LEENALCHI is the seven-piece alt-pop powerhouse from Seoul currently shattering the boundaries between the ancient and the avant-garde.
By fusing pansori — a traditional Korean genre of musical storytelling — with a relentless, double-bass-driven rhythm section, the band has created a sound that is part 80s New Wave, part deep-funk disco, and entirely their own.
Most of the people reading this bio won’t be able to understand Leenalchi’s lyrics. Funnily enough, a lot of Korean speakers won’t be able to either. Using uitaeeo (mimetic words that capture sensations and emotions), LEENALCHI’s music transcends linguistic barriers.
With a vocal style defined by hypnotic, rhythmic chants – Hee-hee! Ha-ha! Hut-hut! – and a groove-heavy backbeat that demands a dance floor, LEENALCHI transforms folk tradition into a high-octane, global spectacle. It is storytelling reimagined for the 21st century: raw, rhythmic, and undeniably cool.
Don’t miss this chance to see them in the Jazz Cafe on 26 November, with subsequent stops in Bristol, Leeds and Manchester.