EPEX Touch on Their Sound and the Voices of Youth
Known for creating their own sound, C9 Entertainment’s octet boy group EPEX make their own standards and break the limits of K-pop. Formed by members WISH, KEUM, MU, A-MIN, BAEKSEUNG, AYDEN, YEWANG, and JEFF, EPEX embody the essence of youth. Through their music, EPEX visit topics about the daily life of youth, the members’ peers. The portrayal of the group’s color bleeds into their discography as they explore diverse stories of adolescence for listeners to relate to.
Released on October 4, 2023, EPEX’s 6th EP album Prelude of Anxiety Chapter 2. ‘Can We Surrender?’, signified the final chapter of the Bipolar series. With their rebellious title track “FULL METAL JACKET,” EPEX rebel against the dehumanization of violence and express the harsh reality experienced because of brutality. EnVi had the opportunity to join EPEX’s roundtable session where the members answered questions from the media and dove deep into their album’s principles, group’s ambitions, and significance of their music.
EPEX Face Repeated Tragedies
Representing EPEX’s unique music style, “FULL METAL JACKET” serves as a direct depiction of school violence. It conveys the underlying message of dangerous behavior needing to be confronted by both the individual and the school system. The track expresses awareness of such tragic reality, holding weight in both its message and performance. “As the album sends the message to stop school violence, EPEX hopes more people become aware of this issue,” AYDEN stated.
EPEX has not only explored different music styles, but also varying social issues relatable to youth. From truly encapsulating the experience of teenagers in their B-side track “No Roof” to the telling of stories throughout their album, EPEX confront issues that impact the life of young people. “These are some of the issues that are often featured in the news, and it’s important to be cool-headed about it. The message we aim to convey through this album is not to avoid difficult situations, but rather to encourage everyone to come together to face them,” KEUM said as members agreed alongside him. “Furthermore, it’s worth noting that our message isn’t just about our personal experiences, but it’s meant for anyone who may have had similar experiences. Our strength lies in delivering a message that resonates with everyone, and that’s something unique that EPEX brings to the scene,” KEUM ended with a smile.
EPEX’s music video visualizes forms of violence with symbolic shots and powerful choreography matching the overwhelming feeling and impact of the song. Arranged by choreographers U-JIN and Jrick Baek, the performance directs the public to focus on the message EPEX wants to convey on stage. The question of future messages and themes the group is eager to convey in their upcoming albums had the members smiling and excited as AYDEN spoke up to answer, “Starting this year, all EPEX members are no longer minors. This means that in the future, we may tackle more adult-oriented issues rather than teenage concerns. For instance, topics like unemployment could be addressed. I believe we will approach these types of issues from EPEX’s perspective and present them to the audience through our unique style of music.”
EPEX Break the Rules Of the World
Serving as the final segment in the Bipolar album series, Prelude of Anxiety Chapter 2. ‘Can We Surrender?’ expresses the dark anxieties and uneasy realities faced by boys who are reaching their limits. By adopting the image of boys waking up to the truth of things, the album encapsulates the mindset of a juvenile while carrying EPEX’s unique style. “The primary message we aim to convey is that love and anxiety are closely intertwined, which is why we chose the title for this series to be Bipolar,” explained BAEKSEUNG. He continued, “In the albums of Prelude of Love, we discussed the complex emotions of love while acknowledging the presence of anxiety alongside it. In the albums of Prelude to Anxiety, we sought to express the anxieties that young adults of our age group often experience. Therefore, I believe the theme of bipolarity aptly encompasses both of these themes.”
Exploring genres across a diverse array of musical styles, EPEX enable themselves to visit emotions while displaying thematic concepts through their discography. AYDEN added that the reasoning behind the chosen emotions for the series running theme was that “…love and anxiety are two of the most frequently experienced emotions by young adults. That’s why we chose the theme of bipolarity to encapsulate these two feelings.”
As the conversation approached the impact EPEX wish to have on ZENITHs, WISH expressed how he hopes ZENITHs can feel that EPEX spoke on what they could and shared their message through this album. “I hope that the fans think that we are saying what we can about this issue as young adults ourselves. I also wish that fans in the same age group can relate and feel that we’ve shared our emotions all together through the song,” he said.
EPEX Have No Limits
The eight members continue to break the limitations of music and develop their own standards to follow throughout their journey as artists in the world of K-pop. EPEX hope to become a group that is irreplaceable and is always sincere to their music. “I hope our group is remembered as a team of eight talented, well-rounded, and handsome boys who share their own stories with the public through music,” YEWANG said as the members nodded enthusiastically. MU continued saying, “Furthermore, I want EPEX to be remembered as a legendary group capable of flawlessly executing a wide range of concepts.” EPEX members happily agreed in unison towards MU’s comment. KEUM chimed in and cleverly finished off the question saying, “To be more specific, if there were ever to be a textbook on K-pop, I want EPEX to be included in it as an example.”
Growing with each comeback, EPEX not only hope to become illustrious figures for fellow idols, but also an influential group who communicate their stories and emotions through their music. “Since we infuse our own stories into our music, I hope people pay attention to the song lyrics. Additionally, as artists who create music tailored to our age group, I hope people pay close attention to our singing and dancing style,” said YEWANG.
Anticipating EPEX’s future plans, EPEX showed their excitement through their awed expressions at the inquiry of what EPEXs’ next move will entail for ZENITHs. KEUM spoke up confidently, saying, “We’ve already shared some spoilers with our fans about the music we’ve been working on. I hope our fans look forward to how EPEX will continue to evolve and what concept and song we’ll have for our next comeback.” Joining in on the answer, AMIN continued, “We’ve been alternating between two contrasting concepts throughout the Bipolar series, but now that the series has concluded, we’re excited to explore a wider range of concepts and styles in our future releases.”
Watch EPEX’s latest music video “FULL METAL JACKET” on YouTube, and check out their 6th EP album on Spotify and Apple Music! Keep up with EPEX by following their social media accounts on Instagram, X, YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook.
Keen on current rising stars? Check out our recent roundtable session with K-pop boy group EVNNE here!
