Where Is Korean Rock?
Saturday, 28 April 2018
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Dear Korean,
I know that you've touched a little bit on Korean rock music-- particularly in your "most influential" series-- but I was curious as to what the rock scene is really like in Korea today. Why is there so little Korean rock music? How are rockers treated today in Korea, considering the dominance of the K-pop idols?
Curious K-Rock fan
I know that you've touched a little bit on Korean rock music-- particularly in your "most influential" series-- but I was curious as to what the rock scene is really like in Korea today. Why is there so little Korean rock music? How are rockers treated today in Korea, considering the dominance of the K-pop idols?
Curious K-Rock fan
Let's address the first question first -- why is there so little Korean rock music?
Answer: the premise of the question is wrong, because there are tons of Korean rock music. Tons. Let's put it this way: if we played a game where the Korean names two rock songs for every one idol group song, the Korean guarantees that he will win every time. In fact, this is one of the most frustrating things about discussion Korean pop music -- the idea that manufactured pretty boys and pretty girls comprise the entire universe of K-pop. Nothing can be farther from the truth.
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| Nor is this guy the entirety of K-pop. You had your fun, people. It's time to move on. (This list of nominees for Korean Music Awards 2013 is a good start. KMA is the most authoritative pop music award in Korea, presented by a committee of more than 70 critics and journalists. (In other words, none of the vote-rigging shenanigans committed by the deluded members of idol fan clubs.) You might notice that the list of nominees hardly contains any boy/girl bands. Out of the nearly 50 musicians nominated, only four represents the "idol" field -- G-Dragon, whose One of a Kind is nominated for Song of the Year; f(x) and Sistar for the Best Dance & Electronic Song and; Ga-in is nominated for Best Pop Song. Other nominees represent jazz, R&B, hip hop and, yes, rock, including modern rock, alternative rock and heavy metal. The Korean would highly recommend clicking through each artist's nomination page, as each page (for the most part) contains a sample video of the artist's music. Once you find the grup band you like, search the band's name on Youtube, and off you go. (Personally, out of the list, the Korean recommends Third Line Butterfly [3호선 버터플라이], Busker Busker [버스커 버스커] and Jeong Cha-shik [정차식].) What about television? If you are somehow able to regularly watch Korean television shows over the Internet or local cable television, look for either Yoo Hee-yeol's Sketchbook [유희열의 스케치북], or EBS Space Gonggam [EBS Space 공감]. Both programs place an emphasis on featuring a diverse group of pop musicians (including leading indie groups,) and insist upon good live performances. Here is a sample -- Guckkasten's Mirror [거울], on EBS Space Gonggam: For interviews and reviews in English language, www.koreanindie.com is an excellent resource. Korean rock bands with decent international following make periodic international tours as well. (Crying Nut, Galaxy Express and Third Line Butterfly toured the U.S. last March/April, although the results were hilariously sad. Read the report of their tour if you can read Korean.) Got a question or a comment for the Korean? Email away at askakorean@gmail.com. Sumber http://askakorean.blogspot.com |