Usually at this time of year we have the pleasure of several Korean bands coming to England for festivals such as Brighton’s Great Escape and Liverpool’s Sound City, and often we get to see the bands as they pass through London. No such luck this year, but instead we have an online showcase over the course of three evenings:
Discover Korea’s Independent Music
Wednesday 26 – Friday 28 May 2021 @ KCCUK YouTube Channel
The K-Music Showcase returns for 2021 with an online edition featuring 6 outstanding bands – audiences will have the rare opportunity to see and hear various voices and music from Korea including hip-hop, R&B – and EDM.
Since 2015, the K-Music Showcase in London has presented exciting Korean bands to audiences before the bands embarked upon a tour of the UK festival circuit.
For this year, the digital edition of the K-Music Showcase will be streaming on our Youtube Channel from 26 – 28 May at 7pm.
The 2021 K-Music Showcase is a truly international event as it is being presented in partnership with the Sejong Center in Seoul, as well as the Korean Cultural Centres in Belgium and Spain.
2021 K-Music Showcase LINE-UP:
WED, 26 MAY 19:00 (BST): SAMUEL SEO + BIBI
‘Samuel Seo’s exploration […] has gained him somewhat of a cult following, often putting him at the forefront of an evolving underground subculture’
– DAZED“A Genre called BIBI has emerged!” – BOA
BIBI (R+B)
BIBI is an urban R&B and hip-hop singer-songwriter based in Seoul and former finalist on the Korean audition TV show, The Fan (SBS, 2019) where she came 2nd. She released her debut single BINU right after the show and since then has released a single and an EP The Ultimate Manuals of Love with Feel Good Music, a record label founded by Tiger JK and Yoon Mirae – the first generation of Korean hip-hop – the label has long provided a place for young artists in Korea’s hip-hop and R&B scenes to flourish. BIBI recently featured on J.Y. Park’s latest single, Fever. Spotify selected BIBI as the “2020 Top 5 Most Streamed RADAR Korean Artist.” She released her new EP album on 28 April 2021 that has gone viral online.
Samuel Seo (Hip Hop)
As the winner of the ‘Best R&B Soul Record Award’ at the 2016 Korea Popular Music Awards, Samuel Seo has been infusing new energy to the Hip-hop and R&B scene in Korea. In addition to singing and rapping, he contributes to the song writing, composition, arrangement, and production of his material. He also incorporates various genres into his work, including R&B, soul, hip hop, funk, electronica, and synthpop. His most recent album The Misfit (2019) tells about the misfits whose values are ignored by the standards set by mainstream society whilst trying to find the silver lining of dream, love, and freedom. The album won the Best R&B Soul Record Award at the 2020 Korea Popular Music Awards.
THU, 27 MAY 19:00 (BST): SE SO NEON + GEORGE
“There Is No Such Thing As A Perfect Band!” Clash Meets Se So Neon
– Clash Magazine, UKGeorge is a R&B singer-songwriter and producer and one of the fastest rising artists in Korea at the moment. With his memorable and versatile voice, he is ready to bring his witty, happy vibes to London.
“A Liberal Navigator in the Sea of Music.”
– KBS RadioGeorge (R+B)
George is an R&B singer-songwriter and producer, and one of the fastest rising artists in Korea. George’s single Swimming Pool was selected as one of the ‘Best of 2018’ by Apple Music Korea’s editors and his EP Cassette climbed all the way to the top of Apple Music’s R&B Chart. Before his debut, George established a strong bond with the public through social media. Word spread quickly and it wasn’t long before musicians started to contact him to make music together. BTS’s Jungkook released his cover of George’s recent ballad Look at Me, which added to the song’s popularity. In 2019 George made his international debut at Sound City and then The Great Escape Festival, some of the best events in the UK for new cutting-edge music.
SE SO NEON – Alternative Pop
Formed in Seoul in 2016 with Soyoon (vocals/guitar), U Su (drums) and Park Hyunjin (bass) the band debuted with their single Long Dream in 2017. They have explored their own voice ever since, with a wide spectrum of musical influences varying from blues, psychedelic rock to new wave and synth pop. After releasing their debut EP Summer Plumage, the band was awarded ‘Rookie of The Year’ at the Korean Music Awards in 2018. They have performed at several international festivals including Reeperbahn Festival, Summer Sonic, Modern Sky Festival, Megaport Festival, Ear Hub and more.
FRI, 28 MAY 19:00 (BST): Idiotape + Drinking Boys And Girls Choir
‘Seoul’s Idiotape have been making waves internationally with their live mix of analog synthesizers and bombastic drumming. It’s hard not to imagine a sea of people dancing to their forward leaning energetic live electronic/EDM’
– sxsw.comIdiotape (Electronica)
Idiotape sound like a sixties pop band with a mighty drummer, fed through an analog synthesizer and turned into a dance phenomenon. In March 2011 the group embarked on a North American tour to play at Canadian Music Week (CMW) and South by South West (SXSW). Garnering rave reviews at both events, the Toronto Star newspaper highlighted them in their nine acts that stood out from the pack CMW wrap-up. In 2015 IDIOTAPE completed their first tour of Europe, performing at Glastonbury, Fusion, Exit, FMM, Techno Parade, Lille 300 and ending the year at Trans Musicales in Rennes. Going beyond the local scene, the band has toured across continents by performing at world-renowned music festivals such as K-Music Festival 2016(KCCUK), Sziget Festival, SXSW, Amsterdam Dance Event, Paleo Festival, Pohoda Festival, Reeperbahn and so on.
Drinking Boys And Girls Choir (Punk)
Drinking Boys And Girls Choir is a 3-piece skate punk band featuring the challenge and energy of youth. Formed in 2013 they released their debut album and participating in 2019 editions of SXSW, The Great Escape and Liverpool Sound City. The band has been featured in well-known music magazines such as Stereogum, MTV US, Brookelnvegan, The 405 and The Quietus who all posted favourable articles on the Drinking Boys And Girls Choir’s skate punk music. Inspired by Sum41, NOFX and Daegu’s 90s-00s hardcore punk/indie-rock scene before it moved to Seoul, a topic the band are very passionate about – they won’t move to the capital, instead preferring to take part in nurturing a sustainable local scene.
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