What is K-Pop? Where did it come from and what does it want? We can all find out on Saturday, February 20th at Futuramen’s K-Pop party, K-jjang, at Urban Spree.

K-jjang’s a Korean free-for-all of DJs, visualisations and even Korean drag acts and burlesque (what’s that gonna be like?), with the K-Pop party running all night. We’ll be there, K-Popping ourselves into a deep K-Hole.

10 Things You Need to Know About K-Pop

I channelled my inner Buzzfeed to ask event organiser Joie Reinstein a few questions for BERLIN LOVES YOU’s guide to K-Pop:

1) If you had to sum up K-Pop in one word, what would it be?
Effervescent.

2) How does K-Pop make you feel inside?
Excited, melancholic, sexy… I think my favorite one though is when I’m running and something like Taeyang comes on and I feel invincible.

3) What does K-Pop have that regular pop doesn’t?
Although some people say it is derivative of Western pop, it actually draws influence from the West, turns it on its head, adds in some Asian sounds and aesthetics and amplifies the whole thing times 10. The result is these insane music videos where everything from the dance moves to the outfits are on pop steroids. It’s no coincidence that artists such as Grimes, Lorde and Lady Gaga are all fans.

4) Is there a certain dance you do listening to K-Pop?
K-pop is actually all about dance! Almost every K-pop song released as a single has a corresponding dance. First they debut the regular video, then the record label releases the “dance version” which shows the group doing the entire choreography in a dance studio. Fans around the world can learn and emulate the dance (because let’s face it, singing in Korean is tricky!). The result is thousands upon thousands of cover videos, dance crews, Flash Mobs and even dance schools dedicated to the craft. I personally belonged to the I Love Dance School in New York for three years!

5) If you were in a K-Pop group, what would its name be?
As there are usually astronomical references as well as numbers… I think I would go with something like StarGirls7 (with a little homage to Bowie!).

6) Will we all be singing in Korean in five years time?
No, I don’t think it will be to that extent. But statistics show that the number of students opting to take Korean at university has skyrocketed around the world.

7) Is listening to K-Pop good for your health or bad?
K-pop is highly addictive. It’s a gateway drug to watching Korean dramas, wanting to consume Kimchi every day, and eventually moving to Korea (I’m a case in point).

8) Which is better? K-Pop, J-Pop or Iggy Pop?
I want to live in a world where we can love all three without judgement. That’s what K-jjang is all about – breaking boundaries and opening borders.

9) What is the definitive K-Pop song that will make Berlin fall in love with it?
I think something really rollicking and in your face, like the Big Bang song “Bang Bang Bang”. It’s a mash up of genres, it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it makes you want to party all night: just like Berlin.

10) Who are your favourite K-Pop artists?
I’m partial to the artists that mix in a bit of hip hop sound: CL, G-Dragon, Hyuna… but I do admit that sometimes the boys bands with tons of members, like EXO and Super Junior, are a wonderful musical indulgence.

Here’s the event’s details, courtesy of K-jjang:

!!!! LINE UP !!!!!
***DJ and Visuals by DJ GeunYoung \ S.Korea***
***DJ Set and Live Performance by Plateau Repas \ France***
***Drag Performance by Parisienne Sasazuka \ France***
***K-Burlesque Performance by Saphira Spark \ Turkey***

DJ GEUN YOUNG (Seoul, South Korea)
Party organizer and VJ, Young Bros splices up the latest K-Pop music videos creating new sounds. He tours all over Europe, hosting successful K-Pop parties for P-Pop and K-Hip Hop aficionados.

PLATEAU REPAS (Paris, France)
An electro punk group with a penchant for marshmallows, glitter and ’90s house jams. Self-proclaimed K-Pop junkies, they will do a lovely cover of a K-Pop tune as well as a DJ set mixing together K-Pop, J-Pop, French touch and other random world stuff.

PARISIENNE SASAZUKA (Paris, France)
Paris native/longtime resident of Tokyo, Sasazuka has loved K-Pop since Park Ji Yoon came of age. She appeared on Korean TV and did her part in promoting the Korean Wave in Paris. She will be giving a dramatic performance glorifying and poking fun at her Korean idols.

SAPHIRA SPARK (Istanbul, Turkey)
Saphira is a multicultural artist influenced by the craziest side of the K-Pop scene. She is K-Pop Glam and a fresh burlesque nightingale in Berlin. She will be giving the most emotional, mysterious and crazy K-Burlesque performance.

K-jjang was borne out of the Art Mega Event “Seoul Vite Vite” which was held in October, 2015 in France. The aim was to show how K-Pop was an effervescent movement taking the world by storm.

FUTURAMEN is a nomadic entity that strives to bridge the divide between countries and cultures through Events, Trend Forecasting, Content and Experience Design.

K-jjang
Saturday, February 20 9pm- 5am
Urban Spree
Revaler Str. 99
10245 Berlin

Tickets €12. Pre-Sale info to come. €10 promo tickets for groups available.
K-jjang on Facebook