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MusicTech Start-Up Advisor : Bernie Cho [DFSB Kollective/SparkLabs]

Billboard Magazine : 10 Must-Watch Korean Acts at SXSW 2017

Han Myung-Gu/WireImage Tiger JK, Bizzy of Drunken Tiger and Yoon Mi-Rae attend "Jean Paul Gaultier" Exhibition at DDP on March 25, 2016 in Seoul, South Korea. Over the past few years, the Austin-based South By Southwest has hosted numerous artists heading over from South Korea to perform at its music festival. If you’re planning on attending, here’s your guide to the Korean musicians you should check out:

Big Phony

A Korean-American from New York City who now calls Seoul his home, Big Phony will bring a bit of a soulful side to SXSW. The folk rock singer’s gentle strumming and sentimental lyrics will have the whole audience swaying along to his chill tunes.

Drunken Tiger

Originally a pioneering hip hop crew in the late ‘90s, Drunken Tiger changed the face of Korea’s hip hop and introduced the genre to the general Korean public. Over the years, Tiger JK, the crew's frontman, and Drunken Tiger have become synonymous, with the the rapper using both monikers in his work. Tiger JK announced earlier this year that he'll retire the Drunken Tiger title after one last album, so make sure to check out this set. It will also feature other acts from his label Feel Ghood Music, including MFBTY -- Tiger JK's act with Yoonmirae and Bizzy that put out one of the best Korean albums of 2015 -- Junoflo, and Ann One.

Galaxy Express

Garage rock comes to life with this trio, who are famous for performing with all the enthusiasm and energy their proto-punk music demands. They’re no SXSW rookies (they played the event in 2011, 2012, and 2013), but it’s been a few years since Galaxy Express has visited the Austin festival so they’ll surely put on a memorable, passionate performance.

Hyolyn

The Sistar member known for her breathy power vocals launched a solo career with an R&B flair in 2013, and has since attempted to pursue a more hip hop-focused sound -- including a stint on a Korean music competition seeking to find the best up-and-coming female rappers. But don't worry; Hyolyn is still very much a K-pop singer, seamlessly blending a multitude of musical styles into each of her songs. Her latest batch of singles -- “Paradise,” “One Step” with Jay Park, and “Love Like This” with Dok2 -- will definitely be the highlights of her set at SXSW.

Luna Lee

Rock music looks a bit different with Luna Lee thanks to her gayageum, a traditional Korean stringed instrument. The musician -- who regularly uploads covers of classic rock to YouTube -- blends rock, blues, and pop with the ambient sound of the gayageum to create modern-sounding songs with a throwback feel. For her SXSW debut, Lee will also work with a backing band to provide an even more dynamic show.

Neon Bunny

The ethereal electro pop of Neon Bunny makes her one of South Korea’s most talented young female indie artists, thanks to her music’s ability to reflect the creative essence of Seoul -- a little hectic, a bit lackadaisical, and always progressing towards something new. She’s embraced a wide range of sounds over the years, from ‘80s new wave to jazz, in pursuit of her dreamy pop sound and is a fan favorite.

No Brain

Celebrating their 20th year, No Brain is considered the foundation upon which the rest of Korea’s punk scene rests upon thanks to their progressive music style and refusal to be complacent with the state of music in the country. Their raw rock anthems transcend language boundaries and their powerful performances should not be missed.

Red Velvet

This year has very few actual K-pop acts attending SXSW, making this girl group’s performance at K-Pop Night Out a must-watch for fans of the genre. Produced by Korean music behemoth SM Entertainment, the five members -- Wendy, Irene, Seulgi, Yeri, and Joy -- will combine sleek choreography with saccharine vocals. The quintet recently released their new EP Rookie, which followed in the trend of their hook-filled, quirky hits like “Dumb Dumb” and “Ice Cream Cake." Their name references the group's dichotomy, with "red" referring to their pop-oriented side and "velvet" relating to their more mature side, showcased through songs like the R&B slowburn “Automatic" and the evocative “One of These Nights."

XXX

The electro hip hop duo held nothing back on their debut EP Kyomi last year, an impressive album that thrived on experimental beats and aggressive lyrics, with each track offering some new taste of what XXX has to offer. Though hip hop is currently thriving on Korean music charts, the guttural and profanity-filled music of XXX is rougher and rawer than most of what’s out there. And that's precisely what makes their SXSW debut so intriguing.

Yoonmirae

While she is half of Korea's most prominent hip hop powercouple -- she and Tiger JK got married in 2007 and their son Jordan featured on Wondaland -- and part of MBFTY, Yoonmirae is so much more than that. Simultaneously recognized as one of most talented female emcees and one of the country’s most beloved balladeers, Yoonmirae has been active in South Korea for two decades and remained relevant with the dichotomy of her provocative hip hop tunes and tender love songs.



Find all of the acts' performance schedules on SXSW's website.

https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news
By Tamar Herman

SXSW Booking Agency : Drunken Tiger / Yoonmirae
International Digital Distribution : Big Phony / Galaxy Express / No Brain

The Guardian : SXSW 2017 - Your Guide to the Best Music, Films and TV

Premieres from Terrence Malick and Edgar Wright will pull in the crowds, but there’s an impressive list of talks, TV showcases and music to investigate

This year, South by Southwest (SXSW) has had to weather a storm in the buildup to the annual week-long festival in Austin. Artist outrage and an open letter concerning a clause in contracts that seemed to suggest collusion between organizers and immigration officials has seen the festival promise to make a change for 2018. It has overshadowed a year that looks like one of the strongest yet, with the film element snagging premieres from the likes of Terrence Malick and Edgar Wright, and a list of featured speakers that offers looks into the topical issues of surveillance and virtual reality. The TV coverage continues to become an increasingly important part of the festival, with first looks at the highly anticipated Neil Gaiman adaptation American Gods and the film to TV transformation of Dear White People. Music is its usual sprawling mix of on-site showcases and offerings off the beaten path. Here’s our pick of the must-see moments this year.

This year’s music fest has an impressive selection of talks that should satisfy most musical tastes. There’s Nile Rodgers’ keynote (15 March, 11am, Austin Convention Center), where he’ll talk about his career and position as one of the most sampled songwriters ever; while the Beats1 main man, Zane Lowe (16 March, 11am, Austin Convention Center), will also talk shop at his keynote on Friday. Kesha’s discussion about how women can reclaim the internet should be interesting (14 March, 3.30pm, Austin Convention Center), and for those who don’t want to stop, Mick Fleetwood (15 March, 5pm, Austin Convention Center) will talk about his time in a little-known 70s rock act. The musical offerings this year throw up the usual mix of interesting official showcases and potentially more interesting unofficial goings on off-site. Of the officially sanctioned slots, you’d struggle to find a more fun-sounding evening than the K-Pop Night Out (17 March, 7pm, the Belmont), where Red Velvet, Hyolyn of SISTAR and the hip-hop stars Drunken Tiger all preach the gospel of Seoul.



Elsewhere, Spin’s annual shindig looks as tempting as ever with a Tuesday day party being headlined by the perma-jolly rapper Lil Yachty and a night soiree topped off by Real Estate and Sleigh Bells (14 March, 3pm, Empire Garage). Fader Fort is still the place to find some of the most cutting-edge acts from the worlds of hip-hop, R’n’B and indie. It has moved to a new smaller location this year (15-18 March, 1209 East 6th Street AKA Volcom Garden) and the performers we know about so far include Young MA, Downtown Boys and Lizzo, but there’s always the prospect of a huge secret headliner on the final night (last year Drake dropped in). If you’re into country and Americana, Willie Nelson’s annual SXSW offshoot Luck Reunion at his ranch will appeal. Most of the younger generation of acts who have breathed new life into the genres, including Conor Oberst, Margo Price, Brent Cobb, Parker Millsap and Aaron Lee Tasjan.

This year’s festival has become unexpectedly political after the callout over wording in the artist’s contract, which some took exception to. There’s a special showcase of acts hailing from countries impacted by Donald Trump’s travel ban, with Ninjatune man Ash Koosha headlining proceedings (17 March, 1.05am after several other acts, Palm Door on Sixth). One of the acts who sent an open letter to the festival about the contracts was PWR BTTM (15 March, 7.30pm, Stubb’s BBQ). They’ve had a busy 12 months and are playing multiple shows in Austin. Raucous, funny and painfully honest, they’re one of the must-see bands at the festival. More pink triangle action comes courtesy of Weezer, who are one of the bigger bands playing this year with two (announced) gigs – one on the Friday (17 March, midnight, Brazos Hall) and one at Rachael Ray’s 10th SXSW Feedback Party (18 March, 8pm, Stubb’s BBQ).

https://www.theguardian.com/culture
By Olivia Solon, Andrew Pulver, Benjamin Lee & Lanre Bakare

International Booking Agent : DFSB Kollective (Drunken Tiger)

The Korea Times : Galaxy Express to Represent K-Rock at South by Southwest

Members of the rock band Galaxy Express pose in this photograph. They are from left Park Jong-hyun, Lee Ju-hyun and Kim Hee-kwon. / Courtesy of LoverockEleven Korean music groups are heading to the U.S. this weekend for South by Southwest (SXSW), one of America's biggest music festivals set to begin this Friday. These acts include K-pop girl group Red Velvet and popular rappers Tiger JK and Yoonmirae, but also singer-songwriter Big Phony, punk band No Brain and garage rockers Galaxy Express.

For Galaxy Express, it is their fourth time traveling to Austin, Texas, performing unrelenting psychedelic rock ‘n' roll music in front of American audiences.

The group features three members ― Lee Ju-hyun playing bass, Kim Hee-kwon on drums and Park Jong-hyun on guitar. The rockers are all in their late 30s, but they are confident to say they are the most energetic Korean musicians out there.

"We play music like three veteran soldiers," said Park Jong-hyun during an interview with The Korea Times at the CKL Stage building in Jongno, Seoul, last week. "We pursue hard music like Nirvana… something like animal barking and howling. We start and finish hardcore and we are soaked in sweat when we come down from the stage."

"I heard there are many angry people in America, because Donald Trump was elected president," Lee Ju-hyun said. "Our show is good for angry audiences. We will blow off steam with you, America."

Galaxy Express neither enjoys huge popularity nor plays mainstream music here, but they believe K-pop is not all about idol bands and their rock music has an audience too.

The band has been appearing at SXSW since 2011. In 2013 they took part in the first "K-pop Night Out" showcase organized by Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA). They made a splash early on, earning shout-outs from popular music magazine SPIN, The New York Times and MTV Iggy.

The band, which formed in 2006, has energized fans in France, Taiwan, Japan, England, Russia and Hong Kong with their energetic performances on the stage.



Q. Please introduce your band.

A. Jong-hyun: We are Galaxy Express and we are a rock ‘n' roll band. We formed our team ten years ago and have released four studio albums so far.

Q. How do you feel about joining SXSW?

A. Jong-hyun: It is our fourth time participating in SXSW and it has been four years since the last time we performed there. We first played on an American stage in 2011. We are excited and we look forward to it. We expect some changes have been made in four years and we are talking about relaxing and enjoying the show there this time.

Q. How do you describe Galaxy Express's music?

A. Ju-hyun: Our songs are energetic and psychedelic. The music drowns you into a dreamlike feeling. We will make American audiences deaf!

Q. What impression do you have representing Korean rock at SXSW?

A. Jong-hyun: If we show our good music on a good stage, the audience will like it. We want to let people know there are musicians like us in Korea, not just K-pop idols.

Ju-hyun: K-pop is leading the mainstream and there is no need to show that we are different. We just have to play our music naturally and people will feel something original. There are no races or borders in music.

Q. Why do you only have three members?

A. Hee-kwon: Because we can divide our income in three, the less people the better. If we miss one, we cannot play ― every member is imperative. Plus, if we have members in even numbers, the group can get divided into twos. In terms of our music, three members are good when expressing simple and light music. We think we can play all the music we want with three of us. Our two vocalists have distinct voices too, so there is no need for extra members,

Q. Why do you think fans like Galaxy Express?

A. Ju-hyun: Our music is straightforward and very raw. It has a rough feeling and we focus our music on the very basic. If we were to compare our music to sports, it would be extreme sports. We run and fly all over. It's like a music that draws off your sweat and explodes adrenaline inside you.

Q. What was your most memorable moment at SXSW?

A. Jong-hyun: I forgot if it was our first or second visit. We played for four weeks and at the end of our final performance, all the people we met during the four weeks came to see us again. It was really touching.

In another show in Houston, I remember it was not SXSW and we were playing our songs there for the first time. We had two people in the audience and they were musicians participating at the festival who visited us while resting. SXSW is the same in a way that not all shows fill the room. There are many shows without audiences but we like it more that way. It feels more comfortable and we feel like we're playing an ensemble piece.

Q. What kind of band do you want to be remembered as?

A. Ju-hyun: People who know their style. We don't want to chase after trends. We want to show our outlook on the world and play music that our fans can enjoy for a long time. A music that people want to wait for, even when they get old. I like the words "crazy" and "insane." It describes us well and I don't think those are bad expressions.



http://www.koreatimes.co.kr
By Kim Jae-heun

International Digital Distribution : DFSB Kollective

BBC World Service : Global Beats - South Korea

SOUTH KOREA

South Korea is famous for K-pop, slick girl and boy bands with millions of fans around the world and now a multi-million dollar industry. But South Korea also has a vibrant independent music scene, with bands playing every genre of music you can think of, and, as Global Beats discovers, increasingly seeking their own distinctly Korean sound.

Presenter Bernie Cho introduces our pick of the freshest, most exciting artists in Korea right now, including rapper Yoonmirae who is giving Beyonce a run for her money with gorgeous R&B anthems and has collaborated with husband Tiger JK to produce some of her country’s biggest hip hop hits.

Danpyunsun and the Sailors (pictured) are as different from a perfectly coiffed and polished K-pop act as it’s possible to imagine, with a wild haired frontman making prog-folk magic on guitar, accompanied by a furious violinist and off-piste percussion. Jambinai and Jeong Ga Ak Hoe bring traditional Korean instruments roaring into the future, playing them with the gusto of a rock bass guitarist.

Neon Bunny samples old Korean songs, turning them into hypnotic, electronic melodies. Goonam have a vintage, trippy sound, which is winning fans at home and at festivals overseas, and last, but not least, 3rd Line Butterfly are an award winning indie band who perform a stripped down version of one of the their most beautiful songs, exclusively for Global Beats, which you can watch on this site.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO ENTIRE RADIO BROADCASTYoonmirae's father is African-American, her mother Korean. She explains how her song Black Happiness celebrates this heritage and how it has struck a chord with young Korean"Growing up I experienced racism and bullying" says Yoonmirae

Yoonmirae's father is African-American, her mother Korean. She explains how her song Black Happiness celebrates this heritage and how it has struck a chord with young Koreans.

Release date : 18 November 2016 

Duration : 3 minutes



Yeom Yangchun performed on traditional Korean instruments

Jeong Ga Ak Hoe from South Korea perform with traditional instruments like the Saeng-Hwang (pictured). Recorded at the BBC's Maida Vale studios.

Release date : 18 November 2016
Duration : 7 minutes



3rd Line Butterfly: Today the Day of Separation

"I'm dumped, and I want to spit on your face" sings lead vocalist Nahm Sang-ah. Today the 
Day of Separation is a song of lost love.

Release date : 18 November 2016
Duration : 6 minutes



Jeong Ga Ak Hoe perform Wolsun's Folding

Korean group Jeong Ga Ak Hoe recorded for Global Beats at the BBC's Maida Vale studios

Release date : 18 November 2016

Duration : 6 minutes

https://www.bbc.co.uk

Radio Show Producer : Catherine Fellows
Radio Show Presenter : Bernie Cho