Deena Jasmine, Chikmagalur, Karnataka

In the vibrant landscape of Korean pop music; there is a multi-award-winning, dynamic Korean K-pop band, ADG7 (Ak Dan Gwang Chil). The band was formed in 2015 on the 70th anniversary of Korean liberation and features three captivating folk singers and six talented instrument players who harmonize together. ADG7 has been captivating audiences worldwide by combining Korean music’s rich traditions with modern pop beats. They bring a unique fusion to the stage and enchant listeners with their mastery of Korean instruments.

Their creative sound has earned them the Best Group Award at the 2018 KBS Korean Traditional Music Award and the Sori Frontier Award at the 2017 Jeonju International Sori Festival. ADG7 has also taken their performance to the Global stage, captivating audiences at the World Music Expo (WOMEX). In 2022, ADG7 embarked on a three-month-long World Tour across Europe and North America, leaving a trail of awe and admiration. In this article, let’s delve into the magical world of ADG7.

Could you tell us about the origins of ADG7 and how the group came together?

ADG7 was organized in 2015, the year Korea commemorated its 70th anniversary of national liberation. ‘Ak Dan’ means Band and ‘Gwang Chil’ is an abbreviation of ‘70th anniversary of liberation.’ Actually, chil is the same pronounced as ‘7’ in Korean. We got this name because we were formed on the 70th anniversary of liberation. By reconnecting with and reimaging shared Korean cultural roots, ADG7 expresses the true meaning of liberation and the desire for unification.  We are composed of 3 vocalists and 6 instrument players, and almost all instruments are composed of Korean traditional instruments.

What inspired ADG7 to combine Korean traditional music with pop elements?

This is not an accident, but an unavoidable event. We understand the fundamental allure of Korean traditional music. However, it is no longer natural to reproduce it in its original form. We believed it was critical to present the music as if it were well-known to the general public, and thus ADG7’s music was born, with unusual instruments and vocals but a familiar sound.

Could you share some insights into the significance of ADG7 being formed on the 70th anniversary of Korean liberation?

It was intended with the goal of becoming a popular band that approaches the audience more familiarly with traditional music that we love. Among the traditional music, we were attracted to traditional music, including gut (shamanic) music in the northern Korean region (Hwanghae province), and used this as our identity. This musical identity also contains the wishes of our band, which remembers our people, who were one before the division, and wishes for peace without forgetting their historical pain.

_{Yoo Wol}

What are some of the challenges ADG7 has faced in integrating traditional Korean music into modern music? How do you overcome them?

That’s a wonderful question. In the 1st album, it was the process of analyzing traditional ‘gut’ music and digesting it as our own. In the process, the inspiration from the traditional sound was directly expressed. The rough melody and timbre characteristics of shamanic music or traditional music are well revealed. In the case of lyrics, the lyrics used in the original traditional music were often used as they were. In the 2nd album, the concerns of the first album, which focused on the nature of tradition, have changed to many concerns about how the structure and sound parts of modern popular music can go with tradition. We tried and supplemented many things that we had not done in the first album. Rather than rough and direct expressions, tried to use metaphorical and soft tones, and made efforts to capture popular band sounds while highlighting the characteristics of Korean traditional musical instruments with Korean traditional instruments. In particular, there have been attempts to interpret the contents of the lyrics in a modern way.

_{Yeon Hong}

Which Korean instruments are featured in your music, and how do you incorporate them into your performances?

Jang gu

This is the most used traditional instrument in Korea. Usually play with two different sticks each hand vertically. The left side has a low-toned sound, right side has a high-toned sound.

Piri 

It’s an instrument made of bamboo. Although it’s small in size, it’s loud, so it’s in charge of the melody in traditional music.

Saenghwang

It is an instrument with thin metal pieces (reed) attached to bamboo. You can hear the sound of inhalation and exhalation. It is the only Korean wind instrument that can make multiple notes at the same time. That’s why it’s also called a mouse organ.

Daegeum

It is a wind instrument made of bamboo. There is a hole called “Cheonggong” in the Daegeum, so the inner shell of the reed is attached here. This “Cheong” sound is one of the characteristics of Daegeum.

Ajaeng

It is a string instrument. It looks similar to gayageum or geomungo, but the biggest difference is that it is played with a bow. It is known that the sound of ajaeng is the most similar instrument to that of a person. Especially, it is said that thick vibrations are similar to human crying.

Gayageum

Gayageum is also a string instrument composed of 12 strings, and the ancestors thought it was 12 months. And there is ‘Anjok’, which controls the height of the string. It’s also called wild geese. The gayageum’s playing method is to rip and bounce the strings with your right hand. Press or shake strings with your left hand to make notes or make various techniques such as the sound of banding and vibrato.

_{Hong Ok}

What role does each member of ADG7 play in the Group’s creative process and performances? Could you share some insights into ADG7’s creative process, particularly in terms of blending traditional elements in modern pop music?

The members play different instruments or sing, but there is no separation of roles. However, Kim Weak-dae, who plays the daegeum, is Gwangchil’s leader and executive producer. We are taking the process of reinterpreting Korean traditional music in a modern way based on the strong inspiration from the good music of the North (Hwanghae-do). Recently, we have expressed Korean shamanic folk-pop. Our goal is to create new Korean music that can communicate with the current people through the process of immersion in Korean good music and become one.

Could you describe the creative process behind composing and arranging songs for ADG7? 

We usually make songs together. Some of the members bring musical ideas or materials, listen and make them all together, and when someone creates a melody that becomes a motif.

_{Lee Man Wol (Music Instrument: Piri & Saenghwang)}

Could you highlight some of the key influences on ADG7’s music or your inspiration?

Most of ADG7’s music is rooted in shamanic music (gut) and minyo (folk song). We considered the value of traditional shamanism as the ‘community’ such as, “We are one.” In Korea, the ‘gut’ (shamanic active) was like today’s festival, where people from all over the village comforted those who were sick or sad and wished and appreciated the harvest of the year. Today we live in a world that is more convenient and faster than ever, but there is less warmth between each other. The value of caring for the marginalised and living together. We would like to convey the beauty of such a ‘gut’ to the audience with our music. There is an illustration in the 1st album that people are spinning with hand and hand in a circle under the glitterball. It contains the message ‘We are one’ which was the theme of the 1st album. It may be a necessary message for all of us living together on this planet, which is suffering from a crisis due to the climate environment and suffering from war somewhere.

_{Choi Byung Hwal (Music Instrument: Ajaeng)}

Could you share some memorable experiences from winning the Best Group at the 2018 KBS Korean Traditional Music Award?

We were unable to attend the award ceremony because we had a performance scheduled earlier that day. Instead, a representative from our agency accepted and gave the prize to us, and we all ate dinner together in the late evening after the performance, taking a commemorative photo with each individual holding the trophy. It was the team’s first major prize, so it felt odd at first, but we were glad of everyone’s congratulations, and the photo is a wonderful memory.

_{Sunwoo BaraBaraBaraBam (Music Instrument: Percussion)}

What was it like for ADG7 to receive the Sori Frontier Award at the 2017 Jeonju International Sori Festival?

The award at the Jeonju World Sound Festival happened a year before the KBS award mentioned in the question above. It was quite early in the team’s career. Although only Korean teams competed in the event, I recall being quite nervous because it was a tournament for teams that excelled in international music. We won second place at the time, and one of the reasons I recall was that “having a large number of members will be an obstacle to going to the international stage.” It was a good motivator for us to work harder to take advantage of our large number of members, and we created a lot of musical reinforcements to do so, three or four years later, we were a global team that was invited to many festivals across the world.

_{Goongdal (Music Instrument: Percussion)}

Could you share your experience representing Korean music and culture at international events like WOMEX and Global Fest?

We were delighted to showcase at Global Fest 2020 and WOMEX 2019. We were very concerned, especially since WOMEX in Finland was our debut performance on the international music market. We had no idea how our music would sound or be appreciated in a worldwide music market with a different language and limited time to promote it. But it was our first time, so we relaxed and played like crazy people. There is a Korean traditional music performance called “Gilnori.” Artists perform “Gilnori” by playing an instrument among the audience. We chose “Gilnori” as the showcase’s finale. Because it reflects our energetic approach to singing and playing in front of large crowds, as well as our primary concern. Even without lyrics, ADG7’s music and performance have the potential to captivate audiences. Eventually, a large crowd watched our act from beginning to end, without moving on to other showcases. We’ve heard that this is an extremely rare moment in the music market. Following that, we received many calls from large international festivals.

Could you highlight some of the most significant achievements of ADG7, during the 3-month long world tour in Europe and North America in 2022?

We appeared on NPR’s signature show Tiny Desk. Not only did our Korean followers enjoy it, but it also provided an opportunity for us to reestablish our reputation, and we earned many new fans from all over the world. People from all over the world have commented on our YouTube videos, and there are many heartfelt comments. Comments from fans are always extremely encouraging.

Great comments from fans on Tiny Desk YouTube video:

“I’ve never heard of their music before but WOW this is an amazing performance, and their music is kinda addictive! Very unique and refreshing! They make Korean traditional music contemporary! Love it! Thank you ADG7! Thank you, NPR, for introducing great music and musicians! “I’ve never heard of their music before but WOW this is an amazing performance, and their music is kinda addictive! Very unique and refreshing! They make Korean traditional music contemporary! Love it! Thank you ADG7! Thank you, NPR, for introducing great music and musicians!”

“That was unexpected and amazing. I love the Tiny Desk concerts, among other things, for allowing me to discover such music that I’d otherwise probably not have come across. Thank you to the NPR crew and thank you to these musicians for sharing their music here. “That was unexpected and amazing. I love the Tiny Desk concerts, among other things, for allowing me to discover such music that i’d otherwise probably not have come across. Thank you to the NPR crew and thank you to these musicians for sharing their music here.”

“Incredible, this was more of a boost to my Friday morning then my coffee and bagel. Gamsahapneedah!”

What were some memorable moments from your performances at Glastonbury and Roskilde Festivals?

Roskilde Festival heralded the beginning of our first post-COVID tour in 2020-2021. However, our instruments and costumes were lost when the airline system failed to recover properly, so we had to play without them, and we felt sorry that we couldn’t give the audience what they wanted. Of course, we redoubled and quadrupled our efforts to compensate, and the audience’s reaction was incredible. But I can’t wait to get back to Roskilde and show them the real ADG7. Glastonbury occurred last year. It was enormous, and we were honoured to be on such a grand stage. Our performance received a tremendous response, and the Korean audience waved flags and cheered us on. I got goosebumps seeing so many people jumping and dancing together in waves. Above all, we had the opportunity to see world-class bands and musicians perform on a variety of stages. It was an excellent lesson and experience for us.

_{Woen Meondongmaru (Music Instrument: Gayageum)}

What upcoming projects or collaborations can fans look forward to from ADG7?

We plan to release a new album this year. We can’t say exactly when, but we’ll be coming back with loads of new music, so stay tuned. Follow us on social media to keep up with the latest band news!

Could you share any advice for aspiring musicians looking to blend traditional and contemporary music styles in their music?

Don’t try to technically mix the traditional with the contemporary. What should come before that is an examination of “what makes my heartbeat.” If there is clearly “something I love” in the traditional music I am trying to do, then I will naturally be able to translate it into a song of the day.

_{Kim Yak Dae (Music Instrument: Daegeum)}

The Korean wave is growing rapidly in India and many people love Korea, Korean culture, Korean traditional and Pop Music; so, would you like to share a message with our Indian K-Enthusiasts?

India is a country where tradition is celebrated in all forms of art, including music, literature, and films. Everything artistic in India inspires us greatly, and we respect its culture. We aspire to someday perform and sing to audiences in India, a country more spiritual than any other, using our music. Please stay healthy and happy and thank you.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for taking out valuable time to share your insights with us. Thank you so much. On behalf of the entire team at Hallyuism, we wish you all the best for your future projects.