Words by Saemi Shin
The midst of autumn not only beheld the changing of leaves to golden yellow — it also bore witness to RTO 365 <Indie’s Moment Live: Anywhere, in Our Own Ways> held at Culture Station Seoul 284, located in the heart of Seoul.
The live showcase featured artists from South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines who are cultivating their creative worlds in their own unique ways, no matter where they are. There was Busan-based trio Hathaw9y, DIY singer-songwriter wadfah from Chiang Mai, and Cebu-native band Sansette. The event offered an immersive experience of each of the acts’ respective musical worlds through short interviews followed by live performances; there were also interactive booths that showed a glimpse into their creative processes. It wasn’t just your usual showcase: the audience were invited to delve into the musicians’ stories, live sessions, and creative work. Through this, the crowd also discovered their commonalities — despite hailing from different countries — and witnessed their blossoming friendship unfold.
Assigned to do artist care for the said event, I was able to catch sight of their interactions more closely, starting from the moment they first met. In this small-scale festival of sorts, I was lucky to have watched these 11 musicians of different languages and ages gathered in the waiting room gradually warming up to each other through lively conversation that turned the room into a space of vibrant exchange.
It was also strange, yet intriguingly interesting, to see the interactions of these artists from Cebu, Chiang Mai, and Busan happen within the walls of the restored Culture Station Seoul 284 — once known as Namdaemun Station in 1900 and later renamed Seoul Station. The cultural space served a key role in Korea’s modern history, serving as a gateway for transportation and exchange over the past century.
But the real magical moment amidst everything was meeting Sansette.
Sansette’s sound is often described as surf rock. However, at its core, the band sings of Cebu— their songs, along with everything else, are all deeply rooted in their hometown. For instance, vocalist Gab Villacarlos filled an entire shelf of zines from Cebu at the experiential booth that RTO set up. The zines he brought showed what Cebu is like. Browsing through the collection, I learned about Cebu’s gig audience culture, where people passionately enjoy performances while fully engaging with their bodies. In a book that introduces Cebu’s culture, meanwhile, I discovered that they have a different culture from Korea — Koreans drink to release stress (with company or alone), while Cebuanos drink to socialize. The band’s merchandise was also a glimpse of Cebu’s colors and its music scene, which allowed me to visualize this island I’ve never been toin my head as I waited for their performance.
And then, Sansette took to the stage. It was as if I could feel Cebu’s warmth all over my body. It was quite chilly due to the sudden drop in temperature on that day, but the band’s bright energy made even the crisp, cool atmosphere feel a little sunny. In a short interview before they started their set, Gab talked about his secret to happiness, saying how, like everyone else, we don’t just experience the good things nor does it find you in any given circumstance. Instead, you choose to be happy — it’s a choice that we should make ourselves. Following his motivating words, showtime began!
Sansette opened their set with aptly-titled “Sunny Cebu,” and it suddenly felt like the island’s sun was brought to the venue itself. As if pouring warmth, chill, and happiness from a capsule to the whole space, this first song melted the hearts of the audience in an instant. The fun continued as the boys played “Beach Town Boys” and “Easy,” with everyone now fully immersed in Cebu’s music. At some point, the crowd was moving along as one to the music of Sansette.
As someone who’s been in the Korean music industry for nine years, there were several instances when intuition is required on the job. We need to quickly identify and introduce new trends to listeners, thus using this instinct in order to discover the next hit that people will love. And so it was at Sansette’s after-party show the next day, held at the small music venue in Hongdae called Gongsangondo, that I felt that intuition — ultimately convincing me that the band and their music has got something special. This time around, I realized how the band has the capability of capturing the hearts of even the somewhat reserved Korean audience.
Even with K-pop’s global success, Korea doesn’t exactly pay much attention to international underground music. For a long time, international music charts on domestic streaming platforms seemed to have been frozen in time,so much so that Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith’s music from a decade ago remained steadily rooted in the Korean music charts five years following its initial release. It still seemed that way even after the advent of TikTok and Instagram Reels, which accelerated the viral spread of music and sped-up track turnovers on the charts.
However, the narrative above showed Korean fans’ unrivaled loyalty once they fall for a musician. This recent performance proved that Sansette are artists who hold the key to opening the hearts of Korean fans. It was also a moment when I realized through experience that musicians and music fans from Asia can quickly discover common ground and become fast friends. And while I hope that Sansette stands tall as a band that represents Cebu, I also wish for them to look further and beyond — seeing that their potential can go places. This hunch doesn’t come often as it is a rare occurrence, so all I can do is hope that it turns to reality.
coast2coast 