Galaxy Express Wants To Take You Aboard The Rock ‘n’ Roll Train [Interview]

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2015 Galaxy Express -- 1

Korean garage rock band Galaxy Express is back with their latest album, “Walking On Empty.” The album was released in August, but with their busy schedule we just got around to speaking with the chill band about what makes this album different from all of their previous ones. One hint: It has a bit to do with some amazing producers.

The trio has played all over the world, including multiple performances at SXSW over the years, and they’re one of South Korea’s top indie bands. Even if you think you don’t like them, Galaxy Express still wants you to get to know them and find time to grab a drink with the band (seriously!) and fall in love with their special brand of rock ‘n’ roll.

Thank you so much for agreeing to the interview. Can you please introduce yourself to KultScene’s audience?

Juhyun: Hi, I’m Juhyun Lee. I play bass and sing in the Korean rock band Galaxy Express.
Jonghyun: I’m the band’s guitarist and sing too and my name is Jonghyun Park.
Heekwon: I’m Heekwon Kim and I play drums in the band.

What led the three of you to come together initially?

Juhyun: We’re all idiots! That’s what brought us together.
Jonghyun: Idiots with a passion for music.

Are there any bands or musicians who influenced you to become musicians?

Juhyun: There are so many! Growing up, I listened to a lot of music and had lots of favorite musicians. But I think the Korean punk band Crying Nut had the biggest impact on me. I saw them play in 1996 and they seemed so free and wild. That experience made me want to start a band.
Jonghyun: Crying Nut really influenced me too.
Heekwon: I’ve loved beating on things ever since I was a young child. I think that’s what made me want to become a drummer.

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You started Galaxy Express in 2006. How has your music progressed since then? How has Galaxy Express changed over the years?

Juhyun: I think we are better musicians and play a wider range of music now. We released our fourth full-length album, “Walking on Empty,” in August. It’s got a lot more musical variety on it than our previous efforts. We were able to do things on this album which we wouldn’t have been able to do on our first full-length.
Jonghyun: I think we’re all a lot more relaxed now.
Heekwon: When we started, we were untamed horses. Now we’re trained horses.

Can you tell us about “Walking On Empty,” and what it means for the group to have worked with a variety of producers?

Juhyun: We’re so grateful to Sungmoon Lee for producing this album and to Adrian Hall for working as the engineer on it. And after we finished recording everything in Korea, Miles Showell did a great job mastering the album at Abbey Road in the UK. With this album we had a lot more time and felt freer to try different things. I think this created a more natural sound on the album. And with Sungmoon and Adrian being in the studio with us while we were recording, we learned how to work together with others who are not a part of Galaxy Express. This gave us lots of positive energy and it kind of felt like I was starting the band again.
Heekwon: I think “Walking on Empty” is an awesome album. We were able to work with lots of talented people and tried some new things. I think our band grew up with this album.

What Galaxy Express songs are near and dear to each member’s hearts?

Juhyun: I like “Time Keeps Rollin.”
Jonghyun: For me it’s “Not Again” because I had to record that song over and over again. So it definitely left a strong impression on me.
Heekwon: I like “Time Keeps Rollin” too. It makes me think. It’s like my story, your story, our neighbor’s story, the old lady who owns the building’s story …

If you could go anywhere in the galaxy, where would it be?

Juhyun: Somewhere similar to Earth that has air and gravity because I want to be able to survive.
Heekwon: If I went to the sun, I’d burn to death so I like it here on Earth. But it would be cool to visit the moon or Mars. They are close by so it’s kind of like we’re friends, right?

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What has been your most memorable concert as Galaxy Express?

Juhyun: For me, our most memorable shows were when we first started the band. Back then, there were usually only two or three people in the venues watching us.
Jonghyun: My most memorable concert we played was a show we did for the Sewol ferry accident.
Heekwon: I think for me, it was our 2013 US tour. We played 26 shows in a month and traveled around the country in a motorhome. We got to visit many cities and met lots of great people.

Is there anything that you would like to say to your fans, both the ones who know you already and the KultScene readers who may never have heard of you?

Juhyun: It’s great that we can meet you through the internet. But I hope we can meet you one day at a live show! Thanks for reading about Galaxy Express.
Heekwon: Whether you know our band or not, we’re grateful to you for taking the time to read about our band. I hope we can have the chance to meet you one day and drink together! [Us too!-KS]

What do you think of Galaxy Express? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

WYM Created Haunting Electronic Music At Seoulsonic NYC 2015 [Interview]

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WYM2
Seoulsonic returned to New York City last week as part of CMJ’s 2015 music marathon, with a new set of acts performing at SOBs (Sounds of Brazil) in Manhattan on Oct. 15. Three Korean indie acts — Sultan of the Disco, HEO, and WYM— performed throughout the night to showcase the music coming out of South Korea’s indie scene nowadays, brought together by Seoulsonic. I had a chance to speak to each of the acts before the show to hear about their careers and experiences at Seoulsonic.

[This is the second of a three-part interview/review series from the event. The first interview with HEO can be read HERE.]

Retro synthpop is at its best with the one man band WYM, the final act of the night at this year’s Seoulsonic NYC. Described as sexy danceable music by WYM, his music incorporates electronica elements and intense drum beats.

WYM, or Byun Joon Hyung, is a one-man band, created by the South Korean artist known as Bjorn, the Scandinavian word for ‘bear.’ “A lot of people outside of Korea can’t really pronounce my Korean name, but my surname is Byun and a friend suggested I use ‘Bjorn’ as my artist name,” WYM explained during our interview. The band name in turn stands for “Would You Mind?” and the Korean phrase, “우주마인드,” (lit. “space mind”) pronounced “wujumaindeu.”

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On stage at Seoulsonic, WYM had an unpretentious stage manner and image, a sharp contrast from the heavily coordinated K-pop artists that have popularized South Korean music in the world. WYM stood behind a wide array of synthesizers, with the plastic tube of a talk box in his mouth to aid him in vocal distortion. A backing drummer, truly excellent at his craft, provided the only traditional instrument on stage during the set as WYM created his dark, wailing dance music.

The musician studied in the United States and collaborated early on in his career with a friend to create the project band MDS, which released remix music of Korean song in an electronic style. MDS released an album and a few singles before WYM was created.

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“I felt like I had to do something,” WYM said. “That MDS thing, I still wanted to do it. But I wanted to concentrate more on something that I really like and want to express, and show people what I can do, what I believe, what I can sound like. I started as a soloist under the name Bjorn, then I released a single “Empty Desire” in 2011. Then I thought I needed to do more band-ish stuff. But alone. So I created a name, WYM, as my solo project name. So under WYM I made an album and released it last year.”

The LP “After Moon” was released in 2014 and proved WYM’s worth as an artist whose songs you want to listen to while dancing in a club and then ruminating in a drunken state afterwards.

“I want to make sexy music. That sounds, like, really sexy but also danceable stuff. That, and I really want to do some really emotional stuff too. On the album, there’s some of all of that. I have everything, I think. “

What WYM can do is outstanding. On stage, in front of Seoulsonic’s eyes, he went above and beyond, transforming his normal voice into a mechanized instrument and creating beats that were at once fun, introspective, and haunting. The five-song set included synth and distorted elements, but also showed hints of reggae and rock before settling firmly in the world of electronic dance music. The thumping beats of the drums were just as important to the music as WYM’s electronic sounds, both coming together to get the crowd moving.

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A year after releasing WYM’s first EP, it’s a big deal for him to be a closing act at CMJ’s Seoulsonic and he hopes to perform at this year’s SXSW, despite the difficulties of being a Korean indie musician.

“As an indie artist in the electronic form of music in Korea, it’s a really hard life, it’s not easy,” he explained. “People don’t really like electronic. I mean, people go to clubs to listen to really mainstream EDM stuff but not a lot of people listen to the kind of washed out stuff in Korea. It’s hard to be recognized, I think, but I was happy [to be nominated for the 2015 Korean Music Awards Electronic Dance Album of the year award]. With that nomination, Seoulsonic asked me to join. I was very honored to be recognized.”

The show ended with the audience cheering for WYM, as the tunes went in and out of danceable melancholy and euphoria, ending the show with “Trying.” Despite the late hour, WYM’s energetic electronica had us all moving to the rhythm before 2015’s CMJ Seoulsonic came to an end.

Do you like WYM? What’s your favorite Korean indie band? Let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear you thoughts and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

HEO’s Ambient Rock Sound Takes The Stage At Seoulsonic 2015 [Interview]

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HEO1
Seoulsonic returned to New York City last week as part of CMJ’s 2015 music marathon, with a new set of acts performing at SOBs (Sounds of Brazil) in Manhattan on Oct. 15. Three Korean indie acts- Sultan of the Disco, HEO, and WYM- performed throughout the night to showcase the music coming out of South Korea’s indie scene nowadays, brought together by Seoulsonic. I had a chance to speak to each of the acts before the show to hear about their careers and experiences at Seoulsonic.

[This is the first of a three-part interview/review series from the event.]

Hard rock meets ambience in the Korean duo HEO, comprised of male vocalist/guitarist/producer Heo and female vocalist/bassist/keyboardist Bo-yeong. During the live show, the pair and a drummer created a new take on dreamy indie rock, combining rock instruments with synthesizers and vocal distortion. The result was something akin to a waking dream, where music acts as the guide into wonderland.

The music during HEO’s set, the second of three at Seoulsonic’s New York City show, tip-toed the narrow line between the genres, never going too far off into either the rock or electronic genres at any one moment, but instead bringing them together to become a perfect indie rock dreamscape.

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Even before the show, it was clear that the pair were consummate musicians, with Heo and Bo-yeong discussing their career passionately. Despite the fact that HEO had won the electronic dance album of the year award at this year’s Korean Music Awards for their LP, “Structure,” the pair still has a lot that they want to achieve.

The pair has been together since 2014, when Heo decided to bring in another vocalist. He knew Bo-yeong from their college days, when she was an underclassmen. “I already knew that she played keyboard and vocals, so I suggested, ‘let’s play together’ for the second album.”

On stage, despite the fact that the band is named after Heo, it is clear that the two are a pair and neither one overpowers the other. Heo’s intensity on stage as he sings, wails on occasion, and creates the electronic elements contrasts sharply with Bo-yeong’s blank gaze as she sings in her Lana Del Rey-esque voice and plays her bass and keyboard, but the songs would feel empty without one of the pair on stage. If anything, the two came off that night as living embodiments of indie meets rock: Bo-yeong wore the favored fringe and body glitter popular at indie music festivals, while Heo wore the iconic black leather jacket of classic rock.

HEO played at SXSW earlier this year, and the CMJ show was the second part of that journey with Seoulsonic. “This time around, touring with my band, especially coming to New York, which is world famous, it’s a huge honor and privilege,” said Heo. “Especially because so many of our favorite bands have played in New York and a lot of our favorite movies take place in New York so it’s very exciting.”

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Heo had appeared at Seoulsonic 2012 as a session guitarist for 3rd Line Butterfly, and was already familiar with Seoulsonic and the tour before HEO was brought on to the tour as the duo gained attention in South Korea and abroad.

Winning the Korean Music award for “Structure” was a big deal for the pair. “We couldn’t believe that we had won. It was a bit of a surprise that someone relatively unknown could win such a big prize.”

But despite the prize, they don’t feel like they’re famous yet.

“This whole album [“Structure”] was made without aiming for the mainstream,” explained HEO. “So as to why it even won is still a mystery.”

“If there’s anyone reason for why we won. It may be the fact the style of music is something that others haven’t really seen or heard before. It was very much a hybrid mix between rock and electronic, and while others have kind of experimented with mixing it, nobody else has really done it in Korea to this degree, with such a full force approach.”

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With twelve tracks, many of which HEO performed at Seoulsonic, “Structure” is a full length LP of electronic rock songs that sound like the average night’s dreams on a lot of acid.

As for plans after they head back to Korea? “We’re going to go back to the studios and start working on songs, with the goal to release a new single every month. Hopefully by next spring, we’ll have enough to release an EP or a full length album from all of those singles. More importantly, we’re releasing a vinyl album.”

Do you have a favorite song by HEO? What’s your favorite Korean indie band? Let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear you thoughts and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

What K-Drama Cliche Is Your Life? [QUIZ]

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heirs

You’ve seen the Korean dramas with memory loss, with somebody disappearing for months, with… Well, you know all of the tropes. You can probably list off the cliches without even thinking about it: Love triangles, evil mothers, rich guy-poor girl… The list goes on and on. You may even have your favorite, cliche-filled drama that you watch clips from just to make yourself laugh sometimes. You love K-drama cliches. We all do!

There has probably been a time in the life of every K-drama fan where we’ve wanted to live in a K-drama. A bit difficult to achieve, but we have the next best thing for you. This KultScene quiz will help you figure out which K-drama cliche your life is, so take a few minutes and then let us know your results in the comment section!

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Do you like this quiz? Make sure to tell us what other quizzes and content you’d like to see from KultScene in the future. Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

Seventeen, Dancing, & East/West Ideals

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Seventeen
One of the first things we notice when becoming K-pop fans is the influence of western pop. Musically, K-pop blends a whole host of genres otherwise unheard of in the east. These influences give K-pop an international edge allowing it to cater to a lot more fans than their Japanese and Chinese counterparts. This fusion usually comes in a musical and visual form. Hip-hop sounds and visuals are hugely prevalent in the last few years as K-pop senses the US market opening ever so slightly. Where it is not so obvious, however, is in performance. That’s where Pledis’ new boys Seventeen come in, they’ve got something new to show us all.

As we all know, dance is a big part of what makes K-pop special. But what is it that we love about it so much and why has dance not been westernized yet? For the former, I’d say it’s the collective commitment shown by nearly every group to being synchronized, which also hints at an answer to the latter question. That answer is a historic difference in core ideals between east and west.

In the west, capitalism and democracy took strong hold early on in society. In general, it promotes individual freedom and expression. The most powerful and renowned people in western societies are self-made entrepreneurs. In group dances this translates into simple routines with the more complex movements being executed by those who can do it while the rest stay by the wayside. Think of Beyoncé in Destiny’s Child or Nicole Scherzinger in Pussycat Dolls.

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In contrast, Confucianism and communism played a big part in building modern Asia, even in South Korea where it had little actual development. These systems promote the collective over the individual. Confucianism particularly promotes loyalty to seniority. This led to group dances where members work with each other, dance where each member is as good as the next. Nearly every K-pop group fits into this mold, especially any group with a large number of members. The only major exceptions would be YG’s big groups Big Bang and 2NE1. Those groups perform in a looser style allowing members with big personalities to shine, more similar to western musical acts.

So why hasn’t K-pop dance in general been affected in the same way as the music or clothing, emulating western music trends? The move into different musical styles does not actually reflect a great change of ideal within the K-pop community. Genres are merely changing ways of expressing songs that have been heard many times before. With dance, the human body is involved and usually in big numbers. It is a means of expressing societal norms. Changing this would be a fundamental change to Asian values.

This brings us to Seventeen. A group who may not be changing Asian values but are showing a new way of performing the old dance.

The choreography in Seventeen’s two singles up to now, “Adore U” and “Mansae,” has been delightfully inventive. They are pulling off a certain number of moves that I’ve never seen before in K-pop, and all with a youthful exuberance. From the human train in “Adore U” to the human crank in “Mansae,” there’s a lot to be impressed by Seventeen’s dances on a conceptual level. What makes these dances stand out though are the bits in between. When we’re watching great physical feats in the foreground, the background is always littered with other members having fun.

As a group consisting of thirteen members, naturally Seventeen are going to have a lot of big routines. Each of one of these dances are perfectly executed as they come across more like a small army than a boy band. With big K-pop groups big, synchronized routines are usually the extent of what can be delivered. Even dancing kings EXO who like to cut down members on stage at different times are always likely to stay in sync; the group always comes first. In contrast, Seventeen differentiate themselves in these moments. Each member is seemingly encouraged to bring as much personality to the stage as they can. Watch the beginning of “Adore U” where, in groups of three, the members play amongst themselves seemingly unaware that they are performing. In every break they have, members are always active, bouncing off each other, and generally being endearing. When watching them perform, even today, I still see details I hadn’t seen before. Like when, after collapsing to the floor in “Adore U”, S.Coups is revived and carried over to some other members all while the song has continued on another twenty seconds or so.

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These are only a fraction of the details that Seventeen put into their performance. They signal a kind of fusion of the ideals I talked about earlier. The group effort is still there and is more impressive than ever. They move between one whole group seamlessly into smaller groups all while maintaining perfect synchronicity. It’s the blending of their smaller moments that bring in the western ideas. There’s a great sense of personality within Seventeen. Each individual feels like a full character rather than a cog in a machine.

This doesn’t mean that K-pop is going to be completely infiltrated by western ideals in the near future, getting rid of all innately Asian elements. It’s an example of how pre-existing ideas from outside your regular environment can reinvigorate something well-trodden. Western ideas have always been in K-pop it was only a matter of time before someone exploited them for performance. Let’s be grateful that they have been exploited so brilliantly.

What do you think of Seventeen’s dances? Are there any other groups that do this? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, andTumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

‘Dramaworld’ Will Be A Love Letter To K-Drama Fans, Says Viki’s CEO [Interview]

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Dramaworld on Viki
Do you dream of landing a role in your favorite drama? So does Viki.

Many fans of Korean dramas know what makes them so loveable. The hand grabs, the open-eyed kisses, the manipulation by family members, the out of this world action, the romance, the friendship, the history, the magic, the drama, the laughter, the tears… There’s a little bit of everything for everyone. And now Viki, the website that brings you so many subbed dramas and Korean television shows, is ready to launch its first original web series, Viki’s very own “love letter” to drama fans.

“Dramaworld”” is about a 20-year-old college student who is obsessed with Korean dramas and watches every drama featuring her favorite leading magic. Through some magic, she finds herself sucked into favorite drama.

“Dramaworld” stars Sean Dulake(“Jejungwon” and “Athena: Goddess Of War”,) Liv Hewson, and Justin Chon (Twilight.) Korean drama stars, including Super Junior’s Choi Siwon and Han Ji Min, will make cameos throughout the 10-episode web-series.

We interviewed Tammy H. Nam, the CEO of Viki, about the drama.

Can you please tell our readers a bit about “Dramaworld”?
The Dramaworld press release has a lot of background, but essentially, we decided to produce/invest in this production because we really wanted to create a show specifically for global fans of Asian dramas. Most of the shows we have on the site are produced for the local market, whether that’s Korea, Japan, China, U.S or whatever. Increasingly, viewers’ tastes are skewing global and the typical formats, storylines, even languages are being thrown out the window. Dramaworld is a perfect example of that.

It sounds like “Dramaworld” is based on every K-drama fan’s fantasies. Were any other plots discussed?
The director/writer Chris Martin, who we’ve worked with in the past, came to us with the script. We pretty much didn’t have any recommended changes because our visions are aligned – he knows the audience very well. Even though he’s American, he’s traveled and worked extensively in Asia and knows specifically the Korean film industry and global fan base very well. His Korean is much better than mine!

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There’s a reason why international joint ventures rarely work out. Business cultures are extremely different from country to country. We had some initial bumps as well, mainly due to misunderstanding between parties, but it’s all good now. It’s certainly not easy, but we’re well positioned to make it successful – all the parties are bringing different strengths to the table and there’s mutual respect, especially since this is such a passion project for everyone involved.

Many Korean stars are being featured in cameos. Was there a lot of interest in Korea to see what could come out of a Korean-American drama?
Yes, there’s been an incredible amount of interest. We’re really excited to “reveal” who the new cameos are closer to the show. I think there’s a lot of curiosity about this format, the storyline, the platform. Everyone is very open to experimenting and also getting to know their international fan base better.

Web dramas have started to gain popularity in Korea, with many K-pop idols taking up roles. Was the popularity of web dramas taken into account when deciding to produce “Dramaworld”?
It’s easier to film for web because there’s so much more flexibility – you can do any timeframe, take more risks. That being said, the production team is awesome – they’re truly making this a TV broadcast-worthy show. While the intent was to make this a web series, if there’s interest from a TV broadcaster, we’d definitely be open to that.

How did you personally get involved in Viki and drama production?
I joined Viki in November 2011, a year after the company launched. While the company itself looks incredibly different now than it did then, the vision has never changes. We’ve always been “global TV powered by fans” and from a business model perspective, have been very much a global version of a Hulu, albeit with an amazing crowdsourced subtitling community. The drama production part is probably more a reflection of how this industry has changed – the lowered cost of production, many distribution options, more competition and need for differentiation. I hope this is one of many more interesting co-productions to come.

You described “Dramaworld” as a “love letter to drama fans.” Will “Dramaworld” feature many of the tropes that make dramas so enjoyable, such as love triangles, hand grabs, etc.?
Oh my gosh. That’s the fun part. You’ll have to watch to see how fun they are – if you’re a true K-Drama fan, you’ll recognize them immediately!

There have been other attempts at creating Korean-American dramas, such as the American remake of “Boys Over Flowers” and filming much of “The Heirs” in the United States. Do you see Korean dramas growing even larger in the American market?
Yes, but what I see happening is that companies like Viki will be taking the lead along with content partners and distributors, not Hollywood. It’s an industry that’s still a bit old fashioned in its thinking. It’s a brave new world. We want to help introduce many more millions of fans to Asian dramas in super fun ways.

How big of a market does Viki think there is to grow into of these type of hybrid Asia meets West dramas?
It’s hard to tell because I’ve never seen it done before. However, it will be done in a way that’s super approachable. My hope is that it introduces this new genre to many millions of new viewers who didn’t know what they were missing!

From the three main actors, only Sean Dulake has acted in Korean dramas. How will that affect “Dramaworld”?
Much of the cast is local, and the whole idea is a global mashup anyway. The tropes as you mentioned are written into the show itself, so the “Kdrama-ness” is the underlying theme.

Also on KultScene: 10 K-Pop Songs That Teach Basic Korean Phrases + Chance To Win Korean Study Guides

Liv Hewson is the star of the show, and playing the role of essentially every K-drama fangirl ever. What can we expect from her?
The casting director was very excited about Liv. She believes she’s a huge up-and-coming talent. I hope she becomes very successful and maybe we’ll have a part in helping make this happen.

Filming begins in late September, so how is the cast and crew preparing in the meantime?
I’m sure there’s a million things to do in preparation, but the filming is the fun part. I know the production team is on the ground with stage, rehearsals and everything else. They promised to share part of that process with the fans as well. Look forward to some fun videos from the cast and crew!

What is the most exciting thing about “Dramaworld,” that makes it different from every other Korean, or non-Korean, web series out there?
It’s a truly global mash-up, which I think reflects the international viewership of Viki and perhaps the future of viewers in general — no borders, either culture, language, country, ideas. We love that.

What can we look forward to seeing from Viki in the future? Are more original series down the road?
I hope so!

“Dramaworld” will premiere on Viki on April 17. 

What are you looking forward to the most about “Dramaworld”? What’s your dream drama plot to get sucked into? Let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear you thoughts and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, and Bloglovin’ so you can keep up with all our posts.

10 K-Pop Songs That Teach Basic Korean Phrases + Chance To Win Korean Study Guides

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B.A.P Where Are You What Are You DoingK-pop songs are filled with tons of catchy Korean phrases, and any longtime fan of K-pop has probably picked up a few words or phrases here and there. But many Korean songs have English choruses, leading to many K-pop fans just singing along with the English hook rather than taking in much Korean language skills. In this list, we’ve compiled some of the best Korean songs for learning a bit of Korean language, which will help you out if you ever find yourself in Korea, or if you just want to impress people with all of the cultural diffusion that K-pop promotes.

In case these songs aren’t enough for you, and you feel like you really want to get your Korean on, check out our giveaway at the bottom of this list for two books that will help you study Korean vocabulary and grammar.

1. “Hi” [Lovelyz “Hi~”]

Annyeong is a shorter version of annyeonghaseyo, or Korea’s formal word for “hello.” Lovelyz’ “Hi~” is the perfect example of a bright song to learn how to greet someone in Korean. (Fun fact: if you’ve seen the American TV show “Arrested Development,” you’ll need to re-learn the pronunciation since the characters mispronounce annyang throughout the series.)

2. & 3. “Oppa” & “Noona” [Psy “Gangnam Style” & SHINee “Noona, You’re So Pretty”]

The most popular Korean word in 2012 was easily “Oppa” thanks to Psy’s famous song “Gangnam Style.” Many people may not actually realize that oppa is actually the Korean word that technically means a girl’s older brother, and is what female call old males who they have a close relationship with, whether it’s brothers, friends, boyfriends, or husbands.

The equivalent term for males to call an older female was made famous in SHINee’s iconic 2009 debut song “Noona, You’re So Pretty.” Noona similarly means a boy’s older sister and can be used for women a younger man has a relationship with.

  Read more

Red Velvet’s Conceptualization & Formidable Fashion

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red velvet conceptualization feat

There’s no doubt that SM Entertainment is gearing up Red Velvet to be their next girl group sensation. Their fashion and music has evolved fast in their short career, but they’ve always maintained the playful feeling set in “Happiness,” their debut track. Since liveliness is their overall style, without a doubt, Red Velvet has shown us formidable fashion since the get-go. And now with their first album “The Red” out, the group has finally reached their full conceptualization, look and sound wise.

Let go back to last year, August 4 to be exact. SM Entertainment debuted “Red Velvet,” their newest girl band since f(x). Their look was very youthful and modern and appealed to the overall aesthetics and trends in fashion for that year. The ‘90s comeback was at its peak and SM’s stylist took inspiration from various internet fashion tribes like seapunk, normcore, and health goth. From that, they created Red Velvet’s signature look: a collage of many different ideas merged together.

Photo via SM Entertainment

Photo via SM Entertainment

Cheerleaders and school uniforms are a must to make a girl group look young, but Irene, Seulgi, Wendy, and Joy got upgraded versions and made the uniforms their own. The girls sported tennis skirts that were short in the front but long in the back, asymmetrical skirts, and tops that included sailor motives. The look was girly and fun, but with the outfits paired with creepers and the multi colored hair, the girls had a modern edge (and to the viewers a way to differentiate each member) that was needed to make a new group stand out from the cuteness of the rest.

Photo via SM Entertainment

 Also on KultScene: Bastarz, Jean Vigo, “Zero For Conduct,” & Internal Rebellion

 

However, Red Velvet was still cute in their own way; their fashion made every K-pop fan want what they were wearing. Flash forward a few months after their debut and their concept completely changed. The group released a cover version of the late ‘90s girl group S.E.S. “Be Natural”, and their look took a 180 degrees turn. The four members were dressed in classy, form-fitted suits that gave the girls a mature and sexy look. Coming from the youthful and colorful concept, Red Velvet confused us all with this new image, serving us the direct opposite. But nonetheless, the fashion was still exciting and pristine.

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We already knew that Red Velvet’s name had a meaning — red being their sexy side and velvet being their soft one — but until “Be Natural,” we hadn’t seen the group’s duality. “Be Natural” was clearly Red Velvet’s introduction to their red side, and their stylist nailed it with the fashion choices for this track and promotions.

Moreover, with their next single “Automatic,” SM introduced a new member and it was the first time that we got to see the two sides of the group. The fashion was incredible and very on trend for spring/summer 2015. The ‘70s fashion had a revival and was at it’s peak, which the stylist managed to incorporate into the look and still give it the modern spin that didn’t seem costume-y. They even wore one of the most exciting collections for this year, Moschino by Jeremy Scott one inspired by Barbie.

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Their next single “Ice Cream Cake” followed, and Red Velvet sedimented what their signature look and sound would be. This time, the group upgraded normcore outfits that followed a similar resemblance to their “Happiness” looks (i.e. tennis skirts and uniforms) and added fun pieces like the light-up faux fur jackets to keep it lively. The sound was a little creepy and crazy and took a few listens before loving the song, sure, but it was clearly their unique, quirky sound. It was a song filed under their “Happiness” concept and not the sultry one from “Be Natural” and “Automatic.”

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When a K-pop band finally releases it first full-length album, it’s when they have a clear picture of their concept. But with Red Velvet, their first album “The Red” was a great surprise that works cohesively with their previous releases instead of differing. With “Dumb Dumb,” the stylist kept playing with the collage of styles that they’ve had since debut; duality extends to every factor of the group. We still saw some normcore and health goth outfits mixed with other pieces that make them very relatable and unique and keeping the concept alive. Even the costumes in the music video play an important role and give them that quirkiness that they are now known for. They even keep playing with different colors for each member, very a la Spice Girls, to distinguish each member.

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Furthermore, the sound of the music really works. It’s all over the place, but still very put together, just like their outfits. And, more importantly, it was an easier listen than “Ice Cream Cake,” making “Dumb Dumb” a winner for Red Velvet. The track has some brass, hip-hop, R&B, and electronic themes in the music, thus making it a very good experimental pop track, something not even SM’s experimental girl group f(x) has played with yet.

The members are still young and have a fresh image that is very suitable for whatever style SM puts them through. But now with their fifth single, it’s clear that if it’s fun, crazy or sexy and provocative, it’s going to be a Red Velvet track with amusing sounds and looks. With “The Red,” the group released a solid album with experimental sounds, and some tracks are even reminiscent of the early Girls’ Generation and f(x) songs. Red Velvet continues to surprise everyone with their talents, and now with their full conceptualization completed, the sky’s the limit. We can’t wait to see what’s next and where their success will take them.

What do you think of Red Velvet’s completed conceptualization look and sound wise? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter,Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

Bastarz, Jean Vigo, “Zero For Conduct,” & Internal Rebellion

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First things first: Who is Jean Vigo and what does he have to do with Block B’s subunit Bastarz? Jean Vigo was a French director in the 1930s who made only four films in his lifetime due to bad health. Knowing that he had only a short time to live had an obvious impact on his career. All of his films have an exuberant anarchy to them that reflected his troubled life, none more so than his 1934 masterpiece “Zero de Conduite” which translates to, yes, you guessed it, “Zero For Conduct.” So the links between the song by Bastarz and Jean Vigo are not that much of a stretch. Bastarz’s using this as the title for their debut single shows an obvious influence from Vigo, but the links go deeper than mere reference. Block B’s situation within the K-pop environment mirrors that of the young protagonists– Caussat, Colin, and Bruel– of Vigo’s film.

“Zero For Conduct” the film is about three young French boys who hatch a plan to start a rebellion in their strict school. It involves all manner of playful plans and schemes. It plays as a critique of French society so stuck to their rules and authority that they have lost all meaning of fun. Similarly, “Zero For Conduct” the song is about the K-pop industry. Bastarz make fun of boys who prance around in makeup while still trying to be macho. Both parties are criticizing the systems they are stuck in; they are starting revolutions within the system.

You could say that all revolutions happen within the systems they are striking against, yet the particular settings of the school and K-pop world are particularly personal.

In Vigo’s films, the three protagonists’ lives are portrayed completely through school. The only times they are not on school grounds are when riding on the train on their way to school or on a walk around the town with their class and teacher. They spend all their time in an oppressive school so, naturally enough, they revolt.

If you are at all familiar with the life of a K-pop idol then you’ll know that this is not far from their lives. We always see idols on TV shows talking about their hectic schedules and how they have no time to rest. They go from recording an album to learning choreography to performing on shows to promoting their album to radio shows and so much more. It sounds like an oppressive situation, yet all are there by choice. What if they aren’t really though? What if the only way to get your music out to an audience is to be a part of an idol group? Which brings us on to the true author of this song, Zico.

With his solo work, producing work, and appearances on “Show Me The Money,” Zico seems like a man wanting to get back to his roots. Along with this “Zero For Conduct” is his call for revolution. He’s sick of the exhausting idol lifestyle. He’s sick of the pretty boys, the endless practicing, and the scolding agencies. According to him, “playing on stage without manners is the answer.” It’s time to take things a little less seriously in order to rebuild the system. This way, Zico’s work could go back to being as he originally intended, the work of the underground.

Also on KultScene: Dead Buttons Brings Classic Rock ‘N’ Roll Sounds To Seoul [INTERVIEW]

This line from the Bastarz song also brings up some more similarities. The film, being about children, naturally contains many scenes of childish behaviour which becomes quite absurd at times. This sense of fun is included in the song through the visuals. P.O jumps around like a giant child. He wears dungarees and pirate hats and pulls all manner of ridiculous poses. He seems to be mocking the fashion and dance obsessed boys in other groups. There’s a nonchalance to his body language on and off stage that might look like a lack of commitment but is really just comfort in doing what he know he can do.

Using the visual is just as important, if not more, as the lyric to make a point in pop culture. To me, it’s clear again here that Bastarz are criticising the system they are in the middle of. There’s also an acknowledgment of the hypocrisy implicit in this. Bastarz and Zico can criticize K-pop all they like but they remain a part of the machine. To show their awareness of this they did not completely subvert the K-pop visual. The members still wear a lot of makeup. In some places it’s actually really heavy makeup suggesting they are happy to let us see it clearly, perhaps letting us know that they are aware of these rules that they must still follow.

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Hypocrisy is something that Vigo is quite aware of as well within his system. In one scene, the headmaster of the school is giving out about a boy saying something to the effect of, “I heard that they were disciplined for child-like behaviour.” When children are not allowed to behave like children, then some kid somewhere will try to change that. Yet the very fact that they are a child going up against those in power means that things won’t ever really change. They may make a dent, make themselves known for their courage, but the system always wins. Zico and Bastarz probably know this. That won’t stop them though. They will continue with music that is fun as hell and have as much fun as they can while doing it.

What do you think of both the Zero For Conducts? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.

Dead Buttons Brings Classic Rock ‘N’ Roll Sounds To Seoul [INTERVIEW]

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Dead Buttons KultScene InterviewRock ‘n’ roll is alive and well when it comes to Dead Buttons, the Seoul-based duo classic rock band comprised of guitarist Hong Ji Hyun and drummer Lee Kang Hee. Mixing genres, Dead Buttons is a bit of classic rock meets punk meets blues and one of the best rock bands in Seoul today.

I had the chance to sit down with Dead Buttons earlier this summer to discuss their music, what they’ve been up to, their influences, and why they’re drunk on stage but not in the recording studio.

It’s so nice to meet you. Can you please introduce Dead Buttons to KultScene’s audience.
We play rock ‘n’ roll, and we’re from South Korea. Yea. We’re just a two piece band. We started playing together in 2012. First we were a three piece band. We had two bassists, but one quit, and then the other quit again. We’ve been two pieces for eleven month.

How did you pick the name?
HJH: I liked dead Kennedy and dead weather so I put the word dead, and the word button doesn’t mean anything.

How do you feel your music has grown since you don’t have a bassist anymore?
We can try more styles, new kinds, [without a bassist] because we were like a punk band but now we’re changing; psychedelic, rock ‘n’roll, now we can do everything, we’re not limited. I think that the instrument and player doesn’t matter. We don’t have a bassist, but we have bass. We care about the person who play music, but I think there’s a better chance at working together if we’re just two, face to face. We’re able to work better.

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What type of rock ‘n’ roll music are you doing nowadays?
Classic rock, punk rock, pop rock, We don’t define our genres because we want to do all the things we like. We do all kinds of rock. Right now we’re making a kind of reggae tune. We don’t mind [different] genres.

What kind of music do you two like when you’re looking for inspiration?
Too much. Even classical music, yea.

When you two want to make a new song, what do you do.
Jamming, mostly.

What was going to England twice like?
Cool -laughs-

How was it going to England to play, in comparison to Seoul?
It’s very similar within the UK and Korea. Because in UK, there is indie music too like there is in Korea, and it’s also not pretty popular. You have to do something, like if you want to be a popular band you need some media promotion. But we don’t do it like this. We need much experience, so we go to the UK and we hope to have our first tour in Korea, and also go to maybe Japan and Europe. We need much experience to be popular and to be a good band.

Actually, we love traveling so that’s part of it.

How often do you perform in Korea? How is it different playing in Korea versus overseas?
We play in Seoul once or twice a week. Actually, when we played in the U.K, K-pop fans came. I don’t know why they like us, but actually they start liking “K-pop” but they just like “Korean.” They like us because we’re Korean. K-pop, like “Gangnam Style” or the idol music, it’s popular because they have money. We’re not popular because we don’t have money.

We don’t want people to care where we come from, because we are musicians. Nobody cares about that. So, as Koreans, K-pop scene is really different to us.

So you guys want to transcend being Korean musicians and just be musicians?
We’re Korean but we’re musicians in the world.

How do you think the international audience sees you?
When we were on stage the first time, the audience is curious about us to see what kind of music we’ll play. But we don’t play K-pop, so they’re interested to see what else Korea has to offer. Most foreign people don’t have an idea about Korean band music. Even Korea [doesn’t have an idea about Korean band music.] So like it’s a fresh thing to the audience.

What’s the audience like here?
Usually, half the audience knows us already and half is new to us.

You’ve been playing together for two years and you’ve been abroad a lot. What’s the reaction to that here? Like, is that normal for indie bands here to go abroad or are you up and coming?
It’s pretty common. The Korean audience, after we go abroad, they get curious, they want to see what the international audience is looking. When they come to look at us afterwards, we have to grab their attention. We have this chance and do many gigs to attract the curious audience.

What makes Dead Buttons unique?
I don’t know, we’re fat? -laughter- We’re free? We’re not really the same or different from anyone else, we just have to play our music because we like listening to our music. Other bands, they’re doing some really tight music because they have to make this music to make money so all of their practices and gigs, they do tightly in order to make music. We’re more relaxed, we perform every time drunk.

Does any of your music get made sober? When you record, are you drunk or sober?
Actually, I think we were drunk when we recorded our EP. Oh wait, no, I ate chocolate instead. I was really tired. I was really fucked up because of a lot caffeine, I just drank Monster [energy drink] after Monster. We recorded five hours in one day because we don’t have money, so we had to focus a lot. We weren’t drunk because of that. But very high on caffeine.
Our album music is so fast because we were so high. We sing slower in person than our album version of our songs.

I know that you guys are working with Baltic? How did that happen?
First, two years ago at Zandari Festa 2013, a Baltic Records rep came to Korea and saw our gig. So they invited us to the UK, and then again last year at ZF, we were asked to release the album in the UK. So we released it two months ago, and we were in the UK for that.

[Dead Buttons will also be performing at this year’s Zandari Festa.]

What was that like releasing an album in the UK?
It’s just digital, we don’t have a CD. It’s funny because it’s on iTunes, but Korea doesn’t have iTunes service so I couldn’t listen. There’s a big difference between being on iTunes or not being on iTunes in Korea, though.

How did you two meet?
A friend introduced us, who was looking for a drummer. We were drunk, and blacked out, and the next day we woke up to text messages “Hey, we made a band! Let’s practice.” We had drunk like ten bottles of soju on a rainy day, so we can’t remember. We don’t remember forming the band.


You said you were working on reggae tunes, what else?
We’re working close to root music, more bluesy and more energetic punk rock, like Detroit Garage style. It’s more relaxed music. We’re playing to enjoy.

When you’re on stage performing, how much of it is improvisation?
We don’t speak when we’re on stage, we just play and play. Actually, we’re not really good at speaking. When we’re drinking, we speak a lot, but when we’re playing, it’s so different. We really love drinking, and traveling, and being with a lot of friends.

What city would you want to play in?
Cuba and Jamaica.

So you guys like the Caribbean?
In the summer, we want to play in Alaska, and in the winter we want to play in East Asia, the hottest place. In the Korea, summer is too humid and Korea is so cold.

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How often do you play in other cities, or do you stay in Hongdae?
Just 4, 5 times a year. 90% of Korean bands are in Hongdae. We like touring, so we plan to go to other cities and see the local scenes but Korea doesn’t have the local scenes. This isn’t even really a local scene. In Daejeon, there is just one band, Burning Hepburn. They’re really cool.

In Jeonju, there used to be the hardcore scene with the MF Crew. Do you know 13 Steps? A lot of the bands from Jeonju though came to Seoul and just disappeared. There’s no audience.

What do you think is your audience for rock ‘n roll?
I think that in the world, rock ‘n roll is the most popular music in the world. Everyone listens to rock, but in Korea rock ‘n roll bands aren’t so popular.

What do you want people to think when they listen to Dead Buttons?
“[It’s] Noisy, what is this, what the f**k, this is so loud, what are they saying?” Korean people don’t really have an idea about rock music. Because popular music is K-pop style. Maybe they call us death metal or hardcore, without really knowing what that is. But we’re retro rock.

Do you guys have any favorite classic rock bands?
HJH: I grew up up with Eagle FM, the US army radio station, so Pink Floyd, Muse, Rolling Stones, Nirvana. Too many.
LKH: I grew up in Paragauy and grew up with Argentina and Brazil’s MTV, so I knew music. I grew up with Green Day, Linkin Park. I moved in 2007.

Do you guys want to go overseas more?
We hope to go to the US but we don’t have a chance yet. We have to have a chance to go to SXSW. Everyone says that it’s hard for indie bands in Korea because it’s Korea, but it’s like that for rock ‘n’ roll bands all over the world. Pop and R&B are big nowadays, and rock is less popular.

What are you guys working on now?
We’re preparing to release a full album this year, we’re recording in August or September. Our producer is the Crying Nut keyboardist, and we’re recording in their studio.

Do you like Dead Buttons’ sound and style? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and be sure to subscribe to the site and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr to keep up with all of our posts.