OOHYO - Far From the Madding City (2019)

On the one hand ‘the city’ is a place that promises a life full of excitement, achievements, love, and sense of belonging, but on the other, it is also where we find notions of growth, diversity, individuality, and harmony being challenged in ways that cause division and various forms of insecurities in individuals. This album is a record of the observations I made traveling and living around different cities, and it attempts to question the real meaning of values that are being ‘produced’ and distributed by the city through its markets, the lifestyle it recommends, and the image of success and happiness it reinforces through media. Although I hope my songs will reach different kinds of people in Korea and around the globe, I’m especially excited to share these songs with people who are wondering if it’s okay to stand outside the crowd for the values they believe in, to pursue goals and dreams that the culture of the times doesn’t promise will come true. Thank you for listening to this album, and I hope you find that you’re braver than ever in your own journey to find balance and clarity.