Cecily Renns turns chiptune, emo and punk-pop into something bright enough to sing along with, then roughs up the edges with electric guitar and noise-pop abrasion. Shinwoo I has the quick, handmade feel of bitpop, but its emotional centre is more direct than novelty suggests. The nine-song sequence runs from “Self Hate Song” to “Self Love Song”, with “Foxdog”, “Dawn” and “Call My Name” filling out a record about friends, lovers and the difficult business of believing in other people. “信 Faith” gives the album’s title a personal weight, while “청춘펑크 Seishun Punk” and “아돈워너다이! IDon'tWannaDie!” make the tracklist feel happily uncontained.
Renns is a South Korean artist, active since 2022, and this free release comes through The MB Archives. Cecilia Julian Renns and Lee Shinwoo are credited with the music and words, Serena Warner of Enter Star Wolf! plays electric guitar, and Biddy Fox handled mastering. It’s a good fit for anyone drawn to the overlap between chiptune’s bright digital tones and the open-hearted charge of emo, power pop and punk. Renns describes Shinwoo I as the main part of a three-album project, and as the closing statement of a six-album solo run before mandatory military service in South Korea. MIDI Bunny and other projects are still planned, but this chapter has a clear endpoint.
