Through Mintpaper's newsletter I came across this interview and translated it. (I may be lazy, but feel free to drop me something.)
T/N: Sorry about weird english
Kangto Interview – A guitarist singing with his heart
In the field I am there are a lot of people who want to make their own original thing. But it’s not easy to enjoy what I do unflinchingly to the surrounding circumstances.
“Becoming happy is my dream. Currently, the closest thing to happiness seems to be the music for me. So I’m making music.”
A young man who grew up with music, playing his guitar since he was little, and even though there were times he worried ‘is this the right path?’, he never let go of the guitar, performed joyfully und raised his dream. Then he met a good mentor coincidentally and finally he was a newcomer releasing his first album under his own name. Listening to his story, it doesn’t seem the ‘coincidence’ simply came. After playing guitar and singing somewhere for a long series of time, how is the feeling of holding the album he finally released under his own name? His name is still unfamiliar, but we met the newcomer, singing with a pure heart, Kangto.
Mintpaper: I know you’re a student majoring in Composition. Are you currently still at college?
Kangto: Yes, I started in 2010. I went in quite late. I went to army and learned one year at an academy until I matriculated.
M: Actually, because your name is unfamiliar and you weren’t active much before, I got curios. How did you start to make music at the beginning? I heard that your father played blues guitar.
K: Yes, he wasn’t famous, but he was active as a guitarist. So I naturally came to learn guitar when I saw my father. Then, during 2nd year of High School, I quit school for family reasons. I went into an exercise band and while playing guitar, I worked, took the exam and went to army, so I was already 24. Because I wanted to study a bit more, I entered university last year. I listened to music from little on and got used to it because my father played guitar. There are instruments in our house, so I got curious and my father taught me cords and I learned with that.
M: Is ‘Kangto’ your real name? I wonder what meaning it has.
K: Yes, my real name is Kim Kang To. There is no special meaning, it means literally ‘river’ (Kang) and ‘earth’ (To).
M: You’re currently signed under Tubeamp, how did you get to know President Lee Han Chul?
K: At first we met as student and teacher. Lee Han Chul was the teacher for my major at school. In class he used to listen to my demos and theses, and he liked them. At that time I was preparing an album on my own, so I came to him for several advices. Then I coincidentally came to stand on a stage with him. That time I worked hard, seriously preparing myself for it. He saw that and suggested to try it together and made the contract. It’s an opportunity I’m really thankful for.
M: Listening to the EP ‘날개의 흔적’ you released, the guitar has a quite huge importance in it. I thought if you leave away the lyrics, it could become a guitar performance just like that.
K: That’s right. That seems to be the characteristic of my music. The music I want to make is music where the guitar becomes the main and the lyrics the message. I tend to make the songs so that I can sing within the possible guitar play. My role models are artists like Eric Clapton or John Mayer. I actually really like them.
M: So do you define yourself as a guitarist?
K: I want to be called like that. At first, I think I’m not a vocalist. John Mayer and Eric Clapton also sing, but they’re called guitarists. I’m still lacking, but I want to become someone who sings while playing guitar.
M: I know that you recorded on your own. Since it’s the first album, it should have been possible to get a producer; what is the reason that you did everything alone, from writing the songs to recording and even mixing?
K: Because it’s the characteristic of this EP that I could make everything alone. More than the refined sound, I wanted to give a maximal acoustic and natural feeling in this album. If there would be maybe even one song with drums or strings, I wouldn’t have been able to make it. Also, at the technical part, the fact that I was used to audio systems because my father also worked on the sound was helpful.
M: Well, the feel of the guitar and also your voice, I thought it’s really acoustic. Rather, I even get the feeling you didn’t refine it on purpose but put it into it like it was.
K: This time I wanted to let out the most natural feeling. More than a refined and clean sound, I wanted to do music that is crude, but can be listened to comfortably. And it is the best junction I could find under those conditions. It’s crude but stylish, it’s not refined but it has feel, isn’t that good? Actually I searched in there for my colors because I wasn’t in a state to record, as the production costs a lot.
M: Listening to your story, it seems your father had huge influence in you making music.
K: Yes, the funny thing is, normally when one is young the parents let their children listen to children songs. But since elementary school my father let me listen to Pink Floyd. I remember that. Back then I listened to it, knowing nothing, and when I grew up, I came to like them. It kind of became an advantage but also a disadvantage. The advantage is that I came in contact with various songs from little on; the disadvantage is that I came to know about modern music after some time passed? (laughter)
M: What kind of music do you like? Somehow it seems similar to the taste of your father… (laughter)
K: I can’t deny that. (laughter) I really liked Queen. Actually, I also thought about majoring in IT, but after listening to Queen in Middle School, I was determined that I have to do music. I was also really touched when I listened to Eagles’ ‘Hotel California’. It’s quite old, right? (laughter)
M: While preparing the EP, where there things Lee Han Chul especially helped you with or where he influenced you? There seems to be a difference between teacher and disciple, and label president and singer.
K: He is really keen about musical parts. I tend to work with the whole feeling and theme, but he picks out the detailed parts and taught me. I’m surprised every time and I think ‘is that the wisdom of experience?’. He is amazing. Thanks to him I really learned a lot.
When he was a teacher, he appreciated it wholly, even though he may have a different opinion, because it was the work of a student. Since he became family now, he helped and taught me a lot. I also want to listen to it positively. Due to the advices from him, I think the perfection level of the album became higher.
M: Since the acoustic was the main this time, is there something new you would like to try the next time? I read the message with the firm intention(?) that ‘next time I won’t do it alone’ on your mini-homepage. (laughter)
K: I wanted to make it alone, but it was difficult. (laughter) The next time I want to go with a band sound. And later I want to try a drum-bass-electric guitar trio. It’s the dream of every guitarist; a trio is the formation where the capabilities of a guitarist can be shown the best. Right now, I’m too lacking for it, but later, when I have more skills and capabilities, I really want to try it.
M: In what kind of style are you mostly doing your work? Just listening to the music one thinks that you did an awful lot of practicing alone in your room.
K: It’s said that when writing songs it’s divided into two groups. The abundant style and the style of grasping a song and holding on; I do the latter. I like travels and, it may not fit my age, but, I like fishing. I express the thoughts I have when I stroll or travel through music and put lyrics on it. No matter how you look at it, I’m a profligate. (laughter)
M: You’ve grown up in an environment near music from little on, but it should be the first time you take your own name, release an album and perform. Your opinions seem different from others.
K: At first, I put a huge importance in it when I searched on portal sites and my name came up. (laughter) I felt really good then. Personally I think that there is not much music in Korea that is sung while performing; it’s good that you can try different things.
M: Your album just came out and you started activities; are there things you want to achieve in 2011?
K: I want to become a singer-songwriter who can sing while performing. And I also have a wish. To work hard and do well, and move the label up to the ground. (laughter) I want us to do well together. My goal in 2011 is to let more people hear my music. I want to share feelings through music and, if there is the chance, I also want to stand a lot on festival stages
M: Lastly, please a word to the members of Mintpaper
K: First, thank you for inviting me like that. I would like you to listen to my album once comfortably. And if you come to listen to it again, if you listen carefully to the sound or feel of the guitar, then it’s perfect. It would be the biggest glee if I could share the senses I felt while writing and singing the songs.
Thank you.
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