During the 1950s and 60s, Western music was a strong influence in South Korea. Around that time, you can find many interesting Korean cover versions of popular Rock and Soul music from the United States. This influence created a unique underground sound over the following decades that became even more interesting when Korean bands started to experiment with psychedelic sounds.

A great example is Kim Hong-Tak who was a pioneer for Korean rock, initially strongly influenced by Western sound (one of his bands was called the Korea’s Beatles). But throughout the 1970s he created some of the greatest psychedelic funk music, with a unique edge that separated it from any Western sounds. Another great example is He-6. One of their gems is a raw 15-minute psychedelic cover of the Temptations’ classic “Get Ready”, performed with flute and organ. The newsletter will dive deeper into the unique underground sounds of South Korea, which are definitely worth exploring.