Dongyang Gozupa

Yanggeum actually translates as "string instrument from the west", but the instrument originated in Persia. Over time, it was adapted and modified in several ways, and was introduced to Korea by way of China before being dubbed yanggeum. Along with the saenghwang (a freereed mouth organ with 17 bamboo pipes), it is one of the few traditional instruments that can play the scales and harmony used in Western music.

Yun Eun-hwa, who heads the Korean chapter of the Cimbalom World Association (the Cimbalom being very similar to the yanggeum), had her instrument custom made. The traditional yanggeum is smaller than hers, and produces only a narrow range of notes, which makes it unsuitable for playing diverse genres. Her own yanggeum has a much wider range, covering four and a half octaves, and is capable of producing the chromatic scale in a similar way to Western musical instruments, enabling it to play just about any genre of music. She also added a pickup to amplify the sound, as well as effects pedals to expand the expressive range, and she now has a patent for the instrument.

Yun began studying music at the age of four in China, and started learning the yanggeum at the age of seven, before majoring in percussion at college in Korea. In 2021 she received the Soorim New Wave Award given by the Soorim Cultural Foundation. This prestigious award is presented each year to just one young traditional musician or team specializing in experimental styles. 

Jang Do-hyuk, meanwhile, is a unique percussionist. He doesn’t play a foot-operated kick bass drum, but instead of playing with both hands and feet, he has created a signature style using hands alone to express the entire spectrum of percussion sounds, from low to high pitch. 

Ham Min-whi’s style of bass playing has been compared to that characterised by the American nu metal band Korn, or the punk rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.