Parov Stelar Band to bring retro sounds for first time

One of the leading pioneers of mashing together new and old school music, DJ Parov Stelar, and his band will be returning to Seoul with the band’s unique style of swing-time pop and electronica in their first solo concert in Korea next month.

The band has performed on a number of occasions in Seoul as part of the line-up for various jazz festivals, including the annual Seoul Jazz Festival. This time, however, the Parov Stelar Band is bringing its brass and rhythm infused electronic sounds in a full solo concert.

Marcus Freder, better known by his stage name Parov Stelar, is an Austrian musician who first made his dent in the music scene as a night club DJ in the ’90s. After continuing as a DJ and delving into the world of production, Freder started producing music under the pseudonym Parov Stelar and later his own label “Etage Noir Recordings” in 2004. He soon released his first EP under the record label titled “Kiss Kiss” as well as his first LP “Rough Cuts.” Parov Stelar’s unusual coupling of electronic beats with jazz, swing and even pop and soul has given the DJ the reputation of creator of the new “electro swing” genre.

Inspired by the desire to sample a wide variety of genres and instrumentations, and adding a modern twist, the Parov Stelar Band combines both a DJ set along with a live band, including a vocalist and musicians rocking out on the saxophone, trumpet, drums, bass and of course Parov Stelar spinning at the DJ booth.

The band released its latest 14-track studio album titled “The Art of Sampling” on Oct. 4. The album is another classic example of the act’s pioneering and iconic retro swing and jazz club techno music.

The band will bring the “The Art of Sampling” along with other fan favorites in the group’s first solo concert event in Seoul on Nov. 13 in the Olympic Hall at the Seoul Olympic Stadium at 8 p.m. Tickets to the show range from 99,000 won to 110,000 won. For more information, visit www.interpark.com.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)