Clon are a dance music duo (Kang Won-rae and Koo Jun-yup) that was founded in 1996 and saw success in both Korea and Taiwan almost overnight. They are often accredited as being one of the first groups to match catchy beats with energetic dancing; a trend that now almost defines K-Pop. Take a look at the track ‘Kung Ddari Sha Bah Rah’ below:
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It’s an interesting track, providing a novel insight into the ‘summer sun’ concept in the 1990s! While outdated to today’s audience, it’s still got a catchy sound and feel-good energy to it. In fact, it was even covered by IU in 2014 in a drastically different acoustic rendition!
Tragically, their music careers were cut short after Kang Won Rae had a motorcycle accident which left him paralyzed from the waist down in the year 2000. While it is possible that Kang did not wish to continue, it is more likely that the group were not seen as viable with their choreographies now out of the question and the music scene not being particularly accommodating to disabilities (something one could argue is still true today and will be mentioned again shortly).
However, the group made a comeback in the summer of 2005. The title track from the album “Victory” was called ‘My Love Song’ and was dedicated to Kang’s wife. He had found the last five years difficult and it was she who encouraged and motivated him.
Since this time, the group have done several songs and concerts with other artists such as Ailee and KARD. It is clear that they are riding the nostalgia train; and who can blame them. The light sticks in the choreographies are very 90s-rave and make it evident that this group is here to give the audience a bast from the past.
Overall, it’s a great insight into what was considered trendy and fashionable three decades ago, and possibly an insight into what future generations might think of music being produced today!
