‘Sync Next 26’ finale performance at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on the 4th and 5th
J.Flow “A stage unfolding in an unimaginable place…I’m proud”
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Jo Yoon-hee = "I lived in Buam-dong for 5 years, and Gwanghwamun was my front yard. As I was passing by the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, I thought, 'When will they perform there? I guess I have to be a grandfather to come.' But I'm surprised and thankful that I came this early."
Rapper Jjangyu of HYPNOSIS THERAPY, who met with Yonhap News at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on the 3rd, expressed his feelings ahead of the performance with his characteristic honest and energetic speaking skills.
Hipgnosis Therapy, formed in 2022 by producer JFlow and rapper Jjangyu, is a team that has been attracting attention for its powerful sound that crosses the boundaries of techno, breakbeat, punk, and hip-hop.
Those who have recently shaken up Europe's representative outdoor festivals and club scenes, such as Spain's 'Primavera Sound' and Denmark's 'Roskilde Festival', will appear on the stage at the Sejong S Theater at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on the 5th, continuing on the 4th.
It is through the performance ‘Mushroom House’ that marks the finale of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts’ contemporary series ‘Sync Next 26’.
The meeting between Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and those based on underground clubs and subcultures is refreshing in itself.
J-Flow said, “It is actually a symbolic space that is a bit distant for hip-hop or electronic musicians like us,” and added, “I am touched and proud that a stage like this can be held in a place that is hard to imagine.”
The purpose of 'Sync Next', which focuses on breaking down the boundaries of genres by presenting experimental art, is also in line with the identity of Hypnosis Therapy.
When asked how to break down the gap between genre and space, the two people talked about their lives themselves rather than artificial staging.
J-Flow emphasized, "Actually, that's how we live our lives," and added, "I think that if we come in with that mindset because we said we're going to break down boundaries on 'Sync Next,' it could be artificial. Since we're people who have already lived that way, a form of breaking down naturally on stage will be created."
They worked together with veteran overseas creative staff to maximize the visual and auditory perfection of this stage. A stage, lighting, and video designer based in Copenhagen, Denmark, was invited to Korea to design the stage, and the costumes were produced in collaboration with a Belgian designer.
The sound system is also unique. We communicated with the sound engineer team of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, who learned the system at the festival 'Tomorrowland' held in the Netherlands, and directly imported and built the sound system for the two-day performance into Korea.
Regarding the reason for putting effort into visual production and stage direction, J-Flow explained, "I think music is like a large vessel that can contain all arts. When we listen to music, we think we hear it with our ears, but in fact, there are many elements that fill that space. Since the music we are trying to do is not exactly compromised music, we tried to solve it so that the audience can feel everything more easily and intuitively."
The highlight of this performance is that it is clearly divided into Part 1 and Part 2.
In the first part, a live techno set with only connected equipment is performed, a curtain is drawn on the stage, and the audience is encouraged to focus only on the visual art and music itself. Next, in the second part, there will be an explosive live performance combining Jjangyu's rap, Jflow's DJing, and drums.
Jjangyu said with a smile, "The composition of this performance is one that perfectly defines hypnosis therapy. Part 1 allows me to explore myself with elements of techno, and part 2 allows me to express what I have explored. You can think of it as a 'hypnosis therapy retreat.'"
After going through the slump and confusion of the time when I first started making music, I formed a team and started working under the name 'Hypnosis Therapy', which means healing the mind with repetitive rhythms, for four years.
They said they hope that this Sejong Center for the Performing Arts stage will be a milestone for younger musicians who insist on making their own music in the underground.
J.Flow emphasized, “We want to confirm the possibility of living sustainably as an artist while sticking to what you like,” and added, “The role of an artist is not to try to cater to the public’s tastes, but to bring the audience into our world.”
Jjangyu also added a low goal.
“I want to show that if you consistently follow the path your heart tells you without being swayed by the opinions of those around you, the path will open up. Our ultimate goal is to be the ‘BTS of the underground.’” (Jjangyu)
