Shin Hae-chul facts for kids

Shin Hae-chul (Hangul: 신해철; May 6, 1968 – October 27, 2014) was a very important South Korean singer, songwriter, and music producer. He was known for being a pioneer of experimental rock music in Korea. Fans sometimes called him "The Demon Lord" because of his powerful stage presence.

Shin started his music journey with his band Muhangwedo in 1988. They won first place at a big music festival with their song "To You." Later, in 1992, he formed the rock band N.EX.T. He was also a popular radio host for many years.

Sadly, Shin passed away in 2014 after a medical accident.

Early Life and Music Start

Shin Hae-chul was born on May 6, 1968. He went to Sogang University in 1987 to study philosophy. However, he soon decided to leave university to focus completely on his music career.

Shin Hae-chul's Music Career

Debut with Muhangwedo

Shin formed the band Muhangwedo (Hangul: 무한궤도) in 1988. This was when he was still in his second year at Sogang University. The band became famous across the country. They appeared on the 1988 MBC Campus Music Festival. This was a singing contest for amateur musicians. Muhangwedo won first place with their song "To You" (그대에게). Shin wrote this winning song. The band released one album in 1989 called When Our Lives Are Almost Over.

Early Solo Music

Shin released his first solo album in 1990. This album included a song with an English rap part. This was very unusual in Korean music at that time. The album was a huge success. It helped Shin become one of the top artists in Korean pop music. He also won many Korean pop music awards.

His second solo album, Myself, came out in 1991. This was the first album in Korea to use MIDI technology. Around this time, he also started working as a radio DJ on MBC FM.

The N.EX.T. Band Years

In 1992, Shin formed the band N.EX.T. This marked his move from pop music to rock. Their first album, Home, was a "concept album." This means all the songs were connected by a main idea. Before, his songs were mostly about love. But with N.EX.T., Shin started writing about social issues. For example, the song "City People" criticized the busy lives of people in cities.

The band's second album, The Return of N.EX.T Part 1: The Being, came out in 1994. In this album, Shin added more deep, philosophical lyrics. Songs like "The Ocean: About Immortality" made listeners think about the meaning of life. Their third album was The Return of N.EX.T Part 2: World. Some band members changed over time, but Shin was always the main singer and songwriter.

During this period, Shin also worked on other projects. He teamed up with singer Yoon Sang to form a group called Nodance. He also wrote the soundtrack for the Korean movie Jungle Story. From 1996 to 1997, he was the DJ for the MBC FM radio show FM Music City. In 1996, he even started his own music label, Big Bang Music.

In 1997, N.EX.T. released a rock ballad song called "Here, I Stand for You." It sold 500,000 copies in South Korea. The words from this song are even carved on his tombstone. The band's fourth album, Lazenca: A Space Rock Opera, was released in November 1997. This album was also the soundtrack for the animated TV series Lazenca. After this, the band broke up for a while. Shin went to London to study music production.

Shin Hae-chul as Crom

While in London, Shin changed his stage name to Crom. This name was inspired by Oliver Cromwell. In 1998, he released a techno album called Crom's Techno Works. The next year, he formed a project group called Monocrom with guitarist Chris Tsangarides. They released an album also called Monocrom. The music on this album was very experimental. It mixed heavy metal with Korean folk music, rap, and rock ballads. Most of the songs were in English.

After Monocrom, Shin went to New York. There, he worked on a live album and soundtracks for Korean movies. In 2000, he formed a three-person band called Wittgenstein. They made a home studio album with the same name. He also wrote a song called "Zergs are Coming" for a StarCraft video game music album.

N.EX.T. Returns

Shin came back to Korea in 2002. He worked on many different projects. He mainly wrote songs for other artists and for movie soundtracks. In 2004, he brought N.EX.T. back together. The band members were different this time. They released a double album called The Return of N.EX.T Part 3: 개한민국.

He also started being a DJ again for a late-night radio show called Ghost Nation. This show became extremely popular. In 2007, N.EX.T. released a jazz album called The Songs for the One. This album was inspired by his newborn daughter. In 2008, the band released the album 666 Trilogy. After a long break, the band's final album, Reboot Myself, was released in 2014.

Shin Hae-chul as a Producer

In 2004, Shin took part in a special music project. He worked with some of the best musicians in Korea. The album was a tribute to a collection of poems by Park Nohae. It was the first time in Korean music history that recordings were made especially for poetry. On this album, Shin sang the song "Heaven" (하늘) with the famous singer Psy.

Radio DJ Work

Throughout his career, Shin hosted several radio programs. These included Music City with Shin Hae Chul and GhostStation with Shin Hae Chul. Since 2003, Mr. Shin hosted the popular Ghost Nation on MBC. This was a late-night radio program. His fans often called him "Mawang" (마왕), which means 'the Demon Lord'.

On September 16, 2007, Shin ended Ghost Nation on MBC. However, he announced that the show would continue online.

Personal Life

Shin married Yoon Won-hee (윤원희) on September 29, 2002. He released his first jazz album The Songs for the One in 2007. He dedicated this album to his wife and daughter.

Shin also appeared on a TV show (MBC Goldfish) where it was discovered he had prosopagnosia. This is a condition where a person has difficulty recognizing faces. After that, he hosted a new TV comedy debate program called 100-second Debate. This show was similar to MBC's 100 Minute Debate.

Shin Hae-chul's Passing

Shin went to Sky Hospital for stomach problems on October 17, 2014. During surgery, the doctor accidentally caused injuries to Shin's small intestine and heart sac. This led to a serious infection. Shin developed a fever, but he was told it was normal after surgery. On October 22, he had a heart attack. He sadly passed away on October 27. The cause was a severe infection and brain damage from lack of oxygen.

At the suggestion of his friends, Shin's family stopped his cremation. They asked for an autopsy to find out what happened. In March 2015, the police found that Shin Hae-chul died due to medical mistakes. The doctor involved was punished and sentenced to jail. Shin's death led to a new law in South Korea. This law helps people in cases of medical mistakes. It is known as the "Shin Hae-chul Law."

Tributes to Shin Hae-chul

Psy's song "Dream" was released in 2015 as a tribute to Shin. The lyrics were based on talks they had about life and death. Psy said he would donate the money from this song to Shin's family.

Discography

Muhangwedo

• When Our Lives Are Almost Over (1989)

As a Solo Artist

• Don't Put on a Sad Face (1990)
• Myself (1991)
• Crom's Techno Works (1998)
• Monochrom (1999)
• The Songs for the One (2007)
• Reboot Myself Part 1 (EP) (2014)

N.EX.T

Books

• 사랑의 날개는 너에게 (1991)
• 쾌변독설 (2008)
• 마왕 신해철 (Mawang Shin Hae-chul) (2014)