A band from Seoul that plays with two bassists, four singers and no guitars at all makes its Brooklyn debut this week. Leenalchi plays the Main Hall at Pioneer Works in Red Hook on Thursday, Oct. 29, in a show co-presented with World Music Institute. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the music starts at 8.

What pansori-funk sounds like

Leenalchi builds its songs on pansori, a traditional Korean form of musical storytelling that dates back to the Joseon Dynasty and has roots in shamanism. Leenalchi spreads it across four vocalists, Ahn Yi Ho, Park Soo Bum, Ra Seo Jin and Choi Su In, and sets it over a rhythm section of two bassists and a drummer, with keys. Pioneer Works describes the result as bass-heavy synth-rock with deep-groove psychedelic funk underneath.

According to the venue, pansori singers traditionally train beside roaring waterfalls to build the strength their voices need.

The band and the record

The band is led by Jang Young Gyu, a bassist and film composer who Pioneer Works calls a pioneer of South Korea's indie and alternative music scene. Leenalchi is touring Here Comes That Crow, its debut EP for Luaka Bop. The title track reworks a centuries-old allegory about a warlord's battle into a dance track.

The opening set is by Femcel, a local post-punk duo.

Tickets and the room

The show is general admission and standing room only in the Main Hall. Tickets are sold through the Pioneer Works program page, where they have been on sale since June.

Anyone who wants to see the building before a show can come on a Saturday: Pioneer Works is staying open until 8 p.m. on its Fall Saturdays, Oct. 24 and 31 and Nov. 7 and 21, with a bonfire in the garden and the roof deck open.

Getting to Red Hook

Pioneer Works is at 159 Pioneer Street in Red Hook. The nearest subway is the F or G to Smith-9th Streets, and the B61 bus stops at King Street. The NYC Ferry's South Brooklyn route stops at Red Hook/Atlantic Basin, a short walk away.

Doors are at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, with Femcel first and Leenalchi to follow.

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