Review Summary: Welcome to Seoul
Even from the airplane window, it's clear the city is like nothing you've ever seen before. Your previous worries melt away as the glistening Seoul beckons you. Disembarking, you can hear the muffled splendour from the airport, and as the taxi approaches the incandescent city, the dreamy ambiance swells into soaring synth lines. You feel weightless, becoming a shade.
The main streets are a sight to behold. Walking down the line, Seoul smothers you in layers upon layers of gorgeous synthesiser stabs. It all feels real and organic, though. The city has a heartbeat, various kicks and bass lines give it the rhythm it needs to not collapse into an aimless sprawl. Although back alleys are merely segues to the main attractions, they still maintain the charm and unforgettable nature the rest of the city does, be it through haunting landscaping or the way in that they meld so effortlessly into the architecture.
The aesthetic of Seoul is faultlessly summarised in a structure the locals call 'White Morning'. At times it seems ready to float away, but steady beats anchor the unburdened groove lines and arpeggios. It is the keystone of Seoul, displaying all of the city's elegant and reflective anatomy in one composition. There is, however, a melancholy behind Seoul's walls, ones that talk. Mumbling of lost loves and uncertainty, Seoul's layered edifices contain a hidden vulnerability to them.
'Silencer' recounts a tale of a dysfunctional couple, while 'Haunt / A Light' mentions the "miserable city" that Seoul once lived as. Through its wistful and nostalgic disposition, Seoul is a truly memorable place to visit. In all of 41 minutes, I was completely consumed and enamoured with it. Nuanced yet simplistic , drenched with atmosphere second to none, this is one Lonely Planet review you'd best not ignore.
