CLOSE YOUR EYES Return with Jazz-Funk Comeback ‘256th Note’

CLOSE YOUR EYES are back with a new album embracing the freedom and spontaneity of jazz. Released on September 30 at 6 p.m. across online music platforms, their fourth mini album, ‘256th Note,’ expands the group’s musical range. At a press conference held that day at The Riverside Hotel in Seoul’s Seocho district, the members discussed the album’s direction and preparations.

Inspired by the 256th note, one of the shortest musical note values, the album focuses on fleeting emotions, memories and moments created through instrumental improvisation. Rather than relying on fixed forms of expression, it follows emotions as they unfold, weaving the group’s pure, lyrical sensibility through various genres.

The title track, ‘Drop That!,’ samples Yoon Si-nae’s ‘Let’s Enjoy This Night’ and reinterprets it through 1990s street hip-hop. Bold strings and upright bass combine jazz improvisation with hip-hop sampling techniques. While the prerelease track ‘Open Your Eyes’ offered a lyrical mood by exploring jazz through hip-hop and R&B, the title track delivers more intense, immediate energy.

The members also worked to give the new sound their own identity. According to The Korea Economic Daily, they studied the original song and 1990s street hip-hop together, exchanging ideas along the way. In an on-site interview with OSEN, Song Seung-ho said he focused on gestures and facial expressions to bring out the group’s distinctive character. TV Daily reported that Jeon Min-wook understood Yoon Si-nae had readily approved the sample. He also expressed his hope that their music would be recognized as both defining their generation and pushing music forward.

The album contains seven tracks, including the two singles. ‘Vibe Check’ pairs piano with groovy drums, ‘Slowly Bleed’ blends electropop and alternative R&B, and ‘Fall for You’ offers vintage, romantic R&B. ‘Baby Bossa Nova’ adds contemporary pop sounds to bossa nova, while ‘Eternity’ rounds out the varied lineup with an acoustic piano-based pop ballad.

The members’ creative contributions make their message to fans more personal. According to Electronic Times and MK Sports, all seven members helped write the lyrics for the closing track, ‘Eternity,’ expressing their feelings for their fandom, CLOSER. Seo Kyoung-bae told OSEN that he wanted the lyrics to convey the members’ friendship and their wish to stay with fans forever.

They also explored a new form of expression beyond music. MK Sports reported that the seven members took on their first acting project together for the album’s interlude film. They prepared through acting lessons and shared feedback, adding another challenge to this comeback.

Through these promotions, CLOSE YOUR EYES hope to share a wide range of music and leave fans with happy memories. Jang Yeo-jun told The Korea Economic Daily that they had prepared music unrestricted by any single genre and hoped to earn a reputation as a go-to group for great music. Capturing fleeting emotions across seven tracks, ‘256th Note’ reveals a new side of CLOSE YOUR EYES.