Idiotape has to be one of the hardest working bands in South Korea's underground dance music scene. The group is constantly touring and performing worldwide.

And it's not just Idiotape's unique combination of electronic dance music (EDM) and rock that gets people's attention. It's also their famously dynamic live show, which was on full display in Austin, Texas back in March, when the group turned in a trademark high-energy performance at the South By Southwest music festival (SXSW).

Originally six keyboardists and a drummer, Idiotape is now comprised of drummer DR, keyboardist Zeze and producer-keyboardist Dguru, who also is the group's founder and musical director. The Seoul-based electro band has been releasing albums since 2010, including a remix of the f(x) song "Ice Cream," for a 2013 compilation released by K-pop label SM Entertainment and art mall 10 Corso Como entitled "Seoul Melody."

KpopStarz recently caught up with DR and Zeze to find out more about what it was like reinterpreting f(x) for SM, playing America and what the future holds for Idiotape, in an exclusive interview.

KpopStarz: How did Idiotape start?

DR: Idiotape was already formed before I joined the band. There was a [different] original member and I replaced him after he left. In the fall of 2008, my roommate introduced me to Dguru and I got to know about Idiotape. After about a half a year, Dguru asked me to join his band. Although I never listened to their music, I was really attracted to the band because I liked their influences and I was starting to get bored with my original band at that time. After several months, he called me to play a gig with them and that was the first time I listened to their music. In the late spring of 2009, I played as a member of Idiotape for the first time.

KpopStarz: Where did you get the idea to do f(x)'s song "Ice Cream" remix? How has the response been?

DR: SM Entertainment contacted Dguru first and they requested an f(x) song remix. We were looking for a unique song rather than a famous song and "Ice Cream" was the one. The "Milk shake, ice cream," part from the song was continuously playing in my mind. I was thinking of the powerful f(x) rather than the sexy and cute f(x) when I was remixing the song. Whenever we play this song, some people are singing along with us. Moreover, a lot of f(x)'s fans from overseas have started listening to our other songs.

Zeze: We usually remix a song from the beginning with just the vocal remaining. We just imagine what it is going to be like if we play it at a performance. I think the outcome of this remix is quite interesting but some people who love the original song don't like this remix much.

KpopStarz: What are your thoughts on the South Korean music scene? Where do
you feel your band fits into it?

DR: I have no definition of the South Korean music scene. I actually never thought about Korean music but I think it developed in a deformed way. I want to spread various types of music in Korea, but idol fans are resistant to listen to other music than their idols' songs. That's why Korean music fans are divided into two groups, idol fans and non-idol fans. The thing is, there are so many idol fans in Korea. And Korean music is becoming too trendy. When a specific song gets famous, there are always similar songs following it, in a very short time. This makes me feel like songs fade away in a really short time and people are trying to [control] the music business. But in fact, because of Idols, Korean music has sprung across the globe. And I think only listeners can judge where our band's music fits into that.

KpopStarz: Which South Korean artists do you admire the most?

DR: I admire every single artist in Korea who stays in music industry for a long time and always keeps trying to develop their music.

KpopStarz: How do you feel about the international K-pop explosion? What do you think of Psy's crossover?

DR: I think it is just luck. I'm not sure how big this explosion is, but I'm pretty sure K-pop singers will not be able to become like The Beatles and Rolling Stones. I just think K-pop singers have to appreciate their worldwide fans and have to return their love. For your question about Psy's crossover, I am sure his song "Gangnam Style" was not made to crossover at the beginning. I think people just got interested with [this] funny culture through the song and music video.

Zeze: I have negative opinion on the international K-pop explosion. But I am not denying their value and the attraction. I think Psy is doing really well in his career, but I'm watching people try to relate to K-pop and Psy. Although Korean-style music contributed to his crossover, it was mainly due to his talents and efforts.

KpopStarz: What was your eperience like performing at SXSW and in the US in general?

DR: It was our second time having a US tour and every time we visit the states we always have a great time. We actually planned several tours but they've been cancelled because of visa issues. And I had so much fun at the SXSW official showcase. I was surprised by [how there were] so many Korean music fans, which I didn't expect. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw so many people lining up before the doors opened. On that night, Lady Gaga showed up without any announcement. One of my favorite parts of the U.S. tour was the experience performing with some local bands in Chicago. We played together and I was so happy with the compliments they gave us.

ZEZE : I was inspired by many people and musicians from SXSW and on the US tour. Several cities with different cultures were so attractive.

KpopStarz: What are your future plans?

DR: We are currently focusing on our new album which came out two months ago. And we are trying to have many tours outside of Korea, if we get the chance. We just performed at V-ROX in Vladivostok [Russia] and are going to China for a festival in November. Besides all this, we are trying to perform as much as we can in Korea.

KpopStarz: What music are you listening to these days?

DR: I don't have that much of a preference when I listen to music, but when I just looked in my iPhone, It shows I listen mostly to hip-hop, especially Beyonce's tracks.

Zeze: I am listening to techno and industrial music these days. I started to listen to it last year when I started DJ-ing.

KpopStarz: Your music goes all the way from progressive to electronic dance. What sounds can we look forward to in the future?

Zeze: There were many motivations when we were working on our second album. We wanted to focus on expressing ourselves freely. We want to make more diverse, flexible and improved sounds in the future.

KpopStarz: What upcoming project or performance are you looking forward to the most?

DR: I am looking forward to every project and performance. Among them, I am looking forward to performing at music conferences and festivals in Korea where we can introduce our music to many people and become friends with different artists.

Zeze: I'm looking forward to playing the gig at Zandari Festa which is going to be held around the Hong-dae area in October. A lot of Indie bands will be on the festival.

KpopStarz: Are there any other artists or producers you'd like to collaborate with?

DR: There are way too many. I can't even list them. One of our strongest points is we can transform into anything. We would like to collaborate with other artists from different genres.

Check out a documentary about Idiotape's 2014 U.S tour RIGHT HERE

Colin Langenus is a guitarist and songwriter in several groups including Colin L. Orchestra, CSC Funk Band and Usaisamonster. He produces and engineers music at his recording studio in Brooklyn.