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EXCLUSIVE: EPEX on sounds best describing group, flipping ages, listening to EXO’s D.O. and Justin Bieber
In an exclusive conversation with us, boy group EPEX spoke about making a return with new music, personal goals, and more. Read the full interview below.
Prelude of Anxiety Chapter 2. ‘Can We Surrender?’, as daunting as the name of their album sounds, K-pop group EPEX brings their charismatic side into play with every release. Debuting in June 2021, the octet has carried a heavy build-up of emotional and deep-pressing feelings throughout their releases, and their sixth mini-album is not any different.
EPEX’s Prelude of Anxiety Chapter 2
The group has gone through a myriad of concepts, bringing depth and versatility to the screens each time. For this comeback with Prelude of Anxiety Chapter 2. ‘Can We Surrender?’, the team took on yet another idea, trying to bring it to vision. Comprising songs like the title track Full Metal Jacket, alongside B-sides Surrender, Hit the Wall, and No Roof, the album is a treat for fans of EPEX.
EPEX Interview
The boy group’s members- WISH, KEUM, MU, A-MIN, BAEKSEUNG, AYDEN, YEWANG, and JEFF, spoke about their latest release via an exclusive interview with us where they opened up on having pride in their development, as well as dishing out ways to introduce first-time listeners to their music.
This album completes the story that you began over 2 years ago. What message have you tried to portray from Bipolar Pt. 1: Prelude of Anxiety to now?
BAEKSEUNG: So far, through the Prelude of Anxiety and Prelude of Love series, we have expressed the complex and dangerous emotions that come with the anxiety of adolescence and the beginning of love through various songs and videos. While exploring these stories, we wanted to convey that anxiety and love are not polar opposites of each other but interconnected and that we all grow naturally through this process.
How have the members developed in these years since their debut? What are you the most proud of?
KEUM: We also seem to be growing, sometimes feeling anxious and sometimes happy through our various new experiences since our debut. In that way, we have grown significantly in many ways compared to when we first debuted.
AYDEN: I believe the team has become emotionally closer. Now we are really close to each other and feel very happy when we are together. Physically, we still lack a lot and need to work harder, but we’ve improved a lot in various areas, including vocals, rap, and performance.
MU: With each album release, not only does the chemistry among the members grow, but our desire to show a better side of ourselves grows; we continue to try to show a better side of ourselves in terms of skills, and we are continuously growing. We’re proud of such progress and would like to improve even more in the future.
The title track, Full Metal Jacket, is much like its name and takes on a different path in terms of music than your previous releases. What are your views on it?
BAEKSEUNG: In terms of sound, it is a heavier and more aggressive style of rock music, so we think you will be able to experience it in a new way. The work was done within the overall framework of the Prelude of Anxiety series, so it didn’t feel too foreign. It was the title song that was associated with “Lock Down” and “Anthem of Teen Spirit,” and since it was the final part of Prelude of Anxiety, “FULL METAL JACKET” was focused on the extreme sound that is not quite easily found in K-pop.
JEFF: When filming the music video, the scene I filmed with the camera mounted on my body is the most memorable. It was a bit awkward because the camera was very close to my face, but I remember trying to focus more on facial expressions. It was not a filming technique we experienced often, so it was especially memorable.
Which member do the others think was made for this concept?
A-MIN: I think JEFF fits the best. The harsh, rough tone of the voice and the scratches on the eyebrows suited the song's intensity well.
JEFF: I think KEUM's facial expressions interpreted the song really well. Every time I monitored after the stage, I thought he was really expressing this song well.
Which member would like to become the oldest for a day and why?
BAEKSEUNG: Rather than wishing to become the oldest, I have thought about how I would live and act in this team if I were the eldest. However, WISH is handling the role of the eldest well, so I am happy with our current roles.
AYDEN: If I were to become the eldest member, I would like to play various pranks on the members, such as jokingly asking them to turn off the lights in the house and asking for water. I want to be a friend like oldest brother. I am one of the youngest team members, so I want to be the eldest for at least a day.
In contrast, who would like to become the youngest and why?
KEUM: I want to be the youngest! Now, WISH is the only member who is older than me. I want to become the youngest member who is loved by many older brothers. I am also the youngest in the family.
WISH: If I become the team's youngest member, I want to create a group where I am the "Maknae On Top (the youngest who has the most power in the group)." I really want to play the role of the prioritized person, which only the youngest can play naturally without being criticized.
MU: Our youngest line includes AYDEN, YEWANG, and JEFF. We give them an incredible amount of love. If I get a chance, I want to live as the youngest for a day because I want to know what it would be like to be the youngest and receive a lot of love.
Which artists are the members listening to these days?
A-MIN: I often listen to a song by an artist called Dori. These songs have attractive tones and an overall cozy and warm sensibility, so they seem to be well-suited to the cold season. If I write songs in the future, I want to try making music like this.
YEWANG: I listen to D.O’s songs a lot. He has recently released an album, so I’ve been listening to it a lot, and if I get a chance, I’d like to cover his song.
JEFF: These days, I often listen to Justin Bieber’s “Hold On.” This is a song that gave me a lot of strength. It was written to ask people to hang on and hold tight in a situation where someone they really love could die soon. The lyrics and melody are so good that this song keeps getting stuck in my ear, and I cannot stop listening to it.
What are some things EPEX is looking to achieve within this year?
A-MIN: I want to improve my physical strength. I felt that I needed to take better care of my physical strength in order to perform more stages and schedules. This year, I will work out harder and build up my physical strength.
YEWANG: I want to get in great shape this year. There was an outfit that I thought would look prettier if I had a good body, but I felt a little disappointed when I wore it, so I want to try to define my body shape a bit more in the upcoming year.
JEFF: Our goal is to rise to the next level by showing our new and diverse side through music. Personally, since I am still a student, I want to finish the rest of my school life well.
What is one EPEX song the members think perfectly describes their group’s sound?
WISH: “Lock Down” marked our beginning, and it is a song that well represents our identity as it is the first song that made our universe and story known to the world.
KEUM: “FULL METAL JACKET” showed that we can handle any concept through a side of ourselves that we have never shown before.
MU: I also think “Lock Down” marked our beginning. As the title song of our debut album, it is the song that first introduced us to the world, so it is the first song that comes to mind when thinking about our identity.
A-MIN: I believe “First Love’s Law” represents our identity well because it seems to be the song that best captures EPEX’s boyish charm.
AYDEN: “Sunshower” is the song that clearly shows the charm of EPEX and the message we want to convey.
YEWANG: I think “No Questions” captures very nicely what students have said to adults so far.
JEFF: Since we are our sisters’ cats, “Do 4 Me” is the song that best represents us. (Laughs) It is also a song that made us a little more known.
BAEKSEUNG: I think it’s “Sunshower” and “FULL METAL JACKET “ because those two are the most representative songs of Prelude of Love and Prelude of Anxiety, respectively.
What words do you have for any new listeners who came to know about you because of this album?
WISH: Through music and videos from our debut album series, EPEX has expressed the extremely realistic stories of teenagers who are around our age group. We want to empathize with feelings of happiness, comfort, and consolation at various times. We ask for your interest in our future promotions.
KEUM: We want to deliver a clear message through music. We also hope to broaden the spectrum of genres but keep EPEX’s unique color. We will show you that we continue to grow, so please look forward to us.
AYDEN: We are a team that has more to show than what we have shown yet. We will become a team that continues to grow as we receive much support and deep love! Please look forward to our endeavors!
YEWANG: We will strive not only to pursue music but also to become mature human beings. We will make sure that EPEX is loved by more people! Thank you!
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