Since it came into existence, disco music has flourished and declined in popularity. But if the seasons of resurgence it has been through have taught us anything, it is that disco is a genre that never stays down permanently.

Today, Beyoncé, Dua Lipa, and Kylie Minogue are probably the first names that will come to mind when one thinks of contemporary artists involved in disco's latest revival. But dive deeper into the movement and you will find that there are many others who have been taking their listeners back to retro dancefloors, including BULGOGIDISCO.

Made up of Kim Hyun-song, Kim Dong-hyun, and Kim Hyung-kyun, the South Korean outfit's releases are delectable treats prepared using a recipe that blends '70s and '80s disco, funk, and alternative influences and a special ingredient — BULGOGIDISCO's quirky and uninhibited delivery.

Having already lit up festivals in their home country, such as DMZ PEACE TRAIN Music Festival 2022, 2022 Zandari Festa, and 2022 Suwon Culture Night, the band now have their sights set on Singapore's two-day AXEAN Festival 2023, where they are due to play a set on 28 October. 

In an interview with Bandwagon ahead of their trip to Singapore, BULGOGIDISCO talk about their love for disco music, representing Korean culture, and what it means to make "human music".

Your releases incorporate influences from disco music of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Tell us how you ended up falling in love with disco tunes.

디스코는 댄스음악에 기본이 되는 장르이다. 우리는 더 많은 사람들과 만나 함께 춤추기를 원했다. 디스코가 가진 문화적 이미지 또한 사랑한다. 이 시대의 인류를 위해 한 음악만 남겨야 한다면 디스코일 것이다.

Disco is a genre that is fundamental to dance music. We‘ve been wanting to meet more people and dance together. We also love the cultural image of disco music. If only one piece of music had to be left for humanity in this era, it should be disco.

Do you have any disco favourites?

Chic의 Le Freak, MJ의 Rock with you, Daft Punk의 One More Time 정도 겠다.

Chic's 'Le Freak', Michael Jackson's 'Rock with You', [and] Daft Punk's 'One More Time'.

Your name is a reference to how Korean culture and disco sounds converge in your music. What are some elements of Korean culture that we can expect to come across while listening to your songs?

멋진 질문 감사합니다. 허나 우리는 한국적인 요소를 직접적으로 음악에 담아내지는 않고 있다. 앞으로 풀어나가야 할 숙제라고 생각한다. 오히려 비주얼적인 측면에서 한국적인 아름다움을 풀어내고 싶다. 그래도 하나 정도 우리 음악에 들어있는 한국 문화의 요소를 뽑아보자면 힘들어도 포기하지않고 웃음을 잃지 않는 내적 강인함이 우리에게 있어, 우리의 음악에도 그 에너지가 분명 묻어 있을 것이다.

Thank you for saying so. However, we are not directly incorporating Korean [cultural] elements into our music. Rather, we see it as a challenge to tackle in the future. And we want to express Korean cultural beauty in a visual aspect. Nevertheless, if we pick at least one element from Korean culture that is in our music, it would be the inner strength to endure and [the] energy of Koreans who never give up and don't lose their laughter even in difficult times. We believe it undoubtedly is present in our music.

 

 

 

 

 

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You’re known to record your songs in one take. How did this idea first come about and what are some challenges that you’ve had to overcome while doing so?

우리는 인간적인 음악을 선호한다. 완벽하지않은 인간처럼 우리의 템포는 곡의 기분에 따라, 멤버들의 연주의 따라 유동적으로 융화하면서 우리만의 그루브를 표현하는 것에 재미를 더 느낀다. 그래서 메트로놈에 의존하는 녹음 방식은 지양하는 편이지만 모든곡이 다 그렇지는 않다! 그저 우리를 보다 자연스럽게 표현하고 싶을 뿐이다.

We prefer human music. Like imperfect humans, our tempo flows flexibly according to the mood of the song and the dynamics of the members' playing. That makes us express our unique groove and feel it more fun. Therefore, we tend to avoid recording methods that rely on a metronome, but not every song is like that! We just want to represent ourselves more naturally.

When you are up on stage together at a music festival, what are some things that you always do to ensure that your audience is engaged in your performance?

’춤추자’ 라는 곡에서 다함께 부르는 “오오에오~” 파트가 있다. 가사를 몰라도 따라 부를 수 있는 구간이다.

‘김칫국’ 이라는 곡에서는 밴드 모두가 지쳐 쓰러졌다가 관객의 환호성에 힘입어 다시 살아나 더욱 흥겹고 빠른 템포로 연주하는 구간도 공연의 재미 포인트 중 하나이다.

In the song '춤추자 (Let's Dance)', there is a part [where] everyone sings together, "Oh oh eh oh". It's a section that you can sing along with even if you don't know the lyrics.

And [there's] a segment of the song '김칫국" (Kimchi Soup)' [where] it seems like the entire band has exhaustedly played. Then with the cheers from the audience, we revive and play with even more fun and faster tempo. [It] is also one of the exciting highlights of the performance.

Stream BULGOGIDISCO's 2023 EP DAGAGA here:

AXEAN Festival 2023 will be held at the Goodman Arts Centre on 28 and 29 October. Tickets are available here on a pay-as-you-wish basis.