Paradigm
Formed in the summer of 2011, this three member band from KAIST is truly noteworthy not only in their unique style of music, but also in their interesting combination of different cultural backgrounds.
Joonhee Lee (junior, Department of Industrial Design) from Korea, Kaushik Sarma (junior, Department of Aerospace Engineering) from India, and Sungwon Choe (graduate student, Department of Computer Science) from the United States each contribute to the band’s uniqueness by drawing on their different cultural backgrounds to express the intense emotions and perspectives we often miss out in life.
Their music is best described as fusion metal due to their distinctive way of combining traditional metal with other genres and cultural influences. The vocalist and guitarist, Joon creates powerful guitar riffs, often balancing it with his melodic vocals. The drummer, Kaushik adds traditional Indian beats to the traditional metal rhythms, causing the audience shake their heads to the beat. The bassist, Sungwon provides the right amount of heaviness and balance with his driving bass lines.
The band has been performing since August 15, 2011 for more than 10 different occasions including Daejeon Independent Music Festival. The band is now working on recording their music.

Smoking Goose
Smoking Goose is a punk rock band formed in the fall of 2010 by four KAIST students, Jung Ah Kwon, Jung Hoon Lee, Dong Kil Kim and Sung Hwa Park.
For people who are seeking a remedy for their exhausted souls, Smoking Goose’s music might be able to cheer them up with the band’s energy. Their exuberant, up-tempo punk music encourages the audience to jump around and enjoy the music to the fullest. However, the lyrics betray the cheerfulness of the melody, covering themes as wide as the agony of the youth, societal issues, and anything that we have pondered upon at least once in our lives. Many students will be able to relate to their music, which depicts the chaos that often accompanies youth. Their music helps us empathize and reflect on these issues without being immersed too deeply into a state of depression.
The band mainly performs at live band clubs in Daejeon but is also traveling to other major cities such as Gwangju, Daegu and Busan to perform.

Mechanical Stagbeetles
Mechanical Stagbeetles is another unique indie rock band formed by KAIST students, though not all of them are from KAIST. Two KAIST students, Ju-ho Jung and Daem Park from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, first formed it four years ago. The two other members, Tae Min Kim and Yoon Jae Choe, joined in later.
For those of you who are lamenting the disappearance of good music from the past, the Mechanical Stagbeetles might be able to cleanse your mind and soul with genuinely interesting music that is different from the unoriginal yet sensational music often heard today. Their music has a very retro feel to it, combining old Korean music styles with traditional Blues. The band’s sound even reminds us of the famous Korean Rock bands from the 80’s such as San Ul Rim and Shin Jung-hyeon. Their music cleverly borders between fun and cajolement, but the message they are trying to get across is innocence and their genuine love for music. From the Mechanical Stagbeetles, we can hope to find a well-transformed, modern version of the good old music from the past.
The Mechanical Stagbeetles is currently training and recording their album at Boonga Boonga Records where the band, Jang Kiha and The Faces are also signed to. It seems that the Mechanical Stagbeetles has already achieved a lot, but I’m sure there is far more to expect from the band in the future.