Sneak Peek: DMZ – Leading the DNB Movement in Korea

In the next issue of our magazine, we’ll be talking about DMZ extensively as our cover feature. However, since there is a very special DMZ event happening this weekend, we wanted to go ahead and give you a sneak peek!  We asked one of the founding members, DJ Helix Squared, a few questions about the DMZ event and the bass movement in Korea.  Here’s what he had to say about how it all started:

“First off, DMZ was a concept put together by Special Ed and myself.  We both have been part of other bass parties, but wanted one that was gonna keep the emphasis on drum n’ bass, and show it’s eclectic variations, from Ragga, tech, jazz, deep, hardcore, and soulful.  We were lucky enough that DOJO Lounge was looking for something different and was interested in letting us have a go at a monthly residency. So we started that off in May of 2013 and have been going strong ever since.”

If you’ve been in Korea for an extended period of time, you’ve probably noticed how quickly tastes change and/or fluctuate.  One weekend, a venue will be packed, and the next, dead.  What is popular and trendy this weekend may not be next month, so it’s always a struggle to gain consistency.  Helix Squared gave us his take on what’s happening with the bass movement in Korea:

“Over the last year I have seen the scene actually diminish, because there are so many little bass parties going on. Years ago when Club Cargo was the only dnb venue in town, it was packed for every show. Now, there are various shows every other week if not more, so the crowds are split up and actually breaking the scene.”

If you’ve never been to a drum n’ bass show, not only are you missing out on some powerful music, but you are also missing out on the talented emcees that go along with it.

“MC’s can be either make or break a vibe,” says Helix Squared. “A good MC rolls with the music giving it room to breathe and accentuates the music rather than try to just hear their voice over the music. A talented MC gets the crowd involved and knows how to hype them up! Ed and I both knew right from the beginning which MC we wanted to be our host. MC Lucid is without a doubt one of the best in Korea. He does show up and get the crowd involved!”

This weekend’s edition of DMZ is special because the crew is saying farewell to MC Lucid.

“He will be leaving Korea to explore the unknown and further his aspirations,” says Helix Squared. “We will also be having J-Path join us for this very special night to say farewell. I am very excited for this show. Hell I’m excited for every show. I just love dropping bass lines!”

Here are some top picks from the DMZ crew for you to check out in preparing for the event on Saturday!

Special Ed:

Rido – 5Core
Survival – 1502 (Octane, DLR, & Ant TC1 Remix)
Freebird – Feel It (Paramount Remix)
Serious Danger – Deeper (Part 2)
Capitol 1212 – Worldwide Echo

Helix Squared:

Swindle – Running Cold (feat. Terri Walker) [Roni Size Remix]
Dimension – All I Need (feat. Bailey Tzuke) [Karma Remix]
Ed:it – Defects
Chris Su – Together In the Night (feat. Mira)
DJ Marky & Invaderz – After Midnight

MC Lucid:

Dub Phizix – The Clock Ticks
David Boomah – Where Do We Go From Here? (Calibre Remix)
Ivy lab – Live on Your Smile
Optiv and Btk – Zero Tolerance
Sam Binga – Lef Dem feat. Redders

Well that’s all we are going to reveal from our next cover feature for now.  We hope to see as many of you as possible this weekend at Dojo Lounge on Saturday March 8th from 10 PM to send off MC Lucid.  We’ll be there meeting and greeting people, so come say hi!

For more information about Dojo Lounge, you can check out our Venues page or use the address below:

서울 특별시 용산구 이태원동 671 B1 , Seoul, Korea 140-200