True To Your Crew:
Azikazin Magic World
Most people strolling through Songpa-gu, a busy, commercial neighbourhood in Seoul, South Korea, tend to look up. That's because the country's tallest building, a 123-storey glass-and-metal monolith, hovers over the nearby amusement park, luxury apartment buildings and sprawling lake.
In its shadow, tucked away in a basement garage, you'll find the members of Azikazin Magic World, a multi-disciplinary artists' collective that includes filmmakers, musicians and puppeteers. The irony that they spend most of their hours less than 1.25 miles from the tallest building in Korea, working underground, is not lost on them.
"We literally live in an underground basement without any lights. We're always asking what time it is, because there's no sunlight".
– Kiho
The group was loosely formed in 2018 by Kiho Song, a 24-year-old stop-motion animator and filmmaker, Jeongyeon Park, aka Lionclad, a 26-year-old beatmaker and art director, Hyeongmuk Kang, aka Mmddyyyy, a 26-year-old musician, and Sanghwan Shin, aka Fidi, a 26-year-old cinematographer—but it wasn't until they found the basement space in 2019 that their work really took off. Self-described as a digital band, the group doesn't only make music—they release visual albums by incorporating puppetry and stop-motion animation in order to create what they call a "comprehensive experience".
True To Your Crew:
Azikazin Magic World
Most people strolling through Songpa-gu, a busy, commercial neighbourhood in Seoul, South Korea, tend to look up. That's because the country's tallest building, a 123-storey glass-and-metal monolith, hovers over the nearby amusement park, luxury apartment buildings and sprawling lake.
In its shadow, tucked away in a basement garage, you'll find the members of Azikazin Magic World, a multi-disciplinary artists' collective that includes filmmakers, musicians and puppeteers. The irony that they spend most of their hours less than 1.25 miles from the tallest building in Korea, working underground, is not lost on them.
"We literally live in an underground basement without any lights. We're always asking what time it is, because there's no sunlight".
– Kiho
The group was loosely formed in 2018 by Kiho Song, a 24-year-old stop-motion animator and filmmaker, Jeongyeon Park, aka Lionclad, a 26-year-old beatmaker and art director, Hyeongmuk Kang, aka Mmddyyyy, a 26-year-old musician, and Sanghwan Shin, aka Fidi, a 26-year-old cinematographer—but it wasn't until they found the basement space in 2019 that their work really took off. Self-described as a digital band, the group doesn't only make music—they release visual albums by incorporating puppetry and stop-motion animation in order to create what they call a "comprehensive experience".
And what binds Azikazin together are the lo-fi tools and approach they've evolved in making their art—like Lionclad's keyboard from 1991 which doesn't sound as crisp as something you'd find today, or Kiho's vintage camcorder salvaged from the tip that creates fuzzy images similar to the kind you see in home videos. And then there are the crew's homemade puppets and the stop-motion animation that brings their music to life.
"We like things to do with our hands to add a retro mood [to our work]. When you use your hands, your work will show that you've put much love and affection into it".
– Lionclad
And what binds Azikazin together are the lo-fi tools and approach they've evolved in making their art—like Lionclad's keyboard from 1991 which doesn't sound as crisp as something you'd find today, or Kiho's vintage camcorder salvaged from the tip that creates fuzzy images similar to the kind you see in home videos. And then there are the crew's homemade puppets and the stop-motion animation that brings their music to life.
"We like things to do with our hands to add a retro mood [to our work]. When you use your hands, your work will show that you've put much love and affection into it".
– Lionclad
Lionclad says she has found community in other artists who enjoy the mystery of outdated and used audio equipment that's normally headed for the rubbish tip.
"[Creating music this way] feels like an adventure", she says. "When people buy the equipment, they think of the many possible ways to use it and of how they could interpret [it] differently from the past usage".
Lionclad says she has found community in other artists who enjoy the mystery of outdated and used audio equipment that's normally headed for the rubbish tip.
"[Creating music this way] feels like an adventure", she says. "When people buy the equipment, they think of the many possible ways to use it and of how they could interpret [it] differently from the past usage".
The members of Azikazin also make a great effort to participate in every aspect of their craft. No one only makes beats or visuals—they each do a little bit of everything, even if it's not their primary discipline or interest. "We're more like those robots that combine together", says Kiho. "You're the head at first, but have to be the legs, and then the body later".
While the group is always busy concocting new plans, and the members are exploring solo projects—they are excited to be producing "Noodleheads", a show for adults that incorporates puppetry, stop motion and 2D animation to tell the story of monsters who work in a restaurant. It's a fitting project for a group whose name reflects that spirit of their creations.
Lionclad says: "The fact that we can create whatever we want and have fun in our studio without any constraints feels like a magic world".
The members of Azikazin also make a great effort to participate in every aspect of their craft. No one only makes beats or visuals—they each do a little bit of everything, even if it's not their primary discipline or interest. "We're more like those robots that combine together", says Kiho. "You're the head at first, but have to be the legs, and then the body later".
While the group is always busy concocting new plans, and the members are exploring solo projects—they are excited to be producing "Noodleheads", a show for adults that incorporates puppetry, stop motion and 2D animation to tell the story of monsters who work in a restaurant. It's a fitting project for a group whose name reflects that spirit of their creations.
Lionclad says: "The fact that we can create whatever we want and have fun in our studio without any constraints feels like a magic world".
