Dengue Fever vs Goonam | Ganadaramaba

Like many of life’s best moments, this one was totally random.  In January 2014, Dengue Fever started receiving emails about a song of theirs that was breaking in Korea.  “Integratron,” off of their 2008 release Venus on Earth, had been picked up by SNL Korea and was being used in a recurring sketch parodying a popular video game.  The sketch was a hit, and the song started to receive some notoriety.  A few months later, Dengue Fever was contacted by Koki Yahata, who worked with Sungbae Lee at Cavare Sound to procure a grant from the Korean Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) for a cultural exchange between Korean and foreign musicians.

A plan was set in motion to bring psychedelic Korean indie rockers Goonam together with Dengue Fever for some international shows and a cross-cultural music collaboration.  Goonam traveled to the United States for a week in September and played with Dengue Fever at the Federal Bar Underground in Long Beach and The Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix.  Following the shows, both bands moved into Manny’s Estudio in Los Angeles for a three day recording session.  The idea was not to cover each other’s songs, but to collaborate and mix ideas on each song.  Goonam had rewritten a blusey, rocking version of “Integratron” and translated the lyrics into Korean, and Dengue Fever worked on translating and updating the Shin Joong-hyun classic “Ganadaramaba”.  Nimol took lead vocals on that song, while Joh took lead on “Integratron.”  The collaboration was so smooth that there was studio time left over to record a short third track, “Going South.”

After the recording session, the collaboration came full circle as Goonam hosted Dengue Fever in November, with more shows in Seoul and Tokyo.  The bands were able to perform their collaborations live on stage and fully realize the intentions behind their collaboration.  Now, finally, we are releasing something as unique and special as our experience.  This 7″ release is more than just an album, it is a tangible momento of the creativity and love that existed in specific place at a specific time, that we can now share with you.  We hope you enjoy.

xoxo,
Goonam X Dengue Fever

DENGUE FEVER

USA/Cambodia

DENGUE FEVER is known for their unique hybrid of Cambodian rock, Afro grooves, surf & garage psychedelia.  Their latest full length, The Deepest Lake, released on the band’s own TUK TUK Records, debuted at #1 on the Billboard World Music charts.

GOONAM

Korea

Goonam, short for Goonamguayeoridingstella, is a quirky indie rock band whose name is supposed to mean something along the lines of “old man and woman riding a stellar car.” The band is known for their unique blend of retro-electro rock that crosses musical genres.

“Ganadaramaba” Official Music Video

“Integratron” live at Sangsangmadang Concert Hall, Seoul, 11/23/14

“Ganadaramaba” live at Sangsangmadang Concert Hall, Seoul, 11/23/14

Dengue Fever visits Seoul & Tokyo