Jeong-Hyun Lim
Encyclopedia
Lim Jeong-hyun also known by the online alias funtwo, is a South Korean guitar
ist known for his cover of the piece Canon Rock
. The YouTube
user with the alias "guitar90" is not Lim Jeong-hyun, but an unknown person who uploaded Lim's video. This has been cleared up in his latest interviews. Quoting from the video, the interview clarifies, "someone else called guitar90 who grabbed the video and put it on YouTube where it became a sensation".
by a user nicknamed "guitar90", under the title guitar.
His video is the fifty-sixth most viewed and tenth most favorited video on YouTube
, as of June 26, 2011, with over 90 million views and counting. At its peak, the video was the fourth most viewed video on YouTube.
Lim's cover of Canon Rock has been mentioned on CNN
, 20/20, The New York Times
, and National Public Radio, in addition to MBC
news, CBC Radio
, KBS news, and other South Korean news stations.
Many viewers have speculated and thought of the video as fake because the audio is not synchronized with the video. Lim later stated to The New York Times
that this had to do with the fact that "he recorded the audio and video independently and then matched them inexactly." The performance itself was recorded in two parts, and edited together. An image of a traffic light was used to make the transition.
". He also played Dream Theater
's "Overture 1928", and recently he posted a video of himself performing Antonio Vivaldi
's "Summer" from the Four Seasons, one of Vivaldi's most famous works.
Lim has expressed no wish to carry on playing as a professional guitarist. However his online fame has allowed him to play to live audiences several times— once for the South Korean ambassador
in Washington, DC, then again at the KORUS festival the same year. At the KORUS festival, Lim played improvised, altered versions of the Korean national anthem
and the American national anthem. The third time he played was in 2008, the November 22, at the YouTube Live
festival where he performed with Joe Satriani
, he played first a mix of Canon Rock and Joe's "Surfing With the Alien
" and then "Canon Rock". In October 2009, he was a featured performer at the fall ICANN
meeting's welcoming ceremony and later joined in at their music night. In the same interview in which he stated his wish to carry on playing guitar simply as a hobby, he also rated his own playing a modest 50/60 out of 100.
The beginning of the music video for Weezer
's song "Pork and Beans
" is set in Lim's iconic room, with the various members playing their various instruments. The video as a whole contains references to numerous other internet phenomena.
Since March, 2010, Lim has been involved as a guitarist of Onesided.
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist known for his cover of the piece Canon Rock
Canon Rock (song)
"Canon Rock" is a neo-classical metal arrangement of Johann Pachelbel's Canon in D major by the Taiwanese musician and composer Jerry Chang . The composition contains a variety of melodic lines showing Jerry's style of phrasing his fingers. The piece became popular on the internet after a video of...
. The YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
user with the alias "guitar90" is not Lim Jeong-hyun, but an unknown person who uploaded Lim's video. This has been cleared up in his latest interviews. Quoting from the video, the interview clarifies, "someone else called guitar90 who grabbed the video and put it on YouTube where it became a sensation".
Canon rock cover
He played and recorded his cover of Canon Rock in 2005. He uploaded his video onto the popular South Korean music website called Mule.co.kr. It was then uploaded to YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
by a user nicknamed "guitar90", under the title guitar.
His video is the fifty-sixth most viewed and tenth most favorited video on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, as of June 26, 2011, with over 90 million views and counting. At its peak, the video was the fourth most viewed video on YouTube.
Lim's cover of Canon Rock has been mentioned on CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, 20/20, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, and National Public Radio, in addition to MBC
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation
Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC (Hangul : 문화방송주식회사, Munhwa Bangsong Jushikoesa) is one of four major national South Korean television and radio networks. Munhwa is the Korean word for "culture". Its flagship terrestrial television...
news, CBC Radio
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
, KBS news, and other South Korean news stations.
Many viewers have speculated and thought of the video as fake because the audio is not synchronized with the video. Lim later stated to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
that this had to do with the fact that "he recorded the audio and video independently and then matched them inexactly." The performance itself was recorded in two parts, and edited together. An image of a traffic light was used to make the transition.
Other activities
In addition to playing the work of others, Lim has now started to arrange well-known music by himself. He composed a holiday card to his fans called "Carol Rock (funtwo Is Coming to Town)", a rock version of "Santa Claus is Coming to TownSanta Claus Is Coming to Town
"Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is a Christmas song. It was written by John Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie, and was first sung on Eddie Cantor's radio show in November 1934....
". He also played Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
's "Overture 1928", and recently he posted a video of himself performing Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe...
's "Summer" from the Four Seasons, one of Vivaldi's most famous works.
Lim has expressed no wish to carry on playing as a professional guitarist. However his online fame has allowed him to play to live audiences several times— once for the South Korean ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
in Washington, DC, then again at the KORUS festival the same year. At the KORUS festival, Lim played improvised, altered versions of the Korean national anthem
Korean national anthem
Korean national anthem can refer to:*"Aegukga," the national anthem of South Korea*"Aegukka," the national anthem of North Korea...
and the American national anthem. The third time he played was in 2008, the November 22, at the YouTube Live
YouTube Live
YouTube Live was a 2008 event streamed live on the Internet from San Francisco and Tokyo. It was hosted by a variety of YouTube celebrities, including The Black Eyed Peas rapper will.i.am, Tom Dickson of Will It Blend, Michael Buckley, The Happy Tree Friends, Fred, Smosh, Esmée Denters and singer...
festival where he performed with Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
, he played first a mix of Canon Rock and Joe's "Surfing With the Alien
Surfing with the Alien
Surfing with the Alien is the second album by instrumental rock guitarist Joe Satriani, released in 1987. Surfing with the Alien contributed greatly to establishing Satriani's reputation as a respected rock guitarist....
" and then "Canon Rock". In October 2009, he was a featured performer at the fall ICANN
ICANN
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a non-profit corporation headquartered in Marina del Rey, California, United States, that was created on September 18, 1998, and incorporated on September 30, 1998 to oversee a number of Internet-related tasks previously performed directly...
meeting's welcoming ceremony and later joined in at their music night. In the same interview in which he stated his wish to carry on playing guitar simply as a hobby, he also rated his own playing a modest 50/60 out of 100.
The beginning of the music video for Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
's song "Pork and Beans
Pork and Beans (song)
"Pork and Beans" is a song by the American alternative rock band Weezer, released on its 2008 album Weezer. It was released in digital form on April 24, 2008. The track debuted at number 19 on Billboards Modern Rock chart, and spent eleven weeks at number one. Critics generally liked the song,...
" is set in Lim's iconic room, with the various members playing their various instruments. The video as a whole contains references to numerous other internet phenomena.
Since March, 2010, Lim has been involved as a guitarist of Onesided.
Onesided
In March, 2010, Lim has formed a band One Sided with former Pyon member Han Lee, Hwiju Park and Chris Lee, in Auckland, New Zealand. The band features Han Lee on vocals and rhythm guitar, Lim on lead guitar, Chris Lee on keyboard.Pieces (as funtwo)
- Canon Rock
- Overture 1928
- Summer
- Carol (funtwo is coming to town)
- Mission (Main Theme)
- I'm Alright (Neil Zaza)
- Triptych (Daita of Siam Shade)
- Zenith (Daita)
- Happy Birthday To You
- Bumble
- Mule Jam Project (Remix of Smoke on the Water by Deep Purple)
- Carol 2009