For some Korean musicians, the world is definitely shrinking.

Following the K-pop explosion in Asia and the Psy sensation in the U.S., Korean indie bands are making their strides, trying to carve out their unique spots in the international music scene.

MU:CON Seoul 2014, a music conference-cum-fair currently running in Itaewon, Seoul, highlighted three groups that are at the vanguard of what Korean officials hope will evolve into the “next big wave” of Korean music.

Jambinai, one of the three groups that were introduced during a 50-minute session held at Blue Square theater in Itaewon on Tuesday, traveled to 14 countries in Europe from May to the end of July, participating in various international music festivals. The trio performed 26 times during the tour.

“We (indie musicians) often complain about the market or our miniscule share of it,” said Kim Hyung-gun, the band’s manager, adding that the market for traditional Korean music, gugak, is almost “nonexistent.”

Gugak is the origin of Jambinai’s music, as all its three members are trained in the genre. The band plays a unique blend of avant-garde, post-rock and metal -― all played on traditional Korean instruments such as geomungo (zither), haegum (fiddle) and piri (oboe).

“For me, there is no point separating the Korean market from the global market. It’s just one big market,” he added.

Through its two-month European tour, Kim said the band grew confident that its music could reach a wider audience.

“When we first started (the tour), we thought our audience would be limited to young people who like to try out new sounds.”

To their surprise, it turned out that their music had a broader appeal “from a granny to a 6-year-old boy,” he added.

Asian Chairshot, an indie rock trio, also shared that their contacts with named international artists helped them gain more confidence about their music.

The band’s first full-length album, “Horizon,” was produced by Smashing Pumpkins guitarist Jeff Schroeder and engineered by Ryan Grostefon, who worked with the iconic U.S. band on their 2012 album, “Oceania.”

Schroeder attended last year’s MU:CON and it was through the fair that he discovered the Korean rock band.

“The whole experience gave us the conviction that we’re doing this right and that we just need to keep carrying on with our music. That’s what Jeff told us to,” said Park Kye-wan who plays drum in the band.

Park said the band is planning to work again with Schroeder on their next album, which is likely to be a single or an EP.

Kim Jung-one, lead singer and guitarist of synth-pop duo Glen Check, shared their experience of working together with Grammy Award-winning record producer Steve Lillywhite, famous for working with U2 and the Rolling Stones. 

Handpicked by the Briton during last year’s MU:CON, the group was flown over to his L.A. studio late last year to record a new song.

“At first, we were really curious about why he chose us,” Kim said, recalling the four-day recording process at the studio. “But in the end we really enjoyed it and we were happy about the outcome.”

The song, still untitled and incomplete, could be released at the end of this year at the earliest, he added.

“It was our first time recording a song from scratch at a studio like his, because we have so far been self-producing. It was a learning experience all in all,” the musician said.

Organized by the state-run Korea Creative Content Agency, MU:CON aims to serve as a springboard for the global recognition to Korea’s talented yet undiscovered musicians.

During this year’s three-day fair that kicked off Monday, 45 local and international acts will get a chance to present their music in front of a host of international music scouts. They include the three Korean bands.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)