Interview with Fat Hamster and KANG New, Korea’s rising electro punk stars
Written by Connor Cass (@aminorcharacter)
Photography by Blair Kitchener (@blairkitchener)
Just about anyone who frequents indie venues around Korea has had an experience that leaves them dripping in sweat with a big smile plastered across their face. Fat Hamster and KANG New are experts at delivering exactly that with ravey electronic arrangements, infectious dancing, and commanding vocals. Whether you’re typically a rock fan or more clued up on electronic music, the consensus is that they’re among the most deliriously fun live performers on the peninsula. Here, producer Fat Hamster and vocalist KANG New sat down with Debaser Magazine to chart their journey from tiny clubs to Korea’s biggest festivals - and even a European tour.
“Block Party is a great festival. It was actually our first festival show in 2023,” Fat Hamster recalls. It’s a marker of just how quickly the duo have grown in stature. In just two years since that late-night, alcohol-dazed Togul slot, they’ve become major players in the festival scene. 2025 has been the biggest year of both their careers.
Since the pair are famed for their live shows, it’s fitting that this is how they first met. As Fat Hamster recalls, “12 or 13 years ago, I was in an emo band, and we played at a venue where KANG New was working.” (Despite pushing, he refuses to reveal the band's name - we tried.) After he quit the band, the two began their close working relationship, as he explains, “When I wanted to release my first electronic tracks, KANG suggested starting our own label together.” This led to the birth of LetzRatz and their first song together - Better - in 2016.
Until 2025, they operated as solo artists who collaborated frequently, referring to their joint live shows as a “1+1” deal. Since fans were used to seeing them together often, it may seem strange that there was hesitancy to become a full-time team. KANG New explains why: “Both of us were still in the process of shaping our own identity as solo artists. We had very different musical tastes and artistic goals.”
Now, however, they officially became a duo. In 2024, they joined the roster of Revival Agency, a tour management company that represents names like Justice and Livigesh. Their tour manager suggested making the switch to a duo “so that European audiences who would be seeing us for the first time could more easily discover our music,” KANG explains.
Yet this move has brought many personal and artistic benefits. Hamster is clearly very fond of their working relationship, “As a solo artist, I have to do everything by myself. Having a teammate gives me a lot of support on stage.” While KANG is satisfied with the stronger musical identity “We had in-depth conversations about what kind of sound we wanted to create together and eventually decided to define ourselves as an electro-punk duo.”
Electro-punk is the perfect genre tag for them, as they blend in well with rock and punk bands they often share bills with - like 18fevers, OhChill, or Soumbalgwang. “I think the structure and dynamic of our music is closer to rock,” KANG explains, “That's why many of our tracks are more in line with electro-punk, rather than techno, house or trance music.” Fat Hamster’s production makes his rock background evident, in his distorted synth riffs and quiet/loud dynamics. KANG New’s lyrics favours punchy chants about the world around them. “We also try to put social meaning in the lyrics,” Hamster adds. “We’re very influenced by Punk.” Their debut album, Brain in a Vat, exemplifies this; Micro-Macro takes aim at our smartphone obsession, while The Sun From Mars screams out about climate change.
During live shows, the euphoric dancing from both the duo and the audience creates a non-stop party that wins them countless fans. Though united in their wild energy, their approaches to performing differ. For Hamster, it comes naturally, “doing shows is the happiest moment in my life,” he says, “I think that energy reaches the audience too.” For KANG, it’s surprisingly more intentional: “I don't play many instruments on stage. That's why I use my body gestures and dancing to express the energy and aura of our music.” Although it doesn’t come as naturally as it does for Hamster “Expressing our music requires me to move non-stop during the whole set, my body suffers.” This contrast shows why they’re a great team, even with different personalities, they bring the same energy where it matters.
Perhaps their most infamous moment came last year, when police shut down their Youkillbong performance over an alleged “noise complaint”. “That show was titled, ‘Coming Out of the Closet’. I think they probably saw the event poster and were triggered by that title,” KANG explains. “I think we stopped the music too easily. The police officers didn’t have the right to stop our show. I should have resisted more.” Hamster reflects. However, they can now look back on the experience with humour. KANG jokes, “He is still traumatised by the police saying, ‘Stop the karaoke machine,’” referring to Hamster's elaborate live setup. “My karaoke machine has played many festivals, actually” he replies.
That so-called “karaoke machine” has since appeared on major Korean festival stages, including Block Party, Asian Pop and Zandari Festival - where they play for the second time this year. They overcame the challenge of moving on to massive stages with ease. “Whether it's a club show or a festival, my goal is for me and the audience to have fun together,” Hamster explains. “The biggest difference is the distance between us and the audience. Still, we try our best to make sure the same energy comes across.” KANG adds.
They did make one major change for festival season: adding visuals. These kaleidoscopic backgrounds debuted at our own Debaser Festival. “I've always wanted to include VJing. I even tried learning it myself.” KANG explains. “But not every venue is equipped to handle a visual set, so we had it as a lower priority.” They also had concerns that a visual set may overshadow their performances. This changed when they met visual artist Hyunwoo. ”Fortunately, VJ Hyunwoo understands both our music and performance style.”
The duo have even helped shape the Block Party and Debaser Festival line-ups. They brought over friends they’ve made during their frequent shows in Japan, like Sombra and Tomoya Ogishiba. They share a special connection with the Japanese music scene and its performers. However, for KANG this relationship with Japan is even more personal; “I lived in Japan for six years and played in a rock band there. It's like a second home. Maintaining a good relationship with Japanese artists and venues is really important to me.”
This summer gave them a chance to perform outside of Asia, as they jetted over to Europe to play festivals across France, Spain and the Czech Republic. This experience highlighted the differences from their home country. “The thing that really impressed me was the diversity. There were people of all ages, from very young kids to elderly people. And there were many people in wheelchairs. Everybody could enjoy the festival. Organisers really cared about that.” Hamster says.
He recalls another key memory, “One of the most memorable things was our fans coming to see us. We can’t speak their language, so only our music can speak for us. I felt I should make more music.”
They’re not content to hit a plateau after just one European tour - the duo are ready to take over the whole world. KANG reveals their desire to perform in Germany “because there's a big raving culture and electronic scene there.” While Hamster has broader ambitions: “I want to perform in as many countries as possible. Visiting countries to share our music is always wonderful and exciting.”
They also stand out in Korea for their unfiltered support for important social causes, so KANG was particularly excited to encounter the attitudes towards women’s rights in Europe. “I saw one staff member at a festival in France, who wore a T-shirt - on the front it said ‘more women on stage’. And his back said, ‘more women backstage’.” KANG says. “He told me about the ‘More Women on Stage’ project. It's a festival run by women, the artists are all women, and the backstage staff are all women. I hadn't given much thought to what happens backstage. We need more women on stage, behind the stage. And along every path that leads to it.“
Another cause the duo strongly believe in is veganism. Even though they live in a country where maintaining a vegan diet poses huge challenges, they’re firmly committed to the vegan lifestyle. “The weather is very crazy these days, so I always think about the climate crisis. It's my responsibility.” KANG explains. Hamster adds that animal welfare is a major motivator for him: “So many animals suffer because of the food industry. I just don't want to consume them.”
As Fat Hamster and KANG New continue to dominate festivals around the world and reach diverse audiences, their infectious energy and unstoppable enthusiasm drive them forward. Whether it’s through their music or social causes, the duo are always moving ahead, and we can’t wait to see where they go next.
For more information, follow Fat Hamster and KANG New here.