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FEATURES: INSTALLATION

Korea’s Clubland Seoul’s nightclub scene continues to thrive with DJs opening super-clubs and smaller venues alike. Barney Jameson visits the boldest of them all, Octagon

FEW TERRITORIES IN ASIA CAN ripped out and replaced with a huge compete with the passion that is central -Áoor ringed by multiple currently fuelling the rise of South bars and VIP areas, private rooms Korea’s nightclub industry. Not so and even a swimming pool. All of long ago, after-hours this is served by a state-of-the-art in Seoul was much the same as it audio, video and installation. had been for years – bars and small It combines to make a venue that clubs could be found throughout the could distinguish itself in any city in city alongside places to sing karaoke the world. ‘Sound is like and rooms to drink whisky. Now, Yet perhaps the most remarkable life to me and everything is changing. thing about the November 2011 As visitors enter Octagon, they are told that ‘anything can happen here’ DJs with a devotion to dance opening of Octagon was that it it was maybe in all of its forms are asserting followed so close behind the launch themselves, new world-standard of another Seoul super-, Ellui. 90 per cent faces in Seoul and beyond. venues, large and small, are opening, Last year, Pro Audio Asia described More importantly, they are utterly and the youths of the city are eager that venue as ‘Korea’s King of Clubs’, of the design devoted to bringing the music they to spend their nights and their money and for months that it is precisely play to as wide an audience as in the company of some of the best what it was. The result of one man’s process’ possible, with the best audio system visiting artists the world has to offer. vision and commitment, Ellui was available. Perhaps not surprisingly, Not for nothing are club owners unlike any venue before seen in the the system the pair has chosen is beginning to talk in terms of leading city, and its mighty Funktion One coloured purple. all of Asia – the era of the Korean audio install set a precedent that ‘From the beginning I wanted to use super-club is arriving, and one name many have since sought to follow. a Funktion One system,’ enthuses is leading its charge: Octagon. Octagon has now arguably taken Minhoo Lee. ‘There were several Indeed, Octagon – named for its crown, but the two venues share clubs in Seoul before Octagon that the octagonal theme that runs much in common, not least the used Funktion One, such as Club throughout the venue – is perhaps passion of the people who created Volume and Club Ellui, and the sound the most symbolic example yet of them. In the case of Octagon, that was fantastic compared to the other the old guard changing for the new. honour belongs to vice president clubs. I kept suggesting Funktion One The nightclub is located beneath the Byoung-Jun Yoo (better known as to the club owners that I worked for Hilltop Hotel, in the Nonhyeon-dong DJ BeeJay) and executive director in the past but they always said no, ward of Gangnam-gu, occupying a Minhoo Lee (DJ Mindbender). When it was too expensive. They thought vast that was once Àlled with on stage and producing music, the that different loudspeakers sounded a maze of traditional karaoke rooms. two are collectively known as Shut the same, they couldn’t tell the But now the old rooms have been Da Mouth, and they are both famous The entrance to the private rooms difference. But you can feel it in your

92 PRO AUDIO ASIA July–August 2012 FEATURES: INSTALLATION

body and in your ears. Now, everyone ‘Then I found this place. While I was ready for it. is talking about the sound system at looking for a location for a really good ‘After we decided to create the Octagon.’ club, I found this hotel.’ club, the first people we contacted Byoung-Jun Yoo agrees: ‘About Along with it the partners found were Soundus,’ remembers Mr Yoo. seven or eight years ago I heard Octagon CEO Hun Choi, the man ‘Because I am a DJ, sound is like Funktion One for the first time and who ultimately gave the DJs the life to me and it was maybe 90 per I was very impressed by it,’ he opportunity to create their perfect cent of the design process. One of explains. ‘Even though the sound is venue. On the night that Pro Audio the important things was that the very powerful, it’s very clean.’ Asia visits Octagon, Mr Choi is noise and vibration from the club In recent years, perhaps no other present, watching DJ BeeJay deliver Funktion One dance stacks are The view from the main had to be at an acceptable level to loudspeaker brand has captured a set. The CEO is evidently proud of positioned at each four corners of DJ position the hotel above, so we poured a lot the main dance floor the loyalty and imagination of the what has been achieved, and rightly of budget into ensuring that it was fraternity to the extent correct. Also with the acoustics, of Funktion One. The small British there were some spots where there company founded by Tony Andrews were a lot of reflections, so Soundus has become famous, not just in the suggested that we should put in way that other brands are respected some absorbent materials.’ and admired within the industry, but Working on the Octagon project in the same manner that Marshall for Soundus was sales manager Amplification inspired a generation Horang Baek, and he invested so of rock bands, and the Fender much of himself in the creation of Stratocaster became more than just the club that he now beams with A mixture of audio, video and another electric guitar. lighting creates a special pride when speaking of how closely As a result, purple loudspeakers atmosphere within the nightclub he worked with the DJs to perfect it. are beginning to dominate nightclubs ‘Even though Soundus always has throughout the world, and Seoul the ambition to make a very good is no exception. But while DJs are club with a Funktion One system, devoted to the brand, club owners it’s not easy if the owner of the club can sometimes take a little more thinks differently,’ he reasons. ‘But persuasion. For DJ BeeJay and DJ for Octagon, Mr Yoo, Mr Lee, Mr Choi Mindbender, the road to creating the and Soundus were all of the same nightclub they had always dreamed A DiGiCo SD8 is positioned to the side of the main stage mind. We all agreed with each other of was long and challenging. and that made this club possible. ‘We’ve been doing this business so. The two DJs speak of him with They accepted our advice and for a long time,’ explains Mr Lee. ‘My deep respect, talking of his belief assistance.’ partner has been DJing for 17 years. in their commitment to sound. ‘We Nor was Mr Baek the only individual For me it’s almost 10 years. We used decided to invest a lot more on the who applied his expertise to the to work for other clubs but we were sound system compared to our project’s realisation. The completed just DJs. We came out with the idea competitors,’ enthuses Mr Lee. ‘Now Octagon experience incorporates the that if we presented quality sound people have started to realise what a talents of the main system designer and a quality lighting system then we good sound system really is.’ and Soundus general manager could bring in Korea to the Crucially, the first step in creating Kyoungmo Kang; assistant designer next level.’ that sound system was for the Ansung Jung; Soundus technical ‘I have worked in small clubs and Octagon team to contact Seoul-based support deputy manager Eunjung big clubs but I have always had Funktion One distributor Soundus, Sim, who tuned the system; Masaki an aspiration to use really good not just to find the ideal loudspeaker Azuma of Funktion One Japan, equipmentSS-201206-ProAudio in a really good Asia place, 3rd a horiz_Layout solution but1 6/20/12 to ensure 4:47 that PMthe Page 1 The famous Octagon who provided the electrical wiring really good venue,’ insists Mr Yoo. acoustics within the new club were swimming pool design; Jikyoung Kim of Tunework,

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July–August 2012 PRO AUDIO ASIA 93

PAA093 khl.indd Pg92-95 1Octogan Club.indd 93 19/06/20126/23/12 3:36 09:55 PM FEATURES: INSTALLATION

beneath an enormous, spectacular video wall. Even this can be folded back to the sides, revealing a second, upper-stage upon which dancers VRPHWLPHVSHUIRUPZLWKÀYH.$UUD\ .)VSURYLGLQJPRQLWRULQJ The DJs themselves, meanwhile, are hardly lacking for power as they perform, with the combination of VIP seating on the balcony 5HVROXWLRQHQFORVXUHVDQG) positioned to their left DQGULJKWIRUPRQLWRULQJ)LQDOO\ a DiGiCo SD8 digital console has been installed to the side of the DJ platform, while power for the loudspeaker system is delivered from an imposing rack room in which 53 MCDPSOLÀHUVKDYHEHHQLQVWDOOHG comprising a mixture of E15, E45 and E90 units. ‘We have set a new standard – this has never happened before in Korea,’ enthuses Mr Lee as he Custom lighting fixtures in the Single Lounge UHÁHFWVRQWKHFRPSOHWHGYHQXH Each private room boasts its own Beyond the artist’s room in which who worked on room acoustics; and GLVWULEXWHGV\VWHPPL[LQJ)XQNWLRQ iPod dock with Symetrix DSP he is speaking to Pro Audio Asia, the lighting designer James Powderly. One RM18 full-range loudspeakers QLJKWFOXELVVWHDGLO\EHJLQQLQJWRÀOO ‘There was a close partnership with K-Array enclosures for additional their own choice of music via a Teac DVWKH)XQNWLRQ2QH'DQFH6WDFNV between the interior designer, ÀOO$WRWDORIHLJKW50FDELQHWV iPod dock and Symetrix 8x8 DSP lure Seoul’s clubbers onto the dance Urbantainer, and Masaki Azuma and are ceiling mounted throughout controlled by ARC-K1 wall panels. A ÁRRUIRUDQRWKHUEXV\QLJKW Jikyoung Kim,’ explains Soundus’ the space, each covering its own seventh VIP lounge has also been ‘We just wanted to contribute to the Chanwoo Kang. ‘This level of team zone, while the area is pushed constructed in the Single Lounge – next level of work was possible because Octagon harder with the combination of an the most expensive room in the club. in Korea,’ he adds, before Mr Yoo had a lot of trust in our work, which 50DQGDQ)0NVXEZRRIHU VIP guests wanting to visit the concludes: ‘Opening a club is just the made for a smooth relationship.’ Mr )ROORZLQJWKHDUHDDURXQGWRWKHIDU PDLQGDQFHÁRRUDUHDFDQGRVR start – we have to maintain what we Baek adds that because of this ‘it right hand side of the club reveals an YLDDQHVSHFLDOO\ÀWWHGHOHYDWRUWKDW have created and we still have a lot to ZLOOEHYHU\GLIÀFXOWWRFUHDWHDQRWKHU additional K-Array KR400S. carries customers into the midst of do. We are busy with our dream.’ club like Octagon.’ the downstairs bar. Awaiting them That much is clear as soon as DUHHLJKWGLVWULEXWHG)XQNWLRQ2QH www.funktion-one.com a visitor enters the venue. The Resolution 1.5TT delays plus four www.mc2-audio.co.uk entrance is located to the side of )VÀULQJDFURVVWKHEDUDOOPHUHO\ www.soundus.co.kr the Hilltop Hotel’s foyer, beyond acting in support of the system that which a short corridor leads to a all of Seoul’s clubbers are talking reception area where a wall has been DERXW²IRXU)XQNWLRQ2QH'6 spray-painted with the declaration Dance Stacks positioned at each ‘anything can happen here’. Beyond FRUQHURIWKHVTXDUHGDQFHÁRRU is a choice of a large staircase Each stack is as powerful as it is leading down to the main dance imposing, comprising two stacked ÁRRUDUHDDULJKWWXUQLQWRWKHXSSHU )VXEVPRXQWHGZLWKWZR balcony VIP space, or a left turn into DS15 horns and topped with a separate bar and food area named DVLQJOH'6PLGKLJKHQFORVXUH the Single Lounge, which serves as The design is, says Minhoo Lee, DVHFRQGDU\UHVWUDLQHGGDQFHÁRRU ‘everything I wanted it to be. I love the The décor inside has been designed Inside the rack room sound and how easy it is to maintain with multicoloured octagonal lighting the system – everything.’ À[WXUHVFUHDWHGE\-DPHV3RZGHUO\ The augmentation of the RM18 7RWKHVLGHRIWKHGDQFHÁRRU which complement the futurist white system is, explains Mr Kang, a result is the notorious swimming pool, furniture. of the sheer power being delivered where bikini-clad dancers provide Looming over the space is a large RQWRWKHGDQFHÁRRUEHORZ¶2QWKH something of a distraction. But it is '-SRVLWLRQÁDQNHGE\WZR)XQNWLRQ PDLQÁRRUWKH\KDYHDELJV\VWHPDQG hard to imagine how the attention Two Resolution 3 enclosures are One Resolution 1.5 enclosures the low-end is very loud,’ he reasons. of clubbers could be torn away from positioned to the left and right of per side, mounted on a stack of ‘When we originally installed the the huge stage where DJs perform the DJ for monitoring WKUHH)VXEZRRIHUVSHUVLGH system we only had the RM18s up on Monitoring within the DJ booth the balcony and people believed that is taken care of with two RM18 the bass was lacking in comparison speakers. Providing power is a to below. Actually the RM18 cabinets of MCDPSOLÀFDWLRQFRPSULVLQJ are more than enough but we added three E15 amps, three E45s and two more subwoofers to create more E90s. Two XO-4A processors provide energy up here.’ loudspeaker management, whilst While the VIP balcony offers a DiGiCo SD11 console is carefully stunning views over the club, an hidden behind the booth, perched extra degree of privacy is available atop the rack. to those who can afford it with the Turning right into the VIP area, offer of six private rooms, arrayed meanwhile, reveals a large balcony along the venue’s right hand side. served by its own bar and overlooking (DFKLVHTXLSSHGZLWKDSDLURI) WKHPDLQGDQFHÁRRU7KHDUHDUXQV enclosures powered by MC T1000 around the left side of the club with DPSOLÀHUVDQGSDWURQVFDQFKRRVHWR A packed Friday night dance floor seating areas, all served by a delayed either listen to the performing DJs or

94 PRO AUDIO ASIA -XO\²$XJXVW