[Weekender] Festivals fill summer 2016 with music

The season of festivities has come around once again, with a host of festivals lined up for music lovers. The summer lineup brims with choices, ranging from electronic dance music to rock.Heating up the summer with EDMThe night sky lights up with fireworks as the highlight of Ultra Korea. (Ultra Music Festival Korea)The Ultra Music Festival -- one of the leading EDM festivals worldwide -- has landed in Korea once again, celebrating its fifth anniversary with an exclusive three-day concert instea

June 10, 2016

[Herald Interview] Jambinai instills 'gugak' with new life

Breaking barriers between the old and new, Jambinai presents innovative sounds with traditional Korean musical instruments piri, haegum and geomungo.　Jambinai, an award-winning band inspired by Korean traditional music, or “gugak,” was formed in 2009 by the three members -- Lee Il-woo, Kim Bo-mi, and Sim Eun-yong -- who met as gugak students at Korea National University of Arts. Lee plays the piri, a reed flute, Kim plays the haegum, a bowed instrument with two strings and a hollow wooden sound

June 9, 2016

Versailles unveils giant waterfall that ‘holds up the sky’

VERSAILLES, France (AFP) - It is so big he claimed it “almost holds up the sky.”But Danish artist Olafur Eliasson refused Monday to reveal just how tall the giant waterfall he has created at France’s Palace of Versailles actually is.“The height is perfect,” he told reporters as he unveiled the spectacular installation which cascades into the Grand Canal of the famous royal gardens outside Paris.“Just as I intended, it will obscure the sun when it sets” on Midsummer’s Day, said the artist, who ha

June 9, 2016

EXO slays charts at home and abroad

EXO dominated music charts at home and abroad with its third full-length studio album “EX’ACT,” which was released at midnight on Wednesday.The lead song “Monster” immediately topped eight domestic music charts -- MelOn, Genie, Olleh Music, Mnet, Naver Music, Bugs Music, Monkey3 and Soribada.“Monster” tells the story of a man fixated on his lover in the group’s signature dark and intense style. Suho (center), the leader of K-pop boy band EXO, speaks at a press conference Wednesday at SMTOWN at C

June 9, 2016

YG unveils second member of upcoming girl group

YG Entertainment, one of the country’s biggest entertainment agencies, unveiled the second member of its new girl group Wednesday.Lisa, who hails from Thailand, has been training at the agency for about five years, YG Entertainment said, adding that she was fluent in four languages: Korean, English, Japanese, and Thai. Lisa, the second member of the new girl group under YG Entertainment (YG Entertainment)She garnered great attention when a video of her dancing was uploaded on the agency’s offici

June 9, 2016

Veteran actor Yu In-chon to reprise role as Hamlet after 16 years

Not only does this production of “Hamlet” commemorate the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, it also commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late director Lee Hae-rang, who staged Shakespeare for the first time in Korea in 1949. 　This year’s anniversary celebration of Shakespeare’s classic tale is slated to open next month with an all-star lineup of veteran stage actors including Kwon Seong-deok, Park Jeong-ja and Yu In-chon. The production’s nine-member cast has a

June 8, 2016

Artist Christo walks on water with “Floating Piers”

ISEO, Italy (AP) -- It’s taken nearly 2,000 years, but regular folks will soon get to feel what it is like to walk on water thanks to a project by the artist Christo, who may or may not have had his namesake in mind when envisioning his latest project: “The Floating Piers.” “Any interpretation is legitimate,” Christo, 80, allowed graciously in an interview Tuesday with the Associated Press at the picturesque Lake Iseo in northern Italy where his 23rd large-scale installation is just a week and a

June 8, 2016

EXO returns as 'Monster'

K-pop boy band EXO was set to release its third full-length studio album “EX’ACT” at midnight on Wednesday, announced the group’s agency SM Entertainment.　All nine members of the group were present at the press conference at SMTOWN@coexartium in Samseong-dong on Wednesday, where they introduced their upcoming album.　The album consists of nine tracks including two lead songs -- “Monster” and “Lucky One” -- featuring various genres including pop, electronic and progressive rhythm and blues. World-

June 8, 2016

[Hallyu Power] The Barberettes bring retro back

In an era when music has become so heavily dependent on technology to lend futuristic and computerized sounds, there’s a local Korean group that has its mind set on turning back the clock to the good old days of mom-and-pop stores, jukeboxes and barbershop quartets -- The Barberettes.　The female doo-wop musical trio is one of the fastest growing nonmainstream groups in the Korean music industry today. With their covers of popular hits from the past like “Mr. Sandman” and “Lollipop” as well as or

June 7, 2016

Avicii, Afrojack to pump up Seoul at Ultra Korea

Ultra Korea, also known as Ultra Music Festival Korea, has come around again this year, offering partygoers and music fans in Korea a rare chance to see some of the world’s most acclaimed electronic musicians. 　In celebration of its fifth anniversary this year, the festival will go on for three days instead of the usual two, at Seoul’s Olympic Stadium from Friday until Sunday. 　Headliners will include world-class acts such as Avicii, Afrojack and Armin van Buuren, all of whom previously took to

June 7, 2016

Eric Nam to collaborate with KOLAJ

Korean-American singer-songwriter Eric Nam is set to release his first original pop song, “Into You,” in collaboration with American group KOLAJ, the singer’s agency CJ E&M announced Tuesday.　“Into You,” a tropical house track, will be released on music websites in Korea and America including iTunes and Spotify on Thursday. Singer-songwriter Eric Nam (left) and American electronic dance music group KOLAJ (CJ E&M)　KOLAJ is an American electronic dance music group consisting of singer-songwriter T

June 7, 2016

Life of Lee Jung-seob at a glance

The Korean War was no obstacle for the legendary artist Lee Jung-seob (1916-1956) in his pursuit of art. 　While fleeing from the plight of war, he sketched and painted optimistic images of children playing with chickens and crabs. He and other contemporary artists pledged to create art and hold exhibitions in the devastation of the three-year war that has technically not ended, with an armistice agreement having brought a temporary truce on the peninsula. 　“Such life is hard to imagine when you

June 6, 2016