“so, ho hum” By moribet Is A Must-Hear Folktronica

Written By: Allen Hale | Album cover courtesy of moribet

Released on the first day of 2025, moribet’s “so, ho hum” has been a favorite album of mine early in the new year. Following a collaborative work with khc in 2023 and a solo EP released in 2022, “so, ho hum” is moribet’s debut full-length effort. In a written correspondence with HAZZE, moribet noted that while being based in Seoul, the album was also partially created in Liverpool. The record is intricately arranged, featuring the consistent fluttering of electronic minutiae often accompanied by mellow, folk-inspired backings. For anyone enticed by this combination, often dubbed folktronica, this project will likely delight. 

On the opener, “dead dial,” several glitchy sounds emerge in tandem, brimming with quiet but tense energy to set the tone for the experience that follows. At the 0:32 mark, soft vocals enter; the percussive support remains active and detailed while settling into a more familiar, consistent pace. Even as distinct electronic elements incessantly move in and out of this complex composition, the listening experience remains surprisingly relaxed. Across its 30-minute runtime, “so, ho hum” consistently delights in this regard, producing an easygoing atmosphere while utilizing various mechanical skips and whizzes.

Amplified in volume outside this context, the glitchy soundscapes could easily convey a sense of frantic inconsistency. Here, they instead hum like the sound palette of lively, spring-like natural ambiance: squelching, crinkling, creasing, folding, scratching or bubbling in the listener’s ear.

“paris syndrome” follows the strong beginning by introducing a layer of woodwind instrumentation and vocal harmonies, floating elegantly towards its psychedelic conclusion. The simply stated vocal refrain smoothly asserts, “Nowhere but here now / Does revolution break out,” resulting in a memorable lyrical moment. Staccato bleeps and bloops continue to punctuate vocal phrases on “anhedonia” without feeling overly busy, despite eschewing traditional chorus/verse structure, as on the previous two tracks. Airy singing accompanies the ending’s scattered energy, eventually fading away as the digitized components overtake their human counterpart.

Unsurprisingly, the most-streamed song on the album is a catchy tune. “bigger plot” opts for an indie-inspired sound and standard drum-kim while continuing to feature glitchy parts, albeit in a less prominent role. “labyrinth” instead dials up this element to create the album’s most notable instance of this style, frequently starting and stopping the passage of sound; it briefly settles into a groove earlier on only to quickly abandon this grounding structure. Later in the piece, strings accelerate fiercely, unlike anything else within the LP, followed by cacophonous tension that eventually gives way to its beautifully melodic ending.

Acoustic guitar compliments “long dream” and “providence” more prominently, the latter of which closes the album without vocals. The track’s middle portion is darker and more dissonant than most of the album’s varied but emotionally consistent textures, concluding with the soothing repetition of the song’s central theme. Following the lush prettiness and ambient water noises of the earlier, similarly-named “I am providence,” the emotive contrast is notable and effective. 

If anything, the album’s runtime might be too concise. Songs like “providence” made me retroactively desire earlier, additional detours within the tracklist’s consistency, a testament to the song’s distinctive success. “smell good to be okay” fits a lot into its brief timeslot, for instance, but ends in a quick manner that leaves one wishing for additional length and tonal contrast.

The excitement of “so, ho hum” is calming throughout its twists and turns, even as it ceaselessly avoids stable rhythmic foundations. In the harsh, dour days of winter, the album’s fantastical atmosphere provides much-needed warmth; I sense it will remain a top pick of mine during the year to come. Although it may sound familiar in some respects for fans of acts like Mid-Air Thief or Four Tet, “so, ho hum” is still essential listening.