Music

Post image for K-music focus forum at the KCC

To warm you up for the festival of Korean music coming up during June, a panel of speakers will talk about Korean music at the KCC on 21 March at 7pm. It’s particularly nice to see Songlines on the panel. John Lusk from that magazine did a great article on Kim Duk-soo and other Korean [...]

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K-Music: The National Orchestra of Korea at the Barbican, 14 June

by Philip Gowman 17 May 2013
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The 2013 festival of Korean music starts with a prestigious appearance of the National Orchestra Orcestra of Korea. The orchestra was formed in 1995 and plays modified Korean traditional instruments, performing concerts which combine Korean and Western music in both new and traditional compositions. K-Music: The National Orchestra of Korea Friday 14 June, 8:00PM Barbican, [...]

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K-Music: Uhuhboo Project + Pere Ubu at Scala, 16 June

by Philip Gowman 17 May 2013
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K-film followers may know Uhuhboo Project from the soundtrack of Park Chan-wook’s short film Night Fishing, and the Project’s Baik Hyunjhin was in town last year for a performance at his solo art show at 43 Inverness Street. They are the second act in June’s K-music festival: K-Music: Uhuhboo Project + Pere Ubu Sunday 16 [...]

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K-Music: Geomungo Factory at the Cadogan Hall, 19 June

by Philip Gowman 17 May 2013
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The K-music festival continues with a fusion Geomungo quartet at the Cadogan Hall, who have had rave reviews from Songlines magazine: K-Music: Geomungo Factory Wednesday 19 June, 7:30PM Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London, SW1X 9DQ The first-ever British concert by Korean cult band Geomungo Factory, who have taken the geomungo – an ancient form [...]

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K-music: Yi Sung Yol and Jang Kiha & the Faces at Scala, 20 June

by Philip Gowman 17 May 2013
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LKL has long been a fan of Yi Sung Yol – his was one of our albums of the year in 2007. Jang Ki-ha & the Faces is a more recent arrival on the scene, and manages to be slightly retro yet at the same time refreshing. I’m not sure I would describe either artist [...]

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K-music: Pansori night with Ahn Sook-sun at the Cadogan Hall, 21 June

by Philip Gowman 17 May 2013
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Earlier this year at the KCC’s 5th birthday celebrations we had forty minutes of pansori which left the audience wanting more. So here’s some more, for the final concert of the K-music festival. K-Music: Pansori Night – Ahn Sook-Sun Friday 21 June, 7:30PM Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London, SW1X 9DQ Pansori is Korean musical [...]

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Pochagi – A Tapestry of Korean Sounds

by Philip Gowman 12 May 2013
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June is turning in to quite a month for Korean music. To warm us up for the big K-music festival later in the month, Hyelim Kim (SOAS) performs with the Yin Yang Collective and launches her CD at the Royal Asiatic Society on 6 June: Pochagi – A Tapestry of Korean Sounds Yin Yang Collective [...]

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Gig Review: Korea Rocks at the Barfly

by Saharial 2 May 2013
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It was a cold a windy day in Camden on Sunday, something easily forgotten at Barfly thanks to the energy that filled the venue during the four hours of Korea Rocks. I like the Barfly venue – just the right size space for a gig to feel busy but intimate, and the whole place as [...]

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The Korea Rocks tour – good for Hyundai Card, and good for the audience

by Philip Gowman 25 April 2013
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If you’re in London and a fan of quality rock music, this Sunday at the Barfly in Camden is a must for you. For fans of Korean culture in London, it is of course an unmissable opportunity to see some of the best indie rock bands that dominate the Hongdae music scene. And for their [...]

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Gate Flowers up for MTM Iggy’s Artist of the Week

by Philip Gowman 21 April 2013
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Go vote for Gate Flowers as MTV Iggy’s artist of the week. Says MTV Iggy: One of the bands we have our eye on is Gate Flowers, winners of both the “Rookie of the Year” and “Best Rock Song” awards in the 2011 Korean Music Awards. Their throwback sound takes the dense guitars of Nirvana-era [...]

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CD review: Nah Youn Sun — Lento

by Philip Gowman 18 April 2013
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Nah Youn Sun: Lento ACT Records, April 2013 Nah Youn Sun’s collaboration with Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius continues to bear fruit. This is her third album with Wakenius on the ACT label (and her 8th studio album overall), and like her previous ACT releases they are supported by Lars Danielsson on bass and Xavier Desandre-Navarre [...]

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View 2NE1′s New Evolution tour on the big screen in Wimbledon

by Philip Gowman 13 April 2013
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If you can’t get to see 2NE1 live, the next best thing is to see them on the big screen with like-minded people. Hallyu UK and the UK YG Queens have combined to take over the Curzon in Wimbledon this coming Bank Holiday Monday, 6 May, 4pm-6pm. Book tickets via either of their sites linked [...]

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Korea Rocks profile #1: Apollo 18

by Philip Gowman 3 April 2013
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Four top bands are coming to the UK this month as part of the Korea Rocks tour presented by Hyundai Card Music. Here’s a profile of Apollo 18, who have featured in LKL’s Critics’ Choice two years running, 2009-2010, selected by Anna Lindgren and Mark Russell. Award-winning South Korean post-hardcore/post-rock act Apollo 18 formed in [...]

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Korea Rocks profile #2: Galaxy Express

by Philip Gowman 3 April 2013
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Four top bands are coming to the UK this month as part of the Korea Rocks tour presented by Hyundai Card Music. Here’s a profile Galaxy Express, who featured in LKL’s Critics’ Choice for 2011. Award-winning South Korean rockers Galaxy Express formed in 2006 in Seoul. The trio of guitarist/vocalist Jonghyun Park, bassist/vocalist Juhyun Lee, [...]

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Korea Rocks profile #3: Goonamguayeoridingstella

by Philip Gowman 3 April 2013
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Four top bands are coming to the UK this month as part of the Korea Rocks tour presented by Hyundai Card Music. Here’s a profile of Goonamguayeoridingstella, or Goonam for short, whom keen-eared filmgoers might have heard in one of the Leesong Hee-il films that screened at the BFI recently as part of the London [...]

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Korea Rocks profile #4: Gate Flowers

by Philip Gowman 3 April 2013
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Four top bands are coming to the UK this month as part of the Korea Rocks tour presented by Hyundai Card Music. Here’s a profile of Gate Flowers: Playing a mix of hard rock and alternative rock, Korean quartet Gate Flowers’ debut eponymous EP netted them the government-sponsored Hello Rookie prize for being the most [...]

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Four top Korean rock bands come to the UK

by Philip Gowman 28 March 2013
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Thanks to Anna over at koreanindie.com for telling us the good news. Hyundai Cards have been promoting Korean indie music with videos and live performances at their Hongdae popup store, and now are bringing for top bands to the UK. The bands are Galaxy Express, Apollo 18, Goonamguayeoridingstella and Gate Flowers, and koreanindie.com gives us [...]

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Saharial’s Entertainment Weekly: another car crash of a week in the world of Korean celebrity

by Saharial 25 March 2013
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Rain is still on a no-show as a witness in the lawsuit against him by a fashion company investor citing that he is a soldier. But as he has had time to meet his girlfriend Kim Tae-hee, this excuse is not going down too well. This case is related to the debacle back in 2010 [...]

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Free Gayageum classes at the KCC

by Philip Gowman 23 March 2013
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Many readers will have seen KAA Chairman Jung Ji-eun perform on her gayageum at various events. Now you can have some free classes from her at the KCC. Download an application form from the KCC website. Korean Music Classes: Introducing the Gayageum Would you like to learn a Korean Musical Instrument? The Korean Cultural Centre [...]

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Saharial’s Entertainment Weekly: it’s going to be one of those years…

by Saharial 17 March 2013
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It’s going to be one of those years. If you hadn’t already guessed from the propofol and Park Shi Hoo case, the rather dirty side of K-pop and celebrity has started to show itself. The propofol investigation has almost reached its conclusion. Still limited to four celebrities, Hyun Young, who had it administered 42 times, [...]

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Nah Youn Sun on reducing an audience to tears

by Philip Gowman 12 March 2013
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LKL’s favourite jazz singer, Nah Youn Sun, fresh from singing at Park Geun-hye’s inauguration talks to the JoongAng Daily about her career, about her new album, Lento, which will be released in the UK in April, and about singing Arirang to foreign audiences: To my surprise, audiences, regardless of their nationality, shed tears while listening [...]

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