DJ SOULSCAPE

1979년 서울에서 태어난 디제이 소울스케이프는 유년기에 부모님의 레코드 컬렉션과 AFKN 라디오를 통해 다양한 음악을 접하며 음악에 대한 동경을 키웠다. 1984년 그래미상 시상식에서 허비 행콕의 'Rock It' 공연에 협연한 ‘그랜드믹서 D.ST’의 스크래치를 통해 DJ 문화를 처음 접했다. 청소년기에는 명동 청계천 등의 레코드 가게에서 희귀 레코드들을 수집하며 힙합 디제이로서의 역량을 쌓았다.

Born in Seoul circa 1979, DJ Soulscape spent his early childhood days nurturing his eclectic taste for superfly music by rummaging through his parents’ record collection and tuning into the US Armed Forces’ AFKN radio station. Discovering new tunes was a fun, carefree hobby until one fateful night, in front of a TV set, he experienced an epiphany. While watching Herbie Hancock’s live performance of ‘Rock It’ at the 1984 Grammy Awards, he gazed in awe as Grandmixer D.ST turned simple turntables into scintillating, scratching machines. From that moment on, he knew right there and then, he wanted to become a DJ. And from that day forward, he dedicated his formative school years to scouring obscure, back alley record shops, religiously amassing a library of the rarest of rare LPs to launch his DJ career.

1998년 신촌의 클럽 마스터플랜에서 디제이 활동을 시작했으며 당시 클럽에서 활동하던 힙합 음악가들의 공연에 다수 참여했다. 이후 마스터플랜이 기획사로 변모하면서 소속 아티스트로 자리매김한다. 처음 데뷔는 Pe2ny와 함께 Soul Chamber라는 듀오를 통해 이루어졌으며, 2000년 해체 이후 한국 힙합 음악사의 명반으로 평가 받는 데뷔 앨범 '180g Beats'를 발표하며 평단과 음악 애호가들의 주목을 받았다.

Cue to 1998. Deep in the heart of Seoul’s avant-art district of Hongdae, DJ Soulscape quickly made a name for himself in the underground club circuit. Besides locking down a coveted DJ residency at the legendary hip-hop hotspot, Master Plan, he emerged as the turntablist of choice for many of Korea’s top hip-hop acts. When Master Plan decided to transform its club business into a talent management agency, DJ Soulscape was one of the first artists signed and in 2000, he officially debuted with MC Penny as part of a duo called, ‘Soul Chamber’. However, after just one single, the pair disbanded. But all was not lost. Soon after the breakup, DJ Soulscape took the K-Pop industry by storm with the release of his critically acclaimed, breakthrough solo album, ‘180g Beats’. 

1집 발표 직후 군 입대로 활동이 제한되었으나 2002년 에스피오네(Espionne)이라는 이름으로 어쩌면 EP를 발표해 라운지/일렉트로니카 음악 팬 층에게 큰 호응을 얻으며 음악적 영역을 확대한다. 2003년 제대 후 사랑을 테마로 한 컨셉트 앨범 형식의 두 번째 앨범 Lovers를 발표하고 이듬해 한국대중음악상 시상식 크로스오버 부문 후보에 오른다.

Unfortunately, right when the album hit the charts, DJ Soulscape was forced to fulfill his mandatory 2 year military service and as a result, all promotional activities came to a sudden halt. Upon successfully completing his army duties in 2002, he resumed his DJ pursuits but surprised anxious fans by releasing an electronica/lounge EP under the name, Espionne. Adding more intrigue to his increasing mystique, DJ Soulscape continued his magical musical detour in 2003 when he reassumed his old identity and compiled ‘Lovers’, a concept album based on and inspired by the theme of love. Record critics fell in love with it and rewarded his experimental effort with a Crossover Artist Of The Year nomination at the Korean Music Awards.

2007년 ‘라이브러리 레코드’를 모토로 삼은 경음악 앨범 창작과 비트 Vol.1 - Patterns for Words 를 발표하고 웹진 힙합플레이야의 자매 사이트 Open MIC를 통해 참가자가 창작과 비트 앨범 수록 곡에 자유롭게 자신의 랩을 녹음해 올리고 사이트 이용자들에게 평가 받는 ‘랩 컴피티션’ 콘테스트를 개최했다. 2008년 5월, 디지털 싱글 한강의 테마를 발표했다.

In 2007, DJ Soulscape continued to push Korea’s beatmixing boundaries by presenting an innovative, instrumental album entitled, ‘Vol.1 - Patterns for Words’. In conjunction with the webzine, HipHopPlaya.com, he encouraged fans to freely record their own lyrics and vocals on top of his tracks and upload their mashups in an open mic contest so that online listeners could critique and vote for their favorite versions. In May of 2008, DJ Soulscape followed up on this bold collaboration with his first ever digital single, ‘Theme for the Han River’. 

클럽 디제이로서의 활동도 활발해 수많은 크고 작은 파티에 게스트 디제이로 참가했다. 2005년 말부터 'DJ Jinmoo', 'Plastic Kid' 등과 서울을 기반으로 한 디제이 연합체 360사운즈(360 Sounds)를 결성해 '360 Sounds Party’를 주최하고 있으며 2007년 초부터 홍익대학교 앞에 위치한 ‘클럽 툴’(CLUB TOOL)과 제휴해 'Fresh Box' 파티를 매월 정기적으로 주최하고 있다.

Although he has been a headlining DJ at numerous hip-hop events big and small, DJ Soulscape decided take the city’s burgeoning party scene to another level. At the end of 2005, he teamed up with DJ Jinmoo, Plastic Kid, and others to form a Seoul-based DJ crew called ‘360 Sounds’. As the ‘360 Sounds’ parties began to expand, they joined forces with Hongdae’s Club Tool in early 2007 to organize the immensely popular, monthly party series, ‘Fresh Box’.

영화 ‘태풍태양’(2005년)의 음악 감독을 맡았고 다수의 독립영화, 영상물, 홈페이지 등을 위한 음악 작업을 했다. GQ, 마리끌레르, Bling등 여러 잡지에 다양한 테마의 음악을 소개하는 기고가로도 활동하고 있다.

In addition to his high-profile roles as the music director for major studio films, indie flicks, radio shows, video artworks, and websites, DJ Soulscape is also the head of his own indie music label (Strange Sweet Sounds) and a frequent music columnist for publications such as GQ, Marie Claire, and Bling magazines.

Sources : Wikipedia Korea, DFSB Kollective

LOCAL GIGS
* DJ Shadow (Seoul 2003)
* DJ Krush (Seoul 2004)
* DJ Andy Smith of Portishead (Seoul 2005)
* DJ Spooky (Seoul 2007)
* Resfest Digital Film Festival (Seoul 2005/2006)
* Sonar Festival (Seoul 2006)
* Pusan International Film Festival (Pusan 2007)

REGIONAL GIGS
* Formoz Festival (Taipei 2003)
* Club Harlem (Tokyo 2006)
* Club Muse (Shanghai 2008)

AWARDS & HONORS
* Crossover Artist Of The Year nominee (2003 Korea Music Awards)
* Top 89 Cultural Leaders in Korea (2005 Bling Magazine)
* Top 100 K-Pop Albums of the 20th Century (2008 KyungHyang Newspaper)

 

본명 AKA : 박민준 Min-June Park

생일 BIRTHDAY : 1979

출생지 HOMETOWN : Seoul, Korea

학력 EDUCATION : Yonsei University (BS Electrical Engineering)

디제이 연합체 DJ CREW : 360 Sounds

음반 레이블 RECORD LABEL : Strange Sweet Sounds

국제 에이전트 INTL AGENT : DFSB Kollective

Occupation and Position.
DJ/Producer and midnight mover

What neighborhood/city do you closely identify with? What makes your community so unique?
Seoul, Korea! More specifically 360 sounds: an eclectic collective of local DJs and artists. Since the subculture scene here is pretty small and packed, we’ve all grown up together in this nascent movement as skaters, DJs, emcees, designers and hustler creatively influencing each other. It’s a pretty unique experience to have all the b-boys, stakers, hiphop kids and graffiti artists, photographers partying in one place.

What’s the greatest item that you’ve dug up a local garage/estate sale? How much did it cost?
I recently, copped an extra copy of Port Authority record last week at Myung-dong street [an exclusive fashion haven in Seoul, known by some as the "Mecca of Fashion" or the "Young People's Street"]. The record only cost me 1,000 won (approximately 1 USD).

If you could interview one unsung hero, who would it be? Why?
It would have to be Sang-Woo Kim, who is responsible for the Saucerman Records and is the mysterious record don. Alongside the fact that he had influenced the greatest hip-hop producers, he also has the deepest knowledge and vision for modern Afro-American music in Korea. It’s so fantastic for me listening to him worked with Weldon Irvine, Keni Burke, among others.

What’s your favorite youtube video?
One of most known korean soul diva.

Kim Jung Mi - 이건 너무 하잖아요

Where are your favorite local spots to eat.
Shy-bana, located in French-Town (Bangbae-dong, Seoul). It is a rare spots in Seoul city which specializes in Southern American food.

What are your favorite local nightlife scenes.
360 Sounds party. Also watching the Han-river around midnight.

What songs are at the top of your playlist at this very moment?
Seoul Nakunae - Hae-ddeul-nal (서울 나그네 - 해뜰날). Seoul Nakunae is an amazing Korean soul rock band from back in the 70s.

What new projects you are building on right now?
I am currently working on my new album: New Sound of Seoul and also a mix cd, More Sound of Seoul

Source : Evil Monito Magazine (2008.05.31)