No Brain ― a Band that Continues to Evolve
By Kong Tae-hee, Han Yong-Kee
No Brain debuted in 1997 with their mega hit ``You're Stuck On Me," becoming one of Korea's most famous rock bands and introducing punk rock, a relatively unknown genre at the time, to Korean listeners.
We are fervent No Brain fans. We are actually more than fans. One could say we are some of many who believe they are living witnesses of the birth and success of the group. But we recently discovered that we actually knew nothing about the group until now.
No Brain works under the label Rock Star Music. But the group says it has never signed a contract with the label. Yes, the band that has risen to superstar status in the past 10 years has never signed a contract concerning labor conditions or distribution. This would be impossible for a small- or medium-sized label, let alone a major record label. How did this happen? This is when we began thinking of the culture of the Korean sentiment, ``jeong.''
Out of all the Asian countries that use Chinese characters, only Korea and Japan use ``jeong'' as an independent word. It's a difficult concept to explain to a foreigner. Koreans unconsciously define and remember relationships through ``jeong.''
This cultural practice could be difficult to understand in the Western world, where contracts are crucial, and from a Chinese perspective. But in Korea, the close connections of a ``jeong'' culture positively influenced certain areas of rapid economic development. The culture of ``jeong'' can also be found in a cultural world growing as fast as the economy. The reason No Brain was able to work without a contract can be found in Korea's ``jeong'' culture.
We asked the band how it was possible for them to work without a contract. Vocalist Lee Sung-woo replied, ``Having a contract just makes us nervous, and I think we work harder because we don't have one.''
It is clear that the relationship between No Brain and their label comes from Korea's culture of trust and ``jeong.'' But there's more to it. We might have understood this relationship through Korea's unique culture of ``jeong,'' but in 21st century Korea, that couldn't be the only reason.
What's the story behind the relationship commonly called a ``praiseworthy episode'' in Korea? It's a story about an ideal artist-and-record label relationship.
An ideal relationship is necessary for the making of a great artist. A music label must understand the artist's music and characteristics (pros, cons and limits), and the artist must not have suspicions nor dissatisfactions with the label's guidelines.
The music label must be professional and sincere when it comes to the artist's music. The company's goal must be to cultivate its artists into professional musicians while creating a profit by producing albums with their music. The albums are produced and sold, and the profit must be distributed and the surplus reinvested in future albums. This is possible in a ``good circulation'' structure.
How could this process work without a contract? When an artist and a music label are able to discern a cold reality and perfectly realize each other's abilities and potential. For example, the artist will not ask for an unreasonable paycheck, and the label will not force the artist to follow an unreasonable schedule to boost album sales.
No Brain made incredible progress for 10 years after their debut. They did experience a slight slump, but their music continued to develop and they earned great support from fans. They managed to do all this without a contract. Instead of asking the band if they could continue to work without a contract, we asked them this question.
``What is the image the members dream of in 20 years?''
Here is why we asked this question. Will No Brain still be able to perform under the same name after 20 years? Will the band still be concentrating on their music without a contract, like they did with Rock Star Music? Drummer Hwang Hyun-sung answered, ``I want to continue making music with the members, but no one knows what will happen in the future. I think, if I'm able to make music with the members like I am now, the future doesn't look so bad.''
It was a simple but heartwarming answer, and that's the kind of band No Brain is. This also speaks volumes about their label, Rock Star Music. Beyond the Korean culture of "jeong," the band and their label were able to establish a new and reasonable standard of judgment.
Kong Tae-hee is a program director of OBS Gyengin TV and Han Yong-kee is a PD of Arirang TV. They co-produce ``LIVE H'' that is broadcasted in 188 countries. The program features live concerts to promote Korea's pop culture worldwide and is produced in well-known clubs near Hongdae (Hongik University), the heart of band music.