87dance embarks on first cross-Asia tour
Korean alternative rock band 87dance / Courtesy of 87dance
Korean alternative rock outfit 87dance is embarking on a new adventure overseas, bringing its groovy, high-energy sets to international stages with its first-ever Asia tour.
Following the release of the band's new EP “i love your complex” last month, the band's four members will map their journey around the region with multicity stops in Thailand, Japan and Taiwan, along with local stages in Busan and Seoul. The tour kicked off earlier this month in their home base of Seoul and will continue through January.
This milestone is a dream come true for the quartet — composed of BETHEBLUE (vocals), Park Seong-ho (guitar), Choi Jun-young (bass) and Lee Jung-yeol (drums). The members expressed their excitement to The Korea Times, with Park sharing how it feels “unreal in the best way.”
“The words ‘Asia tour’ alone give me such a rush. It still hasn't fully hit me yet,” BETHEBLUE added. “I’m super excited and just want to pull it off exactly the way we envisioned it.”
The band has captured listeners with its signature dreamy, synth-alt sound, expanding from its lo-fi sensibilities when it started out in 2019 with a self-titled mini-album, to more experimental sonic textures evident in the later releases. The new seven-track EP reflects the band's growth and maturity over the years — "i love your complex," while retaining 87dance’s core, is more progressive, polished and full.
The idea for the EP came to BETHEBLUE during a trip to Japan, when he happened to come across a blind football match. He related how his initial curiosity grew into something more intense and emotional as he witnessed the game. “When they scored and celebrated, it really hit me," he recalled. "I realized their blindness wasn’t something they hid or something that limited them — it was just a part of them. That moment stayed with me.”
This is how the phrase “i love your complex” came to him. In the Korean modern context, the term “complex” takes on the noun form — referring to personal complications, insecurities or flaws. The vocalist further expounded the phrase. “It’s about people, love and all those messy, complicated parts of life, but seeing the beauty in them instead of trying to hide them.”
The EP also features their first collaboration with an international artist, with Taiwanese indie rock band Vulgar Savior lending a hand on the song “ROM-COM.” Both participated in Emerge Fest in Taichung in February — where a sudden mishap turned into friendship.
“Right before our set, my gear broke because of an electrical issue," Park said. "I was panicking, but Ray from Vulgar Savior, who we’d just met earlier, offered to lend me his equipment. Thanks to him, we got through the show. That moment turned into a friendship, and later into a collaboration.”
It was an instant click. When the band returned to Seoul, BETHEBLUE immediately got to work. “I remember thinking it’d be great to make something together for the next record,” the vocalist said. “So I made the song, sent it to them, and they said yes right away. The result came out really dope.”
Vulgar Savior will be making a special appearance in the Taipei and final Seoul stops of the tour next year.
The tour also highlights 87dance’s effort to connect with an international audience in the members' own thoughtful way. Lee shared their plans of covering songs from artists in each country that they’re visiting. “We want to perform something that local fans know and can sing along to, but of course in our own 87dance style,” he said. "I think people will enjoy that."
Having previously performed at international showcases like SXSW Sydney in 2024, they already understand the challenges of performing for a foreign crowd. Despite these matters, like equipment and power problems to language barrier and cultural differences, the members instead seek the wonders these experiences offer.
Korean alternative rock band 87dance / Courtesy of 87dance
Choi said that he had the most fun performing for Australians. “The crowd was jumping, we were jumping, everyone was moving. It was exactly my kind of atmosphere.”
Lee remembered how a local band lent him cymbals upon realizing he left them back in Korea.
“Performing overseas is always unpredictable. But what’s beautiful is that artists from every country always step in to help,” BETHEBLUE said. “Traveling made me realize how many great musicians are out there, and how much I can still learn.”
“Even if we speak different languages, I felt firsthand that music connects everyone," Park added. "There were differences, sure, but so many similarities, too.”
It’s this mutual understanding through music that, the bandmates believe, makes them click with their listeners regardless of cultural differences. “To me, there’s no difference between local and international listeners," BETHEBLUE said. "I just believe there’s something in our sound that only we can make. As long as we keep doing what we love and stay true to that, more people will connect with it.”
Moreover, the band’s openness to exploring genres appeals to wider audiences. “I think that variety helps us connect beyond language or culture,” Park said.
With this mindset, the group shared their hopes for their performances in other Asian cities like Jakarta and, eventually, in Europe and the U.S., where most of their listeners are.
As one of the Korean indie bands with a sustained global presence, not only do they create unique experiences for audiences — they also extend this through online initiatives like livestreaming rehearsals and uploading videos of their performances. “Making good albums is always the core, but now we’re also thinking about using short-form content more. Whether it’s covers or clips, I think we need to show up more often and connect visually too,” Choi said.
Park added, “Sharing the energy of our performances through social media or YouTube, and collaborating naturally with local artists — that’s how we want to grow.”
Their recent “Beautiful Complex Bass Challenge” is one example. Here, bass players are urged to come up with their own covers of the new album's lead track and share them on Instagram. The likes of Bye Bye Badman’s Lee Luli, KARDI’s Hwang In-kyu and The Solutions’ Kwon Oh-kyung have participated in the challenge, as well as foreign acts like Vulgar Savior’s Lo Hao Yu and HALLEY’s Kay Takahashi in Japan.
Korean alternative rock band 87dance / Courtesy of 87dance
Carving a path in the global indie scene is not an easy feat, but the four members of 87dance are dedicated to building a legacy of their own. “I want us to protect what we’ve built and keep growing as musicians,” Choi said. “The bands I love always carry both joy and emotion in their music, and I want to be that kind of band — one that can deliver all kinds of feelings to our listeners.”
The others couldn’t agree more. “I want us to be the kind of band that stays in people’s memories, like a good moment they look back on," Park said. "Even if we just pass through someone’s life for a bit, I hope it becomes a warm memory when they think of us.”
BETHEBLUE summed it up succinctly. “I want them [listeners] to think, ‘Man, 87dance’s music is really something.'"
Follow @palchilldance on Instagram for more information.
Mariel Abanes (@marielabanes on Instagram) is a freelance lifestyle & culture writer/editor from the Philippines, currently based in Seoul. She promotes indie music and culture, and writes poetry and prose from time to time.