- Hun Choi is one of those remarkable DJs who can make any track sound like his. His sets span decades and are often weirder than expected, but they always sound like him. His productions work the same way; there was something easygoing about records like Tour De Force and Bobos Alone In Paradise. But Choi has kept quiet on the release front since 2012, focusing instead on his DJ career and moving from Berlin to LA to Amsterdam.
Hunch Music marks a turning point for Choi. After growing frustrated with the formulaic nature of straight-up house years ago, he became pals with San Proper and started working in his Amsterdam studio. There, Choi rediscovered how production could be fun and soothing when relieved of anyone's expectations. As a result, Hunch Music sounds unconcerned with anything trendy or new.
You get the sense that dance music runs through Choi's veins, as if it just flows from his fingers even when he doesn't channel it. Hunch Music has a fair share of banging moments despite its laid-back demeanor. "Hiding The Moon" grows into a full-throttle techno workout, while "Error Of The Average" is casually propulsive with its chipper percussion and killer synth noodling. "Casual" is the word for most of the LP; Choi often sounds like he's simply scribbling over a rhythm track. He seems to be making up the melodies of "Cross Road" and the acid line on "Silent Sensation" as he goes along, and having a whole lot of fun in the process.
Choi also explores slower moods, some relaxed ("Woods"), some disconcerting (the smoky jazz murmur of "Burning Flower"), but always with the same singsong simplicity that makes his productions so approachable. On "The World," he delivers a majestic slow burn, crafting something that would serve well both as a stirring set opener or an emotional end.
In fact, it's easy to imagine most of Hunch Music working in a set, as long as you're an imaginative DJ like Choi. The tracks feel like extensions of the personality we've come to know over the past few years; Hunch Music is a great artist doing what comes naturally to him. It might not be his most exciting work, but it's certainly his most personable. After spending the last few years playing other people's records, Choi has found a welcome new perspective on making his own.
Tracklist01. Woods
02. Cross Road
03. Burning Flower
04. Error Of The Average
05. Silent Sensations
06. Hiding The Moon
07. Rare Happiness
08. The World
09. Bruises
10. Amo (Admiration)