Recently RR had the pleasure of speaking with South Korean up-and-coming DJ/producer Macrohard. What started off as some basic questions, quickly turned into a deep conversation about the dance music scene that’s currently growing in S. Korea along with a fresh mix made exclusively for RaverRafting.
1. When did you start producing?
Just about 3 years now. Though, in the beginning it was mostly mash-ups and edits.
2. Considering that you were mostly exposed to mainstream K-Pop/Pop, how did you dive into electronic music?
I’ve always liked a wide variety of “genres”, but I was a hardcore Hip-hop fan, both Korean and American, for most of my youth. I would also enjoy dance music once in a while, like DJ Shadow, Benny Benassi, Justice, Deadmau5, and Daft Punk, but until 2010, I was still very much a Hip-hop/Rap guy. I think the song that really opened my mind about genres and fully opened my heart to EDM was Steve Aoki’s remix of “Over” by Drake, Lil’ Wayne, and Eminem. It was like the first legit Electro remix of a Hip-hop song I had heard, and I felt like it went even harder than the original.
Then, when I first started deejaying, I was having a hard time beat-matching… so I was kinda forced into digging for only 128bpm House songs with a standard intro and outro haha. In the process, I became more fascinated with all sorts of House music, then Breakbeat, then Moombahton, Dubstep, and Drum n’ Bass, ect. Since then, I realized that “genres” don’t really exist, so I am now much more open-minded when it comes to listening. Now I look more for quality and originality, regardless of the genre it is classified as. Much K-pop and Pop is technically just electronic dance music anyways!
3. Did you have any musical production experience or knowledge before or was everything self-taught via net?
Not at all. I had been deejaying for about a year, but that’s about it. But I was always a big fan of music, and I enjoyed dancing and rapping and singing as a hobby. You know how Koreans are with noraebangs (karaoke) haha.
Even when I did start producing, I never really got tips via net. I learned mostly through trial and error, just trying each knob and effects and hearing the difference, and I compensated my inefficiency with a lot of cut/paste editing and such. I was, however, fortunate enough to be around some talented musician friends, and they always helped answer my questions when I was stuck.
4. In your opinion, what direction is “EDM” headed in S. Korea?
From what I can tell, it seems like its following the typical “EDM” route of most other countries. Korean EDM scene had a slower start than that of Europe, America, or Japan, but they’ve caught up fast. I mean there still are aspects of the scene that dedicated EDM fans might frown upon, like oversaturation of poppy electro at major clubs or the plethora of celebrity DJs… but there’s also a healthy underground scene, some amazing DJs, and now, producers too. I think for a while, EDM in Korea was primarily a trend, and Korean people are very trend-sensitive. People seemed to care mostly about the clubbing experience, the sing-a-longs, and doing trendy dances. I think now, the focus has shifted more to the DJ and the music. Furthermore, I think K-pop and the Korean Wave will continue to have immense influence on EDM in Korea and the rest of the world, for better or worse.
5. How’s the club and festival scene there?
I think the biggest difference is how they are portrayed in their respective mainstream media. Korea’s dance music culture doesn’t really include the rave culture and everything that it entails (lighted hoola-hoops and gloves, illegal warehouse raves, molly and PLUR, flower bras and neon fishnets… you get the idea). The image I mostly associate with Korean dance music culture is fancy clubs in Gangnam, champagne and cigarettes, and people dressed to impress. Surely, there’s a fancy nightclub scene in America, and I bet there are PLURists in Korea too. So in actuality, they’re pretty similar… and that realization was the most shocking of similarities to me.
6. When do you feel completely satisfied with your work before releasing new material to the public?
I think most producers will agree with me when I say that I’m never completely satisfied with my work…ever. But I also realize that nothing will be released if I keep doubting myself and never finish anything. So I find a middle ground somewhere… but that changes depending on my mood that day so… it’s kinda problematic.
7. What kind of reactions are you searching for when you put out a new track?
I don’t really worry too much about how people will react. I know I can’t please everyone’s tastes, nor is it my main goal to do so. Call me egocentric, but when it comes to making music, I mostly care if I like it, and if I have satisfied my creative urges. I just hope that there are others that also like my crazy world of music, and encouraging comments are always appreciated 🙂
I do my best to be original though, and I do like it when people acknowledge that.
My favorite comment on my song thus far, however, is “chunk as cunt”… I’m pretty sure that was a compliment.. I hope..
8. Besides music, how do you spend your free time?
“Netflix and chill” Haha, I like watching movies and TV shows, both Korean and American… and British too. I’m also a kid at heart, and enjoy watching cartoons and anime. Finally, I enjoy pigging out dank food and passing the f*** out afterwards from food coma.
Connect with Macrohard
https://www.facebook.com/djmacrohard
https://twitter.com/djmacrohard
https://soundcloud.com/macrohardofficial
https://instagram.com/djmacrohard/
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