Asian Glow. Photo via publicist
Asian Glow, the South Korean artist and leading voice in the new generation of shoegaze, have announced their retirement by sharing one last album called Unwired Detour. The project was uploaded without warning on Sunday (January 4) to Bandcamp.
A statement from Asian Glow on the album's page hinted at a shifting artist vision as the reason behind the project's dissolution. "Even though I'm getting old, my perspective toward the world will be everchanging. But for this persona, that's probably the last thing I want it to happen. So I decided to keep this moment forever." The letter concludes with a message of thanks to Asian Glow's fans. "If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be making it this far."
On first listen, Asian Glow leaves nothing on the table for their final outing. Their affection for shoegaze is only one part of a well-oiled machine that includes borderline nu-metal riffing and plush, post-rock orchestration. Listen in full below and revisit Asian Glow's Songs You Need-playlisted song "Dorothee Thines," released in January 2023.