Jay, left, and Kim Jung-mo of TRAX By Jeon Min-gyu
Kim Jung-mo stands out from his peers in the pop-heavy Korean music industry. He may not have the flashy dance moves of his pop contemporaries, but his brand of rock music is catching on.
The 26-year-old guitarist and composer plays with the rock band TRAX. Although the band is not yet part of the mainstream, Kim believes they have what it takes to keep to their fans interested over the long term.
“Trends come and go. Girl groups are in at the moment but there will come a time when the public starts listening to rock bands,” said Kim. “It’s all about timing. I want to make sure our fans keep anticipating our next album and hopefully reach fans in other parts of the world. It’s a big reason why I continue to play music.”
Having made their debut in 2004 with a single album, TRAX has had to deal with several bumps along the way. Their follow-up album was stalled for three and a half years because vocalist Jay Kim injured his vocal cords. Since then, the group has been reduced from four members to two. They recently released a mini album in September.
“I think the toughest stretch for our band was when Jay suffered from vocal cord paralysis,” said Kim. “He couldn’t even talk for a year. I continued to make music but thoughts about quitting kept entering my mind.”
What made Kim stay was his love of music and vision of the future of rock in Korea. Kim always had a strong interest in music and began taking guitar lessons in his first year of middle school. A student of his craft, Kim also studied various musical genres at an early age, and in middle school he became interested in Japanese rock.
“Japan went through a phase where idol groups were really popular during the 1980s. Then rock bands went mainstream in Japan in the late 1980s and they continue to have an established fan base,” Kim said. “I guessed at the time that the Korean music industry would also follow a similar trend. All my peers thought I was crazy at the time but I went to an SM Entertainment audition and was accepted on my second try in my first year of high school.”
Kim is adept at composing music and his study of various musical genres has ensured the group’s versatility.
“We’re a rock band and that will never change, but it is our intention to continue to evolve and explore as a group,” said Kim. “What we do can be considered the most basic form of music from a technical standpoint. We play our own instruments and sing. I think that’s a big advantage for us. I can’t say for certain what type of music we will do next but we are always looking to progress as a group and we want to continue to challenge ourselves.”
*This article was written with the assistance of Korea JoongAng Daily staff reporter Jason Kim.
