Jisan Rock Festival heats up mystical music nights

Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Ros performs as the headliners for the second day of Jisan Valley Rock Festival, held at Jisan Forest Resort in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday. / Courtesy of CJ E&M

By Park Jin-hai

ICHEON _ On Saturday night, the big screen stage in the foggy valley, Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Ros stood as the headliners for the second day of Jisan Valley Rock Festival.

The band’s frontman Jonsi Birgisson’s falsetto vocals belt out lyrics in “Hopelandic,” a language made by the band, while playing his bowed guitar. The foggy summer night performance under the star-studded night gave the audience enchanting and dreamy moments as if they were drifting in space or watching the breathtaking colors of the aurora.

Behind the large cheering crowd, young couples and families enjoyed the band’s music in a more relaxed way, making little tents, talking with their friends and lounging on air mattresses.

The time is gone when the summer heat is equated with rock music. On the ride of world-sweeping popularity of electronic dance music, this year’s Jisan Valley Rock Festival, one of the two major local rock festivals along with Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, held at Jisan Forest Resort in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, has expanded its range to include more genres and more artistic elements.

On the festival’s drizzling first day, U.S. electronic trio Major Lazer stood as the headliners, transforming the main stage into a giant open-air club, while on the second day, which drew the biggest audience, Sigur Ros, popular on the European live circuit but lesser known to Korean audiences, performed as the headliners. The virtual four-man band Gorillaz, created in 1998 by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, was invited for the first time to Korea and performed as the headliners for the festival’s final night.

Under the banner of “Music and Arts festival,” in order to expand the art side of the festival, its organizer CJ E&M installed many art pieces across the festival site where people took pictures between bands.

Audiences had mixed reactions. “I’m here on my summer vacation with my boyfriend. I came to see Gorillaz, but it is even better to enjoy the other genres of music,” said Kim Eun-chae, an office worker from Seoul.

“It is really great to see Major Lazer and Diplo. If the festival had nothing but a rock lineup, I wouldn’t have come,” a university student said.

However, a man in his 30s voiced his concern. “Music fans turning away from traditional rock music cannot help but affect the festival, but it is a letdown that even one of the oldest rock festivals is losing its rock style,” he said.

Despite all these efforts, the three-day festival, which is in its eighth year this year, has experienced a 33 percent drop in ticket sales, gathering 60,000 people to the concert.

The loss of ticket sales is thought to be from a weaker lineup and the festival schedule overlapping with other music festivals held in Seoul and Incheon. The first Holiday Land Festival kicked off on Saturday near the Han River in Seoul, while the newly launched Unite With Tomorrowland Festival was also held in Incheon, Saturday.

“The local live performance market overall has slowed down from spring. Jisan’s lineup this year also catered more to music fanatics in a way,” an industry insider said.

Music critic Seojeong Min-gap said it is time to think which direction the Jisan festival should be headed. “Music festivals of today are like a gift set of various types of music. The distinctions between festivals have been blurred and they are losing their unique characteristics. Similar lineups drop music fans’ interest and loyalty,” the critic said. “The lineups of invited foreign musicians have limitations, because they come to Korea as part of larger Asia tours.”

The critic also panned the festival’s collaboration with artists.

“All the visitors could do was to take pictures in front of artworks. It lacked interaction with audiences,” Seojeong said.

“The system where audiences enjoy the music and exhibitions the organizer prepared and then go home, without having unique experiences, should be changed.”

Starting Aug. 11, Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival will begin at the Songdo International Business District with three nonstop days of rock and electronica. This year’s lineup includes iconic French electronic music duo Justice and British indie-pop band Bastille, which won the British Breakthrough Act at the 2014 Brit Awards.

Visitor of Jisan Valley Rock Music & Arts Festival dance in the forest at Jisan Forest Resort in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. / Courtesy of CJ E&M