Rux is an influential
street punk
Street punk (sometimes alternatively spelled streetpunk) is an urban working class-based subgenre of punk rock, which emerged as a rebellion against the perceived artistic pretensions of the first wave of British punk. The earliest street pun ...
band from
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...
. They formed in 1996 and released their first recording in 1999. Lead vocalist Won Jong-hee, the only remaining original member, also ran Skunk Label and owned the punk music venue Skunk Hell. They gained notoriety in 2005 when
friends of the band undressed on stage during the live nationwide broadcast of an episode of
MBC concert show ''
Music Camp''.
History
Rux was formed in 1996 when the punk music scene centered on Club Drug and
Crying Nut
Crying Nut () is a punk rock band from South Korea. They are often credited as being pioneers of the Korean punk rock and indie rock scenes.
The group began performing in 1995 in the Hongdae (area), Hongdae club scene in Seoul. They released the ...
. The name "Rux" is synonymous with "Ruckus".
Rux released several songs on compilations and went through numerous personnel changes before releasing the seven-song compilation ''I Gatta Go''. The title refers to
conscription in South Korea
Conscription in South Korea has existed since 1957 and requires male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 to perform compulsory military service. Women are not required to perform military service, but they may voluntarily join the militar ...
for all Korean males, which frequently breaks up Korean bands. Following the release, the band went on hiatus from 1999 to 2002 while Won Jong-hee served in the military.
Skunk Label
Won Jong-hee owned and operated Skunk Label, a
DIY record label for Korean punk bands founded in July 1998. Skunk Label went on hiatus while Won served his military duty. After Won returned in 2002, Skunk Label released ''We are the Punx in Korea'', a 30-track compilation CD that has been described as the "
Rosetta stone
The Rosetta Stone is a stele of granodiorite inscribed with three versions of a Rosetta Stone decree, decree issued in 196 BC during the Ptolemaic dynasty of ancient Egypt, Egypt, on behalf of King Ptolemy V Epiphanes. The top and middle texts ...
" of Korean punk rock.
Skunk Hell
Under the banner of Skunk Label, Won operated two live music venues, called Skunk Hell.
The first venue, located between
Hongik University
Hongik University (; colloquially as Hongdae) is a private university in Mapo District, Mapo, Seoul, South Korea. It was founded in 1946. The university also maintains a branch campus in Sejong City. The university's colloquial name, "Hongdae ...
and
Sinchon
Sinchon () is a region of South Korea surrounding Sinchon-dong, Changcheon-dong, Nogosan-dong and Daeheung-dong. It is known for its numerous universities including Yonsei University, Ewha Womans University, Sogang University, Hongik Univ ...
, was an obscure basement venue described as the size of a "good-sized living room".
The second Skunk Hell opened in
Hongdae area
Hongdae () is a neighborhood in Mapo District, Seoul, South Korea, near Hongik University ("Hongik Daehakgyo" in Korean), after which it is named. The neighborhood is known for its urban arts and indie music culture, local shops, clubs, cafés ...
in January 2004 in the former location of Club Drug. Eventually weekly management of the live music schedule was handed over to Ryu Cheol-hwan of punk band Suck Stuff. At the end of 2008, Skunk Hell officially closed its doors, with Ryu and Won citing waning finances and the inability to secure a liquor licence, as well as market saturation of competing live music venues. Skunk Hell closed its doors and Skunk Label fell out of use, as both Rux and Suck Stuff were quickly signed to Dope Records.
Skunk Hell opened in its third location in
Mullae-dong
Mullae-dong () is a '' dong'' (neighborhood) of Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, South Korea. The name "Mullae" comes from the neighborhood's old name, "Moraet-mal ()," which means "Sandy Village" in Korean.
The neighborhood is most well known for ...
in 2015.
Band members
* Won Jong-hee (): Vocals
* Lee Eungyo (): drums
* Yonghee (): bass
* Zacomo: guitar
* Jinu Konda: guitar
Former members
*Ryu Myung-hoon (): Drums
*Lee Hyun-hee (): Guitars
*Yoon Hyung-sick (): Bass
* Lee Hyung-wi (Guitar)
* Lee Seung-bok (Bass)
* Kang Dol-il (Drums)
* Park Jun-young (Guitar)
* Kim Seuk-yun (Drums)
*
Lee Ju-hyun (Bass)
* Park Gun-woo (Guitar)
* Paul Bricky (Bass)
* Joey Queen (Guitar)
* Lee Dong-hoon (Drums)
* Lee Tae-sun (Bass)
*
Jung Yeawon (): guitar
* Bae Jisung (): bass
Discography
Albums
*
004.07.01Where are We Going? ()
*
007.08.17Rux the Ruckus Army
*
009.06.25Eternal Children ()
Live albums
* (2005) The Skunx 2005 Live
Mini-Albums
*
999.05.01I Gatta Go
*
005.06.29
5 (five) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number, and cardinal number, following 4 and preceding 6, and is a prime number.
Humans, and many other animals, have 5 digits on their limbs.
Mathematics
5 is a Fermat pri ...
Another Conception
Singles
*
011.09.02Dirty Punk ()
Digital Singles
*
008.03.24Last 10 Seconds
*
009.04.07Wreck ()
*
010.06.15
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
Out of the Blue
Compilations
*
998.??.??98 Punk Daejanchi ~ Our Minds are All the Same ''(#1 Budutga, #2 Don't Wake Up, #3 Lock, #4 Another Face)''
*
999.??.??3000 Punk ''(#7 45, #25 Sub)''
*
999.03.22Club Hardcore, Assa Obang ''(#6 Headless Fish, #14 Street)''
*
003.07.05We Are the Punx in Korea ''(#7 Our Minds are All the Same)''
*
006.04.202006 Skunk Compilation "Strike! Strike! Strike!!" ''(#6 And Again, #12 When I Die, #17 Oworui Norae 2)''
*
008.09.16No Future for You ''(#5 Everybody's Wicked)''
*
010.08.02Burning Hepburn - Life Goes on (Burning Hepburn) ''(#3 Life Goes on) (feat. Rux,
Crying Nut
Crying Nut () is a punk rock band from South Korea. They are often credited as being pioneers of the Korean punk rock and indie rock scenes.
The group began performing in 1995 in the Hongdae (area), Hongdae club scene in Seoul. They released the ...
)''
References
{{Authority control
South Korean punk rock groups
South Korean indie rock groups
Musical groups established in 1996
South Korean rock music groups