London Korean Links

Covering things Korean in London and beyond since 2006

K-music 2022: Dal:um & ReMidas

Dal:um, who made their London debut at the Purcell Room last year (LKL review here), open the festival with an intriguing new collaboration with duo ReMidas to create a string quartet of zithers, the gayageum and the geomungo. Despite their similarity these two instruments are surprisingly different in structure, playing technique and tone. Dal:um is … [Read More]

The Sound of Nature: Dal:um live at Southbank Centre

“Korean traditional instruments contain the sound of nature.” This is the opening line of Ha Suyean’s answer to my question regarding what Dal:um would like their international audience to know about ancient Korean instruments gayageum and geomungo. “For someone coming to these two ancient instruments for the first time, what will they discover?”, I had … [Read More]

K-music 2021: the official press release

Last year, despite the lockdown, the K-music festival presented is with a huge range of talent via its online concerts. Many of the acts that we heard for the first time last year will now be making their way over to London (and Norwich) so that we can experience them live. There’s a real feast … [Read More]

K-Music 2021: Soojin Suh Coloris Trio & Camilla George

I know I should no longer be surprised at how well these collaborations work, but last year’s online meeting between Soojin Suh and Kit Downes was really rather good, so I’ll certainly be attending this gig, the last of the 2021 K-music festival. Soojin Suh Coloris Trio & Camilla George Wednesday 17 November 2021, 7:45pm … [Read More]

K-Music 2021: Dal:um

Dal:um are a Seoul-based musical duo who challenge the sonic possibilities of Korea’s most well-known traditional string instruments: Dal:um Saturday 6 November 2021 7:45pm, Southbank Centre / Purcell Room | Belvedere Road | London SE1 8XX | Buy tickets Monday 8 November 2021 8pm Norwich Arts Centre | 51 St Benedict’s Street | Norwich NR2 … [Read More]

K-Music 2021: Black String & Nguyên Lê

To mark the band’s 10th anniversary, Black String return to the K-Music Festival with their old friend, musical companion, and one of the most versatile jazz guitarists Nguyên Lê. This is an extremely rare opportunity to watch them perform together presenting the masterpieces from Karma, their collaborative work. Black String & Nguyên Lê Grand Junction … [Read More]

K-Music 2021: Sinnoi + Dongyang Gozupa

Before heading to WOMEX in Porto, Dongyang Gozupa joins the K-music festival to perform at the Coronet Theatre for a double bill with Sinnoi, a quartet led by vocalist Bora Kim, ‘her flawless voice gliding between the purest of high tones and animalistic growls’ (Songlines). An exciting night with a true mixture of fresh sounds … [Read More]

K-Music 2021: ADG7

There’s a great line-up for K-music this year, and we’re really looking forward to the opening gig: ADG7 K-Music Festival Opening Wednesday 06 October 2021, 7:30pm LONDON Kings Place (Hall One) | 90 York Way | London N1 9AG | Book tickets ADG7 will open K-Music 2021 with hits from their debut album Ak Dan Gwang Chil, … [Read More]

A review of the Korean cultural year 2020

It would be an understatement to say that the cultural year 2020 has been markedly different from previous years. The pandemic has had a huge impact on the cultural scene, with most live events cancelled and event promoters falling back on the internet to provide us with our cultural fixes. Some of these attempts have … [Read More]

K-music 2020: now online only

It was a brave attempt: despite the pandemic, K-music 2020 was originally planned to open and close with live gigs. Now neither gig will now go ahead as planned. Flying over ADG7, a 9-member band with its associated staff, as Covid conditions worsened proved too much of a challenge. So the opening concert was the … [Read More]

K-music 2020 online: Heemoon Lee + Prelude + NomNom

Heemoon Lee’s gig with Prelude and NomNom at K-music 2017 (pictured below) was LKL’s live performance of the year, and it’s a strong contender for most fun gig of the whole K-music series so far. So it deserves its place in this K-music Greats strand, the final online concert of the festival. K-Music Greats III: … [Read More]

K-music 2020 online: Leenalchi

The final online concert in the Critics’ Choice strand brings us a band who’ve really exploded onto the scene this year. Critics’ Choice III: Leenalchi Thursday 12 November, 7pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive Leenalchi are currently enjoying viral success with the video ‘Feel the Rhythm of Korea’, in collaboration with the Ambiguous Dance Company … [Read More]

K-music 2020 online: Sinnoi

The second online concert in the Critics’ Choice strand brings us the innovative trio Sinnoi. Critics’ Choice II: Sinnoi Wednesday 11 November, 7pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive A unique presence on the jazz scene, Sinnoi has a minimalist composition with rich, deep musical interplay of improvised and delicate exchanges. Sinnoi was formed by Bora … [Read More]

K-music 2020 online: Coreyah

The first concert in the Critics’ Choice strand introduces us to Coreyah, who came to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2013 but as far as I know have not otherwise performed in the UK. Critics’ Choice I: Coreyah Tuesday 10 November, 7pm Watch at www.youtube.com/thekccuk or www.youtube.com/seriousmusiclive Coreyah are a psychedelic Korean folk music group, integrating … [Read More]