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www.groovekorea.com / February 2014 70 MUsIC & ARTs Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com) I t all started out with an invite-only party in London. Up until a few hours before the doors opened, the crowd had no idea where they’d be convening to party with the city’s most tal- ented underground DJs. Since then, the Boiler Room concert series has become an inter- national phenomenon that is streamed live to thousands of viewers online. One entrepreneurial creative has taken inspi- ration from the Boiler Room vibe and launched Seoul’s very own monthly underground party. Collaborating with local music organizations and DJs, Jjimjilbang-Korea has used word of mouth to garner a loyal following whose inter- est has been piqued by three things: diverse music, free entry and new secret locations ev- ery month. “The concept is based on streaming the un- derground experience and bringing it live to the viewer, whether they are in Korea or overseas, want to hear good music or just to see their friends. The parties will be streamed, then posted on YouTube and Facebook,” says Don Sin, one of the guys behind Jjimjilbang-Korea, who has co-owned Powwow, an underground live music venue near Gyeongnidan, Seoul. His creative partner, Mike Hwang, has held events at Bar Exit in Seoul and was the co-CEO for Flavor Media, a Boston-based music and en- tertainment group working with major and emerging electronic dance musicians. The crux of their undertaking is simple: Jjim- jilbang-Korea will host unique monthly parties at venues throughout Seoul, and the location of each gathering will be revealed to the attend- ees on the day of the event. Their focus will be on quality rather than quantity, with a range of electronic dance music to be played. Rather than solely house music or techno, the parties will feature a mix, from garage to jungle. “We are an open-minded creative. We don’t target any specific niche; we just want to sup- ply a great environment and good music to people who want to party and dance,” says Sin. Jjimjilbang-Korea had its launch party on Dec. 21 at Bar Exit to a full house. “We were happy with the fact that people came with- out any prior information about the event but stayed with us and had a good time,” says Sin. “Our parties and brand will only get better.” Sin and Hwang plan to expand their focus beyond DJs and the electronic dance genre. They hope to keep collaborating with local mu- sicians and encompass all the underground music that Seoul has to offer. “We want to continue to focus on throwing music-centric events. Additionally, we want to grow and define our brand further to ensure that we are able to contribute a polished event to the underground scene of Seoul,” says Sin. “Expect great things — we have some exciting events coming up. If you want to get involved, drop us a line, be it promoting or performing. Supporting local talent is our utmost priority.” You don’t Know where You’ll end up invite-only Jjimjilbang parties host seoul’s top edm dJs Story by Sophie Boladeras Illustration courtesy of Jjimjilbang-Korea more info Visit facebook.com/JJBKR or cargocollective.com/jjimjilbangkr. ‘We are an open- minded creative. We don’t target any specifc niche; we just want to supply a great environment and good music to people who want to party and dance.’ —Don Sin, Jjimjilbang-Korea co-organizer
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