RooRa, which disappeared when Shin Jung Hwan was called to military duty, is back with a new album. Although some of the members in the group have changed, former RooRa fans should be pleased with this latest effort. The title song is P'oongbyuhngigook [RealAudio], a techno-trance piece. The lead vocals are performed mainly by Go Young-Wook with the rapping by Lee Sang-Min. Background vocals are provided by Chae Rina and Kim Ji-Hyun.

Ararang [RealAudio] is an incredibly groovy song that combines some traditional Korean music with the techno pop sounds more prevalent in gayo today. This song is even tighter than the title song, and I hope it means the rest of the album is original and strong.

In related news, Country Kko Kko has released its third album. Shin Jung Hwan (formerly of RooRa) and Tak Jae Hoon comprise this oddball group. Country Kko Kko gets top marks in my book because they're not afraid to try new things and they look like they're having a blast dancing around on the stage. The lead single off County Kko Kko 003 is Oh1x Gani (Oh1x Go) [MP3], a song that might make you laugh -- what a cute group. Kiss [MP3] is pop all the way and will be a good dance song this summer.

Another CD you might want to look into is Doyak (Jump), Taesaja's fourth album. The lead single on the album is going to be Episode [RealAudio], a cross between a hip-hop and R&B song. This song has a good flow to it and should help sell the album. Power [RealAudio] has a straighter beat and is a much plainer, it doesn't have any particular hook to it, but it's okay.

Kim Hyun Jung has released another dance album (although the CD has a few ballads on it as well). The lead song, Mirage [RealAudio], was written by Ju Young-Hoon. This song has a seriously cool opening sequence. The next track, Mung [MP3], is a high-energy dance tune that demonstrates why Hyun Jung has such loyal fans.

A group that has just appeared on the horizon is P.A.S.A. What do I know about his group? Nothing, except that their album is called Pay Attention: Sign of PASA. Their song Guhjitmal [RealAudio] has wicked good guitar playing in it. This sounds like real music, not manufactured pop. Aryul [RealAudio] is very similar in style and has a likable drum kit sound. It's a nice relief from that same monotonous synthesized beat that 3/4 of Korean pop groups use today.

And finally, for a rock experience, look for LOOP 2000. This group's single F/X [RealAudio] is as close to rock as you're going to get in Korea right now (Eve excepted). For You [RealAudio] is real bar music and would attract a cult following in Europe and the U.S.

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