Remember Archive is the fifth studio album of South Korean record producer Code Kunst. It was released through AOMG on March 16, 2023. It later peaked at number 19 on the Circle Album Chart.
Cover art
The cover art of the album features red. In an interview with Associated Press, Code Kunst said that the color most closely matches the memories that remain very strong in his head and inspired the 17 tracks on the album.[4]
Music and lyrics
On the album, Code Kunst recorded all the precious memories that made him who he is today. The album encompasses a variety of subjects such as "beautiful but sometimes painful love, moments of immature confidence and feeling intimidated, and rough yet deep camaraderie."[5] In terms of music, it features beats that emphasize melody rather than rhythm.[6] The first half is made up of "trendy" songs while the second half is composed of "warm" ones.[7]
"Jumper" is about a romantic relationship between an artist and his fan. Gaeko raps from the perspective of the artist and Mino from that of the fan.[2] "Circle" is a city pop song where Crush focuses on the sensuousness of his pronunciation rather than clarity.[1]
"Page 1" is a "calm" R&B song with a reverbed voice source in the chorus.[3] "55" was inspired by the question "How would I spend my last moment with my loved one 55 minutes before the world ends?"[8] "911" is an R&B pop song that describes the experience of driving around the city in the middle of the night by comparing it to the feelings between lovers.[9]
Critical reception
Park Su-jin of IZM gave the album 3.5 out of 5 stars. She wrote that "the fragments of your memory will slowly come to mind if you listen to the songs one by one following the lyrics and melody." She added that "the musical style of Code Kunst remains like an afterimage."[7]
Hwang Du-ha of Rhythmer also rated the album 3.5 out of 5 stars. He wrote that it is proof that Code Kunst entered a period of stability rather than a fresh attempt or groundbreaking change.[3] Lee Deok-haeng of Ize wrote that Code Kunst filled the album with past memories like a "heaping bowl of rice" in terms of quantity and genre. He concluded that the album is an "important record" that explains who he is.[2]
Critics of Music Y rated "Circle" 3 out of 5 stars. Yoo Seong-eun wrote that it expresses the frustration of being trapped in a relationship in a "mature" way.[1]
^ abcLee, Deok-haeng (March 18, 2023). "코드 쿤스트, 고봉밥처럼 담아낸 10년의 아카이브 [뉴트랙 쿨리뷰]" [Code Kunst, an archive of 10 years like a full bowl of rice. [New Track Cool Review]]. Ize (in Korean).
^Park, Dong-seon (March 16, 2023). "잭슨, 코드쿤스트 신보 피처링 참여…에픽하이 신곡 이어 '그루비감성 폭발'" [Jackson, features in Code Kunst's new song... 'Groovy feelings explode' after Epik High's new song]. ET News (in Korean).
