Rap, dance, and mythical dragon kings! The alternative K-pop group Leenalchi breathes new life into the ancient Korean singing tradition Pansori – presented in a candy-striped new wave universe à la Devo and B-52’s. The seven-member group charmed the audience at this year’s Roskilde Festival, and in October you can get a new perspective of K-pop when Leenalchi hits ALICE.

Leenalchi is an alternative K-pop group that takes on the challenge of reinterpreting the ancient Korean tale, Sugungga, with great success. The group has earned three statuettes at the Korean Music Awards, and a live performance of their debut “Suggunga” on YouTube has gone viral, amassing over 6 million views.

The story unfolds in a mythical land populated by a dragon king, a softshell turtle, and a wily rabbit. The whimsical fantasy universe blends perfectly with the bubbly synths and funky rhythms inspired by plastic-fantastic 80s groups like Devo and The B52’s.

With a lineup of seven members, Leenalchi boasts four vocalists who showcase both traditional Korean singing and airy K-pop vocals. Live, Leenalchi offers a complete musical storytelling experience, combining rap, dance, choral arrangements, and solo singing, blending historical awareness with an irresistibly playful and comic-like lightheartedness.

K-pop has been gaining an increasingly larger audience in Europe and the USA, and beyond the charts, there are numerous exciting experiments that explore both the past and the future. Leenalchi is one of the more charming examples, and we look forward to presenting them at ALICE.