Giraffage Seoul Coverage

GIRAFFAGE SEOUL COVERAGE

[dropcap size=small]I[/dropcap]t was Thursday evening and not even the rain put a damper on the excitement I felt wandering the streets of Hongdae.  In fact, the rainy weather added something special to the evening as some of Seoul’s most dedicated music fans gathered to escape and watch the incredibly talented Giraffage.

[divider]VENUE & PERFORMANCE[/divider]

It had been some time since I was last in Hongdae on a Thursday evening, but the diverse neighborhood was a perfect backdrop for the event.  Club Freebird2, the venue for the event, was the right selection.  If you’ve never been there, it’s a unique underground space with multiple levels, high ceilings, and cave-like walls.  We’ve thrown a couple of ElectRow events at Freebird2, so I knew exactly what to expect.  However, there were some improvements and exciting additions since the last time that I was there.

In the past, the venue’s sound system always left me wanting more.  As the opening act performed, I was worried my desire for a full sound would yet again go unfulfilled.   As Xin Seha played, I felt a lack of sound from the bottom end.  As I chatted with a friend, I realized I wasn’t the only one that felt way.  While the 3-piece group did a wonderful job performing, it was difficult to truly feel the music because of the sound the speakers were delivering.

After a short intermission, the floor was mostly filled and Giraffage descended from the upper level to the DJ booth.  The crowd cheered and as the music started, there was a huge difference in the sound that filled the club.  The tracks had the right amount of punch and volume.  I was relieved to know that I would no longer need to worry about the audio quality.  I relaxed and experienced Giraffage’s music in all its glory.

Using a Novation Launchpad and an Akai MPD controller to control Ableton Live, Giraffage was able to essentially remix his tracks on the fly.  His performance was considered a live set because of his ability to do a lot more with effects, sampling, remixing, and performing than he could’ve done with just turntables and a mixer.  I’ve only seen a handful of artists in Korea use Ableton Live to perform, so it was really cool to watch an international artist come through and use it.

[divider]THE CROWD[/divider]

The crowd responded well to Giraffage’s music.  You could tell that people were there for the music and not just to look cool.  Spirits were high as people moved to the beat and sang along to their favorite Giraffage tunes.  I was actually surprised by the number of females that were at the event.  Who knew that Giraffage had such a large population of female fans?  The next day I searched “#giraffage” on Instagram and noticed picture after picture of girls standing next to him.  If you are a single guy in Seoul looking for a girl educated on good music, you definitely missed a big opportunity last week.

[divider]CONCLUSION[/divider]

All in all, the event was organized very well.  This was the first time I attended a show presented by Fake Virgin, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  Every aspect of the night, from tickets to drinks to the performance, seemed to have ran smoothly.  We hope that Fake Virgin continues to bring global talent to Seoul because its a huge help to the whole scene.  If you enjoy discovering new artists and broadening your musical minds, stay up-to-date with Fake Virgin’s shows, including FKA Twigs on July 29th.

Be sure to check out Fake Virgin’s photo album on Facebook for pictures from the Giraffage performance.

-JG