10ofthebest Korean Electronic Artists
By Connor Cass (@aminorcharacter)
In our new series called 10ofthebest, we’ll be taking a subject and picking ten of our personal favourite examples of it. This week, we’re looking at electronic artists.
Although not as visible as its pop and rock counterparts, the Korean electronic music scene is absolutely bursting with unique and talented creatives. It’s a small but tight-knit community that frequently shares stages and musical ideas.
This list aims to shout out 10 of the greatest artists making electronic music in Korea, both bedroom-bound vocalists and enigmatic beatmakers. 10 isn’t nearly enough to cover the explosive amount of talent here, but these are some of the names constantly on our radar.
Kirara
If there’s anyone who could be labelled the top dog of the Korean electronic scene, it's Kirara. She barely needs an introduction, especially to readers of Debaser. Her looming influence as both an artist and a teacher ripples throughout the scene. Even some of the artists she shares this list with heavily look up to Kirara.
She’s an unstoppable force live, turning venues and clubs alike into euphoric parties. The numerous projects in her ten-year discography attest to her being a master of her craft (2021’s 4 is a good place to start with some of her most explosive tracks). She has turned chilly arpeggios and buzzy synths into screams at the harsh world around her. While her sense of fun is ever present in her imaginative sampling. She’s made us dance, she’s made us cry, she’s made us shout, all with only the electronic musician’s toolset.
Idiotape
Of course, Idiotape have already reached veteran status, they’re three albums deep and 15 years into their career. For a list of the most exciting electronic music to grace Korea, Idiotape is an absolute must. Made up of producer Dguru, synth player Zeze and drummer DR, their unique set-up and talents give them a competitive edge over their competition.
The ferocious drumming and the synth wizardry demand unrestrained dancing. It’s not surprising they’ve both appeared high up on Korean festival lineups like Pentaport and DMZ and been invited to international juggernauts like SXSW and Glastonbury festival. For what it’s worth, 2011's Pluto remains their strongest work, but you can have endless fun with 2014’s Tours and 2017’s Dystopian. Bout time for a fourth album, boys?
MaddyXP
As a multi-hyphenate singer-producer-visual director-DJ MaddyXP has already proved herself to be a chameleon musician. Her debut album, 2022’s EPOCALYPSE, is a collection of glitchy and atmospheric electronica that touches on a rich genre palette including R&B, industrial and house. Her follow-up EP, 2023’s Happymetal, turned to trendier genres like hyperpop and garage, embracing the Y2K aesthetic with both convincing conviction and wit. MaddyXP’s live shows reveal she’s a charismatic performer, and as she continues to carve out her own spaces in the local scene, she’ll surely keep charming bigger audiences.
Radiofear
Ozelot Records may be based in Sweden, but one of their key artists, Radiofear, is a mainstay among Seoul-based beatmakers. There’s very little personal background about him online, nor are there vocals in his music. However, he loves to explore storytelling with evocative soundscapes.
His first EP, 2021’s Dataspace, he imagines himself as the captain of an alien spaceship, which results in music that is icy and mechanical. Yet there’s something so nostalgic and comforting about the analogue sounds present. Follow-up EP, 2023’s Skyline, explores a much more grounded and relatable feeling. Capturing the oppressive feeling of being surrounded by the concrete jungle that is Seoul. Skyline is teeming with more pulsating energy while carrying a darker tone that perfectly represents his home city. You can’t help wondering what story he’s itching to tell next.
Fat Hamster and Kang New
The Busan-based vocalist Kang New, who oozes 80’s nostalgia, and producer Fat Hamster, who leans into punkish electronica reminiscent of Justice, operate as both solo artists and a duo.
Despite only a handful of EPs and songs between them, they’re already famed for their energetic and rebellious live performances - the police shutting down their show being local legend at this point) This raw live energy means you’re just as likely to see them on bills with noisy rockers like Soumbalgwang and OhChill as you are with electronic artists’ peers. They’ve amassed a healthy following by getting just about every audience member who’s laid eyes on them in a dancing mood from start to finish. It’s this dedication to performance that’s frequently rewarding them with gigs in countries like Japan, Thailand and the Czech Republic.
Oh Heejung
Oh Heejung is perhaps the longest-serving musician on this list. She made her solo debut back in 2013 with the wistful self-produced EP Everybody here wants you back. She’s now 12 albums deep and promising to release another in 2025. Her music career started even earlier as vocalist for long-defunct band Beautiful Days.
Her self-reliance is incredibly admirable, as she handles recording, production, mixing and mastering all by herself. Her music is continually warm and dream-like, and that’s owed to the fact she remains a bedroom indie-pop artist to this day. Her latest album, 2023’s I’m a ghost, is a triumph showing her constant evolution and love of her art.
Haepaary
There are a few artists who have reached back into Korean folk music history and brought them into colliding with modern sounds. Names like Leenalchi and Roots Redeem come to mind. Duo Haepaary is one of the best at doing that, as they weave the sounds of Korean ritual vocals with contemporary slow-burn ethereal trance. It’s music that rewards patience, but it’s equally spellbinding and intriguing.
Since their formation in 2020, they’ve been representing the uniqueness of Korean music at big international festivals like SXSW and Primavera Festival. While they’re no strangers to Korea’s best music festivals, like DMZ Peace Train and Block Party. The prestigious Korean Music Awards dished out trophies to them for both Best Dance & Electronic Album and Single in 2022. There’s no end to their achievements, as they’ll surely continue keeping this special corner of Korean music alive.
Ahn Maru
Ahn Maru is very much a rising star of the scene. But it feels like you’re seeing her name everywhere among the electronic circles lately. Her colourful sampling and ravey synths are clearly turning a lot of heads.
Her peers, like Fat Hamster and Kirara, have turned to her for remixes, as she proved herself adept at reshaping tracks with a new punkish energy and club-ready pace. Her debut album, 2023’s Plastic Star, already showed her on top form as a celebratory thrill ride, it’s exciting to see how she’ll continue making noise.
Hwi
Musician, producer and visual artist, and one part of the audio-visual collective eobchae, Hwi had an incredible year in 2024. She bagged some massive features from celebrated rockers Silica Gel’s Kim Hanjoo and the legendary folk singer Lang Lee.
She put out her first full-length album last year, Humanly Possible, too. It’s full of striking atmospheric songs that build to massive emotional crescendos. Touching on a wide range of influences like trip-hop, experimental electronica and glitch-pop, it’s astonishing how accomplished she is as a musician.
Mount XLR
The biggest newcomer on this list is Mount XLR, who has only 10 songs to his name since 2023. However, his intricate beat-making and soulful sampling are already allowing him to make a lot of noise online. He brings to mind artists like Burial and Aphex Twin, incredible beat makers who drop sparsely but always make an impact.
What might be most impressive about Mount XLR is how he brings a variety of worlds into his blocky soundscapes. Drum n bass, UK garage, dubstep, Chicago footstep, trance, and hip-hop (the list goes on) have all gotten nods in his music. It’s clear Mount XLR has studied the greats in his journey to become one himself.