“It Was Like Fire”: DXMON On Their Debut “HYPERSPACE”

With the energy of a hundred Border Collies on caffeine, six chirpy faces arrived on a call with the press on the 25th of January to talk about their recent debut with HYPERSPACE. The endearingly zestful attitudes of Minjae, Seita, Hee, TK, Rex and Jo will have been paramount in getting to this point, as many K-pop idol trainees don’t even get to debut these days. But the young boys of DXMON keep powering forward, and if their loud claps and cheers after each interview question were anything to go by, they’re enjoying each step of the way.

“I see it as an explosive,” Leader Minjae shared when asked how they feel now they’ve debuted. “The process of [debuting] felt like we were hidden somewhere and then burst forth, making a powerful impact.” The singer’s words couldn’t be better chosen, and they fit well with the themes of HYPERSPACE. He later went on to explain that the song SPARK represents their time spent as trainees: a morsel of light that, with the right ignition, burst into a blaze in their debut, as symbolised by Burn Up.

For such young artists, they speak well when contemplating their journey. Though they’re in the burning era now, the title track of this EP was SPARK, so we asked the boys about a moment they felt a spark recently as they promoted their very first EP. “For me, it was during the debut showcase. As we presented our stage for the first time to our fans, I felt that spark within me. It was a moment of pure joy,” Rex admitted, smiling as he recalled the memory.

Something so precious to the group now will surely be a monumental treasure when they look back on these days in the future, and one can only hope they have many more such memories to come. Minjae added, “I’m getting that spark even at this moment. It is very exciting for me to see all of you here with such interest in our group, and I promise to consistently showcase developed and improved versions of ourselves as we move forward.”

The current version of themselves is, impressively, already rather polished. The four songs on HYPERSPACE were cleanly produced, providing a tastefully varied plate of music to fill one’s appetite, and all the members performed their individual talents to the best of their ability. When they come together on stage, they synergise — and it’s pure evidence of rigorous training pre-debut.

With every box ticked, they had one last thing to finalise: their image. The members expressed their love of rock music and punk fashion which they drew a lot of inspiration from in crafting the perfect look for their debut, with their CEO even taking them to fashion shows during their trainee days. Youngest member Jo, who, to the delight of the press, had his hair up in the famous red liberty spikes almost as bright as his personality, told us that the bold look was suggested by his CEO, and at first he was sceptical about the idea. “Then [when] I experimented with various poses, gestures, and even rapped with this hairstyle . . . I became certain that it was a perfect fit for me.”

They’ve got a look, and they believe in their sound. With elements such as TK’s daring whisper-rapping in N.W.B, the power-pumped beat of Burn Up, and the optimistic melody in SPARK, all were noted by the members as parts they were especially proud of. “I hope the listeners get chills after listening to the tracks, and resonate with the overwhelming emotion that we got as we made our debut,” confessed Rex, as the boys contemplated the reaction they hope to receive from new listeners. For what they’re up against, they’ve had a rather successful debut, and it’s only going up from here. The boys don’t shy away from making big goals such as charting on Billboard and appearing at Coachella, and only time will tell if they can get close to such pursuits.

“Being young, I believe we have the confidence to navigate through challenges,” Jo reasoned; their endless energy being their main driving force is once again called to mind. “We are committed to giving our best, with the dream to become superb artists as time progresses and we gain more experience.”

Written and interviewed by Maddie Armstrong

_{View of the Arts is an online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.}