#seoul techno

[akudamalive]

Akudama - Seoul, ROK - 2023 shot by Evi Neva - edit by Akudama

[dark-rob]

[anokha-swad]

Seoul The Soloist: 'Himalayan Ambient' (2023)

[stardust-bridges]

Club Furies Premiere: Linear System - Geodestic Lines [Artscope]

Originario de Costa Rica, Linear System inició su proyecto de música techno en el 2020, afincado en el norte de España, centrado en la directriz hipnótica de dicha música. Linear System desarrolla una firma única en sus pistas, mezclando fuertes líneas de bajo, ambientes de ciencia ficción, atmósferas frías y ritmos chamánicos. Su música ya está estampada en sellos bien afianzados en la escena…

[intoxicatingimmediacy]

clipping. – “Run It”

Give clipping. credit: The Daveed Diggs-fronted noise-rap trio was way ahead of the curve on remaking J-Kwon’s “Tipsy.” Three years ago, clipping. did their own version of “Tipsy,” the 2004 J-Kwon party-rap classic, for our very own ’00s covers compilation Save Stereogum. Earlier this year, clipping. gave a wide release to their cover. The next thing we all knew, “Tipsy” formed the spine of Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” one of this year’s biggest hits. Today, clipping. have a new single. I don’t know how any ascendant country-pop stars will take inspiration from this one, but maybe they’ll find a way. Right now, clipping. are working on following 2020’s Visions Of Bodies Being Burned the second in their horror-inspired two-album series, with a new project that has rap and cyberpunk overtones. That new record will be out next year, and they’ve just shared an early taste with “Run It,” which is not a Chris Brown cover. Instead, it’s a fast, physical rap attack. On “Run It,” Daveed Diggs goes into athletic overdrive, rapping over a pulshing, clanking, extremely fast beat from his bandmates Jonathan Snipes and William Hutson. The track’s smears of digital noise sometimes cohere into Detroit techno riffs. This is a good one — a track that keeps all the prickly intensity of clipping.’s music without getting so extreme that you couldn’t play it on your headphones while you’re on the treadmill. In the quick-cut Lawrence Klein-directed video, secret agents tail clipping. through DC, Berlin, Prague, New Delhi, Bangkok, and Seoul, on some Jason Bourne/Carmen Sandiego shit.

[armpirate]

The Only One || JJK || Ch. 1

Pairings: mafia!jk x fem!reader

Genre: smut, angst, mafia, contract relationship

Warnings: Prostitution, torture, blood, use of drugs and weapons

Summary: You've always wished for a better life. Every single day at work, you were hoping something would change. Although you didn't think that change would come in the form of one mysterious man and a contract.

His controlling and selfish behaviour only wanted to keep you away from any other man that wasn't him, and you only had to wait for him.

Too bad you really thought you'd be smarter than Jeon Jungkook.

Previous || Next

MASTERLIST

Seoul, South Korea. 02:23 am

Over the techno music, drowned by the thick walls separating the nightclub from the basement, the dry and hollow sound of the wooden bat against the stomach and chest of the man collapsing on the floor echoed between the four walls.

—Take it like a good girl —gasped a masculine, yet sweet voice—. Now tell me where's my money.

—I don't know —the old man lying on the floor cried, while raising his hands—. I promise I don't know.

—So you can't give Jeon's money back, yet you're paying 800,000 wons to get your cock sucked? —the military boots fly to the man's chubby chest.

—Gil —the pain he was going through was almost palpable through his cracked voice—. Nam Gil. He was the one in charge of the distribution.

—I don't give a fuck who was in charge of the distribution —the brunette yelled, grabbing the almost unconscious man by the collar—. You're the one who's in control of what your boys do, and that includes Nam Gil. If one of your boys loses our money, you're the one making up for it.

—Don't tell Jeon —the middle aged man sounded desperate—, please. I'll get the money. I will —his pupils were shaking while trying to convince the man in front of him—. Please —he sobbed—. I will do whatever you want.

—Oh, whatever he wants?

Nobody needed to actually see him, the tone and sound of his voice made everyone go quiet. The tension was palpable as soon as everyone recognized his deep melodic voice, sharper than the different knives aligned on the table.

He appeared through the darkness, imposing his heavy presence over everyone in the room, as if everything that was going on just a few seconds ago was a child's play. Things were serious now that he was there.

—What were you willing to do, Min Joon? —he questions, raising one of his eyebrows— Were you trying to make my men betray me?

—No, oh my god, no —he shook his head, replying with a trembling voice—. I just need time, Jeon. Please.

—But you got time, didn't you? —Jungkook grabbed his jaw, forcing the man to look at him— You got time, and from what I see you also got some of the money. Used it for something better, I see.

—I'm sorry. I'm sorry —he kept repeating.

—I know you are —his expression softened for one second—. I'm sure you regret it, and you are more than ready to work again to make this all up.

—Yes, sir —the old man was close to breaking in whimpers and sobs.

—Give me the towel —Jungkook ordered one of his men.

—Wha...

—Give me the fucking towel —he raised his voice.

The change in his voice, from soft to rough, made everyone jump and remember who they were dealing with. The younger of them rushed to grab the white towel and hand it to their boss, whose expression was again neutral.

Giving the tied man a small smile, he started cleaning the blood that was coming out of his rounded big nose. He was gentle, calm, cleaning everything and making Min Joon relax. It's like he was sure Jungkook wouldn't lay a hand on him after his promises.

—So, Nam Gil? —Jungkook asked, stepping back again and throwing the towel somewhere in the room— He's the man I should be looking for.

Min Joon nodded fast, stuttering on his words while trying to answer vocally.

—He works for you, right? —Jungkook waited for the old man to nod so he could continue— He lives with his family in Guryong, doesn't he? —Min Joon nodded again— Hmm. Horrible ass tattoo on his leg?

The tied man then understood what was going on, there was no hope for him because they already caught the person he was willing to snitch on to be free. He saw Jungkook taking a plastic bag out of his pocket, before he threw something to his naked leg. When he lowered his eyes, he saw the tattooed skin layer of Nam Gil, shining under the lights because of the blood and the fresh cuts.

His breathing stopped when he realized what happened. Lungs totally closed, with his heart racing faster than it ever did while Jungkook's eyes were radiating with the most sadistic ideas.

—It's so funny —he commented—. Before shitting on himself while being flayed alive, he mentioned you were trying to hide the merch to make more money out of it —Jungkook scoffed.

Grabbing the man by the sideburns, he forced him to look at his eyes. Jungkook slicked his tongue through his front teeth, smiling before he pulled away.

—I didn't want to scare you, Joon —he apologized, moving his hands to his shoulders—. But you do understand that these guys right here respecting me depends on you respecting me. And if you don't respect me, you need to face the consequences —his pierced eyebrow raised again—. I promise I don't want to do this, but I have to.

Jungkook finally stood up, looking at the man lying clumsily on the chair, desperate to keep the balance. Lifting two of his fingers, he signaled one of his men to walk towards him.

—Let's give our guest a lesson for free —his dark eyes went down to Min Joon again—. See? Not only I'm letting you live, but I'm also reminding you things you should already know, without having to pay a thing —he tilted his head—. What should you say?

—Th... Th... —the man shook his head, trying to clear himself and manage to let the words leave his thin lips properly—. Thank you, Jeon —he gulped the thick knot on his throat.

—You're welcome —getting ready to leave the place, he turned to Min Joon again—. I want the merch and the penalty in less than twenty-four hours —turning to the man with long hair, he smiled—. Do you have his food?

The long haired man drew a sided and twisted smile slowly, just to nod and assure his boss that everything was under control.

Turning around, Jungkook made his way out through the dark alley, where a black Audi e-tron GT was waiting for him. The tall muscular man opened the door for him as soon as Jungkook's shade in the distance turned into his clear figure walking towards him with a pissed off face.

He had better things to do than dealing with bullshit like this.

As he got in the car, his phone started ringing in his pocket. And it didn't take him long to guess who could it be.

—Jimin, you better have good news.

—Why so serious, Kook? —mocked the masculine voice on the other side.

The silence in his car only made Jimin sigh and mutter a low "Fine", giving in to what Jungkook wanted from him: an update on the negotiation.

—Remember Pedro Montes? —Jungkook rolled his eyes at the name.

—What about him?

—He's in charge of absolutely everything that happens here: drugs, gambling... He has a lot of contacts, but he said he'll only accept if you're the one he directly talks to.

—Me? Why me? —he frowned— You're there in representation of our team.

—He said something like "getting the man of Korea out of Korea" —Jimin scoffed—. He won't sit for negotiations if it's not with you. He was pretty clear with that.

After winning a spot in Marseilles, where they worked closely with other European mafias, Spain was the only place they were craving to get a spot in -moving constantly from the south to the north, until they thought they found a place in a small island located at the north-east of the Peninsula.

And it seems like it won't be enough with Jimin being there this time.

✸ ✸ ✸

Palma de Mallorca, Spain. 07:23 pm

That time of the year in Mallorca was one of the best for her. The weather wasn't too cold, but it wasn't too hot either. It was the perfect balance between the two extremes. It wasn't that full of tourists either, which made the island accessible and enjoyable for a few more weeks before tourists started raining there.

She also loved every bit of that time of the year because it allowed her to walk everywhere, without worrying about the rain or or the sweat coating her body because of the hotness -there was nothing worse than feeling that sticky liquid, and the fabric humid under her armpit after an hour of being outside.

Y/n carried the bag on her back after a grocery shopping day that got it filled with different things. And, as she crossed the bridge and entered Son Gotleu (1), she realized how living in this neighborhood was never part of her plans. It was her day to day thought, every single time she came here from work or grocery shopping. It hit her how that was her reality after seven years.

As deeper in the neighborhood she got, the harder the smell of parched pee was -mixed with the smell of pot that came from the group of dealers sitting in a bench while waiting for the night to come. The deeper she walked into the neighborhood, the more she remembered why she stayed here despite having the resources to leave and cross the pont.

She entered the communal courtyard of the old block, seeing the same old ladies of every day peeking their heads out of the balconies.

—Coming from work? —asked one of them, raising her voice.

—No, I'm coming from doing some shopping, but I'm leaving again soon —Y/n trumpeted, walking up the stairs as fast as she was able to.

The old ladies started talking between them again, something that only made her smile because it was quite a usual thing for them. Checking who came and left, and discussing the vast amount of possibilities of where that person came from or where they were heading to.

It used to bother Y/n. Until she realized all these people had nothing better to do. They barely were able to leave their homes, strutting around the neighborhood was something that didn't cross anyone's mind -especially when it was already dark.

—Oh, you're back —the old man smiled wide when he heard the door.

—Yup, but not for too long —she made her way to where he was.

When she crossed the double door to the living room, she found Jorge sitting in his corner on the couch, watching one of those cowboy movies that were only played around this time of the day.

—I bought your pills —she informed him, bringing things out of the back—, the baking soda for Carla's experiment, those cookies you like and some vegetables. Don't eat those cookies in one sitting —she warned him.

He smiled wide as he was handed the cardboard box, kissing the young girl's forehead before he went back to the couch.

Jorge was like a father to her when he collected her from the streets. He looked after her, while he was able to. That's why now that he was in such a critical state because of a heart attack he had two years ago, she didn't doubt on helping him the same way he helped her -and it was the same way for Carla, Jorge's teen granddaughter.

They were the only family she's had in the -almost- past decade.

Five minutes later, she was heading out of the building again to take the bus to her workplace. Ready for a new day, or at least she was psyching up on the idea that she was ready for whatever could happen that night. That was part of her job, never knowing what she could come upon.

As the bus crossed the same bridge she crossed just fifteen minutes earlier, she saw the contrast clearer. And she could only wish all the effort she was making would put her, Carla and Jorge on the other side as well. One step forward to a better life.

Another reason why she loved that weather so much... She could wear a jacket, and put the hood on to hide her face and hair as she was getting closer to her workplace. She was able to hide that she was getting into one of the most known brothels in Mallorca. Because working one hour away from home by bus would never be enough to hide what she was doing there.

Nobody would know it was a whorehouse if they saw it while passing by. When you first get in, it seems like the typical bar, but when you go downstairs... That's the reality of that place. Girls swaying her hips on pools, surrounded by men in heat fighting for who runs faster to book the best girl in that place.

Portals Nous gave the establishment some caché, most of the clients were rich assholes desperate to get their dicks wet without their wives knowing, but there were also average men that were willing to spend half of their salaries in just two nights.

That was the reality, her reality.

1*: One of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Mallorca. 

Taglist: @kaiparkerwifes @sheylamc

[thewarmestplacetohide]

<3 your blog! trying to watch more international films and i know there's some classics from Asia. do you have any recs for Asian horror

thank you!!

here are my favorite Asian horror films (note: a lot of these contain triggering content, so please do research beforehand if that's an issue):

Japan

ゴジラ/Godzilla (1954; creature feature, science fiction): US nuclear testing off the coast of Japan creates a giant lizard creature that rampages through Tokyo

藪の中の黒猫/Kuroneko (1968; ghosts): a woman and her daughter-in-law come back as vengeful spirits after they're murdered by samurai

ハウス/House (1977; horror comedy, ghosts): a group of schoolgirls visit a haunted mansion

天使のたまご/Angel's Egg (1985; dark fantasy, surrealist, animated): in a ruined world, a young girl cares for a giant egg

吸血鬼(バンパイア)ハンターD/Vampire Hunter D (1985; vampires, animated): when a woman is betrothed to a vampire, she hires a vampire hunter in an attempt to escape

アキラ/Akira (1988; science fiction, animated): 31 years after a nuke was dropped on Tokyo, a young man tries to save his friend from government experiments

鉄男/Testuo: The Iron Man (1989; techno horror, body horror): a man finds his flesh is cursed to turn to iron

パーフェクトブルー/Perfect Blue (1997; psychological horror, animated): a pop star is driven mad by a stalker

リング/Ring (1998; techno horror, ghosts): a videotape curses anyone who watches it to die in seven days

オーディション/Audition (1999; psychological thriller): a widower auditioning women to be his new wife makes a deadly choice

バトル・ロワイアル/Battle Royale (2000; science fiction, psychological thriller): a group of students are put on an island and told to slaughter each other

回路/Pulse (2001; techno horror, ghosts): a group of young people in Tokyo discover a website that claims to show you ghosts

殺し屋１/Ichi the Killer (2001; psychological thriller, slasher): a sadomasochistic Yakuza enforcer goes on a rampage

仄暗い水の底から/Dark Water (2002; ghosts): a divorced mother and her young daughter move into a haunted apartment building

ノロイ/Noroi: The Curse (2005; occult, found footage): a paranormal investigator tries to tie together a series of supernatural events

シン・ゴジラ/Shin Godzilla (2016; creature feature, science fiction): a giant lizard kaiju attacks Tokyo

カメラを止めるな!/One Cut of the Dead (2017; horror comedy, zombies): people making a cheap zombie flick find themselves in the middle of a real zombie outbreak

South Korea

올드보이/Oldboy (2003; psychological thriller): after being imprisoned in a room for fifteen years, a man hunts down the ones responsible

괴물/The Host (2006; creature feature, science fiction): a monster made when American chemicals were spilled into the Han River emerges to attack a community

박쥐/Thirst (2009; vampires): a Catholic priest is turned into a vampire by a blood transfusion

악마를 보았다/I Saw the Devil (2010; psychological thriller): a man goes on a brutal revenge mission after the murder of his wife

늑대소년/A Werewolf Boy (2012; werewolves, dark fantasy): a girl moves to a country home, where she befriends a strange, feral boy

부산행/Train to Busan (2016; zombies): a zombie plague breaks out on a train

서울역/Seoul Station (2016; zombies, animated): a zombie plague breaks out at a train station; companion film to Train to Busan

아가씨/The Handmaiden (2016; psychological thriller): a woman hired to be a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress plans to defraud her

곤지암/Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018; ghosts, found footage): a group of influencers livestream themselves exploring a supposedly haunted institution

#살아있다/#Alive (2020; zombies): a young man is trapped in his apartment during a zombie outbreak

Hong Kong

殭屍先生/Mr. Vampire (1985; horror comedy, vampires): a Taoist priest must fight jiangshi that descend upon a village

餃子/Dumplings (2004; psychological thriller): a woman obsessed with staying young eats dumplings stuffed with strange meat

維多利亞壹號/Dream Home (2010; slasher): a woman goes on a killing spree to get her dream apartment

India

Bhoot/Ghost (2003; ghosts): a Mumbai businessman and his wife move into a haunted flat

Ek Thi Daayan/Once There was a Witch (2013; supernatural horror): a magician seeks protection from a witch who has haunted him since childhood

Tumbbad (2018; dark fantasy, occult): a father and son seek treasure in a castle inhabited by an evil god

Bulbbul (2020; dark fantasy): the village of a child bride, now grown, is attacked by a chudail

Indonesia

Pengabdi Setan/Satan's Slaves (2017; occult): a woman returns from the dead to haunt her children (this is a remake of a film from the 80s, which i have not yet seen)

Sebelum Iblis Menjemput/May the Devil Take You (2018; occult): a woman and her step-family visit her sick father's old home in search of what ails him

Iran

دختری در شب تنها به خانه می‌رود/A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014; vampires): a vampire targets a small Iranian town, attacking men who mistreat women (technically an American production)

زیر سایه/Under the Shadow (2016; occult): during the War of the Cities, a woman and her young daughter are haunted by djinns

Thailand

ชัตเตอร์ กดติดวิญญาณ/Shutter (2004; ghosts): a man begins capturing strange figures in his camera

Turkey

Baskin (2015; occult, dark fantasy, surrealist): a group of police officers discover a gateway to hell

Taiwan

哭悲/The Sadness (2021; bio horror): a virus spreads through Taipei, compelling all who are infected to commit the worst crimes they can imagine

[transgenderuwo]

someday I gotta write a piece on techno-orientalism aka cyberpunk aesthetics. because every time without fail if some AAA or equivalent media wants to depict an incidentally neon-lit capitalistic hellscape future, it ALWAYS comes with the racism. it ALWAYS comes with VAs railroaded into only doing awkward "non-native speaker" accents (and if said VAs are asian, they are immigrants who learned english young enough to have a more "natural" accent, so the accent they're made to do is even more awkward and inauthentic). ALWAYS the dialogue is written by people who have no idea what it's like to be an immigrant or non-native speaker, never incorporating any loanwords they might have picked up from their parents speaking a different language. never any pidgin grammar, never any spoken sense of identity. always a pale-skinned fetish doll from the setting's equivalents to tokyo, HK and coastal south china, MAYBE seoul or singapore. always a person who just speaks their ancestral language like it's nothing, seasons their dialogue with full sentences of shoehorned, surface-level buddhist phrases or whatever, to immediately be translated for the exotica factor. never a hint of any asian directors in the VA booth, in the writer's room, in concept art or in any place other than tiny footnotes in the credits roll. never any asians brought on to meaningfully incorporate asian cultures, practices, and people into the world and story.

always an asian name that's easily pronouncable to midwestern white teenage boys who have never seen an asian person face-to-face, names too common and generic to feel meaningful to the character and-or slapdash haphazardries that are conspicuously incongruent with asian naming traditions. always a culture just assimilated enough to not be "too weird" yet still unassimilated enough to be the exotic erotic. always a culture that's implicitly, inherently erotic, never just one of many sorts of people who just happen to exist.

and always we're forced to populate these worlds like vermin, that we are a wretched, abhorrent sort of pest that affirms white-supremacist replacement theories. the world is always littered with reminders of us being an overpopulated Other, and we are all personally held as culprits for some societal collapse we all must have been responsible for. we're depicted as sexy lamp decor beside transhumanism, but without fail, our humanity is curiously absent from the picture. everyone wants to do what blade runner did, but no one wants to wrestle with what blade runner is still doing.

[aliceofwound]

https://soundcloud.com/holger-peddersson/sets/01_demo_live-dj-mix_2024?si=ffed1cef83bc4a21a9007e6b6da0feaa&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing 

#housemusic #deephousemusic #housemusiclovers #techhousemusic #housemusicallnightlong #ilovehousemusic #housemusicdj #housemusicfamily #housemusiclover #futurehousemusic #progressivehousemusic #realhousemusic #housemusicalllifelong #housemusicforever #undergroundhousemusic #soulfulhousemusic #basshousemusic #afrohousemusic #techousemusic #chicagohousemusic #electrohousemusic #housemusicsavedmylife #housemusicproducer #classichousemusic #housemusicforlife #lovehousemusic #housemusicculture #housemusicparty #tropicalhousemusic #housemusic4life #techno #dj #music #ibiza #techhouse #party #house #housemusic #electronicmusic #spain #dance #rave #instagood producer #underground #techno #music #berlin #dj #rave #party #love #techhouse #house #festival #germany #electronicmusic #technomusic #deephouse #dance #housemusic #club #instagood #friends #electro #summer #producer #fun #photography #happy #djlife #hamburg #art #technogirl #openair #techno #music #rave #sweden #dj #technomusic #stockholm #party #housemusic #love #dance #underground #acid #festival #slakthuset #technoculture #house #undergroundtechno #synth #industrialtechno #psytrance #nightlife #technolife #dancemusic #psychedelic #gothenburg #beatport #ravers #deeptechno #life #mixcloud#techno #dj #music #ibiza #techhouse #party #house #housemusic #electronicmusic #spain #dance #rave #instagood producer #underground #techno #music #berlin #dj #rave #party #love #techhouse #house #festival #germany #electronicmusic #technomusic #deephouse #dance #housemusic #club #instagood #friends #electro #summer #producer #fun #photography #happy #djlife #hamburg #art #technogirl #openair#techno #singapore #housemusic #clubbing #dj #progressivehouse #asia #edm #music #musicislife #djlife #dancemusic #dance #futurehouse #tokyo #deephouse #outfit #indoclubbing #happiness #technology #夜生活 #instagood #sherpa #melody #electrohouse #tech #夜店 #house #seoul #partytime https://soundcloud.com/holger-peddersson/sets/01_demo_live-dj-mix_2024?si=ffed1cef83bc4a21a9007e6b6da0feaa&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

[bandhyukoh]

[Interview Magazine] “A Happy, Smelly Vibe”: One Night in Seoul with Hyukoh and Sunset Rollercoaster

This interview belongs to Interview Magazine. November 8, 2024. By Lily Kwak. Photographed by Dasom Han.

If you’re leading a mob of 40 people into the heart of Taipei, you might be a tour guide. Or you might be on tour with the indie bands Hyukoh and Sunset Rollercoaster, who’ve just hypnotized their fans in back-to-back sold out shows in Seoul and Taipei. To celebrate the occasion, the motley crew partied at a local dive bar called The Fucking Place. “I almost got PTSD,” says Sunset Rollercoaster frontman Kuo-Hung Tseng. 

But Kuo and Hyukoh frontman Oh Hyuk’s true fantasies lie somewhere in the mountains of indigenous Cambodia, where they shapeshift into punk rock martians armed with saxophones, accordions, and electric autoharps. Their collaborative psychedelic album, AAA, is the result of a 4-year hiatus that began as a jam session and blossomed into an eight-piece showstopper that dreams in three languages, Wong Kar Wai aesthetics, mandopop, Colombian street style, and much more. On Zoom last month, the two frontmen revealed the sources of their eclectic style, their drinking and listening habits on the road, and the reason why Kuo is dying to get back to Bangkok. 

KWAK: Where are you both calling from?

KUO: I’m calling from China.

OH: From Seoul. 

KWAK: What’s your favorite neighborhood in Seoul?

OH: There’s one area called Yeonhui. A lot of people know about Hongdae. But nowadays, it’s kind of touristic, so all the cute good shops moved to this one area called Yeonnam, [on the] south side of Hongdae. And then “hui” means west. So it’s just west of Yeonnam. 

KWAK: Okay, nice. So you’ve just ran the home bases, Seoul and Taipei, which were both sold out in massive venues. How does that feel?  

OH: Feeling really good. We never toured the last four years, so I was a little nervous, but somehow it’s going well. I’m super happy about it. 

KWAK: Do you have any memorable fan interactions from the last two cities?

OH: I remember one lady wrote down something and kept showing me. She wrote, “Please give me your guitar pick.” So I tried to throw it to her, but it kind of failed. So I don’t know what happened after that.

KUO: I remember that moment. You need a special angle to make sure the pick can rotate and fly long enough.

KWAK: You have 10 people making up both of your bands and 45 people on the tour list. Do you guys have family dinners? Does it feel like summer camp? What’s the vibe? 

KUO: I almost got PTSD from the end of this hangout with a huge group of people. I remember when we finished a Taipei show, I tried to take everybody to an underground techno club. It’s called Pawn Shop, but they have a really strict policy to do the security check and everything, so I wasn’t sure how to manage taking everybody to that kind of club. In the end, we just went to another dive bar called The Fucking Place.

OH: Everyone was drunk and smoking inside. It’s kind of a happy, smelly vibe.

KUO: It’s exactly the same as when you go to a Korean barbecue and you’ll have a lot of smoke from the barbecue. 

KWAK: I love that. It’s very Korea: eat, drink, and smoke. What have you learned about each other since starting the tour?

KUO: We’re definitely around the same mental age, but physically my body age is around 37 and the whole KO members, their body age is around 30. So after 3AM I’ll feel like “Shit, I cannot catch up anymore.” 

KWAK: Do you have any pre-show rituals? 

KUO: We’ll have a shot together.

KWAK: What are you drinking?

KUO: Some people drink Jane, some people drink whiskey.

OH: Something strong.

KWAK: When you first met each other, it started out as a jam session and then it became this eight-piece album. What aspects of each other’s work did you gravitate towards when you first met? 

KUO: I would say we never set up a goal or separate works like that. For example, some people prepare a demo, some people write a melody. We just go in there and try to have some fun and everybody just naturally finds their position. When we’re jamming, some people are trying to work on a bigger picture and some people are just having their own good time strumming really loud guitar chords and not giving a shit. But even like that, the music’s still good, so I think it’s pretty fun.

KWAK: Your album covers and music videos are so absorbing. You guys appear like indigenous mountain dwellers in one image and extraterrestrial beings in another. What was your ideation process behind that? 

OH: The album cover from last year, there’s one guy called Chanhee and there’s a group called Balming Tiger from Korea. So me and Chanhee worked on this AI image. In total, we made almost 157 images. So there’s the main cover and then the vinyl cover, which is a little bit different, and both made from these weird AI images.

KWAK: I also loved the sticky side buns that’s in one of your music videos. It reminded me of a Mexican film I watched a couple years ago called I’m No Longer Here. They have a very similar vibe, but I’m wondering where the inspiration came from for you.

OH: Actually, it’s that movie.

KUO: Bingo! 

OH: Yeah, bingo. I watched it like, I don’t know, like 20, 21 something. And at the time I’m really into this kind of big baggy pants and then a really small hoodie, this kind of outfit. And then after I watched this movie, I felt really interesting about this Colombian style music and also people who listen to this kind of music, what they’re wearing. So we used a little bit for our styling. 

KWAK: Speaking of remixing different aesthetics, I watched a song you produced with IU using amapiano. Do you listen to Tyla? Her song Water is heavily inspired by amapiano.

OH: Yes, yes. 

KWAK: Do you fuck with her music?

OH: Tyla is super cool. She’s super cute and the music is really good. I saw she came to Seoul a couple weeks ago, but I missed it.

KWAK: I also want to ask about both of your personal styles. How would you describe it in a few words?

KUO: I’m still kind of nerdy, but I’m in my late thirties now, so my [version of] nerdy getting a little bit expensive. I’m nerdy, but trying to wearing a Rolex as well. I’m trying to integrate luxury items into my daily, nerdy, trolling vibe and make something expensive into something funny.

KWAK: Like satire. 

KUO: Yeah, satire. It’s Asian satire.

KWAK: What did you both grow up listening to? 

KUO: My approach was kind of weird because I grew up in a church in a Christian family and my mom worked with the YMCA. I was listening to Lincoln Park and Limp Bizkit and I was using a downloading app called Kaza. And I remember one teacher came to me and said, “Stop listening to this bullshit.” And so he started introducing me to Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles. He was a super white dude, but his eyes were red all the time.

KWAK: Who takes the aux when you’re between shows?

KUO: Usually all of us. 

OH: Kuo taught me a lot of new albums and new music but we don’t have much time to discover everything, so I’m listening to everything. For example, after the show one time we went to the Sunset’s music office and all listened to Gong Gong Gong together. And also Mong Tong and Primal Scream.

KWAK: What’s on your tour rider?

KUO: There’s a special Chinese medicine thing called Pei Pa Koa. It makes your throat really smooth and wet and it takes two months to make. So there’s a lot of Chinese medicine somewhere in between. Before the show we just make it with some hot water, stir it, and drink.

KWAK: Which songs are you most excited to perform? Which ones get the best reactions?

OH: To me, I think it’s always “Clair de Lune” and then “Kite War,” which is the very first track. 

KUO: Mine is “Citizen Kane,” for sure. Since I’m almost 37 now, it makes me feel young.

KWAK: Your songs are so romantic, by the way. They’re like love letters.

OH: Yes. 

KUO: I hate that. Just kidding.

KWAK: Where are you most looking forward to playing next?

OH: Japan.

KUO: Probably Thailand. I had a wedding in Ko Samui a few months ago and I went back to Bangkok and I just lost my wife’s jewelry in the restaurant. So that’s why I need to go to Bangkok.

[musicamundi]

TEST PRESS TUESDAY With a special guest @mihak_ from Seoul Korea 13th/December 9pm - 5am At: Shibuya Koara ¥1,000 (incl. 1drink) 2nd Tuesday of every month, a night of unreleased tracks, classics and future classic leaning towards underground, dance music. Starting with House, Techno, going more experimental as the day breaks. Guest DJs: Mihak MIDY Test Press Engineers: FLEDtokyo 果実 kubo_ken_1_low FledTokyo Sistaresista Incarnated Sound ■ Mihak [Livin'/from Seoul] 2009年にDJとして活動を始め、韓国・ソウルのローカルシーンで着実にハウスミュージックを追求しています。オールドスクールとフューチャーの間を行き来する魅力的なヴァイナルをピックアップし 繊細なミキシングがあなたを別次元に誘います。 現在はソウルのエレクトロニックミュージックシーンを代表するクラブ「LIVIN'」のレジデントDJ、さらにリアルディガーのためのクラブ "Odd "の音楽ディレクターを務めています。 Mihak started DJ career in 2009 and has been performing house music steadily at the local scene in Seoul. He picks up fascinating vinyl that go back and forth between the old school vibe and the future. Delicate mixing will take you to another level. He is currently the resident DJ of LIVIN’, one of the clubs representing the Seoul electronic music scene, and is the Music Director of "Odd", a club for real diggers. Venue: DJ BAR KOARA 〒150-0041 東京都渋谷区神南1-13-15 光立ビルB1F B1F Koritsu Build, 1-13-15 Jinnan, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0041 Tel : 03-6712-5050 https://www.koara-tokyo.com/ #housemusic #deephouse #techhouse #minimalhouse #electronicmusic #underground #dj #turntable #vinyl #record #nightclub #nightout #shibuya #tokyo ・・・ #Repost @testpresstuesday with @use.repost (DJ BAR KOARA) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmEVfx0ylhR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[akudamalive]

Akudama Self-Portrait #1 by Akudama GFX (2023) Seoul Nighttime Rooftop Manga Panel

[vitokdangerbox]

YOUNA - Melodic Techno & Progressive House DJ Mix 02 @ Korea, Seoul

[stardust-bridges]

Club Furies Premiere: Svarog - Eleven Km Per Second [Artscope]

One of our favorite and most beloved labels is back! It’s Artscope, based in Seoul, South Korea, led by Yohan Noh, who had been on hiatus for some time. And what a release they come back with. Svarog is one of the gods of Ukrainian mythology, the god of metal, the forger, and the god of fire. It is the stage name of Oleksa Moroz, a musician and DJ from Lviv (Ukraine). His sound is personal and…

[libratalks]

Reviewing films: "Return to Seoul" (2022) dir. Davy Chou

Letterboxd: @librafang. 3/5 ✩

Okay. I really wanted to like this film. There were moments throughout where I kept thinking: "oh okay... I'm actually into this!" or when I felt deeply moved, such as the scene where Yeon-Hee is in the car watching her friend speak to her biological father in Korean but she can't join in and actually have a conversation with her own father because of the language barrier. There are so many moments throughout this film where Ji-Min Park elevates the entire scene by just her acting alone (especially seeing as she had to act aggressively with just her facial expressions) and the dance montage has a sweet spot in my heart for how well she displayed her emotions through the movement of her body and expression, but there were so many moments where this film lacked clarity or direction. Perhaps that is the goal, for the entire narrative lies in the fact that she is directionless; she has been chasing something her entire life subconsciously and only realises once she visits Hammond Adoption Centre, only to be met with disappointment and the resurfacing of years of trauma.

It is a meticulously-planned and complex storyline that I adore, but I believe my expectations for the film ended up being detrimental to my conclusion for it. I believe I expected a film where the main character would've accepted her South Korean heritage with open arms, where she displayed a desire to know more of the culture and instead, found peace and drive within the embracing of her culture and the friends she came across... (I also wish we saw more of the turmoil we experience when she's rejected by her only friend in South Korea) and yet... nothing. So many plot holes, so many storylines left flat, hated the fact that there were so many year jumps, hated the arms-selling storyline; it entirely lacked consistency. A lot of the scenes needed to be explained, like the scene where her biological father rushes her into a cab and abruptly leaves... It's even addressed as abnormal by Yeon-Hee and yet, it's never delved into? The scene where she finally meets her biological mother is endearing and perfectly acted out because the dimensions we witness in Park's acting is heartbreaking. The different levels and stages of her finally embracing the fact that this is happening and allowing herself to feel everything she's feeling only makes it so much easier for the spectator to empathise with her. But that empathy is abruptly interrupted due to another time jump, succeeding in failing to convey the intensity of that first meeting.

The ending scene with her playing the piano lands a little flat too, though I do believe it was the right way to end the film; we witness her partying to crazy techno music and fading away into the numbness of a night-life throughout the film, so to have her return after so many years by sitting in the middle of an empty inn and playing a melancholic tune after finding out her biological mother is nowhere to be reached is a perfect anecdote for intensifying the nature of doom attached to Yeon-Hee. I personally didn't love it, but I also think that's because it's just not the film for me. The one thing that's great about it though is that I haven't been able to stop thinking about it... Precisely what a good film does.

[grad604-macytaylor]

Research into Jungie Choi: D.Cast

Jungle choi

Process of Han?

Iceberg 

https://icebergdesign.com/

How did she get into graphic design? Started painting, realized wasn’t up to par, tried hand at graphic design

“Design as a vehicle to initiate conversations about issues”

You have to bring up issues if you really are passionate, can’t just hide it away. 

Graphic design is very 2d based

Turning point in process: have to accept the conflicts, even if you don’t like being negative. Have to come to terms with that.

This is your chance to commit yourself to a project. Make the most of it! Try your best, give yourself a chance to focus on a topic you really liked