Mid-Air Thief is the anonymous South Korean recording project behind two self-released albums of layered, experimental indie folk. Crumbling (2018) became a word-of-mouth phenomenon with almost no promotion — one of the great indie folk records of the late 2010s. Start there. Dig into Mid-Air Thief vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Mid-Air Thief (a translation of the Korean 공중도둑, Gongjoong Doduk) is the recording project of a private South Korean musician. The project launched with the self-released LP Gongjoong Doduk (2015), with the follow-up Crumbling (2018) becoming widely cited as one of the most important indie folk and experimental albums of the late 2010s. The album received international attention through online discovery and word-of-mouth, despite minimal label support or promotional infrastructure. Mid-Air Thief has declined to participate in conventional artist promotional activities and the artist's actual name remains private. The project incorporates guest vocalist contributions, including Korean indie singer-songwriter Summer Soul on Crumbling.
Mid-Air Thief's sound combines indie folk, experimental folk, psychedelic folk, electronic folk, Korean indie, and ambient with extensive layered acoustic instrumentation, electronic processing, and atmospheric production drawing on classic folk music traditions alongside contemporary experimental and electronic music influences.
Self-released pressings of the Mid-Air Thief catalog have collector demand. Multiple unauthorized and authorized vinyl pressings have circulated in international markets.
Listeners new to Mid-Air Thief typically start with Crumbling (2018).
