In the aftermath of the magical parannoul, the world felt a deep sense of loss and devastation. The parannoul had been a source of wonder and enchantment, bringing joy and beauty to all who encountered it. Its vibrant colors and mesmerizing powers had captivated the hearts of millions. But now, it was gone. The parannoul had been a mystical creature, believed to be the guardian of all things magic. It was said to possess the ability to bring dreams to life and grant wishes to those deserving.
Parannoul's After The Magic didn't live up to the highs of his previous solo record. That's what your first impression would be, if you went into this expecting emotional peaks like White Ceiling or Analog Sentimentalism. But really, after something like White Ceiling, where do you go with your album? A minute weakness with his previous album, where the following back half falls a little flat in reaching the incredibly high highs of its first.
While Parannoul haven t completely ditched the super-saturated guitars that made their past work sound like M83 and Smashing Pumpkins, the most unexpected change on After the Magic is how they recall the spirit of those projects at their most buoyant. For all of its stunning sound design and genre alchemy, none of this works without the effect captured in every piano line, every enveloping blanket of guitar fuzz, every pristine K-pop melody delivered in Parannoul s heavy-lidded sigh.
It was said to possess the ability to bring dreams to life and grant wishes to those deserving. Many had sought its guidance and protection, relying on its mystical powers to bring them good fortune. But one fateful day, the parannoul disappeared without a trace.
파란노을 (Parannoul): After the Magic
In a way, Parannoul is exactly what we want from a shoegaze artist — and what we want for ourselves. The Seoul-based bedroom producer’s music isn’t only shoegaze — he’s also chamber-pop, but he’s also emo, but he’s also an assortment of other genres hidden within the layers of his music — but the way emotion is conveyed through those many, many layers is a skill that only someone indebted to the shoegaze forefathers of the ‘90s could master so effectively. Look at the work of Ride, Slowdive, and My Bloody Valentine, who obscured direct human connection with a thousand layers of guitars and rhythm, the lyrics buried enough that you’d be forgiven for taking a moment or two to realize that the lyrics aren’t in English. (Be honest with yourself: how many My Bloody Valentine songs do you know the lyrics to?) Shoegaze is a genre that has always worked in those same opacity levels, but what makes Parannoul scratch such an itch is that, though he has recorded many albums under multiple names (as laststar on a few now-deleted albums, and as Myfeverdream on last year’s Rough and Beautiful Place), he’s achieved something we all secretly pine for: pretty much total anonymity.
Though like many anonymous music projects, Parannoul may one day step out of his thick shroud of intense identity protectiveness, as of now we’re still totally in the dark about the human being that birthed this project. In some ways, that hampers our understanding of his work — especially his stunning new album After the Magic — but in other ways, it frees us up to approach this music at face value, detached from the kind of extracurricular storytelling that exists outside the album itself. As has been proven by everyone from Bob Dylan to Justin Vernon to Phil Elverum, the backstory can be intoxicating, and having a clear understanding of where the art came from can make it easier for people to meaningfully engage with the work. But it can also be a hindrance, and After the Magic feels like the best-case scenario for how great art can be when you strip away everything but the music itself — and, if you don’t speak Korean, and don’t take the time to look up the translations of his lyrics, you can strip away everything but what that music makes you feel.
Though not all non-English bands can break through the language barrier to take root in the hearts and ears of listeners, the ones that do often become iconic because of their ability to break that barrier — take, for instance, the love that non-Spanish speakers have for Buena Vista Social Club, or the reverence non-Icelandic listeners have for Sigur Rós, or even the cultural dominance that pop artists like BTS and Bad Bunny have enjoyed in recent years. These are all artists who can tap into people’s innate ability to reach across boundaries and can convey emotion and meaning beyond language. You need only listen to a single song on After the Magic to imagine a future cultural dominance for Parannoul, who makes that boundary-crossing feel like it could be a superpower. Just look at the way a song like “Sketchbook” grows from the sound of robot vocals and literal crickets into something of uncompromising, skyscraping size and scope, every pore dripping with wistful joy that Western musicians never seem capable of achieving as effortlessly.
You get all of that without understanding a word of it. When you listen to a song with the bombast of “Insomnia,” or the sonic scope of “Arrival,” or even the “‘90s alt-rock on the radio, but make it resplendent” aura of “Imagination,” you don’t need to know what Parannoul is singing to feel a swell of hope in your chest. Credit to Parannoul for releasing an album this sundrenched in the waning days of winter — not only is it a burst of warmth we all needed, but now, it can make a much-needed appearance at the first sign of spring and summer weather.
To be absolutely clear, though, it’s a mistake to rely solely on what the sound of music makes you feel. Reading the translated version of Parannoul’s music is deeply important — they reveal him to not just be a supremely-talented bedroom producer, but a solid songwriter, too. Stanzas like “Sepia-filled days recorded in an old photo album/ The night sky that I can’t think of anymore/ And the promise that I forgot/ Fireworks continue, but we quickly lost the light” aren’t revelatory, and many other songwriters have expressed a sentiment like “Because that’s what life is all about/ We are becoming adults little by little” — but at the same time, the fact that they aren’t groundbreaking makes their impact greater. They hit you right in the 16-year-old who still lives in your heart, much like how Yesterday Was Dramatic — Today is OK by múm taps into the nine-year-old in your heart.
After the Magic shows that Parannoul isn’t only a very good producer and musician, but he’s also someone whose control of his own emotional expression is so strong that you don’t need the lyrics sheet to feel an opaque version of what he feels. It can almost leave you with emotional fatigue; every song is huge, leaving little proper downtime to experience the scope of Parannoul’s emotions. He’s plenty capable of expressing them — 2021’s To See the Next Part of the Dream was tinged with sadness, and Let’s Walk on the Path of a Blue Cat was filled with moments that expressed a much wider array of feelings. After the Magic defies that and aims squarely for something bigger and brighter, and it soars in the way that makes them feel as huge as a planet — and when the emotions you’re conveying feel planet-sized, there’s only so much heavy lifting that mere words can do.
SummaryAfter the Magic shows that Parannoul isn’t only a very good producer and musician, but he’s also someone whose control of his own emotional expression is so strong that you don’t need the lyrics sheet to feel an opaque version of what he feels.
The first sound heard on opener “북극성 (Polaris)”—and indeed, quite a few songs on After the Magic—is an acoustic guitar, presumably not one of the MIDI presets used on To See the Next Part of the Dream. Before long, Parannoul fills the space with the most obvious of ersatz sounds: spotless cocktail piano rolls, slap bass, synthesized saxophones, all knowingly used as prompts to remember an older, more innocent era of technology. Yet in its slippery reference points—ambient music of the early home-computing age, shoegaze’s drum’n’bass software update, various phases of J-pop incorporating state-of-the-art electronics—After the Magic collapses the nostalgia wormhole, implying that, someday, 2023 will also be remembered as the good old days.
Its absence left a void in the hearts of those who had relied on its magic. Without the parannoul, the world grew dull and gray, devoid of the enchantment that had once filled every corner. People mourned the loss of the parannoul, reminiscing about the times when its presence had brightened their lives. They shared stories of the miracles it had performed; tales of wishes granted and dreams realized. The memory of the parannoul became a beacon of hope in the midst of darkness. But as time passed, a realization began to take hold. The magic that had been believed to reside solely within the parannoul was not lost, but rather scattered throughout the world. The parannoul had been merely a conduit, channeling the magic that already existed within every living being. With this newfound understanding, people began to search within themselves for the magic they had once relied upon the parannoul to provide. They discovered that the power to make dreams come true and grant wishes lay within their own hearts. They realized that they were the source of their own enchantment. This revelation sparked a renewed sense of hope and wonder. People started to tap into their own magical abilities, using them to create beauty and joy in the world. The absence of the parannoul had forced them to realize their own potential and take responsibility for their own happiness. In the aftermath of the magical parannoul, the world transformed. It became a place where every individual embraced their own magic and used it to spread love and positivity. The loss of the parannoul had been a catalyst for growth and self-discovery. And so, the story of the parannoul serves as a reminder that magic exists within each and every one of us. It is up to us to harness that magic and use it to create a world filled with wonder and enchantment. The parannoul may be gone, but its legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of those who refuse to let the magic die..
Reviews for "Unveiling Secrets: Dealing with the Secrets Unearthed by the Parannoul"
1. Jessica - 2/5
I found "In the aftermath of the magical parannoul" to be confusing and difficult to follow. The story jumped around too much and the characters were not well-developed. Additionally, the writing style was overly flowery and unnecessarily verbose. I was hoping for a more cohesive and engaging read, but unfortunately, this book fell short for me.
2. Brian - 1/5
I couldn't even get through the first few chapters of "In the aftermath of the magical parannoul" because it was so boring. The plot seemed promising, but the execution was lacking. The pacing was incredibly slow and the dialogue felt forced. I found myself losing interest and ultimately gave up on this book altogether. It just wasn't for me.
3. Sarah - 2/5
"In the aftermath of the magical parannoul" had an interesting premise, but the execution fell flat. The writing was overly descriptive, making it difficult to connect with the characters or the story. Additionally, the pacing was uneven, with long periods of inaction followed by rushed and abrupt plot developments. I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.
4. Michael - 2.5/5
While "In the aftermath of the magical parannoul" had some unique ideas, I found it to be overly complicated and convoluted. The world-building was confusing and the explanations of magical elements were vague and unclear. The plot dragged on and the characters lacked depth, making it hard for me to invest in their journeys. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it to others.
5. Amanda - 3/5
I was initially intrigued by the concept of "In the aftermath of the magical parannoul," but the execution left much to be desired. The writing style was overly descriptive, bordering on pretentious, and made it difficult for me to immerse myself in the story. While there were moments of intrigue and tension, they were overshadowed by the confusing plot development and lackluster character development. Overall, it wasn't a terrible book, but it didn't live up to its potential either.