DONGYANG GOZUPA

Post Rock/Math rock • Korea

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Dongyang Gozupa biography
Dongyang Gozupa is a progressive rock trio based in Seoul, South Korea, formed in 2017 and originally consisting of Jang Do-hyuk on percussion, Yun Eun-hwa on yanggeum, and Choi Woo-young on bass. The yanggeum is a Korean metal-stringed hammered dulcimer type instrument originating from the Persian region of the ancient middle east in the eighteenth century.

Jang Do-hyuk was formerly the percussionist of the now disbanded psychedelic rock band Danpyunsun and the Sailors, and after that band folded he wanted to create a new one with the yanggeum at its center and no vocalist. He initially reached out to Yun Eun-hwa, asking her to introduce some of her students, but Yun said she was interested in joining the band herself, so in 2018 he started Dongyang Gozupa with her and Choi Woo-young, who was the bassist in his former band. In 2020, Choi left the band and Ham Min-hwi joined as their new bass player.

Through a blend of the yanggeum and modern Western sounds, Dongyang Gozupa, which translates to eastern high frequency, fuses traditional Korean music, known as gugak, with progressive rock, experimental music and heavy metal. What sets them apart from other fusion bands that reinterpret gugak is that they don't use vocals of any kind, instead creating a trailblazing percussion-driven sound with the yanggeum at its center. Jang Do-hyuk conceived the name of the band from the signboard of a neighborhood electronics repair shop.

After their debut in 2018, with the release of an EP entitled 'Gap', the trio gained a lot of attention quickly through global tours, and were the first Korean band to be invited to Worldwide Music Expo (WOMEX) for two consecutive years, in 2020 and 2021. Since then, the trio has built their global presence through international festival appearances and headline shows such as the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) in Malaysia, and WOMAD Chile in 2022.

The band also debuted at the Southbank Centre in London as part of their international tour in November 2022, which was followed by performances in Denmark. They have also performed at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Vancouver Island Musicfest, Mission Folk Festival in Canada and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in the U.S.

Dongyang Gozupa are also planning a tour of China, where many South Korean artists are prohibited from performing. They collaborated with a Chinese label in 2019, and expect to be performing in Guangzhou and a few other cities...Dongyang Gozupa is a progressive rock trio based in Seoul, South Korea, formed in 2017 and originally consisting of Jang Do-hyuk on percussion, Yun Eun-hwa on yanggeum, and Choi Woo-young on bass. The yanggeum is a Korean metal-stringed hammered dulcimer type instrument originating from the Persian region of the ancient middle east in the eighteenth century.

Jang Do-hyuk was formerly the percussionist of the now disbanded psychedelic rock band Danpyunsun and the Sailors, and after that band folded he wanted to create a new one with the yanggeum at its center and no vocalist. He initially reached out to Yun Eun-hwa, asking her to introduce some of her students, but Yun said she was interested in joining the band herself, so in 2018 he started Dongyang Gozupa with her and Choi Woo-young, who was the bassist in his former band. In 2020, Choi left the band and Ham Min-hwi joined as their new bass player.

Through a blend of the yanggeum and modern Western sounds, Dongyang Gozupa, which translates to eastern high frequency, fuses traditional Korean music, known as gugak, with progressive rock, experimental music and heavy metal. What sets them apart from other fusion bands that reinterpret gugak is that they don't use vocals of any kind, instead creating a trailblazing percussion-driven sound with the yanggeum at its center. Jang Do-hyuk conceived the name of the band from the signboard of a neighborhood electronics repair shop.

After their debut in 2018, with the release of an EP entitled 'Gap', the trio gained a lot of attention quickly through global tours, and were the first Korean band to be invited to Worldwide Music Expo (WOMEX) for two consecutive years, in 2020 and 2021. Since then, the trio has built their global presence through international festival appearances and headline shows such as the Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) in Malaysia, and WOMAD Chile in 2022.

The band also debuted at the Southbank Centre in London as part of their international tour in November 2022, which was followed by performances in Denmark. They have also performed at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Vancouver Island Musicfest, Mission Folk Festival in Canada and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in the U.S.

Dongyang Gozupa are also planning a tour of China, where many South Korean artists are prohibited from performing. They collaborated with a Chinese label in 2019, and expect to be performing in Guangzhou and a few other cities.

Yanggeum actually translates as string instrument from the west, but the instrument originated in Persia. Over time, it was adapted and modified in several ways, and was introduced to Korea by way of China before being dubbed yanggeum. Along with the saenghwang (a freereed mouth organ with 17 bamboo pipes), it is one of the few traditional instruments that can play the scales and harmony used in Western music.

Yun Eun-hwa, who heads the Korean chapter of the Cimbalom World Association (the Cimbalom being very similar to the yanggeum), had her instrument custom made. The traditional yanggeum is smaller than hers, and produces only a narrow range of notes, which makes it unsuitable for playing diverse genres. Her own yanggeum has a much wider range, covering four and a half octaves, and is capable of producing the chromatic scale in a similar way to Western musical instruments, enabling it to play just about any genre of music. She also added a pickup to amplify the sound, as well as effects pedals to expand the expressive range, and she now has a patent for the instrument.

Yun began studying music at the age of four in China, and started learning the yanggeum at the age of seven, before majoring in percussion at college in Korea. In 2021 she received the Soorim New Wave Award given by the Soorim Cultural Foundation. This prestigious award is presented each year to just one young traditional musician or team specializing in experimental styles.

Jang Do-hyuk, meanwhile, is a unique percussionist. He doesn?t play a foot-operated kick bass drum, but instead of playing with both hands and feet, he has created a signature style using hands alone to express the entire spectrum of percussion sounds, from low to high pitch.

Ham Min-whi?s style of bass playing has been compared to that characterised by the American nu metal band Korn, or the punk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Bio by Yam Yamread more

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DONGYANG GOZUPA discography

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DONGYANG GOZUPA top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 1 ratings

Surface
2019

4.00 | 2 ratings

Kyul
2022

DONGYANG GOZUPA Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

DONGYANG GOZUPA Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

DONGYANG GOZUPA Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

DONGYANG GOZUPA Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

0.00 | 0 ratings

Gap
2018

0.00 | 0 ratings

Creature
2020

0.00 | 0 ratings

Arcade
2021

DONGYANG GOZUPA Reviews

Showing last 10 reviews only

Studio Album, 2022
4.00 | 2 ratings
BUY

Kyul
Dongyang Gozupa Post Rock/Math rock

Review by octopus-4
Special Collaborator RIO/Avant/Zeuhl,Neo & Post/Math Teams

After having listened very much to the very prolific Russian multi-instrumentist SENMUTH, I wasn't expecting to find something sounding similar to him. The similarity is mainly in the rhythmic part and in the chord progressions. Of course, Senmuth plays a lot of ethnic instruments, but I'm not sure about the Korean Dulcimer that Yun plays excellently. I have no idea of the kind of skill neded to play it, but I have the impression of a virtuoso.

Similarity in the kind of sensations and mental images that their music is able to raise. Despite being from the far East, it's only on track #5 "Rust" that we can hear something clearly oriental, and it's a beautiful track. Repetitive but not obsessing, melancholic but not dark on which the fretless bass enters unexpected and takes the lead for few bars before giving the stage back to the dulcimer.

This track would be enough to make this album a good purchase, but the whole album is extremely enjoyable, moving from dark ambient to newagey oriental flavors. The musicianship of this trio is remarkable. Drums and sometimes percussion create a perfect background on which bass and dulcimer take the lead.

The absence of guitars and keyboards is not perceivable. When some distortion is needed it's the bass that works as an electric guitar.

The production is very clean, and for this kind of music a clear production is a must. I think it could be used to test ampli and speakers by audiophiles.

I want to mention track #8 "Hide and Seek". even if it has a fast and strong rhithm, it makes me think to Vangelis with the chord progression, with the addition of a very fast dulcimer playing. It's incredible the way it sounds "full" even without a keyboard background.

A 4 stars album from a highly skilled trio.

Thanks to octopus-4 for the artist addition.