Galaxy Express (Korean갤럭시 익스프레스) is a garage rock band from South Korea that formed in 2006.[1] The trio, which is known for its energetic stage presence, is one of the most popular rock bands in South Korea and has received international acclaim.[2][3]

Galaxy Express
Galaxy Express performed at Club Ta for the Steel Face compilation release.
Galaxy Express performed at Club Ta for the Steel Face compilation release.
Background information
OriginSeoul, South Korea
GenresGarage rock, punk rock, psychedelic rock
Years active2006–present
LabelsLove Rock Company
MembersLee Ju-hyun
Park Jong-hyun
Kim Hee-kwon
Websitehttp://galaxyexpress.co.kr/

Career

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Galaxy Express debuted in 2007 with the EP, To The Galaxy.[2] Their first full-length album, 2008's Noise On Fire, won Best Rock Album at the 2009 Korean Music Awards.[4]

To make their second full-length album, 2010's Wild Days, the band posted songs online and asked fans for feedback before recording final versions. The entire process of writing and recording the album took less than one month.[2] This experiment helped Galaxy Express win the award for Musician of the Year at the 2011 Korean Music Awards.[5]

In 2011, Galaxy Express took part in the Seoulsonic tour of North America, performing at major music festivals Canadian Music Week and South by Southwest, and at concerts in New York and Los Angeles.[6] Their travels were documented in the 2012 documentary Turn It Up to 11, Part 2: Wild Days.[7]

Galaxy Express returned to the Canadian Music Festival in 2012 and South by Southwest in 2012, 2013, and 2017.[8][9] The band has also performed in France, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.[2]

In 2013, band member Lee Ju-hyun was arrested in South Korea for marijuana possession, cultivation, and smoking. At the time, Galaxy Express was participating in the Mnet competition show Band Generation, and had advanced to the final round.[10] While the band won the competition, Mnet did not air the final episode.[2] Several days after Lee's arrest, band member Park Jong-hyun was investigated for smoking marijuana.[11]

The band released their third album, Galaxy Express, in 2012 and their fourth album, Walking on Empty, in 2015.[12][13]

Band members

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  • Lee Ju-hyun: bass, vocals
  • Park Jong-hyun: guitar, vocals
  • Kim Hee-kwon: drums

Discography

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At the Busan Rock Festival in 2015.
  • To the Galaxy EP (2007)
  • Ramble Around EP (2007)
  • Noise on Fire (2008)
  • Come On & Get Up! EP (2009)
  • Wild Days (2010)
  • Naughty Boy split with Crying Nut (2011)
  • Galaxy Express (2012)
  • Walking on Empty (2015)
  • Electric Jungle (2018)
  • Thonig And Bell (2022)
  • Highway To Splaints (2024)

Awards

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Year Category Recipient Result
2009 Best Rock Album Noise on Fire Won
2011 Musician of the Year Galaxy Express Won

References

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  1. ^ "갤럭시 익스프레스(Galaxy Express) 소개". Mnet (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  2. ^ a b c d e Lee, Claire (2014-03-16). "[Band Uprising] Galaxy Express looking to bounce back into spotlight". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  3. ^ Kim, Pil Ho (2016). "Korean Rock's Journey From Group Sound to Indie Punk". In Shin, Hyunjoon; Lee, Seung-Ah (eds.). Made in Korea: Studies in Popular Music. Taylor & Francis. p. 80. ISBN 978-1317645740.
  4. ^ "6회 시상식 수상결과". Korean Music Awards (in Korean). 2010. Archived from the original on 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  5. ^ "종합분야". Korean Music Awards (in Korean). 2011. Archived from the original on 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  6. ^ Min, Ines (2011-02-17). "Korean indie bands to rock North America". The Korea Times. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  7. ^ Baek, Seung-hwa. "Turn It Up to 11, Part 2: Wild Days". Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  8. ^ Herman, Tamar (2017-03-10). "10 Must-Watch Korean Acts at SXSW 2017". Billboard. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  9. ^ Dunbar, Jon (2012-02-28). "Korean indie bands head to North America". Korea.net. Korean Culture and Information Service. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  10. ^ "Galaxy Express' Lee Joo-hyun Arrested For Marijuana Use". KBS World. 2013-06-03. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  11. ^ Park, Se-yeon (2013-07-09). "갤럭시 익스프레스 이주현 이어 박종현도 대마 혐의". Nate News (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  12. ^ P, Chris (2012-12-11). "Galaxy Express (갤럭시 익스프레스) : Galaxy Express". Korean Indie. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  13. ^ Lee, Han-su (2015). "갤럭시 익스프레스, 솔직하고 거침없는 사나이들". Yes24. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
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