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Korean House, built from Scratch

from: Portrait Image of Person Ji-hoJi-ho    to: Portrait Image of Person Kenny Dope GonzalesKenny Dope Gonzales    Marker Icon for the Link to the Citymap
A person stands in a compact home studio, smiling while wearing sunglasses and a light-colored sweatshirt. The room is filled with an array of electronic equipment, including synthesizers, mixers, and various audio interfaces. Numerous cables are connected throughout the setup, adding to the cluttered, creative atmosphere. The walls are adorned with a collage of papers, charts, and artwork, showcasing a personal touch. A warm lamp glows in the middle, casting a cozy ambiance. Speaker systems and a small keyboard are visible on the right, contributing to the technical environment.




Dear Kenny Dope,

You don’t know me (yet), but my name is Ji-ho, and I might be the only House & Garage head in all of Pyongyang. My bedroom looks like an electronic jungle—hand-built synthesizers stacked on every surface, cables twisting like vines, and a drum machine I built from salvaged parts. The power cuts out sometimes, but when it’s on, my room becomes a club that only I know exists.

I first heard your beats through a bootleg cassette someone smuggled in. That swing, that groove, that deep, raw energy—it changed everything. Since then, I’ve been chasing that sound, building, experimenting, tweaking knobs in the dark.

I just finished a project—Korean House, built from scratch. The kick is heavy, the bassline rolls, and the swing? You’d be proud. I can’t play it anywhere here, but maybe, just maybe, I can get it out into the world.

I’m leaving a link, hidden between the lines. If you find it, you’ll hear Pyongyang’s first House record.

Thank you for the inspiration. One day, I’ll play this live. Maybe not here. But somewhere.

Keep it raw,
Ji-ho

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