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Seoulsonic tour brings Korean indie acts to Los Angeles

October 8, 2015

Top to bottom: HEO, Sultan of the Disco, WYM

By Tae Hong

Three Korean indie standouts are hitting Los Angeles this week as a part of a Seoulsonic tour also spanning San Francisco and New York.

Bands WYM, HEO and Sultan of the Disco will each play at Culture Collide festival venues Saturday.

Seoulsonic, an effort started in 2011 to bring Korean indie to the United States, brought three acts yearly to SXSW through 2013.

Bernie Cho, Seoulsonic executive producer, said EDM is the fastest-growing genre in the United States.

“We felt it was the right time for Seoulsonic to showcase the dynamic range of electronic dance musicians emerging from Korea,” he said. “We were incredibly lucky to coordinate the busy concert schedules of three of the most critically acclaimed Korean live acts.”

HEO, an electro-rock act that SXSW attendees from March may be familiar with, picked up the Electronic Dance Album of the Year win at the 2015 Korean Music Awards.

“I grew up listening to pop music, so the music scene in Los Angeles was always the subject of envy for me,” HEO said. “From ’80s metal to recent musicians like Flying Lotus, I think L.A. is a space where both mainstream and independent music come together to mix and be absorbed. I’m very excited for the two upcoming shows.”

Soul/funk group Sultan of the Disco has played at Glastonbury; WYM, a “one-man electronic band,” was previously known as Bjorn and released his first album “After Moon” last year.

Culture Collide is a convergence of artists from across the globe that will gather and play in the city through the weekend.

All three bands will also show Oct. 15 at SOB’s in New York as CMJ guests.

Los Angeles Saturday schedule:

-WYM
9:30 p.m. @ Lot 1 Cafe

-HEO
7 p.m. @ Echoplex

-Sultan of the Disco
7 p.m. @ TAIX

Check out the Seoulsonic Facebook for more information, and get Culture Collide Los Angeles tickets on its website.