想表現的東西有很多,但是我認為最終需要將其團結在一起的能量。所以,是流程啊。
不僅僅是製作洪昌熙音樂,還製作錄影、拍照、造型等,我們真的有很多好的討論。從好的意義上講,是對話嗎?
――與東京的影像導演Pennacky在多部音樂視頻和短篇電影《Moving For Word》等作品中繼續合作,對於Balming Tiger來說,Pennacky是什麼樣的存在呢?
我想所有成員都感受到了像歐米茄那樣的Mad所說的我們表演的能量,以及無法用這句話表達的感覺。他很好地發揮了我們想要用音樂表現的視覺潛力,使我們在他的視頻中的音樂潛力得到了提升。互相以良好的平衡互相咬合,我覺得很搭。還有就是朋友,那是最好的地方吧。我遇見Pennacky是在加入Balming Tiger之前,在日本上大學的時候。當時,我一個人演奏音樂,第一次觀看音樂視頻的次數大約在800-1000次左右。Pennacky找到了那個視頻,覺得很帥,所以來看了現場表演。也就是說,這是很久以前的關係。我不知道那個視頻為什麼會出現在他的演算法上,他感覺到了什麼,但我們有相通之處。
是索格姆的命運吧。
——從2024年4月開始擔任澀谷PARCO的BGM監修,是以怎樣的過程進行選曲的呢?
因為製作了索格姆4個季節的我們的播放列表,所以每人選了25首歌曲,4、5個人負責了1個季節。雖然分成了春夏秋冬,但是即使不那麼討論,也沒有大的問題,和好的感覺相匹配。比如說,負責春天的成員對春天各個季節的印象都相似。
為了配合洪昌熙季節,大家收集了選擇的東西,如果有稍微不合適的曲子的話就取下來,以換成更合適的曲子的感覺製作了播放列表。
因為是bj元金不久前的事,老實說我不記得詳細的事情,但是我記得在我們心中非常慎重地進行了確認。
——從澀谷PARCO的大樓裡遇到的曲子這一點來看,你有沒有意識到過呢?
MAD THE Student PARCO雖然是一家歷史悠久的百貨商店,但現在也有年輕的感覺吧。所以選曲的時候,也沒有把以前的曲子和最近的曲子分開,而是一邊混合著調和的曲子一邊選擇。
索格姆我負責春天的工作,所以給人一種“開花的遊樂園”的感覺。在PARCO,不管年齡大小,大家都像回到了小時候一樣,像在花圃裡玩一樣,希望大家忘記時間度過幸福的時光,這樣的想法制作而成,是非常開心的工作。
如果您對PARCO有什麼印象的話,請告訴我。
洪昌熙我喜歡的平面設計師井上嗣也先生,是一位從事著80年代到90年代PARCO廣告的人,但是看到他的廣告視覺效果的時候覺得非常好,一聽到PARCO就會想到那個廣告。
是一個獨自解釋和追求索格姆藝術性的東西,配合時代的潮流,持續受到很多人喜愛的地方。去年夏天,我和朋友一起去澀谷PARCO的時候,穿著拖鞋,在一樓的COMME des GARÇONS GIRL,買了和非常可愛的粉紅色VANS的合作運動鞋。我不怎麼穿有顏色的鞋子,但是來到PARCO,總覺得像被吸引一樣,自己心中有其他的自己醒來的感覺,給我留下了深刻的印象。
——我認為現場表演給觀眾帶來了在Balming Tiger活動中最令人興奮的體驗。在世界各地巡迴演唱會和舉辦演唱會的喜悅是什麼?
在歐米茄皮恩舞台上,不管怎樣很多人都在看我們正在做的事情吧。但我認為這對我來說是最真實的時刻。在演唱會的時候,我非常喜歡那一刻。
如果長時間持續bj元杜松旅遊的話,有時會感到厭倦。但是,在登上舞台之前,大家都有時間禱告。那個時候,大家和諧的感覺總是很好的。
以前在小型演唱會上也有很多,近年來在大型演唱會上也出現了很多,但是即使規模不同,思想準備也大致相同。站在舞台上的時候,和成員們一起表演很開心。這種樂趣,是最大的動力。
通過洪昌熙之旅,我覺得能夠經常去新的地方呼吸新的空氣,穿新的衣服,在新的卡車上表演,這樣的新體驗是很幸福的。
2、3年一起去索格姆旅行,經常說兩句話。一個是“一步一步地”,另一個是“以危機為契機”。在巡演中,什麼東西不會一下子跳起來,是必須一步一步地前進的狀況。事實上,有著數不清的危機。行李沒有了,演唱會前成員不能坐飛機。在這種情況下,我學到了很多把危機變成機會的方法。通過巡迴演唱會,在再次舉辦演唱會的過程中,我切實感受到大家越來越強大,團結在一起。
Balming Tiger, a South Korean musical collective, identifies as an alternative K-pop band and is gaining worldwide attention for its energetic performances and one-of-a-kind, addictive sound and vision. Since April 2024, the musical collective has been the background music selector at Shibuya Parco. In November, the collective attended the opening party for the fifth anniversary event celebrating the renewal of Shibuya Parco and gave a special one-night-only live performance. Among the eleven current members of the band, performers Omega Sapien, sogumm, bj wnjn, Mudd the student, and visual artist Chanhee Hong sat down for an interview. In addition to the interview, we are sharing footage from the live performance that electrified the venue.
- Balming Tiger’s visual expressions span videos, music videos, documentaries, artworks, styling, and more and are infused with a distinct, playful creativity. How do you create such unique productions?
Chanhee Hong: I believe this is largely because our team includes many members who can comfortably handle multiple genres. For example, our leader San Yawn is involved in directing, performing live, and styling, while the member Leesuho takes part in the production and creation of videos. I am also in charge of design and occasionally take the stage as well. In the beginning, people with an interest in multiple genres joined Balming Tiger, and their skills have naturally blended together.
- Your activities are rooted in a relaxed, open-minded, and somewhat silly sense of humor. That unique vibe has created an atmosphere that captivates and entertains the audience.
Omega Sapien: We truly enjoy laughing, joking, and goofing around together. We have so much fun hanging out with each other, so our playful nature and light-hearted vibes naturally come through in our performances, videos, and songs.
sogumm: I believe it’s because we have extra mental space. When I take part in a creative project as a member of Balming Tiger, I feel no pressure to be cool or showcase the most avant-garde parts of the work. Of course, I find it enjoyable, but I believe it’s because I have enough mental space that I can incorporate humor into the work.
Mudd the student: As Omega Sapien said, we joke around, but the main reason we came together as a group was our shared energy for performing. It's hard to describe, but we have our own code built on mutual trust, and our audience senses the strong mutual connection that we share.
- In one word, how would you describe Balming Tiger's creative works, which transcend conventional boundaries by redefining roles like performers and background staff as well as musical genres?
bj wnjn: "Playful."
Mudd the student: Each of us has many ideas that we want to express, and I believe it takes effort and energy to bring them together and shape them into the final work. So, I would say, "flow."
Chanhee Hong: We go through many meaningful discussions, not only while making music but also while creating videos, taking photos, and developing our style. So, I would say, "dialogue" in a good way.
- Balming Tiger and Pennacky, a Tokyo-based movie director, collaborated on numerous music videos and the short film, Moving For Word. To Balming Tiger, what presence does Pennacky have?
Omega Sapien: Mudd just mentioned the indescribable energy of our performance. All the members of Balming Tiger feel that same sense of energy from Pennacky. He is very good at bringing out the visual potential that we wanted to express in our music, and in turn, we can enhance the musical potential of his movies. We click very well with each other in a good balance. We are a good match, and above all, we are good friends. That is the best part. I first met Pennacky when I was a college student in Japan before joining Balming Tiger. At that time, I was making music on my own, and my first music video only had around 800 to 1,000 views. Pennacky saw that video, liked it, and came to watch my live performance. In other words, our relationship goes way back. I’m not sure how my video ended up being suggested to Pennacky through the algorithm or what he thought when he watched it, but I think there was something about it that created a connection.
sogumm: It's fate.
- You have been supervising the background music for Shibuya Parco since April 2024. What process do you go through to select music for Parco?
sogumm: Our task was to create playlists for the four seasons. First, we each selected 25 songs. Then, we formed four groups of four to five members with each group responsible for creating a playlist for a specific season. We divided the members into groups responsible for the spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Without much discussion, we created playlists that seamlessly matched each season without any major issues. For example, the members assigned to spring shared similar ideas about the season, and this held true for the groups assigned to the other seasons as well.
Chanhee Hong: We started by gathering and selecting songs for a specific season. Then, we removed the songs that didn’t fit and replaced them with tracks more appropriate for the season. This is how we created the playlist.
bj wnjn: Honestly, I don’t remember all the details of the process since it was a while ago. But I do remember carefully and thoroughly checking and discussing each song as they were selected.
- Were you especially mindful when selecting songs while keeping in mind that customers would hear them in the Shibuya Parco building?
Mudd the student: Parco is a department store with a long history, yet it still has a youthful feel, doesn’t it? Therefore, when selecting songs, we didn’t separate old songs from more recent ones; we blended them together to create a harmonious mix.
sogumm: I was assigned to spring, so I chose songs that matched the mental image of an amusement park where flowers bloom. I wanted shoppers to feel as though they were reliving their childhoods while shopping in Parco—as if they were playing in a flower garden and losing track of time. It was a very enjoyable process.
- Please share your impression of Parco, if any.
Chanhee Hong: Tsuguya Inoue is my favorite graphic designer, who created many of the iconic ads for Parco in the 80s and 90s. I really enjoy his ad visuals, and whenever I hear the name Parco, I immediately think of the ads he created.
sogumm: Parco is a place that has been loved by many people for its unique interpretation of artistic items and its ability to stay connected to the ever-changing trends of the times. Last summer, when I visited Shibuya Parco with friends, I was wearing slippers. On the ground floor at Comme des Garçons Girl store, I discovered and bought a super cute pair of pink sneakers, a collaboration with Vans. I don’t usually wear colorful shoes, but I distinctly remember being at Parco on that day, I was drawn to that pair and couldn’t resist; it was as if some unseen force was leading me toward them. It felt like a different version of myself was awakening inside.
- Among your variety of activities as Balming Tiger, live performances are when you deliver the most exciting experience for your audience. What do you consider as the joy of touring and performing live around the world?
Omega Sapien: When we are on stage, so many people are watching what we’re doing. I believe that is the most authentic moment for me. I really enjoy those moments when I’m performing live.
bj wnjn: Sometimes I become bored when touring for a long time. But before we go on stage, we take a moment to pray together. It is always comforting to feel that everyone is in harmony at that time.
Mudd the student: We used to perform live on smaller stages a lot. In recent years, we have been performing live on many larger stages. Regardless of the size of the stage, our mindset stays consistent. I enjoy performing alongside the other members when I’m on stage. That enjoyment is the biggest motivation.
Chanhee Hong: When we are on tour, I am happy to be able to constantly experience new things—visiting new places and breathing in new kinds of air, wearing new outfits, and performing new tracks.
sogumm: I always said two phrases while touring with these members for two to three years: "One step at a time," and "Turning a crisis into an opportunity." While on tour, nothing ever happens as a sudden leap forward all at once. So, we must steadily make gradual progress step by step. In fact, we have faced so many crises that I’ve lost count. We have faced the crises of lost luggage or members missing a flight before a live concert. Through those situations, I learned a lot about how to turn a crisis into an opportunity. Through our experience on tour and creating concerts, we have grown stronger than ever and become more united.
Balming Tiger
從亞洲有名的軟膏“虎婆”中取名,是一個多樣的另類K-POP組合。亞洲藝術文化與收藏。由表演者Omega Sapien、sogumm、Bj wnjn、Mudd the student、製作人San Yawn和Unsinkable、視頻導演Jan'qui和Leesuho、視覺藝術家Hong Chanhee、DJ Abyss和作家Henson Hwang組成的團體。各藝術家在表現不同的藝術特徵和能量的同時,有著將時代投影到作品中的創作願景。2023年被Rolling Stone雜誌評選為今年備受關注的音樂家,以參加富士搖滾音樂節為開端,成功完成了世界巡演。在European Festival Awards中獲得今年的新人獎,發行了以第一張專輯《January Never Dies》收錄曲為基礎製作的短篇電影《Moving For Word》。從2024年4月開始擔任澀谷PARCO的BGM監修,每兩個月、一年內共推出6個播放列表。
A diverse alternative K-Pop group named after the famous Asian ointment Tiger Balm. An Asian art culture and collective. The group consists of performers Omega Sapien, sogumm, bj wnjn, and Mudd the student, producers San Yawn and Unsinkable, video directors Jan' Qui and Leesuho, visual artists Chanhee Hong and DJ Abyss, and writer Henson Hwang. Their creative vision is to infuse their productions with the vibes of the times with each artist contributing a unique artistic identity and energy to the group's artistic expression. In 2023, the group was selected by Rolling Stone magazine as artists to watch this year, and they successfully completed a world tour, starting with an appearance at the Fuji Rock Festival. The group won this year’s Newcomer of the Year award at the European Festival Awards. They also released the short film Moving For Word, inspired by the songs from their first album January Never Dies. Since April 2024, the group has been curating the background music at Shibuya Parco and is currently creating a new playlist every two months for a total of six playlists throughout the year.
https://www.balmingtiger.com
Instagram（@balmingtiger）
