The skilled one who is shaking the industry of K-Pop with Infinite
Former musician manager of Lee Seunghwan, Toy, Epik High, Nell, Jisun, etc
“Infinite’s charm is their integrity. When working with singers, there are times where you’re not harmonized with the producer’s mind. But thankfully, with Infinite it harmonized well. There were days where they couldn’t rest for even an hour a day but they followed me without a word. I think that the key to success is the strong integrity wanting to fill their lacking points.”
Lee Jungyeop, Woollim Entertainment’s CEO, is shaking the K-Pop industry with the 7-membered idol group Infinite. Infinite is composed of Kim Sunggyu, Jang Dongwoo, Nam Woohyun, Hoya, Lee Sungyeol, L, Lee Sungjong. They appeared in 2010 when DBSK, Super Junior, Big Bang, 2PM, BEAST, etc were promoting. When the fierce competition started between K-Pop idol groups whom each had different characteristics such as ‘beast-dols’ image, Infinite were armed with the charm of a perfectly choreographied dance and a natural visual. After the success of their dance track ‘Be Mine’, Infinite released ‘Only Tears’ and ‘The Chaser’ and reached the ‘A-class’ after only 3 years.
“Being able to read well the public’s trend was the result of being a former manager. I thought that I was doing well the business of reading the feelings between people but now that I look back to it I think that my decisions were right.”
“Aside from Yoon Jongshin, I think you were with all the singers that are referred to as musicians.” CEO Lee Jungyeop hears this kind of praise often. In the middle of the 90’s, CEO Lee Jungyeop set up the equipment for Lee Seunghwan’s concert, then he started to be Lee Seunghwan’s road manager, and after that he was by the side of Toy, Kim Janghoon, Lee Sora, Kim Dongryul, Epik High, etc. It’s been already close to 20 years since he started working as a manager.
CEO Lee Jungyeop said that he “opened his ears” as he worked with musicians for a long time. As he was with musicians while they were working all night long, he got to learn the rythm and beats, and feel the trend. He got ears recognizing music thanks to his senses. CEO Lee Jungyeop has big strengths such as his plans anticipating the future even if Infinite is the one of the most outstanding groups not only in Korea but in Japan as well right now, his tenacity to handle the work, his pioneering spirit breaking walls.
When CEO Lee Jungyeop created ‘Woollim’ in 2003, Kim Dongryul was in the company. To a lot of people, it meant that it would become a music company making music that wil cause a ‘tremor’ (T/N: Woollim in Korean means tremor/echo). When the company just got established, it secured its spot with the success of Kim Dongryul followed by Epik High’s. In 2005, Epik High became independant and Nell enlisted in the army so the company experienced management difficulties. That’s when he aimed to develop with K-Pop groups.
“When we were filming for the music video of Infinite’s ‘Be Mine’, I had to get back the deposit money from the officetel to get the semi-basement practice room. It rained a lot and I was bailing the water out with my hands and I sighed thinking ‘People call me a successful producer and I have to do this?’. But because Infinite’s song was really good, I believed it would be successful.”
Lately, he is constantly on the move to get an office building and leave the company office on the first floor of a villa in Seoul, Mapo-gu Seongsan-dong. To set up Woollim Entertainment’s new base with a practice room and a recording room, he is searching all around the vicinity of Seongsan-dong.
“Right now, no matter where we release a K-Pop group on the world, we are armed with the best singing skills and dance abilities. This year, I’m planning to try a glocalization and have Infinite collaborate with a Japanese singer. Since it’s possible to overcome language difficulties, I feel like it’s going to be another year in which we’ll make a leap forward.
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trans. cr; emilie @ infinite updates | source cr; edaily starIN ; take out with full credits
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