Yoon Na-ra, top, and Love X Stereo are the first acts invited to perform at the Open Stage at the Platoon Kunsthalle, Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul. / Courtesy of Platoon Kunsthalle
Yoon Na-ra, Love X Stereo to launch first Platoon Open Stage
By Kwaak Je-yup
It may sound impossible: staging indie music in the heart of Seoul's commercial jungle.
But Platoon Kunsthalle, the singular bastion of subculture south of the river in Nonhyeon-dong, southern Seoul, promises exactly that in about a week, showcasing relatively undiscovered acts.
Its inaugural "Open Stage" event next Thursday will present male folk jazz artist Yoon Na-ra and electro rock band Love X Stereo, both active in Hongdae.
Cosmos Music, a 40-year-old Korean musical instrument specialist, co-sponsors the occasion, bringing two fresh acts to the stage every Thursday at 8 p.m.
The weekly gig marks Platoon's major foray into Seoul's indie scene, which has hitherto been dominated by a handful of venues in Hongdae, the popular area around the Hongik University in northwestern Seoul. The German-Korean team behind the scenes hopes that this new event will provide a much-needed oomph to experimental music, as its many projects have done so to other arts since its opening barely three years ago.
"Platoon is one of the most attractive platforms (in the country) to present your work because they have a great infrastructure for promotion ― for free. I have already received great exposure through SNS (social networking services) thanks to them", said Yoon in a phone interview with The Korea Times. "As an independent act, you only have two choices otherwise: go around town yourself and plug your music or hire an agent, who can cost a bundle".
Up to now, the 27-year-old singer-songwriter with an acoustic guitar has been actively pursuing the former, especially in Hongdae after he made his solo debut last year. He previously performed as a leader of a band called Nara, which is now inactive, in 2010.
Other options for budding musicians are usually festivals and competitions, big and small, in addition to uploading their performances to YouTube.
Love X Stereo has capitalized on such social media, interacting heavily with fans online. The three members, Annie, Toby and Sol, came together to form the group last year, with a philosophy that all their music needs to be danceable. They each have over 10 years of individual careers in music, according to the organizers.
The members of the group could not be reached at the time of reporting.
Source : www.koreatimes.co.kr/... ( English Korean )
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