ID:EARTH has landed with a new album and single. 

Recognised for her otherworldly themes and unique soundscapes in her discography, ID:EARTH, also known as “the identity of the Earth", is the mastermind behind “Earth music” where her delicate vocals perfectly complement a tapestry of techno and electronic beats against metaphorical songwriting. 

This time, the South Korean alternative-pop act taps into the concept of space and time in her new album Space Station and single ‘Alarm’, further proving her role as the bridge between Earth and humans.

The new releases take on a thematic approach as they venture into people’s experiences with technology and reflections on society, which is also seen in her previous releases – ‘ALIENS’ and ‘STARS’. On the creation of Space Station, ID:EARTH brings focus on the track ‘Alarm’, which dives deep into the significance of time and serves as the beating heart of the album.

"With 'Alarm' I was hoping to fulfill the role of waking people up at the start of their day. The song encapsulates the meaning that while the time in space and on Earth flows relatively, time itself does not flow. I wanted it to be a companion piece to my other track 'STARS', which was released in October. It captures a moment paused in space and time, akin to stars lingering in the distance, depicting busy individuals as stars like in a painting," ID:EARTH shared in a press release. 

Sung in both English and Hangul, the 12-track album is set to take us through the “phenomenon where all lives are fitted like equations”. 

Bandwagon had a chat with ID:EARTH to uncover the concept and creative process behind Space Station, her favourite memory when producing the album, and her proudest moment in 2023.

Hi, ID:EARTH! It’s been a while since we caught up with you in 2022. How have you been so far?

Hi! Yes, it’s been a while. Nice to be back here on Bandwagon again. I spent most of 2023 in the studio recording and writing my new album Space Station. I wanted to experiment more with different styles and genres, and I released the first single from the album called ALIENS.

Your upcoming album Space Station is set to be launched this December. Could you walk us through how the concept differs from Panorama?

My second full-length album Space Station deals with the source of all sounds and contains the theme of space-time travel. Panorama was more about human society and our socio-cultural experiences. A terrestrial theme whereas the new album is extraterrestrial! I wanted Space Station to have this otherworldly feel throughout with the use of synths, electronics, bass, and piano solos.

You mentioned that Space Station revolves around the theme of space-time travel. Please share with us how you applied this concept through your songwriting and musical arrangement.

I made each of the 12 songs in different keys using all the keys. The time is spaced at 5-minute intervals, evoking the arrangement of humans and the Earth as well as bringing to mind Leonardo da Vinci. I also wanted to express waves and power, so I aimed to electronically represent the overall sound.

Out of all the tracks in the upcoming album, is there a particular song that resonates well with your persona as “the identity of the Earth”?

So, the main focus track from the album is ‘ALARM’, which pretty much encapsulates the whole dynamics of the album. It expresses the identity of each individual subject matter touched upon in the release.

What experiences do you hope listeners will take away from the album? Is there a particular message that you intend to deliver to them?

The message on the whole is about the phenomenon in which all parts of life are substituted like equations, and tries to express and convey our lives figuratively for each song. Again the song ‘ALARM’ wants to convey the importance of the timing and the importance of the timing that comes absolutely in the relatively flowing space and Earth’s time, hoping that the alarm that starts people’s day will play its role.

On a more personal note, what is your favourite memory of the creation of Space Station?

I wanted to express a third-person perspective, so I came out as a time manager this time, and it was new to try out real actors in the music video for the first time. The music video has a dance part for a while, but the story of meeting the choreographer is fun. When I went to the party, two friends who had a good feeling were dancing, and it was fun, so I suggested that I would participate in the music video dance. That’s how we made the choreography together.

Apart from that, you also mentioned your new single, ‘Alarm’, will serve as a companion piece to ‘Stars’. Could you share how the two tracks are connected thematically and musically?

‘Stars’ was the precursor of the entire Space Station album and ‘ALARM’ is its denouement. ‘Stars’ meant that the stars that appear to be stationary on Earth look beautiful from a distance but move busily. It expresses the view of space from the first person’s perspective, and Space Station expresses actual movement and looks at it from the third person’s perspective. It means that the time when the universe and the Earth flow is different, but it is proportional in them. Then, the alarm was assigned as the title with the intersection of timing. Because we don’t know when that timing will come.

 

 

 

 

 

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Do you have any plans to celebrate the release of your album?

I’m going to spend time with my friends who worked with me on this album because they are the biggest things in my heart. And I’m also thinking of doing a live broadcast as a surprise for my fans.

As 2023 comes to a close, what are you most proud of about yourself?

It was the first time that I was very emotional when I heard my own music. So far, I have been planning, casting, promoting, styling, visual directing, production and recording of composition arrangements, album production, accounting, management, distribution, and business as a private musician, and the efforts seemed to come all at once. Nevertheless, I can say that I am proud enough that people listen to my songs and come back to me with support. I think the seed was able to become a hard tree because of the energy of my colleagues and my fans. I hope every moment of it will bloom beautifully.

Do you have any New Year resolutions set in stone for 2024?

I will continue to release albums, and as a composer, I also plan to collaborate with many artists. And I’m always aiming to take my live show on the road, hopefully around Asia and beyond!

Check out ID:EARTH’s Space Station here.