이날치 (Leenalchi) at the Asian Pop Festival 2026

I am a big fan of gukak fusion. I think what I like most about 이날치’s particular flavor is that they are a chorus of pansori singers backed by drums and two bass guitars. I think this kind of works well with the vocal range of the singers—it gives them lots of space in the mix. I always liked this about their recorded songs, and I was happy to see how it makes for a great live performance too.

They have a level of intensity and even darkness that contrasts them with other gukak fusion bands like Chudahye Chagis. You might even describe them as being “heavier” to some degree. They are somewhat well known for their music videos that feature some really interesting dancing, but that was not really a part of their live performance (I think the dancers in the videos are part of a separate dancing troupe). Even so, they put on a pretty captivating show. It is hard to not get entranced by their style of singing, especially when there are so many of them.

Some time after the show we ran into a couple of the members, and even took some photos with them. By then we had worked up a pretty good buzz, so I’m sure that we came off as pretty goofy. But hey, what else is new…