Precocious Neophyte Premieres Their Mesmerizing “My Electronic Idol” Music Video

Immersive is how you might think of Precocious Neophyte and their new music video for “My Electronic Idol.” The shoegaze and dreampop side project of the gifted and accomplished South Korean singer-songwriter Jeehye Ham, the video feels as mesmerizing as the song itself. It is like a sea of guitars and electronics, all combining together to give you one big experimental sound. It easily stands up against any of the best shoegaze bands and artists today.

The song is from the latest Precocious Neophyte album, Home in the Desert, which is due out soon via Graveface Records. The record will be a truly unique solo effort that Ham oversaw in its entirety, from beginning to end.

Commenting on the song, Ham states:

“‘My salvation will be abandoned anyway, we are going moment by moment’ (from the lyrics of ‘My Electronic Idol’). People need an idol to live in the moment during our current era where there is no eternity anymore. I also needed to create my own idol who embraces all of my faults and regrets so that I can forget the reality for a moment.”

Prior to starting Precocious Neophyte, Ham had become well-known for her role in the Korean indie scene. She previously acted as the singer and guitarist of the shoegaze group Vidulgi OoyoO. She also was held in high esteem for her work as guitarist of the more psychedelic group JuckJuck Grunzie. This was before she took the risk and moved to Chicago to try her hand at finding her own way. It was there in Chicago that she began to experiment with home recording. Those home recordings led to the release of the Sophysoon EP, a set of intimate acoustic compositions.

Home in the Desert also has the sound and the feel of a home recording with its lo-fi aesthetics, but the sound of the record is fuzzier and more expansive. Ham recorded much of Home in the Desert alone in her apartment in 2021 and 2022. She became motivated by the curiosity of what it might sound like if skeletal guitar lines were performed at very high volumes by a full band.

That band is now rounded out by drummer Clinton Weber, guitarist Brenden Romanowski, and bassist Ethan Waddell. They each began to rehearse with Ham last summer. The songs feature layer upon layer of guitar, with a certain warmth and distinctive melodies that lend themselves well to a live experience. An experience is what Home in the Desert is, both broad and extensive, and wholly satisfying.

Precocious Neophyte ‘Home in the Desert’ album artwork