After earning critical acclaim with two wins for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the KMA (Korean Music Awards), Glen Check, Korea’s genre-defying alternative electro band, continues to make waves both locally and abroad. Fusing modern French synth-pop with the iconic sounds of Daft Punk and Justice, alongside a dash of UK alternative rock, their music pulses with an electrifying blend of nostalgia, freshness, and raw energy.
Known for their past performances at SUMMER SONIC and sold-out shows in Tokyo, the band’s international reach hit new heights this year with two tracks—“Dazed & Confused” and “4ever”—featured on Netflix’s Boyfriend, sparking a fresh wave of listeners.
Now, as their latest album Bleach drops in Japan as part of the “K-ALT” series, Glen Check is returning to the stage for the first time in nine years with a new tour slated for January 2025. We caught up with them to explore their musical evolution and the journey behind Bleach in this exclusive interview.
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Childhood Exposure to Alternative Music from Western Countries
Glen Check was originally formed by June One (Vo/Gt) and Hyuky (Ba/Key) for a long time, but in 2023, Zayvo (Gt/Key) joined the band. How did the three of you come together?
Zayvo: It was probably during our 2017 performance at Itaewon Soap (a popular club in Seoul), when I first properly saw a Glen Check live show.
June One: That could be it. Originally, Zayvo was just a friend we would drink with. Over time, we started hanging out every day, and around that time, Glen Check as a duo was starting to feel a bit dull. We wanted to make the live shows more powerful, and it just naturally worked out that he joined us.
Zayvo: I was just a roadie [laughs].
You play guitar and keyboards, you’re an essential part of the band!
Zayvo: I was just joking [laughs]. I was originally working as a producer, but June One reached out to me saying, “Could you help us out?” and I joined as a session member.
Zayvo is also really active with Glen Check’s social media, and the Vlogs is such a good content.
June One: Yeah, Hyuky and I are terrible with social media… [laughs].
Zayvo: I’m not exactly a pro at it, but I’m trying my best [laughs].
June One and Hyuky, both of you are from Busan. Did you meet during your school years?
June One: Yes, we met in high school.
Hyuky: June One is a year ahead of me, but we were in the school band club together and played in a student band. We shared similar tastes in music and had a great time, but at the time, we never thought, “Let’s make it big with this band!”
Formed around June One (Vocals/Guitar) and Hyuky (Bass/Key), Glen Check debuted in 2011 with the EP Disco Elevator. They won the Best Dance/Electronic Music Award at the Korean Music Awards for two consecutive years with their 2012 release Haute Couture and their 2013 release YOUTH!. Known as a regular band at major rock festivals in South Korea, they also performed at SUMMER SONIC in 2012 and 2013, as well as festivals in the United States, France, Germany, and Hong Kong. In 2023, Zayvo (Guitar/Key) officially joined the band, and they now perform in two formats: the “Band Live Set” with drums and the “Electronic Live System” for electronic sets.
What kind of music did you both get into?
June One: I’m the type to listen to a wide variety of music rather than sticking to one particular genre. Initially, our style had a synth-pop vibe, but that was because I was listening to a lot of synth-pop at the time—bands like Duran Duran, New Order, Daft Punk, and Shinichi Osawa. I also listened to a lot of Japanese music. And 1980s Italo disco as well.
Hyuky: I also listened to bands like Duran Duran, A Flock of Seagulls, and Pink Floyd, just like June One. There are phases where you get really into certain albums, but then, if you ask if I still listen to them now, it’s not necessarily the case. It’s all about timing.
What was the initial trigger that got you into such diverse music? For example, did your father listen to music that influenced you?
June One: It was definitely my father’s influence. When I was young, I lived in Japan, France, and the U.S., and we would always listen to music in the car while my father drove. I think I relied on music a lot during that time, especially when I would reflect on the fact that I was living abroad as a foreigner. Duran Duran was also one of my father’s favorite bands.
Zayvo: For me, it was when a friend asked me to start a band in middle school. That’s how I got into music and picked up my first instrument, which was the piano.
Hyuky: I lived in the U.S. during middle school, and I was part of the school orchestra. The tenor saxophone was the first instrument I ever played, and that’s when I really started digging into and listening to more music.
How did Glen Check come to be formed from there?
Hyuky: After graduating from high school, I moved to Seoul, but I was kind of bored (laughs). I started hanging out a lot at June One’s place, where he already lived, and we would make music together.
June One: To backtrack a little, when I was in middle school, I became interested in MIDI equipment and modified a discarded computer myself. Recording became my hobby with that setup, and when I moved to Seoul at 20, I felt like I wanted to try it again. Reflecting on the past, I wasn’t really sure if what we were doing was music, but we just wanted to create what we enjoyed listening to. That’s how the first demo track of Glen Check came to be.
We uploaded that demo to a community site where home-recording artists shared their works. One day, out of the blue, we got a call from a label through that community. We had never performed live, and our only experience with bands was from our school club days, so we were like, “What do we do now!?” [laughs]. But receiving a call from a label made us think, “Maybe our music is pretty good?” That’s when we decided to give it a shot professionally, and here we are now.
