Eyelike: ‘Mr. Gae’ takes Korean hip-hop to the edge

 Mr. Gae’ takes Korean hip-hop to the edgeGary “Mr. Gae”(LOEN Entertainment)Gary’s first solo album “Mr. Gae” is best described as R-rated. Although the title track “Shower Later” has hit the number one spot on Korea’s major music charts, the song and its accompanying music video were deemed “inappropriate” for public airing.Indeed, the songs on Gary’s new album are filled with vulgar lyrics that are questionable even by Korean hip-hop standards. The listening becomes pleasant only through the m

Jan. 24, 2014

A night of “Entertainment”

Phoenix performs at its first concert in Korea at Uniqlo AX Hall, eastern Seoul, on Thursday night. (VU Entertainment)“Hello Seoul, this is Phoenix from Paris!” shouted French alternative rock band Phoenix amidst an explosion of red lights and fans roaring in deafening unison as the band launched into its first Seoul concert on Thursday.　The concert, held at the UNIQLO AX hall in eastern Seoul, drew thousands of fans in their 20s and 30s, both Korean and non-Korean. Phoenix, which features hard

Jan. 24, 2014

Rapper Gary’s solo debut album banned from TV

All the songs on the rapper Gary’s first solo album, “Mr. Gae,” including the title track “Shower Later,” have been banned by the country’s three major broadcasting channels, TV officials said. KBS, the country’s second-largest broadcaster, said Friday that its review panel decided to ban all four songs on the album and their music videos, citing risque scenes and vulgar language. Two other channels, MBC and SBS, took similar actions earlier this week. “Shower Later,” a mid-tempo song featuring

Jan. 24, 2014

EXO takes top prize at Seoul Music Awards

K-pop sensation EXO won a top prize at the 23rd Seoul Music Awards on Thursday, outshining 12 competitors including SHINee, Cho Yong-pil and Girls’ Generation.  　The idol group also earned awards for the main prize and Digital Song of the Year at the ceremony held at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Seoul. 　“EXO had a tense and difficult year in 2013, but we were happy that we could be with our fans,” said Sooho, team leader of the idol group, expressing his gratitude to his fans and colleagues at SM En

Jan. 24, 2014

Ordinary things become centerpieces

Photographer Lee Jung-jin wanted to cast off fixed concepts about her art discipline. Instead of using photosensitized paper, she tried different printing materials to capture certain images which have inspired her. After experimenting with diverse materials such as fabric, printed paper and even toilet paper, she found the right image on a piece of mulberry paper. “Coincidentally the mulberry paper and the image created a synergy. It even looked like a painting,” she said at Shinsegae Gallery i

Jan. 23, 2014

Seoul Jazz Festival to take place in May

This year’s Seoul Jazz Festival, will be held at Olympic Park in Seoul on May 17 and 18.The first lineup of musicians will be unveiled on Feb. 6 and tickets for two-day passes will go on sale from Feb. 4 on Interpark.Just 1,000 “blind tickets” for two-day passes will be released for purchase on Feb. 4, at 12 p.m., two days before the announcement of the first artist lineup. The “blind tickets” will be sold for 125,000 won, a 35-percent discount.A limited number of “super early bird tickets,” als

Jan. 23, 2014

EXO may win top prize at Seoul Music Awards

K-pop fans have their eyes on whether K-pop sensation EXO could win a top prize in the upcoming Seoul Music Awards to be held on Thursday night. If the boy band makes it to the top, it would be the fourth straight victory for the idol group.EXO, a South Korean-Chinese boy band consisting of 12 members, has gained explosive popularity at home and in China since making an official debut in early 2012.　Their first full-length album has sold more than 1.4 million by far, according to the Gaon chart,

Jan. 23, 2014

Rock band YB to debut in U.S., U.K.

Korea’s signature rock band YB is gearing up for its official debut in the United Kingdom and Unites States after signing with Doug Goldstein, the former manager of American hard rock legends Guns N’ Roses, YB’s management agency announced on Tuesday. YB is slated to release its first English single with Goldstein in February and introduce itself overseas through various radio gigs and music magazines in the West. The PR firm Lesley Z Media, which successfully promoted popular acts including Sto

Jan. 22, 2014

Opera star to sing national anthem at Super Bowl

NEW YORK (AP) ― The Super Bowl will have a touch of the classical this year: Opera star Renee Fleming will sing the national anthem. The four-time Grammy winner will perform before the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Feb 2. Fleming is the first opera star to sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. In recent years, it has been performed mainly by a mix of pop and country stars. Known as “The People’s Diva,” the soprano is closely id

Jan. 22, 2014

Music ‘made by Korea’

SM Entertainment, the largest record company in Korea, is at the forefront of K-pop’s worldwide popularity, churning out the hottest groups such as Girls’ Generation and EXO. Although it has received lots of praise for earning precious dollars, there is also growing criticism over the supposed lack of “Korean-ness” in its music, due to widespread employment of foreign professionals, including songwriters and even singers, during the production process. A typical example is EXO. The Korean-Chines

Jan. 21, 2014

Troubled Bolshoi presents new musical director

MOSCOW (AFP) ― The Bolshoi Theater on Monday presented its new musical director, who has been appointed to help restore the tarnished reputation of the scandal-ridden theater.Tugan Sokhiev, a 36-year-old conductor who studied in Saint Petersburg, is currently musical director of the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.On Monday, the Bolshoi’s general director Vladimir Urin presented Sokhiev to journalists, calling him “one of the most in-dem

Jan. 21, 2014

Koyote returns with ’90s retro feel

Veteran hip-hop and dance group Koyote returned to the music scene Tuesday with its new mini-album “1999,” bringing back ’90s style and celebrating the 17th anniversary of the group’s debut.Filled with upbeat, discoesque rhythms, Koyote’s new album is expected to bring a fresh array of the group’s signature “old school” sounds to a K-pop music scene dominated by an avalanche of young boy and girl groups. “We launched our new album with the hope of making listeners feel as if they have really gon

Jan. 21, 2014

CNBLUE releases new documentary film in Japan

Popular K-pop band CNBLUE returned home from Japan on Sunday after promoting its first documentary film, “The Story of CNBLUE: Never Stop,” which was released in Japanese theaters last week.The two-hour film depicts the band’s daily life before its formal debut, personal interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of world tours. The documentary was directed by Jeon Yong-seung, a renowned director who produced highly acclaimed works including the “NHK Special” and “Jung Yul Dae Ryuk.”The four-membe

Jan. 21, 2014

Billboard recognizes YG CEO as ‘international power player’

YG Entertainment CEO and producer Yang Hyun-suk has been recognized by U.S. Billboard magazine as an “international power player” for bringing about significant changes in the dynamics of the world music market. According to a press release on Saturday by YG Entertainment, Yang was the only South Korean leader on the list of “international power players” recognizing world-renowned leaders in the music business. The list was compiled for the first time by Billboard magazine and Midem, an annual i

Jan. 20, 2014

Lee Hyo-ri to debut as producer with new album for SPICA

Sexy diva Lee Hyo-ri is to make her debut as a producer with a new album for the girl group SPICA. “Lee coached the styling the members and visited the studio set to film the music video for the song. Her husband Lee Sang-soon also took part as a session guitarist,” said an official from SPICA’s agency B2M Entertainment.Lee starred with the rookie girl group on cable channel On Style on a program training them how to become “real stars.” The senior singer has earlier worked collaboratively on SP

Jan. 20, 2014

Legendary media artist Nam June Paik remembered

Legendary media artist Nam June Paik’s life and work will be memorialized in an event at Nam June Paik Art Center Saturday. The center will mark the eighth anniversary of his death with a contemporary media art performance and an exhibition tour. The center is a museum dedicated to exhibiting his works and researching his art world, and has previously held memorials with art performances that illustrate his lasting influence. This year’s event will showcase an audiovisual performance by Korean s

Jan. 19, 2014

YG Entertainment to launch family world tour

Officials at YG Entertainment, home to some of the nation’s most popular K-pop acts, have announced that it will be launching the “YG Family 2014 World Tour” in April. The tour will include YG’s biggest acts, including world star Psy, Big Bang, 2NE1, hip-hop trio Epik High, the newly debuted Lee Hi and idol boy band Winner, and will take the artists to various locations in Japan, China and Korea. The tour will kick off in Japan at the Osaka Kyocera Dome for a two-day performance on April 12 and

Jan. 19, 2014