When Asia’s underground scene united in Itaewon

The line is spilling out of the club and onto the sidewalks of the bustling neighborhood of Itaewon. Despite the chilly November night, locals and foreigners (in Korea, that’s code for non-Koreans) are crowded outside the Seoul club Blank Site clad in extravagant sparkles, head-to-toe leather, and slouchy knits, surprisingly, not your typical going-out uniform for a night out here. But we also weren’t waiting for the typical nightlife event.

Tonight, November 6, Live From Earth and Eastern Margins’s Found Friends event is Seoul’s most anticipated cross-cultural event of the season. Helmed by the Berlin record label Live From Earth and London’s alternative Asian label Eastern Margins, the joint party promises a rave like no other, featuring rising stars from the global pop-underground.

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On the lineup is Nu China’s pioneer, Billionhappy, who performed for the first time in Korea on Friday; Rui of the J-pop quintet f5ve (who is trading her mic for the DJ booth); Seoul’s hyperpop starlet and self-appointed K-POP B!TCH The Deep; and Korean-American hyper-trap rapper audiogothh. Representing Berlin is MCR-T, the hitmaker behind “My Barn My Rules” with horsegiirl. While the event caters to a range of music tastes, the main theme of the night is a major show of force of East Asia’s thriving UG scene.

Over the past two years or so, East Asia’s underground music scene has gone global. Billionhappy and his Chinese rap affiliates like jackzebra release music to cult fanbases in the U.S., as do The Deep, who has played shows in New York City, Los Angeles, and London, and f5ve. Niche music from Asia, perhaps once limited by language, culture, and geography, appears to now be the newest cool thing to know for a certain type of Very Online Music Listener.

At Blank Site, I’m surrounded by a multicultural crowd that feels notable even by Itaewon’s standards (Itaewon is considered to be Seoul’s most diverse neighborhood), reflecting these artists’ ever-growing fanbases. The artists themselves are also feeling the change and, at least for Rui, embracing the opportunity.

“I want to be someone who takes the lead in bringing club and music culture from all over the world to Japan and also bringing Japan’s scene out to the world,” Rui tells The FADER while backstage at the event. “I hope I can be the one to connect mainstream and underground music.”

The must-watch acts of the night include neo-hardcore hyperpop duo ETIC. Technical difficulties don’t stop singers Biohazardgirl and Gasgirl from hyping up the crowd with a medley of songs from their discography. In Korea, it can often seem that no one wants to dance at the club, but soon enough, the crowd is swaying and shaking. By the time they hop off stage, the crowd is chanting their catchphrases “I don’t care” and “ETIC” back at them.

At midnight, the dancefloor is at capacity for Rui — practically doubling in size. It’s her first time behind the decks, but you wouldn’t guess it. She cranks the energy dial with a medley of Western, Japanese, and Korean pop tracks. The crowd ahhs when aespa’s “WDA (Whole Different Animal)” and Girls’ Generation’s “The Boys” play, and they sing along to classics like Beyoncé’s “Diva” and Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend.” They scream when she remixes a slew of f5ve’s own songs, including the group’s “I Choose You.”

When it's time for MCR-T’s closing set, the attendees begin trickling out but the energy is still surprisingly sky-high as the Berlin-based musician keeps the vibes going until the very end with a mix of Euro-house and American hip-hop. Check out photos from the event, below.