Touring South Korea in a funk band from the age of 12, writing his first film score at 15 and releasing his debut album at 20, multi-instrumentalist Jung Jaeil had a prodigious early career. He is now 40 and it is only in recent years that his compositions have exploded worldwide, thanks to his intricate soundtracks for Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning film Parasite and Netflix hit Squid Game.
After channelling a baroque grandiosity for Parasite’s domestic drama and incorporating traditional folk instruments to anchor the dread of Squid Game, his latest project sees Jung take a new direction. Returning to a solo format, Listen, his debut release on the Decca label, strips back his ear for musical storytelling to its compositional foundations, comprising seven tracks of piano and minimal strings.
