RUX

Due to Won Jonghee's Skunk Label (www.skunklabel.com), Rux are one of the most important punk bands in Korea in the mid-90s. As one of the forerunners of the scene, Rux set up a label that allowed many other punk bands in Korea to emerge from a music scene that concentrates mainly on pop and urban. Punk spawned in Korea around 1994 when Drug Records opened a punk club around Hongik University. Many youths took to this genre very easily and were soon forming bands of their own but there was a lack of record labels prepared to take on these bands.

Punk spawned in Korea around 1994 when Drug Records opened a punk club around Hongik University. Many youths took to this genre very easily and were soon forming bands of their own but there was a lack of record labels prepared to take on these bands. Not ones to be beaten, the punk bands formed their own labels. In 1998, Skunk Label was formed by Rux, particularly the charismatic front man Won Jonghee.

Rux made their official debut in 1999 with the single I Gatta Go and with it came the first video to be produced for Skunk Label. The video was for the final song on the single, Sae. Shortly after the release of this, the original bassist, Lee Seungok, left the group to complete his military service. He was replaced with Lee Taeseon.

Both Rux and Skunk Label were inactive from November 1999 to 2002 while the Won Jonghee partook in military service. On their return, Rux performed their first street live and Skunk Label released the compilation We Are the Punx in Korea, which featured Rux as well as other Korean punk bands. The aim of the compilation was to promote the Korean punk scene abroad.

In 2003, Rux made an appearance on the TV show Music Camp. During their performance, members of fellow punk band Couch and the Spiky Brats invaded the stage and stripped naked. Although the footage was only broadcast for a few seconds, the members were arrested along with Won Jonghee in order for tests for drugs and alcohol to be taken. All tests showed up clean and the show was subsequently cancelled.

The popularity of the original punk club, Drug, was waning due to the venue becoming increasingly isolated and biased towards bands on its own label. Desperate to save the club, the owner invited bands such as Rux to play, but the problems it had given itself were already too much. In January 2004, the club was sold to Won Jonghee and Skunk Hell was born. The club remains the only exclusively punk club in Korea.

In 2004, the band released their first full length album, Where Are We Going and a mini album entitled ANOTHER CONCEPTION. The full length album featured many of Rux's "classics" while the mini-album was a chance to showcase some of the band's new material.

The band returned in 2005 with a live album entitled The Skunx 2005 Live along with Joey, an American who was drafted in as a support guitarist through his work with Skunk Hell and the English version of the Skunk Label website.

Although there are no releases planned, Rux continue to be active in the live scene and in promoting Korean punk to an international market. New album "The Ruckus Army" out now.

Author : sianface (2007-05-07)