D: Hi, my name is David Amber, I have been working in K-pop for I would say about the past five years, hardcore,
I have been kind of involved for the past eight years, just a cut here and there, but five years like super hardcore.
That's the whole point, it's to have that connection of feeling and like what I felt when I made it.
If other people are feeling that way on listening to it, it's like: Mission accomplished, you know?
Umu: Exactly, speaking of shaking up people's hearts...
D: What a segue, wow! U: We'll move on to Twice! Thank you, thank you.
U: So yeah, since you produced two of Twice's title tracks,
can you name a few certain musical elements that you feel when writing 'Yes or Yes' or 'Heart Shaker'
that you made sure to put in to create such a recognizable sound for them.
D: You know, Twice has certainly gone through an evolution of sound.
We wrote a lot of songs for them at that time as far as like - to offer them,
'Heart Shaker' was, I think, the first one of like writing that we did, and it felt good right away,
and again it was one of those things where I had a basic drum beat and I had the chords on a synth
*demonstrates*, you know, it's just kind of basic,
and then we wrote it together, we wrote the melody, I think it was over Skype, actually.
U: EYYY! Foreshadowing! D: Yeah, and... yeah yeah right right,
D: And then, so we wrote it, and it felt really good, the chorus was a little bit different. (U: Okay)
I think just going into the chorus was, the pickup was a little different, but it was, the song was what it was and again we got the song demo'd,
and then it was like: How do we, how do I make this track have some kind of uniqueness to it (U: Yeah)
and so I played around with different instruments as far as playing the chords and stuff,
and then I was listening to I think it was like Cyndi Lauper 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' (U: Ooo, oh yeah yeah yeah!)
and it had that kind of like really bright guitar (U: Yeah) with like that twangy delay,
and I was like: Oh, that would be perfect, that's the vibe! You know, that's the vibe, that's so similar to what they do,
so I was like: Okay, let's go do it! And I'm terrible at guitar, so it was me sitting there for like - slowing down the track and, you know...
But it sounded really great, and the final guitar is a little bit drier that what I had originally done,
like there was a bigger delay on it, but that was kinda the musical feeling,
it was just that kind of like fun, exciting, young, girls having fun... (U: Yeah)
And that's kind of the naturalness of how I try to write, it's like, I want people to feel good,
I'm not really a fan of like sad boy music and you know, kinda... I'm not, that's not me!
U: Yeah. Did JYP give you a lead sheet at all, any like: Okay, we kind of want this to sound like this,
we're trying to develop their sound a little bit, at all, or were they just like: Write for Twice!
D: It was when I was in Korea and I had this talking with the A&R
and she was describing what they wanted and how they were gonna move forward and what the plan was,
so it wasn't like there was this sheet that were like: Okay, we want you to do this and this,
It wasn't like that, it was like kind of just intuition of what it was that they were looking for
and what I thought would be good, and what my co-writers thought would be good an it just worked out.
U: How was 'Yes or Yes' born, because I almost feel like it's low key a follow-up
or a more modern version of SNSD's 'I Got a Boy', with all the genre changes.
D: Huh, that's nice of you to say, that's... U: I mean it's great!
D: Yeah, I mean because that's where, like when I got into K-pop, like listening heavily,
that was the sound, it was a lot of change-ups, there was a lot of stylistic kind of twists and turns,
so that's like: Oh okay, that's what K-pop is. (U: Yeah) And I like that because I like musical theatre
and I like older pop where that was, there was a lot of that kind of thing,
so it was like kind of an easy natural thing for me to want to do, as far as changes and stylistic things and...
You know, the beginning of the song has the kind of Motown bass line, you know, 'My Girl' kind of thing
and then it has the bubblegum part and then the verse kinda has like almost,
at least with the music it's got the Beatles type, the early Beatles kind of feel, and...
So all those things, it was just like: These are elements that, I think, could be cool for them, I don't know,
that's why we did a lot of songs (U: Gotcha) because we don't know what they are gonna like or what's gonna work,
we have to trust the label and they obviously know what they are doing,
so we are just gonna give them a bunch of different options of things that could work, and they will decide what it is that they like.
U: So were all the seven songs completely different in sound or did any of them share certain aspects?
D: There's definitely similarities even between 'Heart Shaker' and 'Yes or Yes' in terms of like:
They're both kind of pop-rock songs, like you could see a band performing those songs
with live instruments and things, at least in my opinion (U: Yeah).
There is different tempos and there is different sounds and,
I remember there was one song that was more like rocky with the guitars,
and there was a song that was more, had like the big 808's (U: Uuh), so there was different vibes,
like we didn't try to make them exactly the same but they all kinda had that bright feeling good-
we weren't writing any like ballads or anything like that (U: Yeah, not quite yet)
that's not, yeah I mean I like ballads, but it's not really - there's people that do that a lot better than me, so...
U: Right, 'cause yeah, for some reason, whenever there are certain chord progressions
and soundscapes that go with those chord progressions that sometimes other girl groups do that I am like:
That sounds like Twice, (D: Yeah) and I can't always put my finger on it,
so I was wondering if there is like a certain chord progression that you are like: Okay yeah, this kinda fits the mood, or...
D: Yeah of course, yeah I think chord progressions are kind of like the basic colors of arrangers and composers making music,
it's like, that's kind of the foundation, so if you want to be a versatile composer, you have to know your -
what chord progressions sound like what, and it has to be just second nature, like you don't even think about it, it's like:
This is the kinda song I want to write? Okay, these are the chords that I am gonna go to, at least as a start, and you can deviate from there.
U: That's awesome, yeah. Speaking of just knowing your stuff and having fun, Oh My Girl's 'Crime Scene' is so fun to listen to,
and as I was (D: Yeah it's kinda out there, eh?) yeah, as I was scrolling through your Instagram,
you just seemed super excited when you were posting about it, like: "This is gonna commit a crime on your ears", that was your Instagram post.
D: It's kind of embarrassing, I really said that? U: No, it gets fans excited, right? (D: Yeah yeah)
U: Even though it's a little bit cheesy. D: Yeah yeah, well that's me.
U: Was there a lead sheet sent to you for the concept or what was the original inspiration behind the track?
D: It started with just that little riff in the beginning, the *demonstrates*
but I wanted to do something that was kind of like quirky and unsettling but still fun, you know?
It always starts with the fun (U: Right) and then from there I kinda just think it was just like, throw everything at the, kinda just...
(U: Go at it) That was more stream of consciousness, cuz we were just,
I think we were just writing to write the song, we didn't have anything specifically in mind.
Then there was the chorus - that I thought was the chorus, and then I think Sean and Mayu were like:
Oh, let's have another chorus after, I was like: Really? I don't know. Okay, just do it...
And then it turned out great because you had this kind of, the first A-chorus I call it, has a little bit of a darker feeling
and then it breaks into the big bright anthem thing and then back to the mystery thing and...
That was kind of like a fun collaboration with the three of us.
U: Yeah, was this a song where the concept was kept the same when translated
or did, when the Korean lyrics came in, it changed to 'Crime Scene'?
D: Yeah, that was changed. (U: Mmhmmm) Yeah, it was called 'Shimmy'. (U: Ooh!)
But 'Crime Scene' was better, I mean it fit the concept of the music, which is so cool, like that the lyricists can,
they can take it and like, they're imagining their own kind of visuals like you were saying (U: Yeah)
and they can come up with this concept that fits with the music and the melody and...
So it's really nice, it's like it's getting that collaborator that has this outside perspective
and then they bring something totally new to it, so... (U: Yeah)
I would say with the songs it's kind of 50/50 as far as if they keep the concept or they change it.
U: I actually reached out to some followers on Twitter to see if they have any questions for you, and @joonssbabe from Twitter asks:
Do you feel like the companies are looking for more powerful mature sound for girl groups nowadays?
They see less and less the bubbly sugary pop appearing in girl groups (D: Sure, yeah),
and they are wondering if do you think there is still space for that or it's just everyone is wanting to spread out,
you know, western, and become super badass and girl crush?
D: Look, there is trends in music, right? And there is trends in K-pop.
So I think right now you are probably seeing more of that, especially with, obviously with Blackpink's phenomenal success,
you are probably trying to see that, especially with smaller groups, that want to appeal to an international audience...
That being said, there are still groups like Iz*one - I mean look: (U: Some newly debuted girl groups as well...)
In the Asian marked like cute concepts are, it's good, you know, it works, so...
Yeah, I think right now we are probably seeing a bit of a swing towards girl crush and mature,
but I mean, you know, music changes so often, so just roll with it.
U: Yeah, is there a style that you prefer to do, like the bubbly versus the badass?
Or are you just like: You know what, I'll just go with the flow, or...
D: Well I think we have to, as professionals, evolve with the times.
That being said, I think that there is room for that kind of like, you know, even a song like 'Lovesick Girls', Blackpink, it's,
it's like powerful but it's still fun, you know, it's still kind of up- like the melodies and the chorus is very upbeat,
so I think there is room to inject the kind of fun vibes that I like into more badass productions and badass songs (U: Yeah!)
so yeah, it's just finding ways to do what I like to do and keeping it current at the same time.
U: Right. How do you say yourself as a producer has changed, like maybe your sound,
or whatever you learned throughout the past eight intense years of writing K-pop?
D: I have gotten a lot better.
U: ~practice makes perfect~ D: Yeah, it's true, I mean -
D: It's funny, when I started producing just pop songs in general, like you know, trying to write verse-chorus-verse-chorus pop songs,
I thought I was like so good.
You know, I was like: Dude, everything I write is just amazing!
And now when I listen back I am like ~ugh
I just like cringe, it's just like, not that it's bad, but like, (U: yeah, yeah like...)
it was just, I'm thinking of what my attitude was at the time...
Your ears develop, I think, particularly as producers, cuz we have to think about sonics and how things fit into space,
outside of just the - it's part of arranging, right?
Does this instrument interfere with where the vocals are gonna be or, you know, all these, in the sonic space.
So there is a lot that goes into it and you can only do it and get better by just continuing to learn, continuing to listen.
U: Something that a fan on Twitter was wondering was: Has K-pop forced you to be more creative?
D: Yeah, I think it's definitely opened my ears to different sonic things and forced me to think outside of my comfort zone,
especially if I just don't wanna be doing cute girl group songs,
I have to kind of keep listening and keep learning and taking in and incorporating things that I hear.
U: Right. Last but not least, you have been doing a lot of personal projects, you have released solo stuff,
and then you have your second Instagram account where you do remixes, right?
D: Yeah, it's a retrowave project called Palmy Chiller. I love 80s music, that's like, I...
Even though I grew I grew up in the late 90s, early 2000s, but I was always listening to 80s music,
I don't know, the melodic sensibility, whatever, so I just wanted to do something where there is no restrictions,
or there wasn't anybody asking me to do anything, because that's, you know, as composers and writers, that's how we spent so much of our time.
So, you know, I am in a place where I feel like I can allow myself to just do whatever it is that I want, and so it has been a lot fun.
U: Right, you have an upcoming collaboration with Ashley, right? Is that Palmy Chiller, or is that...
D: Yeah, that's Palmy Chiller. I haven't written a song by myself, I want to say, in maybe like two years, (U: Oh!)
so this was, this project is an opportunity for me to just do me, and she was very, she was nice enough to lend her voice to it,
and I think it is a very beautiful song and I am excited for people to hear it.
U: This is towards the end of 2020, I am curious, do you have like a top 5 of 2020,
do you have a list of songs that have been your favorites, whether you have written them or from a different producer?
D: I liked all the Iz*one releases this year, I liked all their singles.
U: I love 'Fiesta', it's so fun! D: Yeah, 'Fiesta' is so good.
D: I liked Twice's new release with - that Melanie and Lindgren co-wrote, U: The little throwback?
D: that was really good because it, you know, has the 80s feel that I so enjoy, (U: Jup)
I loved SuperM, my friend Andy co-wrote one of the singles on there, (U: Was that '100'?)
'100' yeah, so I was very happy that all my friends were able to write on that, and the album was fantastic. (U: Oh, so good)
Got7, their new record is really good, I mean ITZY's single, I mean there's so many! (U: Everything!)
Yeah, I mean there's just tons of creativity going on right now, and...
U: Yeah, you must be loving the new 80s trend that's slowly seeping its way, you know, through 'Dynamite' and Everglow...
D: Yeah, it's funny, I was like: I was doing that BEFORE!
No, it's great, yeah, it's great, it's great.
U: Thank you so much for your time today, this was an absolute blast.
D: Thanks for having me.
U: And if anyone has any extra comments for David, well I will link his Instagram, his socials in the description,
and also just let us know in the comment section, maybe we will be able to do a catch up next year, who knows.
U: Thank you so much, once again! D: Thank you.