Andrea Pare
Japan's The Lowbrows in Busan this Weekend
Busan Haps, July 21st, 2011
http://busanhaps.com/article/japans-lowbrows-busan-weekend
BUSAN, South Korea -- The musical duo, DJ’s Chaki and Emi, acclaimed musicians who burst onto the Tokyo music scene with their 2008 debut The Lowbrows Vs. 80’s Kidz, have been creating and remixing unique sounds together since 2005. In recent years, they have released three more albums, including 2010’s Emotion, a crisp and polished EP that contrasts with their more raw-sounding releases. “Our second album [Danse Macabre] was influenced by tribal music,” says Chaki. “Emotion was more like House and Disco.” When not penning their own hits, the Lowbrows occupy themselves remixing songs by artists such as Chromeo, Simian Mobile Disco and Ida Maria.
The Lowbrows’ show is being brought to Busan courtesy of Better Magic Music Co., a music production team that has put on countless booty-shaking parties here in Busan, including the recent Funked Up and Souled Out, a Soul Train-inspired party with a 70’s dress code. This time around, party goers have a chance to take in the futuristic instead of the retro, and dance to what Better Magic Music’s manager Andrew Wood describes as “edgy, blazing tunes.”
In addition to being a top seeded DJ, Chaki also plays guitar and wood bass. He has DJ’d and worked alongside many hot musical acts, such as Friendly Fires, Hot Chip, N.A.S.A, Digitalism and Danger. Emi, on the other hand, is a violinist, well versed in classical music and literature, and counts esteemed author Natsume Soseki as a member of her clan. “It is the variation of these two seemingly incompatible personalities that enables the Lowbrows to crunch out [this music],” says Wood.
Wood explains that the show is to be one of many more to come in Busan that will feature all different types of dance music acts. “We are not only interested in playing music and being DJ's, but in collectively building a scene here in Busan. Let's be honest, Busan is playing catch-up to Seoul in terms of club culture and having really dope parties.”
Busan may have a long way to go to catch up with Hongdae’s hipster haven, but this weekend’s raucous evening of Tokyo underground electro is a step in the right direction.