#seoul techno

[redxdesign]

You can purchase my exclusive prints on Redbubble.

[akudamalive]

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

[sxyx]

y only left 1 song on bandcamp, hahahahah whatever sharing first

[music-sadness-shetland]

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.

[dreadbythedecade]

<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

부산��/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.

[reborn-in-my-limbo]

In honour of my upcoming concert, I am requesting NCT's newest album!

Do your thing word nerd 🙂‍↕️

Only a week and a half to go 😭 I'm not ready!

yeah yeah we get it you get to see ilichil while i have to take a math midterm the morning after my show would've been 😭

a ranking of walk on the beat by nct 127

11. suddenly: just straight up mid. it was the only song during my listening experience in which i zoned out. i like how the chorus is layered and taeyong's tone quality is always really nice to listen to because he always makes every song his bitch. on the album as a whole i noticed a lost of jazz inspired elements which i really enjoyed and that was present in this song as well. i just liked the rest of the album more.

10. gas: if you're not familiar with the concept of semantic satiation, it's when you say or hear a word so many times that the neural connection between the world and its perceived meaning breaks down and it no longer feels like a word anymore. that happened to me during the chorus of this song. however, haechan was in fact spitting like he said. i did note that the instrumental sounded vaguely like a chainsaw combined with a techno-toned zipper. do what you will with that. thought it was funny that mark is yet again randomly referencing past titles, it was sticker this time.

9. intro: wall to wall: it's a bit long for an album intro but i really didn't hate it. it struck a nice balance between the more hype tracks and the ones that are meant to calm your brain down. the instrumental pulsating and the electronic vocalizing were very neo, very nice. you don't always hear from every member on an album intro, yet with this one you do and i think that's pretty cool.

8. orange seoul: again with the jazz fusion, it tickled my brain. i noted that it made me feel like i was on a yacht, very fancy very rich. i'm not sure what it is about the chorus but i felt like it was missing something, i probably thought the tempo didn't suit the rest of the song. i think it's cool that they pushed that metaphor of them letting the city burn with the love they feel for it.

7. rain drop: didn't have a whole lot to say about this one other than that the sound really does fit the title. i feel like i'm on a city street while it's raining yet i also feel like i'm being chased. the whistles in the background remind me of west side story, so perhaps that's why. we also get a certified haechan bridge moment which is always a positive element.

6. no clue: i love taeyong immediately popping off, but i will give a controversial take and say that mark's occasional style of raspy, mumbly rapping isn't always my favorite, and it didn't really work for me here. jungwoo and yuta's "my city my ocean" had me ascending because everything the two of them do is awesome. i didn't love the first part of the chorus, but once they actually started singing it was much better. they said "we'll not stop it" instead of "we will not stop it" or "we're not stopping" which did not make my brain feel good at ALL. jaehyun and johnny also slayed though and the bridge was an epic nct bridge for sure.

5. walk: probably my favorite 127 title track. i 100% went into this thinking that this would be the best song on the album. it's not, and that's kind of crazy. it's so sassy and johnny's intro is so fun and and and- i love that you can't sit still while listening to it and i LOVE the high notes in the bridge and final chorus.

4. pricey: i wish i could eat this song, it would probably taste very good. very smooth but also so very groovy. the bass line is doing exactly what it's meant to do. haechan had another fantastic bridge feature and the instrumental outro ending with the little piano plink plonks fit SO WELL. shoutout to whoever produced this song.

3. can't help myself: a big reason why this song is ranked so high is because mark and taeyong start it off by singing. i love when rappers sing, it's so pure to me. i was not expecting the chorus to be the way it was but i'm here for it either way. very straight boy coded, but i suppose i can't really complain about that.. the vocal layering and ad libs at the final chorus should have been overstimulating but they really weren't. the instrumental swelling and then cutting out almost entirely to leave doyoung with the piano at the end was pretty epic. my only real complaint is about johnny's stupid throwaway piece of dialogue at the end because let the man sing??? PLEASE???

2. meaning of love: jaehyun's intro reminded me both of exo's the first snow as well as ateez's thank u. i loved that. jungwoo and haechan harmonizing together with haechan being the one on melody was an incredible choice. i literally wrote in my notes, "i love when johnny actually gets to sing" because he sounds so good when there are lines given to him. they made good use of claps emphasizing the beat during the last chorus, you can't really go wrong with that.

1. time capsule: the mmmms at the beginning were very calming. i could definitely sleep to this song. i always feel like the token slow jam on a 127 album hits every time. a very smooth experience, jungwoo got featured on the bridge which is always good because that's my goat right there. i now remember why he was my first bias. also loved the synth pulses layered into the instrumental.

definitely did not expect all of the slow songs to be at the top of the list but here you go, goose goose. hope you enjoyed this.

[akudamalive]

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

[fyeahdpr-artic]

Interview Panorama

To you for you with: DPR Artic

When he appeared on stage, the crowd, from the silent wait, exploded in a roar. Artic made Milan dance like no one had ever done for years.

Kim Yongwoo, known as DPR ARTIC, is a DJ and independent techno producer who officially debuted with the DPR collective on February 2, 2024 with his EP "KINEMA". Although he was announced as an official member only on December 22, 2023, Artic has been part of the DPR collective since 2019, where he worked as a producer and DJ, accompanying the group in their performances.

His career with DPR began in 2019, when he first played at the Head In The Clouds Music Festival in Los Angeles. Since then, Artic has left his mark as a producer of memorable tracks such as "Set It Off" feat. DPR CLINE and "SYNC", collaborating with DPR Cream for the showcase productions 001, 002 and 003. In 2023, he took the stage of the Regime Tour Finale in Seoul, once again alongside Cream.

In addition to his work with DPR, Artic continues to produce and perform as an independent artist under the same name, adopted in 2018 shortly before joining the collective. His music stands out for its hypnotic energy and engaging sounds, which have the power to turn any stage into an endless party.

With the debut of its EP "KINEMA", DPR ARTIC confirms itself not only an essential member of the collective, but also an independent force in the panorama of global techno music. His talent, both as a producer and as a DJ, promises to take him higher and higher, while continuing to make crowds from all over the world dance.

How does it feel to perform in Milan as part of the Dream Reborn tour?

ARTIC: "It's my first time in Italy, and I have to say that the feeling is really surreal. I can't believe I'm here, and even less that I'm here to do a show. I feel incredibly enthusiastic, happy and full of emotion."

As one of the visionary artists of the DPR, what does the DPR collective mean to you personally?

ARTIC: "For me, the DPR represents a huge part of my life. It's much more than a collective; it's a fundamental part of the reality I'm living right now. It has a profound meaning and occupies an essential space in my personal and artistic journey."

Can you tell us about a particular moment of the tour that seemed surreal or particularly powerful to you?

ARTIC: "I think every city has something unique. Fans react in very different ways, and I don't think there's a better or worse reaction at all. Each city has its own way of showing its passion, and it has always been interesting to note these differences".

What are some of the biggest challenges in blending your personal sound with the overall vision of the DPR?

ARTIC: "Honestly, there were no major difficulties. We've been together for a long time, not only in music, but also in life. Precisely thanks to this bond and this mutual understanding, it was easy for me to integrate their sound and their ideology, whether it was that of Ian or the broader one of the DPR, into my artistic path. It was all very natural to merge my sound with the overall vision of the DPR."

How would you describe yourself if you had only one word available?

ARTIC: "Raw, rough."

Last question: Can you give your fans an idea of what they can expect from you in the future?

ARTIC: "I would like my fans to know that I am working hard to grow and improve more and more and push myself beyond the limits I can have now."

[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.