Night Tempo (future funk Korean artist)

Jung Kyung-ho (Korean: 정경호; born February 14, 1986), better known as Night Tempo (Japanese: ナイト・テンポ; Korean: 나이트템포), is a South Korean future funk producer known for his Showa Groove series of remixes of 1980's Japanese city pop. Jung started producing music in 2015, but achieved fame in 2016 with his remix of Mariya Takeuchi's single "Plastic Love," which was uploaded on the YouTube music channel Artzie Music on March 11, 2016, and received over 7 million views on YouTube. Jung was born on February 14, 1986, in Seoul. As he grew up, he started listening to artists such as Daft Punk, Toshiki Kadomatsu, and Miho Nakayama. His father purchased items from overseas, giving Jung Nakayama's single "Catch Me" as a souvenir. He became a computer programmer and worked night shifts, collecting items such as cassette tapes as the Vaporwave genre rose in the early 2010s. Jung started DJing and producing as a hobby during his time as a programmer in 2009, and in 2014 he posted his works on SoundCloud. He came up with the name "Night Tempo" as he produced at mostly at night. On March 11, 2016, the YouTube music channel Artzie Music featured Jung's remix of "Plastic Love" by Mariya Takeuchi. With the remix, he started gaining popularity among future funk fans in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States. The remix also boosted the popularity of the original. He started the label Neoncity Records with a friend from Hong Kong as future funk started to become more popular. He gained attention for its revival of 1980s Japanese genre known as city pop, helping give birth to the future funk subgenre of the vaporwave. Under the title of the "Showa Idol Groove" series, he has released official re-edits of songs by artists from the 1980s, such as Wink and Anri. He remixed singles from the duo BaBe on February 14, 2020, releasing it on his birthday while also gaining a release from the original label. He also created a music video for the remixes as well as holding a release party. On April 29, 2020, he released the fifth Showa Groove remixes for Yuki Saito. On August 7, 2020, he released a Showa Groove remix of Shizuka Kudo's songs, including "Arashi no Sugao." In 2018, he released his first original album, Moonrise. Their first major original album, Ladies In The City, was released on December 1, 2021. On January 26, 2021, he released the Showa Groove remixes of Miki Matsubara's song "Mayonaka no Door" due to its rise in popularity with TikTok. He appeared at the live show Show What na Night (Shōwana Naito), broadcast on TikTok for the release. In March 2021, he and Charles Chanton teamed up again for a second line of merch that would release in April. On May 19, 2021, he released a compilation titled Night Tempo presents The Showa Idol Groove which signaled his return to the Showa Groove series. The compilation features remixes of Eri Nitta, Hikaru Nishida, Yumi Morio, and Yuyu, which Jung described as "good songs that should be paid more attention." In commemoration of the release, he released a visualizer for one of the remix of Hikaru Nishida's song, "Nice-Catch!" The album peaked at No. 170 on the Oricon charts. On June 18, 2021, he remixed the singles "Catch Me" and "WAKU WAKU sa Sete" by Miho Nakayama alongside releasing a visualizer. In July 2021, he remixed the single "Terefonizumu" by Philosophy no Dance, which was included on their third single on August 18. On February 1, 2022, the edited compilation "Japanese City Pop 100" was published. On September 25, 2022, it was announced that Night Tempo would provide a song for SKE48 TeamKII's "No Time" performance, which would begin on December 11 of the same year. In 2023, together with Aoi Yagawa and Miori Ichikawa, they debuted as the retro-pop unit Fancylabo. Jung influences include Daft Punk, Toshiki Kadomatsu, and Miho Nakayama, stating in an interview that he was fascinated by the music of Nakayama and Kadomatsu. He also discovered Tatsuro Yamashita and Mariya Takeuchi during his time as a programmer. He has also stated that he listens to other future funk artists, namely from the Sailor Team. He is also influenced by singer Eiichi Ohtaki. Night Tempo is active in the U.S. and Japan and is a fan of Sailor Moon. Jung focuses on future funk and vaporwave, taking inspiration from city pop, Japanese music and pop culture, which reminds him of his childhood in Seoul. He has also cited his time as a programmer working at night "dictated the type of music he listened to and led to his moniker." In his earlier works, he used samples from the anime series Sailor Moon in his tracks. He has also produced chillhop as a way to get into other varieties of music. Jung has frequently linked with artists Namu 13 and Shiho So for cover artwork, inspired by the artstyle of Sailor Moon and the works of Rumiko Takahashi, writer and illustrator of Ranma ½. He has also collaborated with Hiroshi Nagai. "Scavenging for samples from the '70s and '80s with Night Tempo". 9 May 2019. "昭和歌謡を世界へ、韓国人Djナイトテンポの挑戦". 24 January 2020. "1980s Japan lives on in Hong Kong as 'future funk' music finds a home". 7 January 2024. "ナイトテンポ、「昭和歌謡」で世界をグルーヴする韓国人DJの軌跡". Newsweek (in Japanese). February 7, 2020. Takada, Yutaro (May 24, 2021). "クラブ音楽の常識を覆す 昭和シティポップを盛り上げる韓国人DJ". The Nikkei (in Japanese). Shiba, Tomonori (December 28, 2020). "「時音」Vol.8 Night Tempo unravels the appeal towards retro culture in this fast-paced society". Tokion. "INTERVIEW Night Tempo". Qetic. 22 April 2019. Erina, Tanaka. "Future Funkでソウルから世界へ。Night Tempoインタビュー". HereNow (in Japanese). "韓国出身のNight Tempoが和製シティ・ポップを広める意味「自分や他者を規定してしまうのはもったいない」". Excite (in Japanese). November 2, 2019. "『ユリイカ』で「ヴェイパーウェイヴ」特集 人気音楽ジャンルの現在に迫る". Kai-You [jp] (in Japanese). December 25, 2019. "VaporwaveやFuture Funkシーンで活躍！シティー・ポップブームの火付け役Night Tempoって?" (in Japanese). February 11, 2020. "tofubeatsもカバーした和モノレアグルーヴの名曲、竹内まりや「Plastic Love」はなぜ今、人気なのか?". Block.fm [jp] (in Japanese). January 23, 2019. Kuroda, Takanori (November 2, 2019). "韓国出身のNight Tempoが和製シティ・ポップを広める意味「自分や他者を規定してしまうのはもったいない」". Rolling Stone Japan. "K-pop Indie Gem: Night Tempo Talks Aesthetic and Future Funk". 15 April 2018. "Night Tempo「昭和グルーヴ」シリーズ、第4弾にBaBeが登場". Barks Music News [ja] (in Japanese). January 21, 2020. "Night Tempo、2月に来日公演が決定". LikeDis Music News (in Japanese). January 21, 2020. "Night Tempo、 公式リエディット企画第4弾はBaBe！ 「Give Me Up」昭和グルーヴMV公開！". OKMusic (in Japanese). February 15, 2020. "Night Tempoが女性デュオBaBeの名曲をアップデート、MVも公開". Music Natalie (in Japanese). February 14, 2020. "Night Tempo「昭和グルーヴ」シリーズ、第5弾は斉藤由貴". Barks Music News [ja] (in Japanese). April 29, 2020. "Night Tempo「昭和グルーヴ」シリーズ、第6弾は工藤静香". Barks Music News [ja] (in Japanese). August 7, 2020. "海外のシティ・ポップ・ブームの立役者、Night Tempo(ナイト・テンポ)が、工藤静香の昭和グルーヴ作品を遂にオフィシャルで配信リリース！". Pony Canyon (in Japanese). 7 August 2020. "Night Tempoが工藤静香の楽曲をアップデート。「嵐の素顔」オフィシャル・リエディットMV公開". Barks Music News [ja] (in Japanese). August 21, 2020. "世界的シティ・ポップ・ブームの立役者、韓国出身のDJ／プロデューサー、Night Tempo（ナイト・テンポ）。自身初となるメジャー・オリジナル・アルバム『Ladies In The City』、12/1にリリース決定!本日より先行シングル「Love Actually feat. Crystal Tea」配信開始!". Universal Music Japan. 2021-10-06. Retrieved 2021-11-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) "Night Tempo「昭和グルーヴ」シリーズ、第7弾は松原みき". Barks Music News [ja] (in Japanese). January 26, 2021. Konishi, Naho (January 27, 2021). "世界にはばたく昭和グルーヴ 韓国のDJ・Night Tempoの「真夜中のドア」リエディット決定に、各地から期待". ITmedia [jp] (in Japanese). "海外のシティ・ポップ・ブームの立役者、Night Tempo(ナイト・テンポ)が、松原みき「真夜中のドア／Stay With Me」を遂に昭和グルーヴで公式リエディット、配信リリース決定！". Livedoor (in Japanese). January 26, 2021. "Night Tempoが贈る「ザ・昭和グルーヴ」シリーズ第7弾は松原みき". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). January 26, 2021. "Night Tempo、"昭和アイドル・グルーヴ"コンピ＆Charles Chatonとのアパレル・コラボ第2弾発売決定". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). March 25, 2021. "韓国人プロデューサー・DJのNight Tempo(ナイト・テンポ)による5月19日発売『昭和アイドル・グルーヴ』コンピの全貌解禁！". Pony Canyon (in Japanese). April 21, 2021. "Night Tempo、『昭和アイドル・グルーヴ』コンピの全貌解禁". Barks Music News [ja]. May 21, 2021. "韓国人プロデューサー／DJのNight