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Photo: Courtesy of MODHAUS

The K-Pop industry is known for its meticulous attention to creating visually stunning performances and producing music that mesmerizes and enthralls. Outside the four major K-Pop companies, emerging groups fight to gain attention like any new indie artist looking to find new fans. 

Lately, I've been really taken with a rising K-pop group called ARTMS. This talented group was brought together under the MODHAUS (모드 하우스) label and entertainment agency. The group consists of five talented members, JinSoul, HaSeul, Kim Lip, HeeJin, and Choerry, each with prior experience in other groups or projects, most notably.

Th group has a strong and enduring synergy, despite ARTMS being a relatively new presence. Drawing from their past experience, it's difficult to label their debut album as their first foray. Their names alone are enough to captivate the K-Pop industry and attract a fresh audience.

<Dall>, their debut album, seamlessly fuses the energetic spirit of K-pop with '80s-inspired pop ballads, fearlessly challenging pop music norms. The group showcases their versatility and creativity across 11 tracks that span diverse genres, spotlighting each member's unique talent, including standout singles like "Birth," "Flower Rhythm," and "Candy Crush." 

Like the shifting phases of the moon, the album transitions between musical styles, offering listeners an enchanting and distinctive journey. Crafted to create a captivating soundscape, the rhythms and melodies evoke mystery and wonder, complemented by deeply personal and reflective lyrics. <Dall> promises an unforgettable listening experience that invites repeated enjoyment.

With <Dall> now gifted to fans new and old alike, we spoke with ARTMS to dive headfirst into the group's impressive debut effort. 

OnesToWatch: Regarding the title <Dall>, what message do you aim to communicate to your fans? 

HeeJin: In this era where AI is becoming a reality, I think there are always some insurmountable barriers between us and our fans in the virtual world and the idol world. Our song symbolizes our intention to overcome those barriers and get closer to our fans.

What inspired the concept and theme behind your album <Dall>?

Choerry: It’s an album where you can hear each member’s charming vocal color. We wanted to create an album that connects our unique color and universe, filled with various genres and stories for the fans who have been waiting to hear from us.

Have you been inspired by any particular artists or musicians while creating the album? Are there any songs that resonated with you during the process?

Choerry: Each song is very different, but for "Birth," when all the members first heard it, we thought of Billie Eilish. We tried to capture that very deep and dreamy feeling. As for "Butterfly Effect," we put a lot of effort into it because it contains a lot of our story and history.

The visuals and aesthetics accompanying your album <Dall> are truly captivating. I would love to know more about the visuals that resonated with you the most.

Kim Lip: For this music video, we put a lot of effort into our hair and makeup styles to express ARTMS as angels. It was also fun to match all of our colored contact lenses to shades of blue.

Each member of ARTMS brings unique strengths to the group. How did you showcase individual talents while maintaining a cohesive sound on <Dall>?

Kim Lip: What we really felt while preparing this album is that the combination of our five vocal colors matches very well. It’s difficult for each member to show their unique charm while also blending well together, but ARTMS has achieved that! Please listen to our album a lot. :)

Which song on the album was the most fulfilling to record? And which song do you feel resonates the most with the members of the group?

HaSeul: The title track "Virtual Angel" was the most satisfying to record. It was the song that had the most re-recordings among all the tracks on this album. Through many revisions, we were able to hone in on the message and emotions we wanted to convey. The song that resonated the most with us was "Butterfly Effect." The lyrics that connect with LOONA’s "Butterfly" is a nice easter egg for our long-time fans.

Every pre-release single drew inspiration from the pre-debut projects of each unit/solo artist. How did you collaborate to merge these individual projects with the group project <DALL> and create something entirely new?

HeeJin: Odd Eye Circle, HeeJin, and HaSeul each had their own albums. Now that the five of us have come together to form ARTMS, we wanted to capture that meaning by reinterpreting each of our unit songs and incorporating them into our album.

Did the voting process bring a certain kind of mystery to the official tracklist? How did it feel to let OURII vote on the songs?

HaSeul: There are a total of two songs selected through the Gravity voting. We were also nervous as we awaited the results. Both songs are very strong, and the fact that this album was completed with fan participation adds a unique aspect to ARTMS that sets us apart from other groups.

Were there any songs that you wished had made it onto the album but were ultimately voted out during the selection process?

JinSoul: The song "Non Scale" came in third place and unfortunately didn’t make it onto the album. After recording the part revealed in the Gravity teaser, the melody and lyrics kept lingering in my mind, and I often found myself singing along. It was such a fun song, and I hoped it would be included. Fortunately, it was included in the album of our friends, tripleS, so I still get to listen to it often!

Is there any possibility that the demos teased in each gravity for the album could be released as full songs in the future?

JinSoul: In the last voting, it was stated that the songs that didn’t win the vote wouldn’t be included in the ARTMS album, so "Non Scale" didn’t make it. However, we don’t know what rules will apply in future votings, so I’m also curious. If we do another song selection vote in the future, please make sure to vote for the song you want to be included in the album! :)

What are your hopes and plans for promoting <Dall>? Any upcoming performances or special projects related to the album?

HeeJin: Of course. We have concerts scheduled in Korea and Japan in July, and starting in August, we will begin our tour in the US and then travel around the world to meet our fans. I hope the music of ARTMS resonates all over the world.