K-Indie Super Spotlight: Five of our favorite non-K-pop artists from Korea
Exploring Korean Music Beyond K-pop
While there’s no such thing as too much K-pop, we also recognize there are so many other talented Korean musicians making awesome music! Each month in our monthly issues, we try to spotlight a few of our favorite artists from the Korean music scenes outside of pop that deserve more attention. Here’s just a small sample of the great music we’ve shared.
Aseul
“Can you really be sure you are not dreaming?” asks South Korean indie electro pop starlet Aseul to her listeners. “Have you pinched yourself to see that you weren’t dreaming?” It’s hard to find a more fitting introduction to Aseul’s music than these two questions. The music she marks is dreamy, synth-fueled, and spacious, with tight electronic drums and sweet, effected vocals. Her debut album, Echo, dropped in 2012. New Pop and Slow Dance followed in 2016 and 2020 respectively.
Band Members:
Lee Soojeong
Biggest Hit
“Always with You” - 1.3 million Spotify streams
Our Favorite MV
ADOY
ADOY is a South Korean indie pop/rock band based in Seoul and signed to Angel House. The group formed in 2017 and has received multiple nominations at the Korean Music Awards. They gained positive attention with their hit song “Wonder” in 2018, which led to their first shows abroad and a win of the Special Judges Award in 2019 at the Seoul Music Awards. We’re in love with their latest album, PLEASURES, which dropped last year.
Band Members:
Juhwan Oh
Zee
Geunchang Park
Dayoung Jeong
Biggest Hit
“Wonder” - 14 million Spotify streams
Our Favorite MV
APNEA
APNEA is a South Korean band that fuses Nu-metal, dubstep, J-rock, and electronic music to create engaging, hard hitting, and anthemic music that wouldn’t feel out of place in a Hollywood blockbuster. The internet has called them “diabolically designed,” “triumphant,” and “vigorous.” They are one of our current favorites. Their latest record, ANA-043 dropped in 2023.
Band Members:
최승원 Nthonius (Producer, DJ, Sound Design)
김건재 GeonJae Kim AKA gleepy (Drums)
강건구 GET KU (Guitar)
류혜진 Riyou (Vocals)
유승현 SeungHyun You (Bass)
Biggest Hit
“Direction” - 1.5 million Spotify streams
Our Favorite MV
Piano Shoegazer
Piano Shoegazer’s music is delightfully weird. We’re confident in saying we are some of the very first fans of his self-described “Sonic Poetry.” Genre-wise, he produces ambient breakcore tracks that feel like whatever happens after post-pop. His album Sisyphus Happy is full of phenomenally produced instrumental tracks with drippy synths and liminal arrangements. If you want music full of mystery, wonder, and in-the-pocket grooves, this is for you.
Biggest Hit
“Escape” - 3k Spotify streams
Our Favorite MV
In the endless zanhyang we are
It’s only when you look closely at something incredibly small that you begin to see the details and beauty that are held within. Such is the case with Korean ambient/folk band In the endless zanhyang we are. A careful listen proves their music to be more than just nice and peaceful music; the group crafts immaculate soundscapes with acoustic guitar, brushed drums, and countless layers of synths and keys that slowly ebb and flow. Although originally a solo project for singer Ahn Dayoung, the group reformed and renamed themselves in 2016, and their shoegaze roots occasionally peak through to this day. Their 2017 EP Inevitability under consecutive coincidence carries the perfect level of calm retrospective — just as relevant on a rainy day as one full of sunshine.
Band Members:
Ahn Dayoung
Kim Haram
Lee Gunseok
Park Seonghoon
Biggest Hit
“And so it goes” - 24k Spotify streams
Our Favorite MV