EXCLUSIVE: ASTRO’s MOONBIN and SANHA dish about INCENSE album, India itinerary, favourite K-drama

Unit MOONBIN&SANHA, which is part of the ASTRO clan spoke with Pinkvilla exclusively about their third mini-album release and the title track Madness.

Written by Ayushi Agrawal , Journalist

Updated on Jan 25, 2023 | 04:06 PM IST | 1.1M

MOONBIN&SANHA

ASTRO has been in the K-pop business since 2016 when the members first stepped out as promising young guns with a lot of dreams in their eyes and a passionate front to keep them going. And they did, becoming one of the most adored debutants. Now as they come closer to completing their seventh year with one member already in the military and the others finding their solid footing within the industry, they’ve not stopped exploring.

Moon Bin and Sanha

One of their successful endeavours has been their sub-unit, MOONBIN&SANHA comprising members Moon Bin and Yoon Sanha, that first debuted in September 2020 with a mini-album. Moon Bin brought his charisma to the table while Sanha brought playfulness, they both contributed with their singing and songwriting ensuring that the unit stays strong. Now, onto their third mini-album already, the duo has greeted the fans with mesmerising performances and chaotic ones alike. Their quick-wittedness has ensured that the fans stay entertained while their meaningful songs have kept them hooked.

In an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, Moon Bin and Sanha spoke about their aroma influenced comeback with the album ‘INCENSE’ and its title track ‘Madness’. Being their goofy selves on stage was never a problem for the two and they carried the same stance even off-stage, ready to impress with their myriad of skills.

MOONBIN&SANHA

Playing games, poking fun and being each other’s confidantes, their chemistry throughout the interview underscored their beliefs of considering each other the best partner to have. By the end of it, we were enamoured not just by their beauty but also by their sheer welcoming presence.

‘INCENSE’ relates back to aroma. Are you both heavily influenced by your sense of smell? If yes, how?

Moon Bin: When we were discussing this album's theme, we came across the five senses of humans because it is part of our life that we experience every day. Out of the five senses, we thought the sense of smell is the most memorable sense. Also, scent can be a medium that brings back memories for people, so that's how we decided scent to be the album's concept.

The concept films show you both in a lab working on something. Would you want to release a special smell exclusive for your fans?

Sanha: We've never made perfume before. However, we filmed a video in which we create scents that would fit each other. That video is not released yet, but that was the first time I made a certain scent.
For AROHA, I want to create a perfume that can bring back the memories of our debut. It would resemble the scent of February, which is our debut month, that is between winter and spring.

You have 2 concepts for this comeback, PURE and IMPURE. How do they differ?

Sanha: In PURE version, we present madness that is literally pure. In the other version, it represents our message of showing madness that is not so pure.

Moon Bin: With this album, we want to deliver the message of 'We want to make you happy' to all listeners. It also includes some twisted madness with the ultimate goal of making others happy.

How do your solo tracks ‘이끌려’ (Desire) and ‘바람’ (Wish) carry your essence in them?

Moon Bin: I wanted to make an R&B song which I really like, so I'm glad I was able to create one this time. This song is about being attracted to someone who is totally different from me, just like a magnet. N pole is attracted to S pole, and vice versa. It made me think about being attracted to the opposite side, and it eventually became the story of 'Desire'.

Sanha: ‘Wish' is a ballad-type track, and I was thinking about a way to include my gratitude for AROHA in a song when I composed it. Then I thought, "I hope my voice gets delivered to AROHA through ‘Wind’.” That is why 'Wish' can have two different meanings, one is wind and the other is hope, or wish.

What is the title track ‘Madness’ about?

Moon Bin: Many composers had submitted their tracks, and we chose 'Madness' because it was something new, we thought we could express this song well. We tried many new, different approaches to the song so it was a little challenging, but we had a lot of fun working on the song together.

Moon Bin is a fan of the show ‘Transit Love’ (환승연애). Has he pulled in Sanha with him or is there any other K-drama you’re watching instead?

Sanha: I actually didn't watch 'Transit Love'. I'm watching 'Reborn Rich' right now, and I'm impressed with the actors' performance in that drama. It's very interesting to watch too.

What are the words you wish to hear the most from your fans at this moment?

Moon Bin: It's not necessarily what I wish to hear, but something our fans say often is that we make them happy and we motivate them to live. I think that's my favourite thing to hear. Whenever I hear that from fans, it's really fulfilling and I'm glad that I took this career.

How do you plan on bringing an end to 2022? What was your best and worst moment of the year?

Sanha: I think I'll wrap up this year with Bin, and I learned a lot last year when I look back. The best moment of 2022 was that we were able to perform offline since COVID-19 regulations have been lifted more.
The worst part was that because the restrictions were lifted just last year so we couldn't meet our fans before then.

Moon Bin: I think I'll also greet the new year with Sanha, and I agree with him on the best moment of 2022. Since the pandemic regulations were eased a little more, we could travel and perform in various places. But we couldn't make it to more countries because there still are COVID-19 restrictions that we must follow.

Where would you like to go or what would you like to try in India if you visit here?

Moon Bin: I’m aware that India is known for its famous architecture, so I'd love to visit the Taj Mahal. I also want to go to the Ganges river as I heard the sunrise there is beautiful.

MOONBIN&SANHA played a game of ‘NEVER HAVE I EVER’ with us. Check out the full video below.