Well, this is certainly a shift in aural direction for MILLIC. I’m not mad at it. He’s always erred on the side of melodious instead of “traditional” hard-hitting hip hop that proliferates through South Korea’s music scene. There’s still a very rugged edge to the music; however, with the added sincerity of both his vocal and his penchant for smooth R&B and mature pop, he stands out as a very nuanced producer. Coming from the former CLUBESKIMO collective, that’s not surprising. It’s just wonderful to see him continue to bring some uniqueness to the scene and the definition of R&B from South Korea.
MILLIC’s voice is quite soothing in itself, but there’s something to be said about the voices featured alongside his. Each feature brings an added texture to the song, one that, in rare fashion, actually elevates the song to it’s highest point of impact. While the passion in Sion’s voice is a perfect match for the earnestness in track “CLIONE,” Crush ("BLEACHING") illustrates why he’s the standard as far as vocally rich, enigmatic, complex R&B from the country. HUNJIYA’s voice is a rare treasure from the country: a bona fide alto voice who leans into the depth of her tone, adding a honey-rich texture to track “SEA SPARKLE.”
~ is an album that while hinting at being just a footnote, has some of the most elegantly crafted work that MILLIC has produced.