She’s got it: Seoul’s Venus is on fire

Venus Robertson

Venus Robertson has had an epiphany.
“I realize I can create something from nothing,” said the busy 26-year-old Aussie D.J. “I don’t have the point of view anymore that you can’t do something.”
When looking at the many projects that Robertson is juggling, it’s easy to believe her.
Robertson is a sought-after D.J. ― she regularly appears locally and has a gig coming up in Bangkok in two weeks. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. She also organizes the Eden female artist collective, puts together parties for the music Web site Seoulsounds, helps with the renowned “Junglist” nights at Cargo in Hongdae, promotes the local band Softcore and still finds time to be the entertainment producer of ROKon Magazine, a popular foreigner zine. Oh, and she’s putting together a D.J. agency.
“I need to do lots of stuff, otherwise I get bored,” she said. “I love having lots of projects on the go. I have ADD,” she said, and laughed.
Robertson has a word or two for those foreigners unhappy with their lot in Korea.
“There are so many opportunities in Seoul. There’s so much that we [in the West] have been used to for the past 10 years, that isn’t here yet. But so many English teachers come [to Korea] and are all pissed off, asking, ‘How do you do it?’”
Robertson soon will be appearing in a documentary about the Seoulsounds site being made by the TV channel OBS, and her Eden collective is coming out with a three-CD pack, “to promote the girls,” she said.
“We’re also going to do a party with all the female D.J.s in Korea. There’s about 15 as far as I know.”

By Richard Scott-Ashe Contributing Writer [richard@joongang.co.kr]