Cultural exchange: Seoul Footwork is Korea’s first dedicated party for footwork & juke

Functions is our interview series profiling parties from across the world. This time we meet: Seoul Footwork

“In Korea, footwork as a genre had low recognition and lacked infrastructure,” says Delic’amarr, the founder of Korea’s “first-ever” footwork and juke party Seoul Footwork, thinking back to a time before the event’s existence. “But we believed that, if people stepped up to push this music and culture, things could change.”

Seoul Footwork began in late 2024 as a way to fill a gap in South Korea’s 160 BPM scene – a necessary space for those with a taste for the faster paces in dance music. But getting it off the ground wasn’t easy. When Delic’amarr, alongside a crew of other footwork-infatuated DJs, composers, photographers, and general music industry professionals, learned about the impending closure of Club Sober in Seogyo-dong where they were hosting their inaugural edition, the Seoul Footwork team managed to pull off a “modest but meaningful” first event – despite their plans nearly being scuppered.

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A little over a year later, Seoul Footwork now travels to different venues across Seoul, mostly taking place at Itaewon’s Cakeshop, one of the capital’s most notable venues. With word getting around about Korea’s first footwork party, it now attracts a steadfast crew of clubbers who are encouraged to learn footwork moves on the dancefloor, all soundtracked by sets from Teklife affiliates including DJ Spinn, Traxman, and DJ Paypal, amongst more emerging Korean artists dabbling in the sound. Seoul Footwork also bills itself as a live rap night, with artists - and its founder - all jumping on the mic at each event.

“As proof emerges that demand for footwork exists in Korea, we’re seeing a unifying effect,” Delic’marr explains. “If we keep the momentum going, won’t Korea’s footwork scene expand along with it?”.

We chatted to Delic’amarr to find out what inspired the birth of Seoul Footwork, blending 160 with K-pop and Korean rock music, and how the Seoul Footwork crew even gave DJ Spinn his first taste of Korean chicken feet. Check it out below.

How did Seoul Footwork start and who are the brains behind it?

Seoul Footwork started as a movement to introduce Chicago footwork and juke culture to the people here in Seoul. In Korea, footwork as a genre had low recognition and lacked infrastructure, but we believed that if people stepped up to push this music and culture, things could change. Just like how NewJeans in Korea made Jersey club familiar to broader audiences – we wanted to play that role initially.

We’re composed of seven members: Delic’amarr, Destin, Seyn, MSG, ADCH, Yohan Park, and Robin. I’m Delic’amarr, the founder, and I work as both a rapper and DJ. Seyn, MSG, and ADCH are original members from the start – veteran DJs with expertise in jungle and house too. Destin, who also plays hard techno, joined us after becoming friends at private parties for music industry professionals. Thanks to that background, he handles the core of business and planning. Robin, who joined recently, is a photographer from the UK, and Yohan Park is a K-pop composer who has worked with major labels and artists in the Korean music industry – both are DJs and also make music. Everyone takes on their own roles in planning, design, community, video, DJing, and more.

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Do you remember your first party? When was that, and what was it like compared to your events today?

Our first party was on September 27, 2024, at Club Sober, where I was working as director at the time. We’d been preparing since that summer, and it was an opportunity to announce our new collective’s debut to Seoul’s club scene. But not long before the event, we heard that Club Sober was closing down. Damn, it was shocking. Losing the venue that would be our brand’s home was a huge blow, and we could’ve lost our debut opportunity too. So rather than worrying about success, we pushed forward with the party, focused on launching the team smoothly. The scale and the polish of it were modest, but it was meaningful as our first starting point. Now, a year later, everything has changed massively – scale, energy, confidence. What was a small experiment just trying to hold an event has now grown into a proper culture.

Seoul Footwork is billed as “Korea’s first footwork and juke community” – how did you discover and fall in love with the sound?

I worked as an editor for Visla, Korea’s most established subculture magazine. That’s when I discovered footwork and ghetto house, and as I covered them in articles, they naturally became part of my taste. At the same time, I drew a lot of inspiration from the music and philosophy of Teklife, RP Boo, DJ Rashad, and others. It was completely different from the rhythms commonly heard in Korean clubs, and the fast 160 BPM tempo liberated my creative drive as a rapper. Some people were sceptical about whether this genre would suit Korean consumers’ tastes, but we actually put the word ‘footwork’ front and centre as our identity. By openly positioning ourselves as pioneers, hidden footwork fans in Korea started reaching out to us.

Do you encourage footwork dancing at your events?

Of course. Dance is at the core of footwork culture. At Seoul Footwork parties, you can see Delic’amarr, Destin, and MSG gathering people and dancing in circles. The footwork dancing itself is still immature, though. We’re all approaching it with a student’s mindset, learning as we go. Recently, we were lucky enough to be invited to the Creation Japan open circle (ZOOM) and had the opportunity to exchange with dancers from Japan, Singapore, and India. Even though this genre is outside the mainstream, I felt how deeply connected the culture is. I want to reinterpret what we learn through exchanges with people worldwide into something uniquely Korean and plant new cultural seeds.

How would you describe the atmosphere and crowd of a Seoul Footwork party?

The atmosphere at Seoul Footwork parties blends the raw vibe characteristic of underground culture with mainstream accessibility. We don’t insist only on the genre’s authenticity – Teklife classics might play, then suddenly there’s a footwork or juke remix of K-pop or Korean rock band music. Also, we mix hip hop, jungle, breakbeat, hard techno, ghetto tech, etc… As long as the BPM and vibes match, we blend anything – like bibimbap! It’s the result of combining respect for footwork’s authenticity with efforts to reach the public.

When I think about the crowd, it’s hard to describe in just one sentence. It’s diverse – from niche club kids to artists creating their own art, regular audiences just there to enjoy the party, to professional dancers. What’s interesting is that the energy radiating from this variety of people combines with the 160 BPM tempo to create a fresh atmosphere you won’t find anywhere else. It’s always a joy to see audiences who are initially unfamiliar with footwork soon become completely immersed in the atmosphere.

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Where do Seoul Footwork parties take place? Any favourite venues?

Most take place at underground venues in Itaewon, Seoul. From the party-throwing perspective, we prefer spaces that are roomy enough for dancers to move and environments where footwork’s bass and texture come alive. The club we’ve held parties at most frequently is Cakeshop near Noksapyeong Station. It’s one of the most iconic underground venues in Korea’s club scene. In footwork context, it’s the venue where DJ Rashad performed during his lifetime through Red Bull Academy when he came to Korea. It’s literally a place that holds that legacy.

Can you tell us some of your favourite memories from your parties so far?

First, let me touch on Delic’amarr and Destin’s European tour. Thanks to Teklife believing in our potential and pitching for us, we were able to play at Kiosk Radio in Brussels. In Ghent, we even threw a private party on campus with Royal Academy of Fine Arts students we randomly befriended on a bus. In Montpellier, we had opportunities to exchange with local French DJs from Piñata Radio like Pura Pura. It was the turning point where we began full-scale exchanges with overseas DJs, and since it was a first in our lives, we can’t forget those moments.

Second would be the DJ Spinn and Traxman Korea performance party that followed. The Teklife connections formed before and after the European tour eventually led to the honour of sharing the stage with OGs. I vividly remember my heart racing with joy that we’d made the right choice creating Seoul Footwork. Over four days, we held a song camp with them, took them sightseeing around various places, and passed on what makes Korea charming. Thanks to us, DJ Spinn even got to try Korean chicken feet!

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You’ve had a number of Teklife members play at your events so far. How do you go about curating the line-ups?

Overseas DJs usually contact us first. I think they’ve encountered our movement through various channels – SNS activity, Kiosk Radio appearances, and so on. Also, it’s common for them to request a tour in Korea. Japan has a solid foundation for its footwork scene, so overseas artists have clear reasons to visit, but Korea didn’t as much – I’m proud that Seoul Footwork may have created that reason. I definitely want to shout out Cakeshop here, they really supported us behind the scenes. Thank you once again.

For Korean DJs, since there were no cases of branding with footwork front and centre, we initially had to seek them out. Now the situation has changed – not just audiences, but DJs have started approaching us too. There’s a variety of DJs we already knew, DJs who reached out saying: “I actually like footwork too,” DJs who contacted us saying: “I don’t know it well but it looks fun”. I see it as a natural flow, and as proof emerges that demand for footwork exists in Korea, we’re seeing a unifying effect. If we keep the momentum going, won’t Korea’s footwork scene expand along with it?

You also incorporate some live vocals and rap into the sets played at Seoul Footwork parties – tell us about that…

As I mentioned earlier, I started my career as a rapper, so it was natural to approach my voice like an instrument or sample. Moreover, Korea’s music industry is heavily influenced by K-pop and hip hop, so I felt that adding rap to footwork was the most effective way to reach the public.

‘Calamaris Play’, my collaboration with Dutch footwork DJ Frenquency, came from the same context. That track, which gave me my identity as a footwork rapper, samples a Korean children’s song from ‘Squid Game’. Reflecting the global trend of K-dramas, I wanted to approach overseas listeners more impressively. Incorporating Korean identity while communicating with more people – this approach of blending live vocals and rap into sets also aligns with Seoul Footwork’s values.

What’s next for Seoul Footwork?

Currently, we’re focusing on international collaborations and workshops, and on making footwork take deeper root in Korea. Beyond that, various plans are underway – Delic’amarr’s singles and first full-length album, Robin and Yohan Park’s solo albums, a Seoul Footwork compilation album featuring global artists, footwork exchanges connecting Asia-America-Europe, and expanding our brand into more diverse genres.

We also have a clear long-term vision. Someday, we want to hold Korea’s first footwork festival. To move toward that goal, we want to establish a footwork sound that fully embodies Korean sensibility and identity. We aim to foster growth in the footwork dance scene through short-form platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Furthermore, by strengthening network-building with countries around the world, we hope Korea will establish itself as the hub representing Asia’s footwork scene.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter