Voices from the Floor: Tae Won Lee on Three Decades in Adelaide’s Dance Scene
I catch up with Tae Won Lee via phone on a quiet Sunday afternoon. His voice carries the warmth of someone who’s seen the scene evolve from its underground roots to today’s renaissance.
“I first encountered dance music through hip hop and electro breakdancing in the early to mid-80s,” Tae tells me, settling into the conversation. “Kraftwerk, Jean Michel Jarre at the State Library, New Order, Depeche Mode on mainstream radio. But it was a friend from America who brought mix tapes with music styles I’d never heard before – sounds that had never been heard in reality. It made me want to move.”
By 1988, teenage Tae was already pushing boundaries. “I used to sneak out with my friend to Rio’s, and got kicked out of Magoo’s for being underage because the bouncer was a school friend’s brother who’d seen me at the school formal a few weeks earlier,” he laughs. “There was this Warehouse 1 rave I wanted to go to, but I had exams the next day. I had two friends at school who were into the same music – Rachel Stokes had this Belgian new beat mix tape that was doing the rounds.”
The early 90s marked a pivotal shift. “I started uni but was going out to places like Arkaba, Metro, Le Rox. I dropped out of Economics, then dropped out of design when I saw an ad for designer at Core Magazine. That’s when I met Paul Hamon and Matt Pearce.”
Core Magazine became Tae’s entry point into documenting the scene. “Working at the magazine meant I was at the heart of everything – raves, club nights, Dirty House Parties. Cargo Club was pretty central, as was Q. The techno scene was incredible – Kylie and Surgery, the Cargo three R’s. I remember Cloisters with Jeff Mills and HMC, trips to Melbourne to see HMC.”
But Tae’s involvement went deeper than just documenting. “I lived at Insect 22 at one point – this creative space in the city with Elendil and Nic, and various others dropping in and out. It was the beginning of my shamanic phase where I started wandering around the city at night with no clear direction or money, just following energy, thinking a lot. Light City originated in this period.”
Light City – Tae’s conceptual project that’s spanned three decades. “I’ve been thinking about it for 30 years. I knew back then that we would be where we are today with AI and tech, so I did all my construction in thought. It’s pretty much unfolding exactly as planned. It’s my present to everybody.”
The late 90s brought personal changes. “I was starting to spin out of reality but was brought back when I met my wife and partner. Y2K happened, Silvermine Party was probably the biggest event. I started taking lots of photos around then too.”
Family life meant stepping back. “I got married in 2006 – we went to Garage after the wedding. Our first son was born in 2007, so that became my focus. Through the 2000s and 2010s, I was mostly family-focused, going out for celebratory events, birthdays, weddings.”
The scene’s recent revival has drawn him back in. “I started going out semi-regularly again, mostly The Austral, Front Room events. The drum and bass events have been excellent. I avoided reunion things for a while but gave in and I’m glad I did – reconnecting with people is great.”
“There’s a key crew of anchor points here in Adelaide that are starting to reconnect and rebuild,” Tae reflects. “I think it’s happening all over the world actually. It’s the next phase of the Summer of Love, a reaction against the negative spiral everybody else seems to be in. The only way is up!”
Find Tae at www.leetkd.com.au or @infinite.rez