Fatboy Slim, among other popular artists, will perform at GlobalGathering, Saturday in Seoul. / Courtesy of GlobalGathering

By Agnes Yu

Live music is always enervating regardless of the genre, and is even better outdoors on a cool autumn night with thousands of other appreciative fans. This weekend, at the tail end of a sweltering summer and after what has been an already impressive lineup of music festivals, welcome the fall season by heading to GlobalGathering in northwestern Seoul.

The all-day event on Saturday at the Nanji campgrounds along the Han River is guaranteed to be spectacular, fueled by the popular Fatboy Slim, Armin Van Buuren and Justice.

Born in 2001 in the U.K., GlobalGathering is an annual electronic dance festival that features major leading artists with devoted followers from around the world and promoted by the reputable Angel Music Group, which manages dance artists and organizes a variety of events.

French duo Justice was nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 50th Grammy Awards for the hit “D.A.N.C.E.” and also won Best Electronic/Dance Album.

Armin Van Buuren is a Dutch DJ who recently released his fourth album, “Mirage,” to positive reviews and was ranked first in the list of the top 100 DJs by DJ Magazine.

Ranked 66 on the same list, the legendary Fatboy Slim, whose career traces back to the thriving Brighton club scene, is credited with many notable recordings, collaborations and performances.

Talented Korean acts such as DJ Soulscape and House Rules will also burn up the stage and ignite the audience to a feverish state.

GlobalGathering made its first foray into the land of the morning calm a year ago, in an attempt to appeal to the growing force of young people looking for outdoor music festivals, and to demonstrate that electronic music had a future in Asia. Headliners such as The Prodigy, Underworld, Royksopp, and representative local acts created a frequency felt all across the nation.

A completely euphoric weekend accompanied with dirty beats and massive bass lines, this electronic festival debut was extremely well-received and now the country is ready for round two.

Hsk Events will also assure a presence at the festival and promote Defected in the House (one of the biggest labels of House music worldwide). There will be a booth at the event where Hsk Events will distribute Defected in the House records (CDs and digital support). One of Hsk roster’s DJ (ST80) will also perform to make the 2010 edition of Global Gathering Korea a must-go.

To get there take subway line 6 to World Cup Stadium Station. Go out exit 1 and walk for 20 minutes following the signposts to Nanji Hangang Park. There are also buses scheduled to transport festival goers from exit 1 of Sangsu Station also on line 6 every 15 minutes from 1:30 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Tickets cost 88,000 won in advance and 99,000 won at the event. Call (02) 323-2838 or visit www.globalgatheringkorea.co.kr , www.hskevents.kr.

Agnes Yu is a contributing writer for The Korea Times.