Two expat DJs seek to bring back alternative house


DJs Lewis Thompson from the U.K. and Joey Raicovich from the U.S. ― otherwise known as Lewis Anthony and Raico ― have heard DJs in all sorts of places around the world. From abandoned grocery stores in Florida, to old mills in Britain and converted churches in New York, they’ve seen it all.

But the one thing that they say all these places have in common is that they keep it all about the music.

“They didn’t change the places. They rigged them up with sound systems. There were no fancy lights or lasers,” said Lewis. “That’s what underground music is about. It’s not about building a club. It’s about keeping the roots.”

Both Thompson and Raicovich spent time working as DJs at Joker Red in Hongdae before it shut down, and it was there that they met and decided to start their own underground event while performing at a show put on by friends.

“Lewis said, ‘We gotta do our own night.’ But there weren’t any venues,” Raicovich said. It seemed that all the smaller clubs had no crowds and the two couldn’t touch the larger, super clubs prevalent around Seoul, which were starting to take business from the smaller clubs.

And then they stumbled into EXIT this winter. There, the duo found perfection in it as a venue for their own underground music night, Social Underground.

The scene was much like what the two said they experienced while going to and playing at clubs in their home countries.

“It’s the perfect venue. Forward-thinking. There’s no luxury. No table service. No VIP,” Thompson said. “It was dark and dirty. It’s about the music.”

Social Underground was built around the concept that you don’t have to spend a ton of money to have a good time at a club or to enjoy good music. The event, which is in its sixth month, is free and drinks at the bar are cheap. Visitors are even welcome to sit outside and drink their own beer from the corner store.

“You don’t have to put on high heels or short skirts to have a good time in a night club,” said Thompson. “You can put on a pair of trainers and ripped jeans and dance your ass off until six in the morning.”

The event gets a bit of its uniqueness from not only its creators, but also its location. In a small, graffiti-covered street next to a lesbian bar and new club Quadro, it shows that it is a niche in Hongdae, according to Thompson.

And each night gets bigger and brings out more people, who often spill out into the street outside EXIT.

The sixth Social Underground takes place this coming Saturday. Thompson and Raicovich do alternating sets before often going on stage together later on in the night.

That’s when the crowd really comes to life, the two said.

They start working together and the crowd feeds off that, which gets them more excited and leads to bigger effects and better music.

“Was it the first party that some guy was on the table?” Thompson asked his partner.

“You were! You were jumping off the table!” replied Raicovich.

Needless to say, there is a reason more people attend each month and Social Underground is getting more attention ― and getting bigger. The two are adding on a daytime event at Han River Park at Yeoinaru Station with two other DJs taking part.

And Thompson and Raicovich hope that it just keeps growing and drawing in more people. They promise that even if they get asked to play at more clubs, Social Underground will never leave Bar EXIT ― especially with all the super clubs dominating the night life.

“We want to keep that following, keep it real. Keep it underground,” Thompson said.

They hope that Social Underground becomes the best underground night in Hongdae, especially since it is one of the only underground nights that remain.

Both DJs were established producers before starting Social Underground. Raicovich got his first set of turntables at 17 and began searching for records. He went on to set up at house parties and in the town square during college while working at his university’s radio station in Philadelphia.

Thompson said he got his start on his university’s radio station, teaching himself how to use all the equipment while hosting his own radio show where he would interview DJs.

Neither had started chasing down gigs until they got to Seoul, Thompson just three years ago and Raicovich about five. They both met DJ Sunshine, owner of Joker Red, and played at the venue for the last couple of years before it closed. Thanks to their friends, both said they were lucky to get gigs at other clubs, including Mansion, Octogon, Via and Club Eve.

Social Underground kicks off this Saturday, July 7 at 10 p.m. at Exit in Hongdae with Aaron Cho, Lewis Anthony and Raico. It takes place every month and more information can be found on Facebook by searching “Social Underground.” Party in the Park starts at 3 p.m. at Yeionaru Station, featuring Aaron Cho, Audio Sex, Lewis Anthony and Raico. Both events are free.

By Emma Kalka (ekalka@heraldcorp.com)