Well, one thing that seems difficult here in Seoul is what appears to be an astonishing monoculture among young people. Of course there's the East-meats-West thang, but as far as pop culture goes, a rock band aping Nirvana seems to pass as 'underground' culture here. I and my cronies have long bemoaned the advancing march of monoculture in the US and presumably the world (at the hands of mass media and the desiring machine), but I wasn't prepared for the extent of it here. Every store has the same clothes, every music store has the same cds. It barely matters what part of town you're in.
This week there was a feature on TV about my neighborhood (Hong-Dae, right near Hongik University, the Art U. in Seoul) calling it a hotbed of the underground. Indeed it is more culturally varied than any other part of Seoul I've seen (slightly eccentric art students running amok, and all), and even has one decent record store (I bought an Evan Parker CD there), but I am at a loss to find the 'radicals,' so to speke.
What I want to do is to put together an ensemble of free improvisors including, preferably, a dancer or two. Of course, I'll dance as well, when the spirit moves me. So far my search has yielded scant results. I'd like to find a gayageum player (or haegeum player). I have met one piri player, however, and he's phenomenal. Other interests would be contrabass, percussion, or a bass clarinet.
Alfred Harth (Trio Viriditas) lives here now, so that's good. I think he's opening a studio, even.
posted by Brad Larcen 9/06/2002[edit]
