Music
Press
(brief) Easternox is a Korean World Music group that establishes its unique world of music, different from any other general Korean fusion-classical teams. Using colorful spectrum of traditional rhythm as the musical nourishment, Easternox is showing diverse rhythms and drawing the fusion music world’s attention. - Korean Economics Daily News
(brief) The excellent instrument composition of Daegeum, Janggu, Buk, Jing, Kkwaenggwari with the Western drum set and keyboard fulfills the musical satisfaction from both the Korean music’s unique rests and Western music’s rich melody and rhythm. Also, it is worth recognizing that all those great pieces are newly written pieces. - Monthly Music Friends
(brief) With the drum set and keyboard at the background, Easternox’s sound reminds of a band in Europe, but as Buk and Daegeum enter Korea’s profound element immediately adds to the music. Somewhere else other than the united sound of the East and the West does the core of their music lie, however, in the rhythm of traditional tune. - The Dong-A Daily News
By Richard Doherty
on Live Music
OCTOBER 23, 2008
Seoul's live music scene has venues for all walks of life. You can dance the night away in clubs; you can catch new, young bands, as well as much more established
ones; and if you look hard enough, you can find quieter acoustic gigs.
Nothing beats heading to Hongdae for drinks and some live music after a busy week of work.
If you're looking to listen to something a bit different and original, then this Friday, at Jane's Groove, contemporary world musicians Easternox are taking the stage.
Easternox are made up of five members playing a fusion of various Korean traditional instruments, a keyboard and drums.
Lee Suk-jin is the mastermind of the band, composing every song. Their name comes from a fusion of the words Eastern and Equinox, which hints at what they might sound like.
Playing Korean traditional instruments, they mix Eastern sounds with modern compositions, creating contemporary world music that is unlike anything you have ever heard before. The fine balance of traditional melodies and contemporary composition - mixing the old and new - still very much shows they are a band rooted in Korea. This show promises to be a lot of fun, and get there early as there is a guaranteed packed house.
- The Korea Herald
by Pvt. Hwang Joon-hyun (USAG-Yongsan Public Affairs)
November 24, 2008
YONGSAN GARRISON, Republic of Korea - Nearly 150 Yongsan community members attended a Korean music and dance performance Nov. 19 at Seoul American High School auditorium.
The Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation and the Korean American Friendship Association sponsored the special Thanksgiving concert.
"We present annual concerts at Yongsan to foster friendship between U.S. Soldiers and Koreans," said Cho Chin-young, KCHF team manager. "It demonstrates what Korean culture is all about."
Cho said opportunities to understand traditional Korean culture are rare for foreigners. "It means a lot to us to do this," he said.
The show featured more than just traditional Korean music.
"Last year, we only brought the original form of traditional Korean culture," Cho said. "However, this year we tried to stage modern Korean music as well as traditional ones to show how Korean culture has developed over time."
Easternox, one of the groups that performed, played a fusion style of Korean and western music.
"This performance was special because we visited Yongsan Garrison for the convenience of our audience," said Lee Suk-jin, Easternox leader. "I hope to get more chances to show the world how dynamic Korean culture is."
Lee said his band showed a wide range of traditional Korean music and its development into modern day. "Despite the cultural difference, a connection was built with the audience through music," he said.
The audience showed spirit and appreciation to the visiting performers.
"It was fantastic," said Nancy Elizabeth. "I've never seen anything like this before."
Elizabeth said is was difficult to pick her favorite performance of the night. "But the instruments, especially the drums, were great," she said. "I believe events like this help acquaint people to Korean culture. I'd like to see much more of these performances."
- U. S. Army Installation Management Command
December, 2008
Easternox Encore Concert
Easternox is no longer just a traditional Korean Fusion band categorized as a fusion traditional band but potentially a world class Korean sensation as a lot of multicultural fans from all over the world started paying attention to every movement of the Korean born world music band
The concert begins at 9pm on Saturday, December 13th.
Cover: 10,000 won will directly go to the band.
Support the potentially world level local band and be proud of it.
[Meet Korea's Hottest Band!]
Easternox is one of the hottest world music bands in Korea that draws a lot of attention from the world since the winning both the 21st century Korean Music Project Award and Ulsan World Music Festival in 2008. Showing outstandingly unique and powerful performances among fusion traditional bands, Easternox keeps questioning what Korean sounds should be in a true sense.
[Feel the Groove through the Body!]
Meeting Easternox is a whole new experience. Exotic or dynamic are simply not enough to describe the sounds coming from Janggu, Kkwaenggwari, Jing, Daegeum, horn, drums that these fantastic four play. These glamorous youngsters equipped with fairly old school instruments are eager to meet the true music lovers from worldwide in a touchable distance. Do not miss this once in a lifetime chance to witness how the history begins.
- The Eloquence
Discography
Eclipse - Easternox (January, 2011)
Official Studio Album
21c Korean Music Project 2008 [Compilation Album] (2008)
Hanja Honja - Easternox
Organized by Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Korea
21c Korean Music Project 2007 [Compilation Album] (2007)
Pear Blossoms - Easternox
Organized by Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Korea
********** Contact **********
Representative: LEE, Suk Jin
e-mail: easternox@hanmail.net
Phone: +82 (0)10-3361-6373
Photos
Bio
EASTERNOX
Inspirational ancient Korean rhythms make all the audience stand up and dance on the floor, while nobody recognizes that the passionate Easternox music are made on the base of 48 beats pattern.
No WOMEX band uses rhythms of older than 5,000 years.
No WOMEX band uses rhythms of longer than 48-beat pattern.
No Samulnori Ensemble performs with harmonized melodies.
But EASTERNOX does all of the above.
Korean World Music Group Easternox
Captivate the world with its dazzling traditional melody
Shine like the bright blue moon in the universe!
"Alchemists, Creating the Future of Traditional Korean Rhythms"
* About the Group
The word ‘EASTERNOX’ comes from combining ‘eastern’ meaning oriental and ‘equinox’ meaning the time night and day have the equal length all over the world, and the new term signifies the aim for making new music that balances Eastern and Western culture. In 2005, five musicians whose hearts laid on creating the World Music started a team that have repeatedly shown creative pieces for six years until now and kept its position as unmatched World Music team. With its genuine performance acknowledged various times such by ‘World Music Award from 21st century Korean Music Project hosted by Korean Classics Broadcast’, ‘2008 PAMS Choice for excellent performance team’, this team continuing its wonderful journey as the representative of contemporary Korean World Music and released the first official album in January 31, 2011.
* About the Music
Easternox’s musical beginning roots in Korean traditional rhythm and tune. On top of various uncommon folklore rhythms as underlying groove, including ‘6-chae’ equivalent to five beats, ‘Hwachung-jangdan’ 12 beats, ‘7-chae’ 36 beats, ‘Woojilgoot’ 48 beats, ‘5-chae-jangdan’ 49 beats, is the sense of intertwined modern music. Easternox’s music, in which modern tune glimmers on diverse Korean rhythmic variations, is played by Korean traditional percussion instruments, ‘Kkwaenggwari’ a small gong, ‘Jing’ a larger gong, ‘Janggu’ an hourglass-shaped drum, ‘Buk’ a barrel drum similar to the bass drum, one and only wind ‘Daegeum’ a bamboo flute, as well as the Western drum set and keyboard that all together sing in harmony.
* AWARDS *
- October 2011, Selected for Korean Contemporary Traditional Music CD by KAMS
- May 2011, Awarded a Grand Prize at Incheon K-Art Choice
- May 2010, Awarded a Silver Prize at Korea Contemporary Pungmul Art Contest
- September 2008, Awarded a World Music Prize for traditional Korean music composition at the 21st Century Korean Music Project 2008 organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Korea
- October 2008, Selected as an Excellent Music Performance by PAMS Choice 2008 (Performing Arts Market in Seoul)
- May 2008, Selected as a Korean representative participant in the Ulsan World Music Festival
- September 2007, Awarded an Encouragement Prize for traditional Korean music composition at the 21st Century Korean Music Project 2007 organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in Korea
* EASTERNOX is a shortening of Eastern and Equinox symbolizing the oriental nature of our music together with the two days each year when day and night are of equal length. Though balancing the new and the old, East and West, the name of our group nonetheless indicates that our roots are firmly grounded in Korea.
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