Indie band “Jang Gi-ha and Faces” is one of the three Korean music groups to perform at Japan’s urban music festival “Summer Sonic,” slated for Aug. 18-19.

By Rachel Lee

Popular Korean indie band “Jang Gi-ha and Faces,” rock band “Guckkasten” and duo “Goonamguayeoridingstella” will take to the stage at Japan’s “Summer Sonic” music festival next month.

The website for Japan’s urban music festival slated for Aug. 18-19 made the announcement Tuesday.

The three groups are to perform on a special stage of the show, titled “Island Stage Asian Calling,” which is to be held in Tokyo and Osaka. The special stage was first set up in 2011 to further promote music exchanges among such Asian countries as South Korea, Taiwan and China. Other up-and-coming musicians from Asian countries such as China and Taiwan have also been cast to grace the stage.

“Summer Sonic,” Japan's annual music festival, has appealed greatly to Korean fans for its mainstream line up and k-pop artists Big Bang, Girls' Generation and BoA have performed in past concerts.

In association with Japan's music event, Seoul also hosts “Super! Sonic,” a similar platform encompassing a wide range of genres such as pop, electronic and rock. This year’s line-up includes The Smashing Pumpkins, New Order, Soulwax, The Vaccines, Tears for Fears and Idiotape. The three Korean groups are also to perform at the festival, which is to be held in Olympic Park in Seoul on Aug. 14-15. For more information, call 1544-1555.