While Seoul is certainly no stranger to house and electronic music, with many of the city’s hottest clubs playing only that, techno is hard to come by. At least, according to Irish DJ Sean Rooney.
“Most clubs don’t play techno. They play house,” he explained, adding that techno is mostly underground in the city and doesn’t have a big following, by Koreans and in general, which he attributes to a lack of exposure.
“Not many have the courage to play it,” he said.
The 30-year-old came to Korea last February to not only teach English, but to expand underground techno and his music label, Vindico Records, by signing Korean artists.
“It’s a more interesting scene here. More international,” he said, speaking of Asia in general and Korea.
Rooney has found success in his endeavor in the last eight months, signing Korean DJ 69, and lining up frequent gigs at clubs such as Bedlam and Spy Basement in Itaewon. He releases not only new tracks by his artists but his own, and meets and collaborates with other artists in the city, such as DJs Shai and Lewis Anthony.
Most recently, Rooney completed a track called “DMZ Korea” which was remixed by 69.
“It’s dark, eerie and little hostile,” he said, adding that the track uses a lot of war samples with explosions and gunshots. But both tracks have gotten good feedback.
The expat says his music is a little dark, but every track is a little different and he is often influenced by the things around him and his travels. Rooney has been traveling off and on for the last seven years, living in Scotland, Australia, Canada and Ireland. Sometimes it’s a memory that comes back to him and it becomes a track name or a theme. Other music inspires him as well, especially when he hears another artist doing something different.
His next project? He and DJ 69 have been recording sounds from around their homes in Itaewon and Nowon, hoping to mix them together.
“It’s random stuff. From hiking, around my school, my apartment. Ambience sounds. I hope we can come up with something useful,” he said with a smile. “I’m pretty excited. I’ve never done anything experimental.”
The two aren’t sure if it’ll be techno or house, but they plan to take it from there and see where it goes.
Rooney started his label, Vindico Records, in January 2011 before coming to Korea. He said it has been his vision since he was a teen. When he went home to Ireland after traveling last year, he decided it was time to get it launched.
“I had the time, and I needed to get the label up and going if I was ever going to get it started,” he said.
Producing music has been Rooney’s “burning desire” for years. He started producing music about three to four years ago and taught himself to use all the equipment and software.
However, it was harder for Rooney to get started back in Ireland that it was here in Korea. He said Seoul is a big city with lots of opportunities, allowing him to interact with other artists and be more creative. Through meeting with many of these other DJs he was able to start getting gigs.
He currently has about nine artists from the U.K., France, Los Angeles, and Korea. But he says he takes the time to look for promising, unique artists.
“Making music is easy. Anyone can make music. It’s hard to make good music,” he said. “I want to find the right music. It’s hard to find.”
All the music on his label is available to listen to on the label’s website (www.vindicorecords.com), and to purchase on iTunes and Beatport.
Rooney plans to stay in Asia for some time, though he is contemplating going to Thailand for awhile to look for more talent there.
“I hope to find more techno and great traveling. I’ll find new people and new clubs,” he said. “I look forward to it.”
But, wherever he goes, he vows to keep in touch with all the people and artists he’s met in Korea and to continue working with them, exchanging tracks and ideas.
“They’re just an email away.”
By Emma Kalka (
ekalka@heraldcorp.com)
