The Reincarnated Idol Hard Carries an Indie Band - Chapter 46

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Former Idol Does Hard Carry for the Indie Band
Episode 46
OKTOP’s official account followers reached 57,000 in what felt like an instant.
It was a result we achieved purely on our own, without any paid promotion.
For an indie band, that wasn’t half bad.
Of course, it didn’t fully satisfy me.
And even now, the numbers keep climbing steadily.
We’re not in a plateau phase yet.
OKTOP’s album release date was set for Monday, May 7th at 6 PM.
The distributor did a solid job giving us such a prime time slot.
The album was titled After the OKTOP.
It was a title we chose with the organic connection in mind between this and the single we’d released before, Before the OKTOP.
Naturally, it also tied into my personal narrative.
The single we released last time was based entirely on songs we’d made in our previous life.
Rough compositions crafted by clueless kids who knew nothing, filled only with romantic ideals.
, , .
And this full album we were about to release captured the present time we’re living in now.
In fact, three tracks were made directly by the current members themselves.
And then the first teaser for that precious album went up on our official account along with a single photograph.
[Teaser.1]
OKTOP The 1st Full album : ‘After the OKTOP’
2018. 05. 07. Mon. 6PM.
The photo captured OKTOP members sitting casually among various objects—chairs, instruments, smartphones, notebooks—arranged without pretense.
Though not actual school uniforms, the styling resembled them closely, and the bright lighting created an atmosphere brimming with youthful freshness.
And the photo quickly accumulated numerous reactions.
-What? A full album? Are they releasing a proper album?
-Oh my god OKTOP’s releasing a full album??? Finally something to listen to ㅠㅠㅠㅠ
-Please come on music shows again!!!!
-So they made an official account to release a full album, huh
-Wait, are they officially releasing the songs we heard on Killing Band?
-The vibe of this photo is insane
└Right?? It’s giving coming-of-age teen drama vibes
-Are you guys doing concerts or anything? I want to see you perform live
└Just go to Banwol Park on weekends
-Is this a teenage high school band concept? But the pre-released song was insanely intense?
-Have you addressed the controversy about being pushed alongside major label artists? Coming back without saying anything doesn’t sit right with me
-There’s still 2 weeks until release……. Can someone turn back time please
-Will you do promotional broadcasts after the album drops?
└I’d really appreciate at least some radio appearances ㅠㅠ
-Go on variety shows, you guys! If your agency tries to hold you back, speak up boldly!
Seeing comments brimming with anticipation, I found myself getting excited too.
I hoped the album would drop soon so people could hear our music.
Anyway, I noticed quite a few fans wanting broadcast appearances.
Should we consider doing some shows?
“Hey guys, you want to do some broadcast appearances?”
My friends’ opinions were what mattered most.
“We can go on shows, but I won’t be treated like some clown for entertainment.”
A very Kim Ji-hu answer.
“Wherever there are people who want to see me, anywhere at all! But let me think about what kind of places first!”
What kind of answer was that, Heo Jun-seong?
“I think it could be fun.”
Lee Do-yeong had been quite cooperative about broadcasts for some time now.
“Me too!”
He really needed to work on his Korean.
I figured if it was the right kind of show, it could actually be fun.
And to properly explain our position, I thought we could do radio or music-related talk shows.
“Alright, I’ll think about it.”
I needed to decide quickly.
Now that the teaser was out, broadcast networks would be making their moves.
* * *
My original plan was to appear on music broadcasts first, then release the album quickly afterward.
But in the middle of it, Heo Jun-seong said he wanted to do one more broadcast.
Because of that, the album release got delayed by about a month.
My reason for wanting to release the album quickly was this:
“Ah, yes. I’ll discuss it with the kids. Ah, haha! That’s right, since they’re still young, broadcasts are unfamiliar to them.”
-Still, CEO Cho, please try to convince the OKTOP kids for us.
“Ah yes, I always hope our kids get broadcast appearances.”
If not now, there won’t be this many casting calls.
Summer becomes a summer song competition battlefield, and fall becomes a war for year-end awards shows where idols push their activities into overdrive.
Late winter, with its low activity, is the absolute best timing, and while spring isn’t ideal either, it’s still not a bad period for an indie band like us to get attention.
It would’ve been better if it was earlier, but even now isn’t bad.
“Ah, yes. Yes, I’ll have a good discussion about it. Yes, thank you.”
After hanging up, Cho Hyun-seop began to experience some confusion about his own identity.
Right now he was definitely the president of ST Studio.
In the past, he’d been the head of a major agency.
At the same time, he’d been a producer who’d developed major idols.
But now he felt like some lowly assistant manager at an agency.
“Ugh! What am I doing at my age?”
“CEO, getting angry isn’t good for your blood pressure.”
“What?”
Cho Hyun-seop flared up even more at Park Min-ji’s comment.
“But it’s a good thing, isn’t it? It’s proof that OKTOP is doing well.”
“Well, I suppose that’s true, but…….”
“CEO, have you ever thought about getting back into the entertainment business?”
“No. I’m sick of the entertainment industry.”
“But then why do I keep getting the feeling you’re going to start over?”
“Huh?”
“Lately, when you come back after working with the OKTOP kids, you always look so energized.”
“Do I?”
“You were even smiling just now while you were getting upset.”
“Me?”
“You’re clearly enjoying this on the inside.”
“Well, I’m just reminiscing about the old days, finding it entertaining for a moment. But I’m not going to get back into the entertainment business.”
“Is that so?”
Cho Hyun-seop, sitting at the front desk with his arms crossed, sank into thought.
Of course, he absolutely believed what he was saying.
“CEO, hello.”
“Ah, Seo-ha’s here.”
“Um, did you get any calls from broadcast networks?”
“Yeah, I made a casting list. You weren’t planning to do any of them anyway, right?”
“This time is different. We’re releasing an album. Let me see the list.”
“Huh? Sure, here it is.”
Cho Hyun-seop handed over the broadcast list he’d compiled.
“Let me see……. I’ll do these two.”
“Really?”
“Yes, it sounds like it could be fun.”
At a single word from Cha Seo-ha, Cho Hyun-seop felt his interest piqued.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that Cha Seo-ha kept pulling him back toward the entertainment industry.
* * *
Normally, a manager from an agency makes contact with broadcast station staff to secure appearances.
When wanting to book a team without such a manager, the broadcast station naturally reaches out first.
And for such interest to happen, the artist must have considerable influence.
Enough to provide the broadcast station with quality content.
The kind that gets people saying, “Wow, they’re casting these guys? That’s a prestige booking.”
Right now, we’re a team that broadcasts like to use occasionally.
Perfect for injecting freshness amid famous first-tier idols and the same familiar entertainment figures that dominate the networks.
Several networks with good instincts wanted to feature us.
And I chose two of them.
Those two shows were good for promoting us, allowed plenty of talk time, and would feel natural when addressing the ongoing controversy that hasn’t faded.
Plus the shooting dates were after our showcase performance, so there were no scheduling conflicts.
And since they knew we were students, they even scheduled weekend shoots.
Most things were falling into place.
Now for us….
No, for me, there was just one problem.
“Hehehehe!”
“Wahahahaha!”
“Hey, you two idiots over there, be quiet.”
“Min-a, Jun-seong. Ji-hu says you’re being loud—can’t you laugh a little more quietly?”
Those two were the problem….
If we went on a show that required actual conversation, could they even manage to talk properly?
I was already worried sick about it.
* * *
Three teasers were released in sequence, time passed, and OKTOP’s full album After the OKTOP was finally released.
OKTOP – After the OKTOP
01. Intro.
02. Awaken(Title)
03. Ashes in My Mouth
04. Divided Island
05. Interlude.
06. Break the Patten
07. Scar Logic
08. Catching My Breath
09. Over the Noise
10. What I Didn’t End
Type : Full Album
Genre : Rock/Metal/Alternative
Release Date : 2018. 05. 07
Distributor : LazyB
Agency : OKTOP
Since we’d consistently released teasers and promoted through our official account, we were able to generate massive response the moment the album dropped.
The official music sites quickly filled with comments.
And it was especially intense after the album’s full 38-minute runtime finished.
-Wow the narrative arcs the entire way from start to finish masterpiece masterpiece
-Best album I’ve heard in years the force it has from track 6 onward after the interlude is absolutely insane
-Just… goat….
-This is like rain in a world flooded with mediocre music
-TM Entertainment address the payola scandal already
-Honestly in terms of musicality alone this might be the best album I’ve heard in the last few years—domestic and international combined
└No it’s good but you’re overstating it lol
└Including international is a bit much lol
└Don’t exaggerate man even if it’s good it’s not THAT good
-I usually don’t comment but I couldn’t help myself… felt like watching a work of art the whole time
-Wow…. Wait, what did I just listen to…?
-Has music like this ever existed before…? It feels like I’m hearing something completely new?
-These guys are indie, right? The agency just says OKTOP?
└The fact they’re not more publicized makes me think they really are just indie
└But the quality doesn’t feel like an indie band at all?
-Wow the title track alone but the b-sides are absolutely stacked…….
OKTOP’s music had never been fake from start to finish.
Every track was something they’d made themselves, and they never half-assed a single part of the production.
And that sincerity was more than enough to captivate the public’s ear.
The people who’d been following OKTOP all this time.
Not just the fans, but Kim Ju-hee, who ran a YouTube fan channel.
Moon Ga-yeong and school friends and teachers.
People from broadcast stations and the entertainment industry.
Everyone who’d been aware of OKTOP’s existence couldn’t help but marvel once more at their genuine skill.
And the online communities went wild.
-All you guys who were hating on OKTOP step forward
-Yo what’s this quality?? And these bastards brought metal?
-If this isn’t fundamentals what is?
-Honestly if we get an album with this much foundational power the agency matters or doesn’t matter at all
-Oh my god ㅠㅠㅠ metal…….
-From this point forward I’m withdrawing from my war with OKTOP. As of now I support them.
-Dude stop insulting them please metal brought them back to life the ones with name recognition should be grateful these guys revived the dead genre
└Metal was never dead. It was never really alive in Korea to begin with
-But the Korean lyrics are kinda cringey tho lol
└So you didn’t like it?
└Nah that’s not it
Most users had switched sides.
There was little mention of whether or not they had an agency—most discussion centered on the album’s quality.
Of course, even amid all this, those determined to hate still held their ground.
-Get your heads on straight you bastards what’s so great about that?
-If you’re gonna do metal do it right why’d you use major chord progressions and instrument arrangements like trash?
-This is idols stealing metal everyone understand the situation?
-Band culture is being destroyed
-When these unknowns get a little recognition and suddenly pretend to be music experts and suck up it’s a natural phenomenon you music illiterates lol
They weren’t numerous, but people who still disliked OKTOP definitely existed.
The important thing was that compared to before, the ratio had completely inverted.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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