Your fast guide to Korean indie music—part 2.

We all have at some point been hit by Korean fever (K-pop, K-drama, K-fashion, kimchi—the works), even if some of us don’t freely admit to it.

Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, refers to the cultural phenomenon that has swept across much of Asia, even the West (Canadian art-pop musician Grimes is a huge fan of K-pop and draws influence from it). From tearjerker dramas to idol groups, South Korea has become one of the region’s most popular cultural exporters thanks to its high production values, accessible content and successful marketing.

But beyond the mainstream, how well do you know Korean music? If you’re looking for something new to discover, fly under the radar with us and check out what its richly diverse and burgeoning indie scene has to offer.

Here’s part 2 of our guide to K-indie music—with more genres and 7 more artists you need to know. Go ahead and give them a try, and kindle that K-indie love.

What is indie, you ask?

“Indie” is merely short for “independent”. Especially in music, it refers to anything that is created independent of major recording studios or labels. This typically means that artists have full creative control over their work.

Electro punk

If you find the name familiar, that’s because they performed recently at Baybeats 2018. The brainchild of former skate punk rocker Toby Hwang and fugitive astrophysicist (arguably the grooviest of titles) Annie Ko, Love x Stereo dazzles with their array of synth-fuelled electronic anthems. They’ve made true a commitment to not release an album in 2017, instead producing a catalogue of 37 new tracks throughout 2017 and 2018.