SYOT drops brand new EP ‘PADO’

SYOT have built their shared sonic vision around the idea that tradition is something capable of developing, adapting and finding new forms of expression. The trio, made up of gayageum player Yoolim Lee, pianist HanBeen Park and producer and multi-instrumentalist G.QOO, work in a fascinating space between heritage and innovation, creating music that feels at once connected to the past and the present. Drawing together Korean traditional music, jazz and electronic influences, they’ve developed a sound that’s highly unique, adventurous and deeply exploratory.

At the centre of SYOT’s music is the gayageum, the traditional Korean string instrument which serves as a bridge between different musical worlds. The trio use it as a starting point for experimentation, allowing Korean musical influences to interact with modern sounds and ideas; their work has become defined by this balance, finding new possibilities through the meeting of acoustic performance, improvisation and cutting edge production.

The group mad their entrance and first unveiled their artistic output with the release of their debut EP Rebloom in May of last year. Followed by a series of well-received releases that gradually expanded their audience, that momentum eventually led to the arrival of their debut full-length album NAVI, released in March this year, marking an important milestone in the trio’s creative journey.

Now, their new two-track EP titled PADO shifts the focus towards acoustic instrumentation, allowing the interaction between the musicians themselves to become the defining feature of the music. The release captures SYOT in a more intimate and organic setting that places conversation, spontaneity and musical connection at its centre.

The title track, “PADO,” takes inspiration from the movement of waves rolling towards the shore before retreating back into the sea. That imagery shapes the composition from beginning to end, with the piece playing out through a continuous exchange between gayageum and acoustic guitar. Melodies emerge and recede, textures overlap and separate and the composition continually shifts while maintaining a feeling of calm momentum throughout.

It’s a piece that invites listeners into its movement, allowing its atmosphere to build naturally through repetition and variation. With the delicate flicker of the plucked instrumentation, the steady rhythmic bounce maintains a smooth motion while fluttering lead dance dance atop the stripped back arrangement to present a stunning display of the band’s creativity and musicianship panache.

The EP’s second track, “Seesaw,” explores a different form of movement, taking cues from the image of opposing forces searching for equilibrium to explore the push and pull between instruments as they alternate between leading and responding. Revolving around a variation of a traditional Korean rhythmic cycle, the piece becomes an exercise in interaction, with each musical gesture prompting a response from somewhere else within the arrangement.

The spontaneity associated with jazz blends with the breathing, phrasing and rhythmic stylings of Korean traditional music where elegant piano elements, pulse of bass, rustle of snapping drums underpin and groove of funk-inflected rhythms blend with the twang of the gayageum. Serving up a playful jam, it’s a lively and thoroughly compelling outing that captures a soulful vibe even in the absence of vocals or lyrics.

With PADO, SYOT continue their exploration of what can happen when tradition and modern composition are allowed to speak to one another. It’s a stellar release that feels qually understated and ambitious, highlighting SYOT’s knack for creating music that honours tradition while continually searching for new possibilities within it.

Listen to PADO below