Haepaary

Haepaary, a.k.a. 해파리, which translates as "jellyfish", is a Korean duo of a vocalist and a producer, who combine electronic music  with traditional Korean shrine music called Jongmyojeryeak. The vocalist Min-hee Park draws from another Korean musical tradition, Gagok when she sings.  Their music has a meditative quality without being ambient. It is often mid-tempo, patient music that is hypnotic and transportive. It sounds ancient and ceremonial, but it is not necessarily relaxing because of the prominent sense of tension embedded in their work, at least for western ears. Producer Hye-won Choi builds the pieces through electronic instruments with enough care and restraint such that she does not overwhelm the core of the music. Park is terrific on the vocals as she layers them for additional depth. Their arrangements are sparse bordering on minimalism, but the results are rich and utterly captivating.