Abracadabra! Brown Eyed Girls Unveil Their Award-Winning ‘Sound-G’ Album Worldwide on iTunes

(SEOUL KR) : After bagging Best Dance/Electronic Album and Song of the Year honors at the 2010 Korean Music Awards, K-Pop femme fatales, Brown Eyed Girls, have just launched their critically acclaimed double album, ‘Sound-G’, worldwide on iTunes.



Already within a week prior to their Japanese CD release on August 25th, Brown Eyed Girls have pounced on the iTunes Japan Dance Singles chart with their sexy hit, ‘Abracadabra’, sitting pretty in the top 5 for the past 5 days.

source (08/25/2010) : http://www.apple.com/euro/itunes/charts/top10dancesongs.html
In preparation for their international rollout, Brown Eyed Girls have also pulled the covers off of their new social media sites. As of August 25th, Brown Eyed Girls’ Facebook fanpage (www.facebook.com/officialBEG), Twitter feed (www.twitter.com/officialBEG), and YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/officialBEG) are now officially open.

 
For more information and updates, please check out :

FACEBOOK : http://www.facebook.com/officialBEG
TWITTER : http://www.twitter.com/officialBEG
YOUTUBE : http://www.youtube.com/officialBEG
iTUNES : http://www.itunes.com/browneyedgirls  

      
Artist Management : Nega Networks
Social Media Network Integration : DFSB Kollective
International Media PR : DFSB Kollective
International Digital Distribution : DFSB Kollective

Solar Flare Up : Big Bang’s < Taeyang > Shines Bright on Brand New ‘International’ Release

(SEOUL KR) : After lighting up iTunes R&B/Soul charts worldwide this summer with his scintillating solo album, ‘Solar’, Big Bang’s Taeyang brings the heat back with his latest red hot release, ‘Solar International’. 

A steamy, sonic collage of his English and Korean hits, Taeyang’s ‘Solar International‘ breaks new ground as it will be the first ever K-Pop music release to be sold worldwide on iTunes as both an audio and video album. The audio version (complete with a digital booklet) hits iTunes stores on August 25th while the video version (bundled with bonus, behind the scenes documentaries) will arrive by September 10th.


Already, the hype and hysteria surrounding ‘Solar International’ has reached a fever pitch with his fans around the world.

Within a week of his music album launch, Taeyang has seen nearly 50,000 sign up for his new Twitter page (http://www.twitter.com/realTaeyang) and over 150,000 join his new Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/Taeyang).

Within 48 hours of opening his new YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/YGTaeyang), Taeyang has tallied a staggering 1,000,000+ hits for his music video, ‘I’ll Be There’.

  
And within 24 hours of opening official sales on iTunes, Taeyang has triggered pre-orders that have pushed his album into the Top 20 of iTunes R&B/Soul charts in the USA, Canada, and Japan.

iTunes USA R&B/Soul Album Chart : 08/24/2010Delivering a knockout one-two punch, the audio and video versions of ‘Solar International’ are destined to solidify Taeyang’s status as one of K-Pop’s biggest breakout artists of the year.

For more information and updates, please check out :

WEBSITE: http://www.ygbigbang.com/Taeyang/
FACEBOOK : http://www.facebook.com/Taeyang
TWITTER : http://www.twitter.com/realTaeyang
YOUTUBE : http://www.youtube.com/YGTaeyang
iTUNES : http://www.itunes.com/태양Taeyang

Artist Management : YG Entertainment
International Media PR : DFSB Kollective
International Digital Distribution : DFSB Kollective

Don’t Call It a Comeback : < SE7EN > Digitally Bounces Up iTunes International Charts

(SEOUL KR) : The K-Pop hit factory, YG Entertainment, has scored a summer trifecta as their third straight artist has once again shaken and stirred iTunes charts worldwide.

With Big Bang members T.O.P and Taeyang leading the overseas chart charge over the past month, YG’s urban music legend, SE7EN, doesn’t skip a beat with his latest release.  


Within 72 hours of launching his long-awaited EP ‘Digital Bounce’, SE7EN has leaped into the iTunes Top 20 R&B/Soul album charts in USA and Canada as well as debuted in the Top 40 in Australia, Top 100 in France, and Top 200 in the United Kingdom.



For more information and updates, please check out :

WEBSITE : http://www.hello7.com/
YOUTUBE : http://www.youtube.com/YGEntertainment
iTUNES : http://itunes.apple.com/album/digital-bounce/id383087012

Artist Management : YG Entertainment
International Media PR : DFSB Kollective
International Digital Distribution : DFSB Kollective

Guitar vs DJ Heroes : Korean Rock Band < YB > Rages with < Risque Rhythm Machine > on ‘YB vs RRM’

(SEOUL KR) : As a prelude to their headline performance at the upcoming 2010 Pentaport Rock Festival this weekend (July 24th), Korean rock anthem stalwarts, YB, have revved up their crunching sound and lyrical fury with Seoul’s cutting edge electronica DJ trio, Risque Rhythm Machine, to release one of K-Pop’s most experimental EPs of the year -- YB vs RRM.    

According to DFSB Kollective President, Bernie Cho : “Considering YB has toured Europe and America extensively over the years, it didn’t come as a surprise they would want to launch their latest tracks worldwide. What came as a bit of a shocker is that they’ve teamed up with the red hot dance club sensations, Risque Rhythm Machine, to not only remix but also reinvent their smash hits for international audiences."


Mashing hard-hitting riffs with funked up breakbeats, ‘YB vs RRM’ is a radical departure from their traditional sonic journeys as two of their songs (‘Stay Alive’, ‘A Flying Butterfly’) are sung in English and one of the extra cuts, a remake entitled, ‘Blood Type’, is actually recorded in Russian.

A tribute to the late Korean-Russian rock legend, Victor Tsoi (1962-1990), ‘Blood Type’ is considered one of Russia’s most influential modern rock classics of the 1980s. Deeply motivated to stay true to Tsoi’s inspirational spirit, YB lead singer, Yoon Do-Hyun, explained his unique choice by noting, “Language is just a tool for communication and in order to reach out to wider audiences around the world, we have produced many of our songs in English. But with ‘Blood Type’ it was different because despite being unfamiliar with the Russian language, out of respect for his pioneering legacy, I wanted to learn the language in order to sing in his original language.”

As part of YB’s expanded efforts to connect direct with their overseas fans, YB will be world premiering their new music videos via their new YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/YBrocks) over the next 2 weeks. 

Bound to break boundaries, ‘YB vs RRM’ (complete with a bonus digital booklet) will be available on iTunes Music Stores worldwide on Tuesday, July 21st. 

For more information and updates, please check out :

WEBSITE : http://www.YBrocks.kr
                  http://www.YBrocks.com  
YOUTUBE : http://www.youtube.com/YBrocks
FACEBOOK : http://www.facebook.com/officialYB
TWITTER : http://www.twitter.com/official_YB
iTUNES :  http://www.itunes.com/YB
                http://itunes.apple.com/album/id382207602



ABOUT YB

/ AWARDS & HONORS /

2006 한국대중음악상 Korean Music Awards (Song of the Year)
2006 대한민국 연예예술상 Korean Entertainment & Arts Awards (Rock Artist of the Year)
2003 한국대중음악상 Korean Music Awards (Artist of the Year)
2003 한국방송프로듀서상 Korean Broadcast Producers Awards (Artist of the Year)
2003 가요대상 KBS K-Pop Music Awards (Teen Artist of the Year)
2003 WPMA World Peace Music Awards (World Peace Music Award)
2002 한국대중음악상 Korean Music Awards (Artist of the Year)
2002 한국 연예 협회 Korean Entertainer's Association (Artist of the Year)
2002 한국방송대상 Korean Broadcasting Awards (Artist of the Year)
2002 대한민국 연예예술상 Korean Entertainment & Arts Awards (Special Award)
2002 가요 대상 KBS K-Pop Music Awards (Teen Artist of the Year)
2002 대가수 가요제 MBC Teen Music Artist Awards (Teen Artist of the Year)
2002 서울 가요대상 Seoul K-Pop Awards (World Cup Special Achievement Award)
2002 대한민국 국회 Korean National Assembly Pop Culture & Media (Grand Prize)
2002 M.Net KM Music Festival (Rock Video of the Year)
1999 전국 PD연합회 선정 National Producers Federation's Choice Awards (Artist of the Year)

/SPECIAL PROJECTS/

2005 On the Road 2 (YB European Tour Documentary)

/ INTERNATIONAL CONCERTS & FESTIVALS /

2009 Vans Warped Tour USA (Seattle/Portland/Fresno/Mountain View/Sacramento/San Diego/Los Angeles)
2008 SXSW Music Festival (Austin TX)
2007 SXSW Music Festival (Austin TX)
2006 YB USA Concert (New York City)
2005 YB USA Tour (Seattle/Los Angeles)
2005 YB European Tour (UK/Holland/Germany/Italy)

Artist Management :  Daeum Entertainment
Social Media Network Integration : DFSB Kollective
International Digital Music Distribution/PR : DFSB Kollective

Newsweek : 힘내라, 인디밴드! A GLIMMER OF HOPE IN THE INDIE SCENE

(SEOUL KR) : In Britain – the native country of this correspondent – it is sometimes difficult to tell the difference between ‘mainstream’ and ‘alternative’. For better or worse, this is no truer anywhere than in the realm of popular music. Raucous (yet melodic) bands such as Arctic Monkeys vie for the number one chart position with the likes of Girls Aloud, a reality TV-created pop group who despite their manufactured origin, occasionally flirt with ‘underground’ sensibilities as a means of staying fresh.

내 고향 영국에서는 때때로 ‘메인스트림’과 ‘얼터너티브’를 구분하기가 어렵다. 좋든 싫든 이런 현상은 대중음악 분야에서 가장 두드러진다. 귀에 거슬리지만 멜로딕한 음악을 하는 악틱 몽키즈 같은 밴드들이 걸스 얼라우드 같은 그룹과 음악 차트 1위 자리를 놓고 경합을 벌인다. 걸스 얼라우드는 리얼리티 프로그램에서 탄생한 팝 그룹으로 ‘조립품’이라는 태생적 한계에도 불구하고 가끔씩 ‘언더그라운드’의 감수성을 보여주며 참신함을 유지한다. 이런 현상은 역사상 가장 명성을 떨치며 상업적으로 성공한 그룹 비틀스의 등장 이후 지속돼 왔다.

It has been thus ever since The Beatles, the most respected and commercially successful group ever, replaced their mop-tops and suits with hippie beards and kaftans, under the influence of Transcendental Meditation, Bob Dylan and prodigious quantities of LSD.

더 정확히 말해 그들이 초월명상, 밥 딜런, 그리고 상당한 분량의 LSD(환각제)의 영향을 받아 더벅머리 헤어스타일과 정장을 버리고 히피 턱수염과 카프탄(터키풍의 소매와 기장이 긴 옷)을 받아들인 뒤부터다.

Korea though, has a more distinct delineation. The charts are generally dominated by ballad singers or bouncy pop acts (except when Seotaiji makes a comeback), whilst the more serious or ‘arty’ types are usually perceived as belonging to Hongdae alone. For those in the latter group, this can present a great challenge: how can one make good independent music, and survive financially?

하지만 한국 음악계의 실상은 더 독특하다. 음악차트는 대체로 발라드 가수나 댄스 가수가 독차지한다(서태지가 컴백할 때는 제외). 반면 더 진지하거나 ‘음악성이 강한’ 부류는 흔히 홍대 지역을 무대로 활동한다고 인식된다. 후자 그룹에는 이런 현실이 큰 어려움을 던져줄지도 모른다. 좋은 인디 음악을 만들면서 어떻게 생계를 꾸려나갈까?

In this era of illegal – or extremely cheap – downloading, the state of independent music is even more precarious. Cho Hu-Il, whose band Black Skirts won the Korean Music Award for Best Modern Rock Album in 2009, states that ‘people just don’t buy CDs anymore’, and that ‘as an indie band, if your target audience is about 3,000 (which is the entire indie scene in Korea), you’re obviously not going to make a good living off it’. As a general rule, even established artists with record contracts must have ‘day jobs’ to get by.

요 즘 같은 저가의 불법 다운로드 시대에 인디 음악의 실상은 훨씬 더 불안정하다. 조휴일이 이끄는 밴드 검정치마는 2010년 한국대중음악상 최우수 모던록 음반상을 수상했다. 그는 “사람들이 더는 CD를 구입하지 않는다”고 말한다. “인디 밴드로 활동하는데 표적 고객이 3000명 안팎이라면 분명 그걸로 먹고 살기는 힘들다.”

Several have started businesses completely unrelated to their musical activities – like bars and cafes, such as that owned by the band My Sister's Barbershop in Ssamzie-gil along Insa-dong. Better though, according to Cho Hu-Il is ‘some punk rockers (I heard of) running a fried chicken place in Hongdae. They’re smart - not everybody drinks coffee, but we all love fried chicken.’

음반계약을 한 기성 가수들도 대체로 다른 돈벌이가 있어야 생활이 가능하다. 술집이나 카페 등 음악활동과 전혀 무관한 사업을 시작한 사람도 많다. 예컨대 밴드 언니네 이발관이 인사동 쌈지길에 낸 카페가 대표적이다(지금은 문을 닫았다). 하지만 조휴일은 “몇몇 펑크 록가수처럼 홍대에서 치킨집을 운영하는 편이 더 좋다”고 말한다. “누구나 커피를 마시지는 않지만 후라이드 치킨은 우리 모두가 좋아하는 음식이다.”

Others are able to make a living in areas closer to their calling. Sung Kiwan, guitarist of 3rd Line Butterfly, teaches recording techniques in an art school, as he – like other indie musicians – ‘became a master of low-budget recording’. He also served as a radio DJ for several years, as well as being a recognised poet.

다 른 사람들은 직업과 관련된 분야에서 생계를 꾸려가기도 한다. 3호선 버터플라이의 기타리스트 성기완은 계원예대에서 사운드디자인 전공책임교수로 재직하고 있다. 여느 인디 뮤지션과 마찬가지로 “저예산 녹음의 대가가 됐기 때문”이다. 그는 여러 해 동안 라디오 DJ로 활동했을 뿐 아니라 알아주는 시인이기도 하다.

‘Soundtracks are also one of the most effective ways to maintain an indie career’, he notes, and indeed his band has gone down this route too, having provided music for a TV series.

“사운드트랙은 또한 인디 활동을 계속하는 가장 효과적인 방법 중의 하나”라고 그는 설명한다. 실제로 그의 밴드도 TV 시리즈에 음악을 제공하며 같은 길을 걸었다.

해외에서 더 인기 MORE POPULAR OVERSEAS

Interestingly, online fan groups for 3rd Line Butterfly such as the one on Facebook show that quite a high proportion of the band’s fans are from overseas. Their sound – occasionally abrasive, yet always filled with a balance of imagination and emotional integrity - is one which can naturally appeal to devotees of successful Western bands such as Radiohead or Sonic Youth.

흥미로운 사실은 3호선 버터플라이의 온라인 팬그룹(예를 들어 페이스북 팬그룹)을 살펴보면 외국 팬의 비율이 상당히 높다는 점이다. 그들의 사운드는 종종 귀에 거슬리면서도 언제나 균형 잡힌 상상력과 감성으로 충만해 라디오헤드나 소닉 유스 같은 서구 인기 밴드의 팬들에게도 자연스럽게 어필한다.

Traditionally though, there has been no real route by which Korean musicians can sell their work abroad. Record companies have done little to promote them, and with the advent of downloading, pirates have stepped in to fill the vacuum. If one looks at the web traffic data for illegal download sites such as ihoneyjoo.com or jenpoo.com, the fact that stands out is that they have receive even more hits than the large, official Korean download sites such as Melon and Soribada.

하지만 전통적으로 한국 가수의 노래를 해외에 판매할 만한 실질적인 통로가 없었다. 음반사들은 그들의 음악을 해외에는 거의 홍보하지 않았으며 파일 내려받기 시대가 도래하면서 불법복제가 그 공백을 메웠다. ihoneyjoo.com이나 jenpoo.com 같은 불법 다운로드 사이트의 웹 트래픽 기록을 살펴보면 그들이 멜론이나 소리바다 같은 한국의 공식 대형 내려받기 사이트보다 방문자 수가 더 많다는 사실이 드러난다.

Bernie Cho though, former producer and presenter of MTV, is offering a potential solution. His company, DFSB Kollective, has signed up over 250 Korean artists – in all genres, including Epik High, Crying Nut, and 3rd Line Butterfly – and supplied their entire back catalogues to iTunes and other legal download shops, at royalty rates they would not have dreamed of in the past.

하지만 음악케이블 MTV의 프로듀서 겸 진행자로 활동했던 버니 조(한국명 조수광)가 잠재적인 해결책을 마련했다. 그의 회사 DFSB 콜렉티브는 에픽 하이, 크라닝 넛, 3호선 버터플라이 등 온갖 장르의 한국인 가수 250여명과 계약을 맺고 지금까지 그들이 낸 전체 음반 카탈로그를 아이튠스(애플의 온라인 음악파일 스토어) 등의 합법 내려받기 매장에 공급하면서 과거에는 꿈도 꾸기 어려웠던 높은 로열티를 받아낸다.

This enables them to sell their music legally to a worldwide audience, at a rate that ‘guarantees them many times more’ in royalty payments, according to Cho, than what they receive from the large Korean download sites. Digital music files are tagged in both English and Korean, so that the many fans of Korean music who do not understand the language are still able to find the songs they want.

덕분에 한국의 가수들은 자신들의 음악을 전세계의 팬들에게 합법적으로 판매하게 됐다. 조씨에 따르면 로열티는 한국의 대형 다운로드 사이트에서 받는 액수의 “몇 배가 보장된다.” 디지털 음악 파일은 영어와 한국어로 표시되어 한국어를 모르는 외국의 많은 한국음악 팬도 원하는 곡을 찾기 쉽도록 했다.



DFSB aims to be more than a simple provider of downloads though. The philosophy is that ‘the band has to become a brand’, and thus they operate an ‘integrated social media toolbox’ for promotion via Facebook, Twitter, and so on, and book concerts for acts overseas, such as Galaxy Express, who recently played a showcase in Hong Kong.

하지만 DFSB의 목표는 단순한 내려받기 제공자에 머물지 않는다. 그들은 “밴드가 하나의 브랜드가 돼야 한다”는 철학으로 페이스북, 트위터 등을 통한 홍보용의 ‘통합 인적 교류 매체 툴박스’를 운영하며 갤럭시 익스프레스 같은 밴드의 해외 콘서트도 주선한다. 갤럭시 익스프레스는 최근 홍콩에서 공연했다.

It is surprising that the music industry has not awoken to the potential of overseas markets before. Given the relative success of Korean drama and cinema abroad, there is no reason to suppose Korean music could not achieve something similar. But as Will Ennett, a media executive and video-on-demand expert from Ireland, notes, ‘when I am at the main TV conference in Cannes, the Korean guys always have big stands and posters. But I never heard anything about Korean music, anywhere’.

한국 음반업계가 왜 진작에 해외시장의 잠재력에 눈을 뜨지 않았는지 궁금해진다. 해외에서 한류 드라마와 영화가 상대적으로 성공한 점을 감안할 때 한국음악이 그와 비슷한 성공을 거두지 못하리라고 단정할 만한 이유는 없다. 그러나 미디어 업계 중역이자 주문형 비디오 전문가인 아일랜드 출신의 윌 에넷의 말로는 “칸느의 주요 TV 컨퍼런스에 가보면 한국인들은 항상 대형 스탠드와 포스터를 준비하지만 어디서도 한국음악 이야기는 들은 적이 없다.”

법적 조치 LEGAL ACTIONS

The next step in the strategy of DFSB is the upcoming legal action against Jenpoo.com and around 40 other overseas websites that have encouraged the piracy of Korean music. Overseas fans, who previously had no legal way to buy Korean music, will not be targeted; however, in this ‘Operation Top 40’, owners of sites will be ordered to shut down, and also face copyright infringement lawsuits.

DFSB 전략의 다음 단계는 한국음악의 불법복제를 조장한 Jenpoo.com 등 40여개 해외 웹사이트를 대상으로 한 법적조치다. 과거 한국음악을 구매할 합법적 통로가 없었던 외국 팬들은 그 대상에서 제외되지만 해당 사이트의 폐쇄명령을 받아냄과 동시에 저작권 침해 소송을 제기할 예정이다.

Back home, legal trouble is also brewing. As has been reported recently, the Fair Trade Commission is investigating the main six legal download sites in Korea for allegedly operating a cartel, and fixing the price of downloads. The problem for artists has been that rather than keeping prices high enough to pay them a reasonable royalty, the strategy has been to reduce prices (frequently in lockstep), in order to compete with pirates.

한국 내에서도 법적 공방이 뜨거워지기 시작했다. 최근 보도된 바대로 공정거래위원회(FTC)는 내려받기 가격의 담합 혐의로 한국의 6대 합법 내려받기 사이트를 조사 중이다. 가수들의 입장에선 합당한 로열티를 지불할 만큼 가격을 높게 유지하기는커녕 불법복제와 경쟁하려고 (거기에 보조를 맞춰) 가격을 내리는 전략이 문제였다.

The plummeting price of a legal download, which was around 500 won, but can also be obtained for as little as 120 won with special offers, is the result of this policy. But as Mr. Cho says, ‘you can’t compete with free’. If the alternative to paying 120 won legally is paying zero illegally, then too many people will still choose the illegal route. A better alternative would be to compete on service – with better quality downloads, or specially-created content, for instance, for a higher-quality user experience.

합법 내려받기 가격은 곡당 500원 선이었지만 특별 할인을 받으면 120원에도 구입이 가능하다. 내려받기 사이트의 가격인하 전략의 결과다. 그러나 조씨의 말마따나 “공짜와는 경쟁이 안 된다.” 합법적으로는 120원인데 불법 파일은 공짜라면 상당히 많은 사람이 불법 파일을 선택하게 마련이다. 더 나은 대안은 서비스로 경쟁하는 방법이다. 예컨대 더 질 높은 내려받기 또는 특수 제작된 콘텐트로 이용자 체험의 질을 높이는 전략이다.

If the FTC ends up breaking this system, it may give upstarts like DFSB the opportunity to gain a foothold in the market. Their model is not, of course, the answer to all the prayers of Korean musicians, but, as Sung Kiwan says, such internet-based methods that cut out traditional labels have ‘big potential’ and allow musicians ‘to approach the public directly’, instead of having to go through traditional channels which are ‘dominated by TV and related commercial companies, which are generally so conservative in introducing alternative culture to the public’.

FTC 가 이런 구도를 타파한다면 DFSB 같은 신생업체가 시장에서 입지를 구축할 기회를 얻을지 모른다. 물론 그런 모델이 한국 가수들의 모든 고민을 해결해주지는 않는다. 그러나 성기완의 말마따나 전통 음반사를 배제하는 그런 인터넷 기반 방식은 “커다란 잠재력이 있으며 가수들이 대중에게 직접 접근하도록 한다.” 따라서 TV 관련 영리기업이 좌지우지하는 전통 채널을 거칠 필요가 없게 된다. 그런 영리기업은 일반적으로 대안 문화를 대중에게 소개하기를 몹시 꺼리는 편이다.

만병통치약은 아니다 NOT A CURE ALL SOLUTION

Nobody is claiming that the internet will enable legions of independent musicians to suddenly become financially successful. With a general lack of media exposure, it is difficult even for artists to make people aware of their existence. Choi So-Hui, a Brazilian-influenced solo singer who plays on the Hongdae scene, worries about ‘preconceived notions... that indie music is noisy, or just for young people’ that stop people from giving them a chance.

인 터넷 덕분에 수많은 인디 가수가 갑자기 큰돈을 벌게 되리라고 보는 사람은 아무도 없다. 전반적으로 언론 노출 기회가 거의 없는 탓에 가수의 존재를 사람들에게 알리기조차 어렵다. 홍대 지역에서 브라질 풍 음악을 하는 솔로 가수 최소희는 “인디 음악은 시끄럽다거나 단순히 젊은이들의 음악이라는 선입관 탓에 기회조차 얻지 못하게 되지 않을까” 우려한다.

Today, only a handful of independent bands have the level of exposure necessary to build a financially viable career for themselves. The rest must struggle; as Kang Jung-Im (a solo performer, recording under the name ‘Hulen’) says, ‘the only one I know for sure is Crying Nut. As for me, I need a job!’ The main hope is that likes of DFSB may be able to improve things at the margins, perhaps allowing a few more groups to join this elite club, or at least to receive a reasonable royalty for their work.

오늘날 경제적으로 독자 생존이 가능한 경력을 구축할 만큼 대중 노출이 많은 독립 밴드는 극소수다. 나머지는 살아남으려고 발버둥치는 처지다. ‘흐른’이라는 예명으로 녹음작업을 하는 솔로 가수 강정임의 말마따나 “내가 알기론 그런 가수는 크라잉 넛뿐이다. 나도 일자리가 필요하다.”

가장 큰 희망이라면 DFSB 같은 기업이 그 엘리트 클럽에 좀 더 많은 그룹을 받아들이거나 또는 적어도 그들의 음악이 합당한 로열티를 받도록 해서 다소나마 숨통을 틔워줬으면 하는 바람이다.

For Kang Jung-Im and others like her though, music is a labour of love. Now working on her second album on the Tunetable Movement label, she still recalls her final year of high school, when ‘music was the only hope that could make me endure all the pressure from the super-competitive madness of the university entrance exam’. After coming through it and entering Yonsei University, she fell into the local indie scene and has been a part of it ever since.

하지만 강씨 같은 가수들에게 음악은 천직이다. 현재 인디 레이블 튠테이블 무브먼트에서 둘째 앨범을 제작 중인 그녀는 아직도 고등학교 졸업반 시절을 잊지 못한다. “음악은 대학입시의 지옥 같은 경쟁에서 오는 온갖 압력을 견뎌내도록 해주는 유일한 희망이었다.” 그런 과정을 이겨내고 연세대에 입학한 뒤 인디 음악계에 빠져들어 지금껏 그 일원으로 활동해 왔다.

Musicians like these see value in what they do beyond financial considerations. As Sung Kiwan says, ‘we don’t have to count things by numbers. Only indie music shows a sincere attitude in the popular music scene. So we keep on going not for the money, but for the truth’. It would, though, be very helpful for them if the likes of DFSB can successfully take advantage of the current chaos in the Korean music industry and offer them a better deal.

그녀같은 가수들은 경제적 고려를 뛰어넘어 자신의 일에 최고의 가치를 둔다. 성기완의 말을 들어보자. “우리는 셈을 할 필요가 없다. 대중음악계에서 오직 인디 음악만이 진지한 태도를 보여준다. 그래서 우리는 돈이 아니라 진실을 향해 계속 나아간다.” 하지만 DFSB 같은 기업이 한국음악업계에서 일어나는 현재의 혼란을 적절히 이용해 그들에게 더 나은 조건을 부여하면 큰 도움이 될 듯하다. (끝)

http://samsung.joins.com/magazine
By Daniel Tudor 뉴스위크 한국판 순회 특파원 / 번역·차진우 기자