One artist found inspiration in parking garage chimes, another in trotWhen foreign musicians look to Korea for inspiration, K-pop is often the obvious starting point. But not everyone is listening to chart-topping idols.Some are instead drawn to everyday sounds that most people scarcely notice, or to genres that have slipped from the mainstream.Finding music in a parking garage chime Max Adoubleyou performs at a plaza near the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. (Courtesy of Max Adoubleyou) Max Adoubleyou poses for a photo at a plaza near the National Assembly, with the high-rises of Yeouido in the background. (Courtesy of Max Adoubleyou) When Max Adoubleyou, a 32-year-old artist and producer from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, visited Korea in March, one sound kept catching his attention: the chime that played every few minutes as cars exited the parking garage of the apartment building where he was staying.For many residents, it was simply background noise — familiar and, at times, even annoying. Adoubleyou, however, heard the beginnings of a song.“Once I recorded the parking chime, I took it back to my studio in the Netherlands. I used the original recording as the musical foundation of the song and started figuring out the chords I had been hearing in my head,” he told The Korea Herald in an email interview last month.“I added drums, bass, synthesizers and guitars layer by layer, constantly experimenting, removing things that didn't work and keeping what felt right.”The Dutch musician then added a story he described as “intentionally silly”: Someone gets hit by a car leaving a parking garage and at the same moment falls in love with the driver.“Even though the story is funny, I wanted the production to feel exciting and immersive. If listeners come away with a smile and a bit of energy, then I've achieved what I wanted,” he added."Beware the Exit," released July 9, also features Korean lyrics, including the phrase "meomchwobwayo," which translates to "stop for a moment." Safety posts warning pedestrians of vehicles exiting a parking garage (Courtesy of Max Adoubleyou) The song quickly gained traction online, with many Korean listeners saying they now hear the familiar chime as music rather than noise.“I like the idea that music can change the way people experience something they've heard every day for years,” he said.For Adoubleyou, the parking garage chime is only one of countless everyday sounds in Korea that can spark a song."Compared with my home country, I think Korea has a much richer everyday soundscape. I've already recorded several other sounds, including the beeps at subway fare gates and the audible signals at pedestrian crossings for visually impaired people,” he said.Long before "Beware the Exit," Adoubleyou was already exploring Korea through music. His Instagram features covers of older Korean songs, including "Han Dongan Tteumhaesseotji" by pioneering 1980s Korean funk-rock band Love and Peace and "Invitation," the 1998 hit by pop diva Uhm Jung-hwa."What I love about classic Korean popular music is the songwriting. There's an incredible variety of styles, but many songs share a very distinctive emotional character. Even when they're influenced by genres like funk, city pop, disco or house music, there's often a melodic and harmonic sensibility that feels unmistakably Korean," he said.A French voice in trot A promotional poster for Daexon's trot single "Jinbei" (Courtesy of Daexon) Trot, Korea's oldest form of pop, once ridiculed as music for grannies, has made a comeback in recent years, with TV singing competitions introducing a new generation of young performers.The genre's revival has also begun reaching audiences beyond Korea, with some international fans who first discovered Korean music through K-pop now finding themselves drawn to the charm of classic trot.Daexon, a 26-year-old French singer based in Seoul, is one of them.Captivated by trot after first hearing it during a taxi ride two years ago, he released a trot single last month titled "Jinbei," a dialect word from the Gyeongsang region meaning "the real deal.""The taxi driver was playing a song that immediately caught my attention. I remember asking him, 'What is this song?' He smiled and told me it was 'Spark' by singer Jeon Young-rok. I listened to it again later that day, then started finding more trot artists," he said in an email interview with The Korea Herald last month.The song combines heartfelt lyrics and an emotional melody about genuine love with an upbeat, dance-infused rhythm, making it more accessible to younger listeners. It features trot singer Choi Jeon-seol, who appeared on TV Chosun's 2022-23 survival audition show "Mr. Trot 2." French singer Daexon and trot singer Choi Jeon-seol in a promotional photo for their collaborative single "Jinbei" (Courtesy of Daexon) Daexon said that unlike the music he grew up with in France, trot's straightforward lyrics and lively rhythms immediately resonated with him."It’s a genre that crosses generations. Grandparents, parents and young people can all enjoy the same song, and I think that’s something very beautiful," he said.Before making his trot debut, Daexon released the pop and R&B singles "Melody" and "Fate" last year.He said his latest release marks a special milestone, as it gave him an opportunity to express his genuine appreciation for Korean music through one of its oldest pop genres."I hope people can see not only that I’m enjoying this genre, but also that I’ve approached it with genuine respect and the desire to learn from it. If my music can build even a small bridge between France and Korea, then I’ll feel like I’ve achieved something meaningful," he said.