 Electronic music duo Underworld say they are looking forward to an entirely new experience performing at the Pentaport Rock Festival for the first time on July 27. The three-day festival kicks off July 25 at the Song-do Daewoo Motor Fields in Incheon. / Courtesy of Pentaport Organizers |
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
British electronic music duo Underworld will perform in Korea for the first time this weekend, as headliners for the much-awaited Pentaport Rock Festival.
Underworld, composed of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, are best known for the hypnotic dance track ``Born Slippy," featured in the 1996 film ``Trainspotting."
In an e-mail interview, Underworld said the massive popularity of ``Born Slippy" makes them glad to be part of something that's made many people happy.
Their cool music has been included in numerous films, especially those by British director Danny Boyle such as ``Trainspotting" and ``Sunshine." ``Danny has been a friend for a long time. We've worked on five films with him so far and it's a joy to work with him. He has a great love of music and that makes our relationship particularly rewarding," the duo said.
When Underworld achieved their breakthrough in the early 1990s, electronic music was still evolving. Now, its popularity has exploded around the world.
``It's a scene that's continually changing and that's why it's always had so much appeal for us," they said.
Last year, Underworld released their 7th album ``Oblivion with Bells,'' featuring the single ``Crocodile." The duo is constantly working and recording new music. They also have a Web-based show on www.underworldlive.com where they give fans a chance to listen to their new music in progress.
``The Web radio show we do brings us into contact with so much great music. This is one of our greatest sources of inspiration. The other big one for us is boredom," they said.
As an electronic group, Underworld may seem like an odd fit for a rock festival like Pentaport, but they're prepared to rock Korean fans with their live performance.
``We are a `live' band. We improvise and try to play very differently every night. Everything is improvised ― the music, the lights, the sound system and the video and live camera work on stage. … Some people may think that everything they hear us do is all pre-programmed but we are very much a `live band.' It's just that our instruments look a little different from what people normally expect from a live band. Our performance is directly inspired by the vibe of the audience," Underworld said.
Pentaport, Korea's largest outdoor music festival, will be held from July 25-27 at the Song-do Daewoo Motor Fields in Incheon.
Underworld will perform on Sunday July 27. The festival kicks off on July 25, with Japanese rock group Ellegarden as the headliner. Scottish rock band Travis will be the main act on July 26.
Pentaport's line-up features some of the hottest foreign acts such as Hard-Fi, Kasabian, The Gossip, The Go!Team, Ozomatli, Feeder and End of Fashion. Korean rock and indie acts such as Jaurim, Deli Spice, Lee Sang-eun, Super Kidd and Windy City will also perform during the three-day festival.
One-day pass costs 80,000 won, two-day pass costs 132,000 won and three-day pass costs 165,000 won. For information, call (02) 783-0114 (Korean only) and (02) 3444-9969 (English). For the complete line-up and schedule, visit www.pentaportrock.com.
cathy@koreatimes.co.kr
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