Seo Tai Ji is the debut studio album by Korean musician Seo Taiji, released in 1998. Although it is the first solo album by Seo, some refer to it as his fifth following the four albums released by Seo Taiji and Boys. The musician created the album entirely by himself, including playing every instrument and producing it. The album was released in 1998 while Seo lived in the United States and, with no promotion, it sold over 1.3 million units,[1][2] making it one of the best-selling albums in South Korea.

Seo Tai Ji
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 7, 1998
StudioTechno T Studio
GenreAlternative rock, nu metal
Length28:06
LabelSamsung Music
ProducerSeo Taiji
Seo Taiji chronology
Seo Tai Ji
(1998)
Ultramania
(2000)

Background

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After having made the decision to disband Seo Taiji and Boys himself while recording their fourth album, Seo also announced he was retiring in January 1996. He moved to the United States and lived in obscurity.[3] With no promotion, he released his first solo album in Korea on July 7, 1998. He would remain in the United States until August 2000, corresponding with the release of his next album Ultramania.[4]

For Seo Tai Ji, Bando Eumban signed Seo to a one-year, $1.43 million contract, with record distribution by Samsung Music. Unusually, Seo did not appear in any promotional content for the album, such as TV or music videos.[5] He created the album entirely by himself, including producing, executive producing, and recording it. He did not design the packaging though.

Music videos without the musician were made for "Take One," "Take Two," and "Take Five."

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Seo Taiji

No.TitleLength
1."Maya"0:25
2."Take One"4:17
3."Take Two"3:59
4."Radio"0:23
5."Take Three"4:32
6."Take Four"3:28
7."Lord"0:24
8."Take Five"4:17
9."Take Six"2:58
Total length:28:06
15th Anniversary Edition (2007)
No.TitleLength
10."Take Two ('04 Zero Live)"4:21
11."Take Four ('04 Zero Live)"3:49
12."Take Six ('04 Zero Live)"3:04
13."Take Five ('04 Zero Live)"4:23

Personnel

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  • Seo Taiji − vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard, samples, scratch, arrangement
  • Design − Lee Dong Il, Park Sung Kyu, Park Jong Bum, Song Sang Keun, and Jung Joo Seok

References

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  1. ^ "SEOTAIJI.com Seotaiji - 1996-1998 ::". www.seotaiji.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-18.
  2. ^ "Former Pop Idol to Return with Second Album". The Chosun Ilbo. 2000-08-11. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
  3. ^ "Way Back Wednesday: Seo Taiji & Boys - "Nan Arayo"". allkpop.com. 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
  4. ^ "Fans Swamp Airport for Return of Seo Tai-ji". The Chosun Ilbo. 2000-08-29. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
  5. ^ Global Music Pulse: Korea; July 11, 1998. Billboard. p. 47.
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