SUBCULTURE

Meet the Young
Creatives of Korea

JULY 2020

Photos by Maki Lee

We speak to the rising stars of Korea about style, music and their favourite local hangout spots.

Introduce yourself

We are 87dance based in Seoul.

Describe your style in three words?

Understanding. Love. Creation.

What inspires your work?

Stress. Whenever we struggle to make music, it is hard to deal with the stress. Stress is always around us like our friends. We hate it but also sometimes love it. It feels amazing when we get over this stress. We’re always excited to play these songs that come out of this stress and if people don’t like it, we’re disappointed but more motivated than ever.

87 dance
87 dance
Where is your favourite independent venue in Seoul?

Idaho in Mangwon, Seoul. When we went there for the first time, we immediately felt at home. It’s a simple and beautiful space. We wanted this place to be our hideout. Luckily, we had a chance to play our first gig in Idaho and it was an unforgettable moment.

Which subcultures have influenced you?

Not sure if it is a subculture but we really love football. Playing football, watching football. We always talk about football. It’s a big part of our life.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?

Anderson .Paak’s live performance in Korea. It was 4 years ago and I still remember all of us singing and dancing together. It was overwhelming.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?

Yoo Jaeha. All his albums are magical. We’re influenced by the lyrics of his songs. The lyrics of a song called ‘Depressed Letter’ are especially incredible.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?

Probably no one knows this artist called Goodoja. He’s a rapper and a friend of mine from my hometown. I think he was one of the best freestyle rappers. He used to do freestyle battles on the street and brought hip-hop culture to our hometown.

Listen to 87dance’s playlist:

Introduce yourself

I am Goopy from Seoul and I am a singer.

Describe your style in three words?

Freedom. Multiplicity. Positivity.

What inspires your work?

The weather, my mood, experiences and imagination. I always imagine something fun whenever I see things around me.

Where is your favourite independent venue in Seoul?

Soap, Henz.

Which subcultures have influenced you?

People around me say tattoos are mainstream now. So it is a bit strange to say it’s a subculture. But I would like to say it’s tattoo. I learnt how to express myself through tattoo and this influenced the way I write lyrics.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?

Daniel Caesar’s live performance. He’s one of my favourite artists. Before he started, he burnt incense and walked around the stage. It was like he was making a ritual for his performance.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?

Chet Baker. I would love to listen to his trumpet live.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?

Frank Ocean. I know he is a world famous artist already. But he is my number one singer.

Listen to Goopy’s playlist:

Introduce yourself

I am Im Jungin and I am a model. I live in Seoul.

Describe your style in three words?

Simple. Adventurous. Active.

What inspires your work?

Music, films, communication with people.

Where is your favourite independent venue in Seoul?

I don’t know much about independent venues in Seoul. But there is this one place called bar302. It’s a wine bar I used to work for which sometimes has live music. One day, there was a customer who played her guitar spontaneously. She was so talented and everyone in the bar was just enjoying the music. I still remember that moment.

Im Jungin
Im Jungin
Which subcultures have influenced you?

Punk.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?

My grandmother’s Janggu performance.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?

I want to spend time with my parents when they were younger.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?

O.O.O

Listen to Im Jungin’s playlist:

Juhan
Juhan
Introduce yourself

I am Juhan, a model from Seoul.

Describe your style in three words?

Snail. White tattoo. Blond hair.

What inspires your work?

The tattoos on my body.

Where is your favourite independent venue in Seoul?

Itawon 524

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?

Holidays live gig in Itawon 524.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?

Dinosaurs. I know it sounds strange but I really want to hang out with dinosaurs.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?

Fatdoo. I hadn’t realised music could be about telling stories. When you listen to all his music, it is like one big story about his life.

Listen to Im Juhan’s playlist:

Introduce yourself

My name is Kim Younghwa. I am a Youtuber and also run a fashion brand.

Describe your style in three words?

Vintage. Kitsch. Natural. It is actually difficult to describe my style. I am always trying different styles.

Kim Younghwa
Kim Younghwa
What inspires your work?

Communication with people inspires me. I have been doing my Youtube channel for 4 years and reactions from my subscribers mean a lot.

Where is your favourite independent venue in Seoul?

I live in Hongdae which is one of Seoul’s hotspots for subcultures. There is a famous playground you can see lots of buskers. I like passing by the playground to enjoy cool gigs.

Which subcultures have influenced you?

I used to like hip-hop when I was younger and I think it still influences me. I was collecting underground rappers’ mixtapes and listening to them every day. That is what got me into streetwear as well.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?

I would like to spend time with my mom when she was in my age.

Listen to Kim Younghwa’s playlist:

Introduce yourself

My name is Minsu and I am a singer-songwriter.

Describe your style in three words?

Freedom, Nature, Stubbornness

Minsu
Minsu
What inspires your work?

People around me.

Where is your favourite independent venue in Seoul?

Jaebi Dabang in Hongdae.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?

Radiohead’s live performance when I first went to Jisan Rock Festival.

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?

Thomas Edison

Listen to Minsu’s playlist: