In April 1999, Martin Koubek started to form a new line up for his band DUX and the material for a new record was being prepared. A bass guitarist Michal Němec, a keyboard player Ondřej Čepelák and a drummer Slávek Kovařík came to the band. Those three begin to help with the vocal parts, as well. Thus, Dux went on as a four-member group and could have been seen and heard "live" in a ČT1 programme called "Dobré ráno" and of course in rock clubs in Prague and some festivals.
First of all, the band was working hard in Dante Music and in Bellatrix recording studios to realize a number of new songs. Having heard the studio works, a contract has been signed between Martin Koubek and Fontana releasing company. This company's job is to spread instrumental music all over the world. The recording of the vocals was interrupted then and the human voices were replaced by heavy guitars and purple-like organ. As soon as in December 2002, a thematic CD "Rock Organ & Guitar" was released including ten original compositions from the band's new period. The other new songs are planned to be released consecutively. On the CD, you can find mature instrumental performances by all the musicians, e.g. a precise drum solo by Slávek Kovařík in the ten-minute track called "Don't Tape This Conversation" etc. Moreover, the CD presents a very interesting (and in this region quite rare) dialogue between a rock guitar and the legendary Hammond B3 organ. Shortly after the CD was released it has obtained a warm welcome even in the USA and so Martin Koubek was offered a long lasting cooperation with Fontana as far as new original instrumental music is concerned.

On the verge of 2003, the band recorded the song "Follow Me on the Path" dedicated to John Lennon and George Harrison, the two late members of The Beatles. The song has been broadcasted by the radio Beat, radio R1, and by the radio Jizera located in Mladá Boleslav. The drum tracks for this song were played by Martin Hložek, a young graduate from the Jaroslav Ježek School of Music. An outstanding singer and musician Pavel Wožniak, known besides his engagements in Luxembourg and Austria as a leader of a vocal trio "Kontrast", illuminated the background vocals. The recording and mixing of the songs for the new album, all sung in English, went on till the year 2003.
Contemporary, the play list for the album and concerts of DUX contains besides a number of new original songs some cover versions of Cream and Led Zeppelin made in a peculiar way. You can also enjoy Sgt. Pepper from The Beatles. Martin Koubek decided to record these so to say classical rock hits to pay homage to the artists who have always accompanied him on his musical journey and been the source of inspiration and ideological and philosophic support for him.
The works of DUX is unusual not only for its smooth instrumental performances and arrangements. The compositions include lyric acoustic songs, blues heritage, and even the expressions of hard rock with its heavy instrumentation. In October 2003, Slávek Kovařík, the rock bard, decided to leave the band. His main reason to do so was the fact that in our regions, there is still no perspective for a really good classical rock music. Thus, in the last period of the recording, Martin Hložek took the drum parts and became a new member of DUX as a drummer and percussionist.

The contemporary line up of DUX (from November 2003) is as follows:

Martin Koubek - guitars, harmonica, vocal

Michal Němec - bass guitar, vocals

Martin Hložek - drums, percussions

Ondřej Čepelák - keyboards, vocals

On the 17th November 2003, this new line up was sealed by a really unusual concert. For the second time Martin Koubek introduced his band on the same stage with the giants of the world rock scene, the DEEP PURPLE!!!!!
All that was a little bit nervous, there were more bands to play there. DUX were chosen and their performance was confirmed as soon as 15th November in the evening. However, the crowded T-Mobile Arena in Prague gave to this Czech support group a great welcome. The forty-minute appearance of DUX on this hot rock site prepared the audience for the main stars in a great way then and the band was applauded. It is necessary to give thanks to Interconcerts, the producing agency. Due to their organization, the technical conditions and the whole communication with the Deep Purple technical team were extremely good.

The greatest reward for Martin Koubek was, however, to wait until the DUX show was over. No one else then the boss of Deep Purple, Roger Glover, constantly friendly and "in tune", ran down from the 1st floor to watch DUX playing. After their concert, having not found the musicians in their dress room (while they were packing their equipment in the backstage) Roger came nearly to the stage and showed Martin Koubek and his band mates great respect for what they are doing and how they are doing that. He asked about the new CD of DUX and offered a contact for Deep Purple management for future use. Furthermore, even in the rush before the main show, he arranged a couple of photographs of DUX with the complete Deep Purple. That is, not only Deep Purple and DUX on the same stage, even on photographs.

The new CD "His Tearoom" which was released in December 2003 by ARECA MUSIC is available at Bonton shops, at Panther distribution company or at ARECA MUSIC.

arecamusic@seznam.cz

matouskovanina@seznam.cz

The fastest way how to obtain any of the DUX CDs (including "His Tearoom") is to click on button "Choose and order CD" on the home page. The CD will be sent on the address you type.

And for the fans of good rock music who are on line here is an internet shop. On www.bombaj.com you can download the new Dux CD "His Tearoom" together with the cover and the booklet straight to your PC.

The new album was introduced during a Dux concert 15. 12. 2003 in the N 11 club in Prague 1, Národní třída. The CD was "blessed" by Aleš Brichta, a well known Czech rock singer, Bohouš Němec (cheef editor of a music magazine Rockshock) and Jan Dočekal, the director of ARECA MUSIC (see Photogalery).