[Interview] Junhyung talks about BEAST members' vocal styles & producing

[mistressnicey]

[iNTERVIEW] 150405 Junhyung’s exclusive interview

 

 

As a producer, how does Junhyung-san see the distinctive traits and charms of the members’ voices and vocal styles?

 

JH: You’re asking this with regards to their voices and vocal styles right? Let’s start with Yoseobie. Yoseobie has a voice that makes the people who listen to it feel calm and peaceful. His tune is stable and he knows what expression makes the song good; I make Yoseobie do the covering for all the songs. No, rather than ‘making’ him do it, I request for him to do it. In cases where Yoseobie does the chorus (harmonising) above the other members’ voices (upper harmony), he does almost all of that portion. I am mostly in charge of the lower harmony.

 

What about Doojoon-san?

 

JH: Doojoon has a rich voice and he is in charge of the parts where there is impact; he does the portions of the melody where a rap-like feeling is needed and the rhythmic parts.

 

How about Hyunseung-san?

 

JH: Yes, for Hyunseungie, similarly, he sings the main point of the songs. That’s because for these parts, Hyunseungie needs to sing with impact, and somehow he has a voice that seems to pull up/lift up the song, and so he is in charge of the portions that can bring up the atmosphere/mood of a song.

 

How about Dongwoon-san?

 

JH: Dongwoonie’s voice is emotional as a whole so he takes up the parts of the song that set a mood or the bridge and the bits that need sad emotions and relieve tension.

 

Then what about Kikwang-san?

 

JH: Kikwangie’s voice goes very well with R&B and he is in charge of the portions where you need to sing them in a laidback manner. And Kikwangie rather surprisingly has a wide vocal range, so his voice is rather good with parts that have high notes. Instead of saying it’s because of his average vocal range, it’s more like in both high and low notes he produces a very nice sound, so he sings both portions often.

 

What does Junhyung-san think of his own voice, objectively?

 

JH: For me, I take up a lot of the covering (harmonising) like Yoseobie on the whole. Even though I do both rapping and singing, looking at the results I have done through trial and error, my voice feels the safest when it comes to baritone parts, so I mainly take on the baritone portions. Since we would promote with the new song, my parts… um, because I’m producing the song, I don’t have many parts (laughs), instead they seem to be decreasing. There isn’t a large proportion of my parts. I split up the parts for the members and the remaining bits are mine.

 

Junhyung-san’s creative composing seems to be done almost all in the studio. We’ve heard you’re in the midst of making a new studio! What kind of studio is it?

 

JH: In the new studio the new working area is a lot wider/larger. It’s about as big as the room we’re currently interviewing in (approximately 9 pyeong) (T/N: That’s about 29 square metres). The room that I use has gotten larger and because we wanted to pay more attention to the sound system so we spend quite a bit on the speakers (laughs)! Other than that we also bought a lot of different hardware. This time, after ending the Japan schedules and going back to Korea, I will be doing recording work and it seems like it’ll take quite some time before I can get used to it. Also in terms of the interior design, it’s like a hideout-like secret base camp and feels very much like an editing shop (laughs). Now we’ve decided on standardising the indoor interior construction with dark grey to bring out a darker feeling. The construction will be completed on the day we return to Korea.

 

Since it is so comfortable working in the studio, won’t Junhyung-san be staying only in the studio once it’s completed (laughs)?

 

JH: It seems like I’ve pretty much only been in the studio. I’ve even gotten a table tennis table and games to put in the new studio. Since it’s to the degree where I can live in the studio. There isn’t anything that I don’t have in there. It’s all there. The space is large and I have everything I need, so I just go home to sleep and then go back to the studio in the morning. It’s like I just go to the studio with my pet dog every day.

 

Do you separate your work and your private life? Are you the kind that doesn’t separate them?

 

JH: I separate work and private life. I don’t work on songs at home.

 

I see. What if melodies or ideas pop up at home?

 

JH: Yes, of course there have been cases where ideas come up and I record them in my mobile phone or do a memo of it, but I leave my electronic devices at home and don’t work on them. Since the house is a place where I can properly relax, if I work on songs even at home it seems like it’ll be really difficult. But to be honest initially in the house that I lived in, I had a room just for working on songs. I made a really simple room for working in, but after that I thought that it was only right to separate the space I have for work and private life, so I got rid of that room in the end.

 

Does the sound differ when you record in the new studio?

 

JH: It seems different. Since the studio got larger the sound changes, so it seems like it’ll be difficult to grab hold of emotions (in the new environment) for the next month or so.

 

It seems that you have a variety of styles when it comes to composing. There are people who first start by setting a concept, others start from the equipment they will be using, or with lyrics, some with the melody, gathering all the different parts, or those that start from the track loop. They all seem to differ from person to person. Junhyung-san please share with us your composing style.

 

JH: When I compose more than 90% of it I start off with setting titles for the songs. After setting the titles, I have the themes and lyrics and content that fit with it, and then after I make up the beat and after, the chords. After creating the guide, I check that the melody and lyrics come together and the rest is editing.

 

When did you start using this creating style?

 

JH: Pretty much from the very start. Even if it’s undoubtedly difficult when ideas don’t come up with regards to editing or writing lyrics, but I think it is the most difficult when I cannot decide on a title.

 

It’s an interesting way of composing, where your songs come from your titles. Out of all your songs until now, has there been one where you go ‘this title is perfect!’ or when the title finally popped up you thought ‘this is it!’?

 

JH: The song where I felt this the most is ‘Good Luck’ which was released in Korea recently. There was initially many versions of ‘Good Luck’. I made about 4 or 5 songs for just this one track, but I didn’t like all of them so I threw them away. When I was just about to give up on myself and went ‘ah, ah, there’s simply nothing coming up my mind…’ and in that very instant! The idea came up and I made it in just about 3 hours. Lastly after the final guide was created, I went ‘Ah… so Good Luck has been created’ and I was very pleased.

 

So it took you only 3 hours to complete the track from when the idea came up!

 

JH: Yes, when I’m being quick it doesn’t even take me 3 hours; I’ve written them in only 1~2 hours before too. But when they don’t come round I could sit in the studio for a whole month and no ideas would come up. Every time I produce for an album, I don’t have many thoughts for 1~2 months after that.

 

Is that because Junhyung-san picks out on everything?

 

JH: Yes, seems that it’s like that. It’s because every time I have to make something, I take out something from within myself, and then I’m left empty inside. At those times nothing really comes up (my mind). Even so, at those points of time, I make songs casually and leisurely for songs that are not BEAST’s songs or songs that are meant to be released in albums. I just go ‘Ah, I would like to try making this’ and then work on it enjoyably for about 1~2 months.

 

*The second bit of the exclusive interview will be released on 20th April.

 

Source: Source | credit: theb2utynotes
Please note that translations may contain inaccuracies.
When taking out, please credit KongKongXD (JR-RK) & @thatyongkid (KR-EN).

[Jeffrey Jung]

this is a very interesting interview i guess Junhyung really knows the Beast members' vocal strengths and weaknesses

[Skibop!!]

I thik it's cute that he composers for the members first and then takes what's left lol and I agree with him about vocal sounds. Dongwoon's voice is emotional which is why I love his parts, esp in Close My Eyes. And Hyunseung's voice is just so inexplainable lol it can go with any genre of music.

[Enol]

Wow, writing in 1-2 hours... wow...

 

I'm glad Junhyung writes for Beast, because he understands the capabilities of his members ^^

 

Fighting Junnie ^^

[shuha.diary]

they got a new studio! looking forward ^^

[Homiez]

Junproducer slay

[sorrytryagain]

It's always really interesting reading about Junhyung's creative process. I know it's to be expected, but I'm still quite pleased he has such a solid understanding of the members' vocal styles and abilities.

[monologue]

Junhyung please show the new studio sometime, I'm curious.

[yournoona]

that was a good read. so, that's how a composer/songwriter/producer tends to work

[STORM]

I want to see the new studio. Junhyung knows what the strengths of the members are and puts them in a position to shine. Junhyung really is one of the best idol composers there is. I hope we get to see more of Kikwang's productions in the future albums. 

[Cantios]

This was a very interesting read, specially the part about his creative process. 

 

Yong PD. 

 

I went back to listen to a few recent Beast songs and I noticed everything that Junhyung said here, about the members' vocal range, and the type of emotions their voices are fit for. I'm so glad he's the one producing for the group, he really does know what's best for the group. It's nice of him to keep what's left of lines. 

 

I want to see the new studio!