DPR Ian Releases First Solo Album
Newer K-Pop fans may not be familiar with Christian Yu and his past in the K-Pop world. Before taking his place as chief editor of Dream Perfect Regime, Christian had a stint as a K-Pop idol under the moniker Rome in the boy group C-CLOWN. After disbandment, he joined up with DPR Live to create Dream Perfect Regime and begin his solo career as a renowned video director. He’s become quite a recognizable name in the K-Hip-Hop and indie community for his visual work, but his music only became a factor back in October 2020 with the release of his first solo single, “So Beautiful.” His first album Moodswings in This Order features both previously released singles along with the new title “Nerves” and four new tracks. And, as expected of a famous video director, each music video has intriguing composition and tie together in a rather abstract way.
“So Beautiful” is the first track to drop in the saga back in October. The track opens with an eerie, string-heavy line accompanied by the sound of thunderstorms before breaking into the main melody, a smooth jazz influenced beat with a catchy rhythm. The song has a more alternative band feel than may have been expected, the bossa nova melody having a certain groove that definitely stands out amongst the more popular melodies used in both K-Pop and K-Hip-Hop. It’s a welcome shift in tone and the song is infectious almost immediately, especially accompanied by Christian’s falsetto vocals. The video has a pretty dark tone, with heavy use of black and white, sepia tones, and a vintage camera filter. Even the shots in the forest have a dark overtone, the colors muted with most of the contrast coming from Christian’s outfit against his skin. There’s a lot to unpack in the video, but we will leave that up to the viewers.
The second single “No Blueberries” was released in December, the track featuring DPR Live and soloist CL. The song has a more retro feel led by the rhythm guitar in the opening melody that remains a staple in the sound even as modern R&B rhythm influences start to take over after the first verse. The groove of this track is undeniable, even though it is quite different from the first single and definitely has the heavier R&B influences that may have been more expected. CL’s vocals add an awesome layer to the overall sound, fitting perfectly with it and adding a smooth line that ties the track together. The bossa nova undertones can still be heard in the beat, which may be why it’s so infectious. The video drives home the retro theme, mostly focusing on a set in a retro diner. It’s definitely not boring though, as we see Christian weilding a gun and fighting with a dark masked figure, action-hero style. If you pay close enough attention, you’ll see some symbols coming back from “So Beautiful” that tie the visual story together. DPR Live does have a cameo, but sadly CL does not appear in the video.
The final music video released in tandem with Moodswings in This Order is “Nerves,” a more subdued indie band type of track that has a totally different feel from the previous two releases. The rhythm is fairly consistent with popular band music, best described as alternative rock. This more subdued melody allows Christian’s vocals to take the main spotlight, so if you’re a fan of him singing in the higher register, you’ll enjoy this song the most. The video definitely has a darker tone and more gore than the previous two, so if you have an issue with that, proceed with caution. The story set by the video series seems to be given a bit more of a backstory in this video, most notably the recurring symbol of the eye seen in all three videos. The video also has an alt rock type of composition, and Christian definitely fits the bill of a lead singer in a rock band.
For his first album, there’s a ton of diversity musically and lots of important messages to take away from both the music and the videos, which makes the whole experience very rich and gives his artistic abilities more depth. If you haven’t yet, definitely check out Moodswings in This Order.