The 1980s for Korea began with the words “Seúl, Corea”. Even amid the political turmoil, there hung upon the air a note of hopefulness that came from being chosen as the next host of the Olympic Games. The hope of progressing past the 'emerging' stage and reaching the 'developed' nation status spread to Korea's arts and culture scenes as well. The gayo scene had just been through a dark age since the marijuana scandals of 1975 and the repressive 'gayo purification movement', but was beginning to regain its footing with the arrival of the new decade. There is an undeniable sensitivity to '단발머리 Short Hair', the single that announced a new beginning for Cho Yong-pil and heralded his dominance over the 1980s. That 'sense' was like a declaration that the 1970s were done and over with. And that 'sense' spread throughout Korean pop music.

A new generation of pop-influenced youths emerged. The channels through which music was consumed also diversified. In January of 1982, the nighttime curfew was finally abolished, bringing light into the streets at night. Much of this light came from the neon signs of nightclubs. Clubgoers flocked to these new venues – some to dance, some to hook up, and others to enjoy the music. Music was indispensable for dancing. It was also a welcome backdrop to romantic endeavors. And for those who were there for the music, the music was all there needed to be. For clubs to meet all these needs smoothly, they had to find proper DJs. Nightclub DJs were messengers who were the first to relay the 'cutting edge' of music. Competition was heated over who could get access to the newest jams and who could get bigger crowds moving. DJs who were active at the time (i.e., the early 1980s) all agree that they were shocked by the 'mixing' techniques of foreign DJs who had come to play shows in Korea. This led Korean DJs to also present their picks in a show-like format. There came to be less and less talking between the tracks while more music filled the gap. While Euro dance was hot in the Gangnam area, there was a lot of black music too in Itaewon. The DJs who had led the early charge since the 1980s seamlessly grew into producers, musicians, and managers by the 1990s.

While there was more music being played, not all of it could be enjoyed. The notorious pre-censorship system was still in place, and tracks that were found to be questionable were struck from licensed records (imagine a Queen record that doesn't have 'Bohemian Rhapsody' on it). Even as the government outwardly kept up the appearance of opening up internationally, measures that ran counter to global standards remained in place. The suppression of any tiniest hint of the subversive or antisocial continued all the way until the downfall of the 5th Republic [in 1987]. Naturally, what counted as 'subversive' or 'antisocial' was completely arbitrary. And even while such practices were enforced, the regime pursued its '3S' (screen, sex, sports) policy. Even amid the plethora of erotic films, society kept up pretensions of propriety. Truly, the 1980s was a decade of contradictions – an uncanny era.

This uncanniness totally pervades . The notion of the 'uncanny' isn't wholly negative. In English, some similar expressions might include 'freaky' or 'weird'. What, then, counts as 'weird'? Aside from Lee Jae-min's '제 연인의 이름은 My Lover's Name', most of the tracks on this album are not very well-known. While they stood apart from the mainstream gayo of their day, neither did they belong to the so-called 'underground' scene. These were new sounds, embodying the waves of a new era, created by musicians who belonged firmly to the mainstream. In other words, is a collection of a literal 'Korean New Wave Sound'. I'm not referring to New Wave the genre – what's here is a literal new wave. Case in point – '진실한 사랑 True Love' by Jang Hye-ri is astounding. Deftly building on a Kraftwerk-esque sound, the tune gets its uncanny Korean feel thanks to Jang's vocals. Another track, '서울의 밤 Seoul at Night' by Korea Fantasy, shows an obvious Pet Shop Boys influence in its vocals and sound. Plagiarism claims notwithstanding, Jang's first hit, '추억의 발라드 Ballad of Memories', borrows heavily from a certain Billy Idol tune. In this way, such sounds were being attempted all throughout the 1980s in Korea.

The tracks on this album are not musically perfect. Most probably raised some eyebrows due to their weirdness at the time of their release, only to promptly be forgotten. Though these songs still sound weird today, they can now be appreciated in a different light. follows a certain trend that was present during the era that was the 1980s. Naturally, music must reflect the times. These songs, which were created through the influence of what was popular throughout America, Europe, and Japan, reflect a musical yearning for the contemporary. However, unavoidably, a Koreanesque element was also introduced into the music, resulting in something stylistically different from the original. We might as well call it by the name 'Korean New Wave – Hodori Rocks'. In , there is yearning, the commonplace, and a newness. That's why it is uncanny.