Ultra Korea returns this summer

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Ultra Korea returns this summer

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The audience enjoys exciting performances at the Ultra Korea festival held annually in Seoul. [ULTRA KOREA]

Hardcore fans of electronic dance music, often called EDM, will more than welcome the upcoming Ultra Korea 2016 festival, where an impressive lineup of artists will perform in Seoul from June 10 to 12.

The outdoor music festival was started in Miami in 1999 by Russell Faibisch and is held annually in March with world-renowned DJs and large-scale stage sets. The festival has actively promoted the genre of EDM, which began to gain popularity with Madonna’s 2000 album “Music” that combined techno music with electronic sounds.

In 2012, she made a surprise appearance in the festival with the DJ Avicii.

The festival came to Asia for the first time in 2012, launching in Seoul, beating out top locations such as Hong Kong, Japan and others. It has been generating a buzz among domestic music fans since then.

As Ultra Korea celebrates its fifth anniversary in Seoul this year, there will be a set of improvements made on the quality of sound and operations of the festival, according to the organizer’s official press release.

First, it will be held for three days instead of two days as in the past. With longer festival days, Ultra Korea will invite 20 more artists than last year. A total of 100 performers will be part of the lineup, which includes Afrojack, Avicii, Axwell, Ingrosso, Martin Garrix and other famous EDM artists.

The stage production is set to improve as well, with upgraded sound production and visual arts by stage-design experts from Miami. The sound will remain explosive inside the venue but remain silent on the outside in order to not disturb the rest of the population in Seoul.

The organizer also plans to increase the number of convenience facilities by 30 percent compared to last year, considering the increasing number of visitors. Facilities such as restrooms and beverage booths are expected to see improvements.

Shayne Antony Holmes from New Zealand visited Ultra Korea last year and plans to come to Korea again this year to attend the festival. He says the fact that he can enjoy music he loves along with other people that share similar interests is what makes him attracted to the festival.

“To have so many people in-sync with each other, to the tune of the greatest electronic music of our time, all while entranced by the visual spectacle of the light show makes for one of the best experiences imaginable,” Holmes said.

Diverse music festivals of different genres are coming this summer, and people can choose from a wide spectrum of musical genres that attract them. Among the festivals, the upcoming Ultra Korea 2016 is definitely one of them - electronic music fans can have a blast during the festival. The heated performance, created by both the performers and the audience, look to make summer in Seoul more vibrant and energetic.

BY KIM HYE-JUN [kim.hyejun@joongang.co.kr]
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