Live at Band On The Wall in Manchester: Leenalchi

At the center of Leenalchi’s sound is composer and producer Jang Young Gyu, whose genre-defying approach has helped shape Korea’s contemporary indie scene. Backed by a dynamic rhythm section and four powerhouse vocalists, the group builds each track from the ground up, starting with groove, then weaving in fragments of traditional pansori narratives. The result is something like a psychedelic folk opera set to funk: theatrical, unpredictable, and deeply immersive.

Live, Leenalchi are captivating. Their performances channel the raw, physical energy of pansori training, where singers learn to mimic the sounds of nature, from rushing water to whispered wind, into a tightly controlled yet explosive stage presence. Whether you understand the words or not, the effect is the same: a kind of musical storytelling that transcends language entirely.