IDIOTAPE
Electronic Music from South Korea

Jason Landry, contributor

If you were to ask people what the most popular genre of music to come out of South Korea is, they would most likely say K-Pop. I have never listened to it, nor could I pick out any of the bands or musicians in a crowd, however, I did recently stumble upon a different type of group from Seoul, Korea that blew me away.

 

IDIOTAPE is a three piece electronic band that’s been around since 2010. It’s made up of two modular, analog synth players/producers named Dguru and Zeze and a killer drummer with a rock sensibility that goes by DR. Most of the music that I usually gravitate towards is guitar-driven, and even though they don't have one in the band, I was pleasantly surprised because what they do create makes up for the lack of other instruments, and in fact, I don't really miss it. Their Western music influences include bands like Radiohead and Metallica, so it makes sense that what they create is energetic—think a cross between club music and a mosh pit! 

 

I’ve checked out a few of their studio albums, including their 2011 album 11111101, but I gotta say that their live performance videos capture the true essence of this band. Watching the two synth players rapidly twist knobs and manipulate and layer sounds while the drummer punishes the kit at 130+ beats per minute is a sight to see.

 

They have played at a number of festivals around the globe including spots at Glastonbury and at SXSW. For a sampling of what this group is about, check out this YouTube vid of their track, “Melodie”.