Inside South Korea’s idyllic forest festival

This story originally appeared on i-D Korea.

Korea’s DCL Camp takes place in a forest clearing, by a peaceful stream, just an hour out of Seoul. With a big focus on reconnecting with nature — not just through the idyllic valley location, but with a line-up boasting yoga classes, plant-based food and environmental lectures for an audience of just 700 people — the festival seems like the ultimate retreat. Of course, nature also sometimes involves rain, and the weekend of DCL Camp brought plenty of that.

It might have been muddy, humid and rife with downpours, but the wild weather didn’t stop festival-goers from having a whole lot of fun as they danced to music by drenched indie bands and DJs spinning psychedelic records. Knowing it would be something special, i-D Korea sent photographer Park In-joon along to capture the mood and get to know some emerging local musicians.

쎄이 쑤 미 (Say Sue Me)

How was your set?
It rained a lot, so from a technical perspective, it was quite difficult, but seeing the audience having such a good time despite that made us realise it wasn’t so bad.

You’ve performed worldwide. Is there something that you only get from your live shows in Korea?
Our audience here seems to be much younger. When we have shows overseas, the audiences are a really wide variety of ages, so I suppose our Korean fans respond more enthusiastically because of this.

What’s your favourite thing about festivals?
Freedom.

How are you feeling about your forthcoming North American tour?
Since the tour has already been postponed once, everyone’s expectations are very high. We feel very prepared now though; we’re ready to go.

You’re originally from Busan. How do you feel about the city today?
It’s not much different than it used to be. Just as everyone has a place to live, Busan is that special place for us.

@saysueme

CHS

Are you having fun?
We’re wet.

Yeah, about that, how was it performing in the heavy rain?
Water filled the stage and band members were wiping the floor with towels. Then, mid-performance, the monitor speakers got wet in the rain and died. We considered stopping because of the risk of electric shock, but we performed because we didn’t want to disappoint the audience who had waited for us in the rain. Both our instruments and bodies were drenched, but I think we were lucky to be able to finish the set we prepared safely.

What’re some of your most memorable moments at the festival?
Seeing people enjoying themselves. Some fans brought a CHS flag with them, and even when the speaker blew, people were having a good time.

It’s the end of the summer and tours are coming to an end. How are you feeling at this point?
That being in a band is the coolest thing in the world. We sincerely thank all CHS family members that got us through this tour without any major incidents — we love you all.

Finally, what’s your idea of a dream live show setting?
I want to perform on a very large yacht. Wouldn’t it be the most CHS performance if we could all float in the middle of the sea and dive in together after the performance?

@chsveryhigh

cadejo

How are you finding the DCL festival experience?
Taehoon Lee: It’s a nice reminder that people can be happy even when it’s muddy and hot and humid.
Jaeho Kim: Everyone here seems very comfortable, very relaxed, unlike in the city.

What do you like most about this festival?
Jaeho Kim: It was impressive to see people doing yoga, listening to lectures, DJing, soaking their feet in the valley’s stream, and just enjoying their time to the fullest. I don’t think we will ever forget the audience during our performance — they had more energy than us!
Dabin Kim: Before and after the performance, I felt like my heart was cleared because I was able to cool off in the clear stream water.

Finally, what does summer mean to you three?
Taehoon Lee: It’s the season that sets the standard for the rest of the year. Winter, spring and autumn are just less good, less hot Korean summers.
Dabin Kim: It’s the season I look forward to the most.
Kim Jae-ho: In the summer, my skin gets better and I feel healthier. I want to live in a country where it’s summer all the time.

@cadejo___

Kugel

What are you general thoughts and feelings about nature?
Nature is always right. All worries become smaller when you spend time in nature. People seem to let go of themselves and become more open when they’re in nature rather than in the city.

And how have you found the DCL festival experience?
It had rained so much the day before my set that the ground was completely muddy, my legs were torn off by mosquitoes, and my clothes, hair and shoes were all wet. But I had a beer with my friends and it was really fun to drink and dance together in the heavy rain. Like with any situation, I think the overall experience really depends on whether you decide to enjoy the moment or not.

Can you tell us about a particularly memorable moment?
As I played the opening track of my set, all I could think was: tonight is going to be so much fun. I guess the crowd felt the same. People began gathering and dancing in the rain — they seemed very connected to the music.

As a DJ, you’re able to respond to people’s reactions in real time. How did that play out here?
Though it was raining, the day was very sunny, so I mainly played songs with bright energy. But because we were out in nature, I included tracks with organic elements. I started out with stuff that was quite danceable, but soon realised it was so hot that people actually couldn’t dance, so I switched to more of a psychedelic mood.

You played quite early on, is that unusual for you?
I’m a resident DJ at a club called Itaewon Tunnel, and so I play almost every weekend. As a result, I usually focus on music for those who come to the club at night, so it’s really interesting to mix it up like this. The criteria when it comes to selection are totally different, and obviously the vibe of people in the crowd is different too.

@llkugelll

Maki from Underground

What impressed you most about this festival?
It was very hot during my set, so I was impressed by the audience who went really hard despite the weather.

How does the environment or weather impact one of your sets?
The whole job of being a DJ is playing music according to the environment and atmosphere, so responding to that appropriately is definitely key. Of course, I play my favourite tracks, but the energy of the audience is also a huge consideration.

And how was your set today?
It’s been a while since I’ve played such a happy set, because the energy of the audience was really special. When I arrived at the site, I heard people were disappointed that CHS didn’t play “Last Sunset”, so I opened my set with that. After working through reggae, disco and latin guitar riffs, I built the set-up to span house, funk and soul. Whether sitting, standing or dancing, people seemed to enjoy it.

@makifromunderground

Credit

Photography Park In-joon