- For other articles titled 'ZEN', see Zen.
ZEN (젠; also stylized as Z.E.N), formerly known as Jusin (쥬신), was a dance turned folk co-ed group under Maya Entertainment. They debuted on May 18, 1999 with the album Neo-Millenium.
Their group name was given by their fans in which Z stands for sleep, E stands for eat and N stands for network, signifying a generation that spends all of their daily lives with the network. [1]
They disbanded sometime in 2007.
History[]
Pre-debut[]
The members auditioned for Maya Entertainment in January 1998.[2]
The group was eventually formed in February 1998.[3]
1999: Debut with Neo-Millenium, rebrand as ZEN, departure of Sangwoo[]
On May 18, 1999, they made their debut as a six-member group with the album Neo-Millenium under the name Jusin.
Later in June, the group rebranded as ZEN.[2] During this time, member Sangwoo also left the group.
2000: Z.E.N 0001[]
In May 2000, ZEN released their re-debut album Z.E.N 0001 , with the song "이브" serving as the title track.
2001: Transition into folk music and activism[]
In 2001, ZEN would collaborate with Labor Voice, as part of which they stated that "they had been thinking about the workers' and the people's struggle for several years".[4]
On April 27, they uploaded the song "그 날 그 자리에서", which was intended as a commentary on actions taken by police targeting riots and protests that started up in response to lay-offs by Daewoo Motors.[5][4]
The group continued to release more demos over the course of the year, including the songs "아빠와 전태일" on May 1 and "종이 비행기" on May 27.
2003-2007: ZEN Second Album, disbandment[]
In 2003, ZEN would released the album ZEN Second Album. Instead of music shows, ZEN would perform in protest rallies fighting for labor workers, disabled people and children.[6]
The group later disbanded sometime in 2007.
Members[]
| Name | Position(s) | Years active |
|---|---|---|
| Woohyuk (우혁) | Leader, Rapper, Vocalist | 1999-2007 |
| Namga (남가) | Vocalist | 1999-2007 |
| Minsun (민선) | Vocalist | 1999-2007 |
| Hyeyoung (혀영) | Vocalist | 1999-2007 |
| Donghwan (동환) | Rapper, Vocalist | 1999-2007 |
| Former | ||
| Sangwoo (상우) | Main Dancer, Rapper, Vocalist | 1999 |
Discography[]
Studio albums[]
- Neo-Millenium (1999) (as Jusin)
- Z.E.N 0001 (2000)
- ZEN Second Album (2002)
Other releases[]
- "그날 그자리에서" (2001)
- "아빠와 전태일" (2001)
- "종이 비행기" (2001)
- "날지 못하는 새" (2001)
- "일등 신문" (2001)
- "사생 결단가" (2001)
- "공간 이동" (2001)
- "비정규직 철폐가" (2001)
- "MayDay(왼손의 법칙)" (2001)
- "일급천사 (최옥란 열사 추모곡)" (2001)
- "벌거벗은 여신(naked-goddess)" (2002)
- "민중의아버지(영상음악)" (2002)
- "Same People" (2003)
- "게르니카(Guernica)" (2003)
- "Mayday Lasts Forever(메이데이여 영원하라)" (2003)