Glenjamn

Glen Han, a.k.a. Glenjamn once chased Daft Punk into the desert and came back with a camera, a calling, and a front-row pass to the Bloghouse era. We talk gonzo flashbacks, nightlife archives, French DJs, gay disco gospel, and why every straight man should go to the gay club.

How did growing up in Glendale influence your perspective?

As a kid named Glen, it was by chance that my family from Korea moved to a random city that I felt was always named after me. I kind of love that I grew up in a little enclave near the edge of L.A. bc it made me appreciate later in life that I didn't grow up as some self-centered Hollywood rich kid asshole or something like that. I loved the mix of Koreans/Armenians/Mexicans/African-Americans that lived in my hood bc there was so much flavor in my hood.

“It was half Manga IRL and half space opera... it just flipped a switch on inside me.”

You’ve talked about Daft Punk’s 2006 Coachella set as a turning point—why was it so pivotal?

OK, so how much space do you have in this interview for this... I mean it's basically my career's genesis point. I'm a professional photographer now... but prior to April 29th, 2006 (the day Daft Punk played at Coachella), I wasn't really into photography. Something about the musical energy seamlessly mixing into a sublime visual that was half Manga IRL and half space opera... it just flipped a switch on inside me. From that point on, I told myself I was going to shoot anything with that same kind of energy... which led me to the club scene from 2006–2011 showcased in my exhibit.

People often compare your style to ‘gonzo journalism’—do you relate to that idea of being embedded in the scene you’re documenting?

Actually, I consider that a compliment. I would usually describe this time of my life shooting pics/vids as my "Saving Private Ryan" phase of my life. I always wanted to go the Hunter S. Thompson gonzo route except in the cacophony of the L.A. nightlife in the late 2000s–early 2010s. I mean, I was a short dude that always had his cameras held above my head to try and get the shot thru my digital camera's screen bc that shit was a battlefield fr. I was trying to authentically live my life with a very 1:1 pov of what I was living through. It looks gonzo bc it really felt gonzo.

“I am proud to be a straight man at the gay disco. I urge more men to do the same.”

How do you think the 'Bloghouse' era influenced today's music and nightlife culture?

When I saw that photo of Charli XCX having dinner with Thomas Bangalter from Daft Punk at Cannes, I literally saw the current impact of Bloghouse and the trail that Daft Punk led for all of us to get here now. If there was no Indie Sleaze aesthetic, there would be no Brat aesthetic. Every club has to have a good DJ now and if it wasn't for the trailblazing of those Bloghouse pioneers like DJ AM, Thee Mike B, Ed Banger Records, Fool's Gold, IHeartComix, Dim Mak, etc... we wouldn't have any cool shit today.

You’ve been going to A Club Called Rhonda for years. What keeps you coming back?

Honestly, ever since I went to the first Rhonda when it was at an old Mexican club called Guatelinda in East Hollywood to now, I just love it for what it is... a true dance club for every kind of person. I consider it the truest recreation of Studio 54 in our modern era bc it authentically blends hedonism meets artistic freedom meets legendary music consistently. They really be about that life and their authenticity to the scene really keeps me coming back. I am proud to be a straight man at the gay disco. I urge more men to do the same.

Your HVW8 exhibition revisits your archives from 2006 to 2011. What made this period so significant in your journey as a photographer?

I saw Daft Punk in 2006 and I wanted to capture the emerging scene since that genesis moment for a good 5-year chunk. I wanted to do a 10-year archival retrospective, but honestly I had wayyy too many photos in just these 5 years that I had to cut it off at a certain point. This period represents the time when I started as a little seed and now I feel like I've sprouted into a tree. This was the time of my life when I had to get comfortable in my own skin after living a very sheltered life with my very conservative Korean family. To become a good photographer, you gotta take a lotta shitty photos before you figure out what/how/why you wanna shoot. This was that time where I could figure it out and I'm glad I learned how to shoot during this period on digital cards bc now I shoot primarily on film and I do not have the budget to figure out how to shoot on film cams haha.

How did your collaboration with So Me come about?

When the Ed Banger scene started blowing up in 2006/7 I watched all the music videos of Justice, DJ Mehdi, Kid Cudi... I would thirst over the epic t-shirts the French DJs would always pull up in when they arrived in the States... and I did my research and realized it was So Me who did all the designs. Instantly, I was a fan of his work because it captured the fantasy of the scene whenever he did his typographic alchemy. He was my visual hero growing up and through the years I have been fortunate to become good friends with the Ed Banger label including the one and only So Me. When the time came for me to do my LOW-RES[olution] HI[ghly]-DEF[initive] art show at HVW8 gallery, I literally texted him and I said "I NEED YOUR HELP!!!" I then sketched a very shitty version of what I wanted his graphic to look like and I asked him to sprinkle his magic on it and send me his version when he had the chance. Oh... did I mention he was also finishing up his BANGER movie on Netflix while he was drawing this up for me? So, yeah, this was the collaboration of my dreams with my hero and honestly the friendship that we have that led to him doing this last-minute print collaboration will be something I will always be proudest of. I got to do a damn collab with my hero!!!

What was it like working with Sarah Andelman on the project?

Sarah Andelman is a fucking GANGSTERRRR. Bro... she created the French institution, Colette, in Paris with her mother. So, yeah, I was kind of shocked and floored when I got an email out of the blue from Sarah saying that she wanted me to do a book with her for her Just an Idea series! To do a book with her for this project means she has to choose you and she wants you to be a part of her world. I was so honored, and when the book came out and instantly sold out, I felt relieved bc I felt like I kept my end of the bargain. I always credit her for starting me on my current book journey. I love you Sarah and I appreciate you opening these doors for me bc you liked me :)

“I got to do a damn collab with my hero.!!!”

Is there one photo in the book that feels especially meaningful to you?

I love the photo of me and grandma and my BlackBerry. She was my best friend and my non-Daft-Punk-related hero and I miss her all the time. I also miss that BlackBerry.

Do you see your work as a kind of archive of L.A. culture?

I mean, why not? I'm born and raised in Los Angeles and most of these moments I've captured happened in L.A. and the culture needs to be archived. When I was younger, I really loved the term, historian, so I hope people remember me as a historian!

What’s next?...

This year randomly turned into a "book tour" year to promote my LOW-RES[olution] HI[ghly]-DEF[initive] book that I published with the guys at .ISM and I'm hoping to bring some version of this show overseas this year. I'm also working on a bigger project that hopefully wraps this entire scene into a tight little bow. I'll be shooting a lot this year so smile for the camera if I see you!

@glenjamn