The 'melting pot of genres' is ablaze as the band Xdinary Heroes returns to the music scene with an album showcasing a variety of styles. Their ambition is to prove their wide musical spectrum with tracks not typically seen from the band.
Xdinary Heroes (comprising Gunil, Jungsu, Gaon, O.de, Jun Han, and Jooyeon, collectively known as Xdinary Heroes) recently held an interview at a café in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, to commemorate the release of their 8th mini-album 'DEAD AND'.
The band is back with their new mini-album 'DEAD AND' after approximately six months since their last release. The album includes seven tracks: the title track, 'X room', 'Helium Balloon', 'No Cool Kids Zone', 'Hurt So Good', 'Rise High Rise', and 'KTM'. Gaon expressed, "We worked hard to make fun and fresh attempts, and the result is an equally enjoyable work." Jungsu added, "Xdinary Heroes never disappoints with music, so please look forward to it."
Following the previous album's theme of 'love', the keyword for this album is 'farewell', with each of the seven songs exploring different meanings of farewell. Gaon explained, "We pondered how to express the keyword 'farewell' in various ways and made many interesting attempts sound-wise. The most notable aspect is the synthesizer. While heavy rock sounds were produced with drums, bass, and guitar, we achieved unique and grand sounds with the synth. The increased use of synth is our weapon."
O.de, who is in charge of the synth, felt a heightened sense of responsibility, dedicating himself to practice even during the holidays. O.de shared, "The synth is used flamboyantly in the title track. It was a challenging performance for me. I gave up my Lunar New Year holiday to practice in the studio. Fortunately, the performance is going well now. As long as I don't lose focus, it's fine," he laughed.
The title track 'Voyager' is a song that expresses a firm determination to continue the journey despite reaching a point of no return, likened to 'Voyager 1' continuing its voyage away from Earth. Gaon revealed, "The song captures the story of Voyager 1 embarking on a new journey after completing its mission. The image of it gradually moving away from Earth felt like a farewell, and that's where we got the idea."
The track most members chose as their 'favorite' is 'KTM'. Jungsu explained, "'KTM' is a song with a color not easily seen from Xdinary Heroes before. While we have mainly pursued raw and hard music, 'KTM' is sophisticated yet stylish." Gaon added, "The sound quality and instrumental completion are outstanding. The sound used in the intro is sure to impress anyone."
Ahead of their comeback, Xdinary Heroes pre-released 'X room', a vintage ballad depicting fading relationships, inspired by the popular dating show 'Transit Love'. Jooyeon stated, "The fact that it's a pre-release track is an important factor in raising expectations for the album. We wanted to show a bit of a twist. 'X room' has a unique character in terms of quality and musical color," explaining the reason for its selection as a pre-release track. Gaon added, "I thought 'X room' best showcases the keyword 'farewell'."
Xdinary Heroes, known as the 'melting pot of genres', has primarily showcased intense sound tracks. In the current trend where easy listening is popular, they naturally considered mainstream appeal. Jooyeon commented, "Many people define something as mainstream if a lot of people like it. If many people come to like our music, wouldn't that mean we have mainstream appeal?" He added, "Confidence is important for rockers. We always need to have the confidence that 'our music is the best'. We aim to make our music become mainstream."
Despite this, the title track and pre-released track seem less intense compared to previous Xdinary Heroes songs, suggesting a consideration for mainstream appeal. Jooyeon expressed, "People often describe Xdinary Heroes as a 'minor genre' or having a 'too unique color'. We wanted to show that it's not that we can't do 'mainstream genres', but that we just haven't done them yet."
With this new release, Xdinary Heroes aims for high positions on music charts. Leader Gunil stated, "I hope we enter the charts at a high rank. I want our songs to reach many people." When asked about specific goals, he said, "I hope to be in the top 10 of Melon's 'Top 100' chart." He continued, "There are songs that could go viral, and 'X room' from this album is receiving a lot of love. If the timing and luck align with the trends, we are confident it has the quality to enter the 'Top Ten'."
Voyager 1, which launched into space in 1977, will celebrate its 1 light-day anniversary this November. Gaon mentioned, "I recently heard that Voyager 1's 1 light-day celebration is coming up soon, and I believe NASA is organizing it. Since our song is 'Voyager', it would be great if they liked it enough to use it."
Xdinary Heroes' new album 'DEAD AND' and the title track 'Voyager' are set to release on the 17th at 1 PM.
Kim Ji-won, TenAsia Reporter one@tenasia.co.kr