hankyoreh

Korean guitarist Shin Joong-hyun, dubbed the “godfather of Korean rock,” poses for a photo during a press conference in Seoul to mark the release of his new album intended for the global market, Sept. 26.

Shin’s first world album, “Beautiful Rivers And Mountains: The Psychedelic Rock Sound Of South Korea’s Shin Joong Hyun 1958-74,” will be simultaneously released in around 10 countries including Britain and the U.S. The compilation album, the result of a two-year collaboration between Shin and Seattle-based Light in the Attic Records, includes re-mastered 14 songs such as “Spring Rain” and “Please Wait” that were released from 1958 to 1974.

“The record label chose those songs from all the sound sources I sent,” he said. “They appeared to feel my music of that time as true. It was the best time when I was full of drive for performance and composition.”　

Matt Sullivan, co-owner of Light in the Attic Records, said in his celebratory video message, “Shin is a musician to match Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. I think he is a music revolutionary.”

The record label became aware of Shin after guitar-maker Fender made a signature guitar for him in December 2009. Shin was the first Asian and the sixth person in the world to receive such an honor.

(Photo by Yonhap News, Story by Surh Jung-min)