[Column] New trends in K-Pop x Indie Electronica

Column en Electronica Indie K-Pop
[Column] New trends in K-Pop x Indie Electronica

K-Popはなぜ “巨大産業”から“実験場”へ変わったのか

Text: mmr｜Theme: Exploring the current status of new Asian pop music born from the intersection of K-Pop and indie electronica

From the late 2010s to the 2020s, K-Pop has become more than just idol music.

Of course, it is still sophisticated entertainment produced by huge capital. But inside, surprisingly free musical experimentation is underway.

特に重要なのが、Indie Electronicaとの接続だ。

In the past, K-Pop was described as a ““latest pop factory’’ that rapidly absorbed EDM, hip-hop, and R&B. But in the current scene, more subtle, introspective sounds are starting to break into the mainstream.

Ambient. Lo-fi。 Hyperpop. Dream Pop. Glitch. UK Garage. A minimalist atmosphere after New Jeans.

This is music that used to belong to the “indie realm.”

だが現在、それらはK-Popの中心へ入り込みつつある。

graph TD A["Early 2010s K-Pop"] --> B["EDM-centered"] B --> C["Trap / Future Bass"] C --> D["Bedroom Pop"] D --> E["Indie Electronica"] E --> F["Hyperpop / Ambient"] F --> G["Minimal K-Pop"]

This change is not just a fad.

ストリーミング時代の音楽消費。 Fragmentation by TikTok. Popularization of headphone listening. そして“完璧すぎるポップ”への疲労感。

All of that started pushing K-Pop in a more vague and soft direction.

K-Pop used to be “overwhelming music.”

Today’s K-Pop is becoming ““music that permeates the air.’’

The fusion of K-Pop and Indie Electronica symbolizes a shift to an era of “texture” rather than flashiness.

What was Indie Electronica in the first place?

The term Indie Electronica is very ambiguous.

厳密なジャンル名というより、「インディー感覚を持った電子音楽」の総称に近い。

In the 2000s, it was formed at the intersection of electroclash, IDM, Dream Pop, and Folktronica.

graph TD A["IDM"] --> D["Indie Electronica"] B["Dream Pop"] --> D C["Folktronica"] --> D E["Synth Pop"] --> D F["Ambient"] --> D

What is important is that they prioritized ““atmosphere” over ““popularity”.

大音量で盛り上げるのではなく、細部のテクスチャーで感情を作る。

for example,

  • small noise
  • Reverb lingering sound
  • Whispering vocals
  • incomplete beat
  • ローファイな質感

これらは従来のK-Popとは真逆の美学だった。

However, in the streaming era, things change.

Smartphone. イヤホン。 Late night viewing. Short video.

In this environment, ““intimacy” functioned more strongly than ““pressure.”

The worldwide popularity of Bedroom Pop is an extension of this trend.

flowchart TD A["CD era"] --> B["Loud volume and flashiness"] B --> C["Club-oriented"] D["Streaming era"] --> E["Close distance feeling"] E --> F["空気感"] F --> G["Indie Electronica feel"]

K-Popはこの変化を極めて素早く吸収した。

This is also because the Korean music industry has prioritized ““update speed” over ““genre.”

Indie Electronica was music that emphasized “emotional distance” rather than huge sounds.

The foundation laid by the Korean indie scene

The fusion of K-Pop and Indie Electronica didn’t come out of nowhere.

その背景には、2000年代以降に発展した韓国インディーシーンがある。

Particularly important is the club culture around Hongdae.

graph TD A["弘大クラブ文化"] --> B["Korean Indie"] B --> C["Electronic music scene"] C --> D["DIY culture"] D --> E["Bedroom production"] E --> F["Influx into K-Pop"]

The Korean indie scene has developed a little differently than Japan.

Not just rock electronica, noise, ambient, art pop, Experimental music was mixed in very close proximity.

さらに重要なのが、SoundCloud世代の存在だ。

As DAW environments became cheaper, home production rapidly became popular.

As a result, young producers who were active outside of K-Pop began to flow into idol music.

The traditional K-Pop production team is

  • 大規模スタジオ
  • 海外作曲チーム
  • 分業型システム

was centered on.

However, in the 2020s, creators with a Bedroom Producer-like sensibility will become important.

graph TD A["従来型K-Pop"] --> B["Division of labor"] B --> C["Large scale production"] D["New generation producer"] --> E["Home production"] E --> F["SoundCloud Culture"] F --> G["Lo-fi texture"]

結果として、K-Popは“完成度”だけでなく、“個人的な空気感”を武器にし始めた。

これは世界のポップミュージック全体の変化とも同期している。

韓国インディーシーンの蓄積が、現在のK-Popの繊細な電子感覚を支えている。

“Quiet revolution” brought about by NewJeans

When talking about K-Pop x Indie Electronica, the appearance of New Jeans is inevitable.

They have greatly changed the structure of traditional K-Pop.

それまでのK-Popは、

  • intense drop
  • Rapid development
  • complex configuration
  • Excessive amount of information

を特徴としていた。

しかしNewJeansは逆方向へ進んだ。

graph TD A["従来型K-Pop"] --> B["高密度"] B --> C["Focus on development"] C --> D["強いインパクト"] E["NewJeans以降"] --> F["Minimal"] F --> G["repetition"] G --> H["空気感"]

In particular, it was important to incorporate the lightness of UK Garage and 1990s R&B.

The number of sounds is small. Vocals are soft. Don’t make flashy peaks.

However, instead, it had a strong “texture that you can listen to over and over again.”

This was very adaptive in the Spotify era.

Furthermore, in terms of visuals, emphasis was placed on the ““natural look’’ rather than over-the-top production.

In other words, New Jeans is

“Giant idol” rather than “Pop that enters the living space”

He created it.

flowchart TD A["TikTok era"] --> B["Short-term contact"] B --> C["Focus on familiarity"] C --> D["Minimalization"] D --> E["Indie Electronica"]

This trend quickly spread to other groups.

In current K-Pop, ““quiet sounds’’ have much more power than before.

NewJeans changed K-Pop from “exploding music” to “penetrating music”.

Dangerous approach between Hyperpop and K-Pop

As the fusion with Indie Electronica progressed, another important thing was Hyperpop.

Hyperpop is extreme electronic pop that spread from the internet in the late 2010s.

graph TD A["PC Music"] --> B["Hyperpop"] B --> C["Pitch Shift Vocal"] B --> D["Overcompression"] B --> E["Glitch"] B --> F["高速情報量"]

特徴は、

  • Vocals that are too artificial
  • 極端な加工
  • Noise editing
  • Genre collapse
  • Chaotic development

It was.

At first glance, this seems to be at odds with sophisticated K-Pop.

しかし実際には相性が良かった。

なぜならK-Pop自体が、もともと“人工性”を肯定する文化だったからだ。

Hyperpopは「不自然」を隠さない。

Rather exaggerate it.

This feeling was strongly connected to the futuristic image of idol culture.

さらにTikTok時代では、“瞬間的な異物感”が拡散力を持った。

flowchart TD A["TikTok"] --> B["短い刺激"] B --> C["Strong discomfort"] C --> D["Hyperpop spread"] D --> E["K-Pop absorption"]

However, K-Pop did not directly adopt Hyperpop.

easier to listen to, smoother, Converted to more pop.

As a result, in current K-Pop,

“A slightly broken electronic sensation”

が重要な魅力になっている。

Hyperpop brought the “unnaturalness of the digital age” to K-Pop.

Idol music becoming “Lo-fi”

Lo-fi used to be a term that was born from poor recording environments.

But now Lo-fi exists as an aesthetic.

ノイズ。 Tape feel. Cloudy sound image. 不完全さ。

These became symbols of “realism.”

graph TD A["Hi-Fi時代"] --> B["Perfect sound"] B --> C["Large studio"] D["Lo-fi aesthetic"] --> E["imperfection"] E --> F["Intimacy"] F --> G["生活感"]

K-Pop has also begun to embrace this change.

Noise and blank space that would have been removed before is now left behind as a “taste.”

This is a very big change.

This is because K-Pop has long valued “perfection” itself.

しかしストリーミング時代になると、リスナーは完璧すぎる音楽に疲れ始める。

the result,

“It’s a little broken.” “A little vague” “It’s a little close”

Music was highly sought after.

flowchart LR A["完璧すぎるポップ"] --> B["疲労"] B --> C["Lo-fi demand"] C --> D["Indie Electronica"]

This lo-fi trend is also reflected in the visual aspect.

Film-style images. Old digital camera texture. VHS style editing.

In other words, current K-Pop doesn’t just aim for “high resolution.”

Rather, it has begun to create a sense of “incomplete memory.”

Lo-fi化とは、K-Popが“完璧さ”より“親密さ”を選び始めたことを意味する。

Changes in female vocals and the era of “whispering”

The thing that has changed the most in K-Pop x Indie Electronica may be the vocals.

In the previous K-Pop,

  • powerful treble
  • 強い発声
  • dramatic singing

was emphasized.

But things are different now.

graph TD A["Conventional Vocal"] --> B["strong vocalization"] B --> C["dramatic expression"] D["現在の傾向"] --> E["whisper"] E --> F["Close distance feeling"] F --> G["Fusion with air"]

Whispering singing. Breathing. Ambiguous pronunciation.

These are deeply connected to the post-Indie Electronica sensibilities.

In particular, the closeness to ASMR culture is significant.

In a headphone environment, a quiet voice feels closer.

つまり現在のK-Popは、“ライブ会場”より“イヤホン距離”で設計されている部分がある。

flowchart TD A["Smartphone viewing"] --> B["Earphone culture"] B --> C["Small sound reinforcement"] C --> D["Whispering vocals"]

This change also changed the conventional concept of ““singing ability.’’

At present, In addition to the accuracy of pitch, texture, sense of distance, How you get used to the air is becoming important.

K-Pop vocals have changed from a “screaming voice” to a “voice in your ear.”

“Internetization” instead of globalization

“Globalization” is often talked about as the reason for K-Pop’s success.

However, the changes currently occurring are not simply internationalization.

Rather, it is similar to “internetization”.

graph TD A["Traditional overseas expansion"] --> B["地域展開"] C["the current"] --> D["Net culture"] D --> E["Meme"] D --> F["TikTok"] D --> G["Discord"] D --> H["SoundCloud"]

Today’s K-Pop is more than just crossing borders.

“Youth culture that shares the same algorithmic environment”

It is spreading within.

That’s why, South Korea, America, Japan, European music continues to mix simultaneously.

The fusion with Indie Electronica also happened naturally as a result.

In a Spotify playlist, K-Pop and Bedroom Pop line up.

On TikTok, Hyperpop and Korean idols are consumed in the same context.

flowchart LR A["Algorithm recommendation"] --> B["ジャンル境界崩壊"] B --> C["K-Pop × Indie Electronica"]

In other words, current K-Pop is not only ““Korean music,” but also ““Internet music.”

Changes in K-Pop were accelerated by ““integration with internet culture’’ rather than internationalization.

Chronology: K-Pop × Indie Electronica flow

timeline title K-Pop × Indie Electronica 年表 2000年代 : 韓国インディーシーン拡大 : 弘大クラブ文化形成 2010年代前半 : EDM型K-Pop全盛 : 海外プロデューサー大量流入 2010年代後半 : SoundCloud世代台頭 : Bedroom Pop流行 : Lo-fi感覚拡大 2020年頃 : Hyperpop拡散 : TikTok文化加速 2022年 : NewJeans登場 : ミニマルK-Pop拡大 2023年以降 : Ambient / UK Garage接近 : 囁きボーカル主流化 : Indie Electronica化加速

The fusion of K-Pop and Indie Electronica was not an overnight revolution, but the result of more than 20 years of accumulation.

K-Popはこれからどこへ向かうのか

K-Pop is currently at a major crossroads.

On the other hand, it continues to improve its status as a huge industry.

しかしもう一方では、Indie Electronica的な曖昧さ、 Silence, 余白を取り込み続けている。

graph TD A["Giant industrialization"] --> B["High precision pop"] C["Indie Electronica"] --> D["margin"] D --> E["親密感"] B --> F["Future K-Pop"] E --> F

This dual structure is the most distinctive feature of current K-Pop.

It won’t be completely indie. However, it cannot remain as a huge pop.

In the meantime, new music continues to be born.

What is interesting is that this change is proceeding “quietly”.

It’s not a big revolution. However, if you notice, the sensation of your ears itself has changed.

K-Pop used to be the sound of the “city of the future.”

Today’s K-Pop is becoming the sound of “late-night smartphone screens.”

It is smaller; more personal, But it’s music that is connected to the world.

K-Pop × Indie Electronicaの潮流は、デジタル時代の“新しい親密さ”を象徴している。

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