Rise of Tecktonik
Published on | Source
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
A Korean culture scene is known for its rapid changes in style and trend, not to mention the impact it brings to society as a whole. While some simply come and go, others expand to others aspects such as fashion, entertainment and commercials.
Despite other events including the Olympics, the summer of 2008 has been soaked with "Tecktonik", a groovy dance form that has swept European dance clubs for the past couple of years.
"Tecktonik is a dance, not a fashion or music style. It has been popular in Europe and finally hit Korea last year", singer and DJ Koo (Jun-yup) told The Korea Times. The former member of now disbanded duo Clon, Koo has been spreading Tecktonik here for the past year, with DJ mixes, songs and dance moves.
Although the term Tecktonik is frequently used, few may know that it is actually a trademarked brand registered by Cyril Blanc, the artistic director of the popular club Metropolis in France, and his business partner Alexandre Barouzdin. It is the first dance to be protected by copyright registration.
Thanks to popular Web sites such as YouTube, which currently carries more than 48,000 videos related to Tecktonik, its popularity quickly expanded worldwide.
"I remember the dance becoming popular around the Hongik University a few years ago. There was Tecktonik and shuffle dance. Tecktonik didn't have a name back then, while shuffle dancing was a kind of dance that used the lower body, particularly the feet", DJ Kazaebal, a well-known DJ whose work focuses on electronic and techno, told The Korea Times.
Koo, an ardent dance lover, "discovered" it through the Internet.
"I found a video called Korea's `Tell me' (the popular song and dance by girl group Wonder Girls) and France's `Tecktonik' almost a year ago. Being interested in dance, I watched it and was amazed. Wanting to bring the trend here I started to search for other Tecktonik videos", Koo said.
From there, the 38-year-old DJ started to master the dance, and it didn't take long for him to realize that this was going to be big.
The trend people see here in Korea is not much different from the styles in Europe, or any other country: fast and powerful upper body dance moves, high top sneakers shouting out bright colors, fluorescent T-shirts and tight-fitting pants.
"The important thing about Tecktonik is that it can be improvised. Learn the basic steps and you can change and develop it any way you would like. Other dances require continuous practice and memorizing, but Tecktonik is different. It's like starting an engine: after the basic steps are done, you can go anywhere with it", said Koo.
DJ Gazaebal offered a more practical reason for the ongoing popularity of the dance.
"If you think about it, the reason is simple. Dancing all night at clubs can be exhausting and this form of dance was more simple than using your whole body. It's easier to enjoy", he said.
"Who first brought it here, nobody will know for sure. It started at clubs, and was recognized and picked up by entertainment agencies, singers and other trendsetters. Now, it has become an overall trend for almost everything", he added.
Tecktonik Fashion
Tecktonik has reached clothing and footwear shelves, sunglasses and even hairstyles. Narrowed down to "futuristic", "retro" and "colorful", many trendy fashion businesses have brought these three concepts into their products, reaching out to Tecktonik fans.
International sports brand Reebok saw an improvement in sales of their retro "High Top Shoes" by using Tecktonik as a marketing strategy, with a little help from French singer Yelle. The singer appeared in the trendy shoes, complete with fluorescent leggings, in her music video and became a big hit, eventually leading to the popularity of her fashion style as well as music.
Following the retro phase, many Korean celebrities and students have been seen in these high top shoes _ some simply white and others bright pink, yellow or even lime.
"After we carried out our marketing including the Tecktonik trend, we saw a great increase in our colorful high top shoes sales", Lee Na-young from Reebok's marketing team said.
Korean cosmetic company Etude also blended Tecktonik to their make-up and commercials, with popular stars Ara (Go Ara) and Jang Keun-suk showing off their dance moves.
"We decided to use Tecktonik in our commercials in May. We knew it was a huge trend in Europe and it was perfect for our new cosmetic line, which carries vivid and glittery colors. After the commercial, we have been receiving calls for information about the products", Ha In-hye from Etude's marketing team told The Korea Times.
Tecktonik Music
When it comes to music, the Tecktonik dance makes the rules. Because the dance is easy to follow, the music also tends to carry a lighter and easier beat. Until now, electro house was known to be the best when dancing Tecktonik, with its easy-to-follow beats and powerful, groovy tunes.
"Electro house is considered the best. It's perfect to dance to because it has a BPM (beats per minute) of 125 to 130, not that fast but not too slow either. It's groovy, stylish and works well with the dance", Koo explained.
Other Korean artists offer their music fit for Tecktonik, including Chun-ja and Hwang Bo.
Chun-ja was one of the first singers to recognize Tecktonik along with Koo, and the 31-year-old singer recently released her new album "Booming" based on the popular trend.
Hwang Bo, a former member of girl group Chakra, also jumped into the Tecktonik scene with her new solo album "Gift For Him". With the help of DJ Koo, she mastered Tecktonik and became one of the "Tecktonik queens".
Also tune in to DJ Koo's new single "I'm DJ Koo", where he offers the basic beats of Tecktonik.
Future of Tecktonik
Unlike many trends that easily fade out after several months, Tecktonik is still enjoying popularity among young fans. Why is Tecktonik different from others?
"One important contributor, of course, was the Internet, with numerous UCCs (User Created Content) and videos", Park Ki-soo, a digital culture and contents professor of Hanyang University told The Korea Times.
"For a trend to become popular these days, there are two important factors. It must be easy to encounter and participate in, and people should have the chance to create their own versions, giving them the space to express themselves. Tecktonik, in this case, includes both. People can easily participate by simply watching video clips on the Internet, and they can also create new moves without the help of a professional dancer", the professor added.
Meanwhile, DJ Koo said he himself had a long way to go.
"I want to share Tecktonik with everybody so I started to upload videos of me dancing it on my Web page. The Internet was a door that introduced me to Tecktonik and now I'm sharing my moves with fans. I'm also planning to visit France and share ideas with the locals there", Koo said.
The singer also added that he wanted to hold a Tecktonik championship like France, where Tecktonik fans already hold parades and dance competitions.
The rise of Tecktonik is ongoing, and with the possibility to build new styles on the grounds of a rather sturdy dance, fans say there are no limits.
"I've been studying dance all my life and I think Tecktonik is really well made. You don't have to be a professional dancer, and it's important for a dance to enable people to actually enjoy it with no boundaries. That's what makes Tecktonik so special", Koo said.
Staff Reporter
A Korean culture scene is known for its rapid changes in style and trend, not to mention the impact it brings to society as a whole. While some simply come and go, others expand to others aspects such as fashion, entertainment and commercials.
Despite other events including the Olympics, the summer of 2008 has been soaked with "Tecktonik", a groovy dance form that has swept European dance clubs for the past couple of years.
"Tecktonik is a dance, not a fashion or music style. It has been popular in Europe and finally hit Korea last year", singer and DJ Koo (Jun-yup) told The Korea Times. The former member of now disbanded duo Clon, Koo has been spreading Tecktonik here for the past year, with DJ mixes, songs and dance moves.
Although the term Tecktonik is frequently used, few may know that it is actually a trademarked brand registered by Cyril Blanc, the artistic director of the popular club Metropolis in France, and his business partner Alexandre Barouzdin. It is the first dance to be protected by copyright registration.
Thanks to popular Web sites such as YouTube, which currently carries more than 48,000 videos related to Tecktonik, its popularity quickly expanded worldwide.
"I remember the dance becoming popular around the Hongik University a few years ago. There was Tecktonik and shuffle dance. Tecktonik didn't have a name back then, while shuffle dancing was a kind of dance that used the lower body, particularly the feet", DJ Kazaebal, a well-known DJ whose work focuses on electronic and techno, told The Korea Times.
Koo, an ardent dance lover, "discovered" it through the Internet.
"I found a video called Korea's `Tell me' (the popular song and dance by girl group Wonder Girls) and France's `Tecktonik' almost a year ago. Being interested in dance, I watched it and was amazed. Wanting to bring the trend here I started to search for other Tecktonik videos", Koo said.
From there, the 38-year-old DJ started to master the dance, and it didn't take long for him to realize that this was going to be big.
The trend people see here in Korea is not much different from the styles in Europe, or any other country: fast and powerful upper body dance moves, high top sneakers shouting out bright colors, fluorescent T-shirts and tight-fitting pants.
"The important thing about Tecktonik is that it can be improvised. Learn the basic steps and you can change and develop it any way you would like. Other dances require continuous practice and memorizing, but Tecktonik is different. It's like starting an engine: after the basic steps are done, you can go anywhere with it", said Koo.
DJ Gazaebal offered a more practical reason for the ongoing popularity of the dance.
"If you think about it, the reason is simple. Dancing all night at clubs can be exhausting and this form of dance was more simple than using your whole body. It's easier to enjoy", he said.
"Who first brought it here, nobody will know for sure. It started at clubs, and was recognized and picked up by entertainment agencies, singers and other trendsetters. Now, it has become an overall trend for almost everything", he added.
Tecktonik Fashion
Tecktonik has reached clothing and footwear shelves, sunglasses and even hairstyles. Narrowed down to "futuristic", "retro" and "colorful", many trendy fashion businesses have brought these three concepts into their products, reaching out to Tecktonik fans.
International sports brand Reebok saw an improvement in sales of their retro "High Top Shoes" by using Tecktonik as a marketing strategy, with a little help from French singer Yelle. The singer appeared in the trendy shoes, complete with fluorescent leggings, in her music video and became a big hit, eventually leading to the popularity of her fashion style as well as music.
Following the retro phase, many Korean celebrities and students have been seen in these high top shoes _ some simply white and others bright pink, yellow or even lime.
"After we carried out our marketing including the Tecktonik trend, we saw a great increase in our colorful high top shoes sales", Lee Na-young from Reebok's marketing team said.
Korean cosmetic company Etude also blended Tecktonik to their make-up and commercials, with popular stars Ara (Go Ara) and Jang Keun-suk showing off their dance moves.
"We decided to use Tecktonik in our commercials in May. We knew it was a huge trend in Europe and it was perfect for our new cosmetic line, which carries vivid and glittery colors. After the commercial, we have been receiving calls for information about the products", Ha In-hye from Etude's marketing team told The Korea Times.
Tecktonik Music
When it comes to music, the Tecktonik dance makes the rules. Because the dance is easy to follow, the music also tends to carry a lighter and easier beat. Until now, electro house was known to be the best when dancing Tecktonik, with its easy-to-follow beats and powerful, groovy tunes.
"Electro house is considered the best. It's perfect to dance to because it has a BPM (beats per minute) of 125 to 130, not that fast but not too slow either. It's groovy, stylish and works well with the dance", Koo explained.
Other Korean artists offer their music fit for Tecktonik, including Chun-ja and Hwang Bo.
Chun-ja was one of the first singers to recognize Tecktonik along with Koo, and the 31-year-old singer recently released her new album "Booming" based on the popular trend.
Hwang Bo, a former member of girl group Chakra, also jumped into the Tecktonik scene with her new solo album "Gift For Him". With the help of DJ Koo, she mastered Tecktonik and became one of the "Tecktonik queens".
Also tune in to DJ Koo's new single "I'm DJ Koo", where he offers the basic beats of Tecktonik.
Future of Tecktonik
Unlike many trends that easily fade out after several months, Tecktonik is still enjoying popularity among young fans. Why is Tecktonik different from others?
"One important contributor, of course, was the Internet, with numerous UCCs (User Created Content) and videos", Park Ki-soo, a digital culture and contents professor of Hanyang University told The Korea Times.
"For a trend to become popular these days, there are two important factors. It must be easy to encounter and participate in, and people should have the chance to create their own versions, giving them the space to express themselves. Tecktonik, in this case, includes both. People can easily participate by simply watching video clips on the Internet, and they can also create new moves without the help of a professional dancer", the professor added.
Meanwhile, DJ Koo said he himself had a long way to go.
"I want to share Tecktonik with everybody so I started to upload videos of me dancing it on my Web page. The Internet was a door that introduced me to Tecktonik and now I'm sharing my moves with fans. I'm also planning to visit France and share ideas with the locals there", Koo said.
The singer also added that he wanted to hold a Tecktonik championship like France, where Tecktonik fans already hold parades and dance competitions.
The rise of Tecktonik is ongoing, and with the possibility to build new styles on the grounds of a rather sturdy dance, fans say there are no limits.
"I've been studying dance all my life and I think Tecktonik is really well made. You don't have to be a professional dancer, and it's important for a dance to enable people to actually enjoy it with no boundaries. That's what makes Tecktonik so special", Koo said.
Advertisement