PLAVE: Out of the Tunnel, Into ‘HYPERDRIVE’

With Caligo Pt.1 and Caligo Pt.2 behind you, where does HYPERDRIVE take PLAVE next — both musically and in the story you want to tell? YEJUN: This fifth mini album, HYPERDRIVE, feels like the first scenery you encounter after coming out of a tunnel. Rather than a continuation of the previous story, I’d describe it as the next chapter that became possible because that story existed. The ASTERUM series was a time for us to introduce who we are, and Caligo was a time when we brought out the stories within us. Now, I think we’re entering a period where we’re exploring and figuring out the stories we genuinely want to tell. EUNHO: I think HYPERDRIVE really is the beginning of a new story. But we wanted to begin it in a way that felt like us. We talked a lot about changing the direction of our speed itself, rather than simply repeating the intensity we showed in Caligo. Not just going harder or faster, but going somewhere completely different. That’s what the album title itself represents. NOAH: The two Caligo albums were about building emotional intensity around rock sounds, while this time, we’ve reached into genres we’ve never tried before, including EDM and bossa nova. But one standard has never changed since our debut: the music has to be enjoyable to listen to. I think that consistent goal actually gave us the freedom to experiment as much as we wanted. BAMBY: I think both we and PLLI went through a deeply emotional journey with Caligo. So while preparing this album, we often talked about “taking a step back and looking at things.” There are things you can’t see when you’re running full speed ahead, but once you create a little distance, they become clearer — the time we’ve been through, and the feelings of the fans who have waited for us. Rather than saying that a chapter has ended, I think it’s more like looking at the same story again from a different perspective. HAMIN: We surprised everyone with a pre-release performance at our recent concert! I’m sure you’re curious, but I think it’ll be more fun to discover the connection between the stories for yourselves. We’ve hidden a lot of clues, and I’m looking forward to seeing how PLLI discover and interpret them. We’re preparing an album you’ll want to watch and listen to over and over again. I think watching PLAVE grow will be another fun part of it. Your first stadium concerts in Incheon were a major milestone for PLAVE. After performing on a stage of that scale, how do you see PLAVE’s future? What would you like to achieve together next? EUNHO: We were overwhelmed by the scale of the stage. We even described it among ourselves as a venue with “no roof.” It still doesn’t quite feel real that the stages we get to stand on keep getting bigger. In fact, we’ve already come further than we ever dreamed we would. So rather than setting a specific goal, I’d say our goal is exactly what the title of this tour says: to “KEEP IT MANIC” with our members and our fans. BAMBY: Being on such a big stage made me think more about how far every movement and expression would have to travel to reach the audience. I wanted even those far away to feel the same energy. It also brought me back to the mindset we had when we first began. After the concert, I promised myself I’d always step onstage with that same mindset, so PLLI would leave thinking, “I definitely have to come to the next concert, too.” NOAH: The bigger the stage becomes, the more I realize how much responsibility comes with filling that space with music. At the same time, it’s incredibly moving to hear so many people singing our songs together. I heard that many people who were simply curious about us, not just our fans, came to the Incheon concert. It makes me especially proud when I hear someone say, “I became a fan after watching the concert.” I want to keep creating performances that more and more people can enjoy. HAMIN: At the beginning of the concert, we greeted everyone with a full traditional bow because we wanted to express how grateful we were in whatever way we could. We never imagined that one day we’d be watching fireworks together with PLLI at our own concert. At the same time, standing on a stage that big reminded me that we need to stay true to the fundamentals so the foundation we’ve built doesn’t crumble. My goal is for the five of us to stay healthy, keep working together for a long time and continue to grow. YEJUN: Standing together on such a huge stage brought back a lot of memories from when we first started. It made me think about how we’ve come this far thanks to the members believing in one another and PLLI who love us. We don’t know how far we’ll be able to go from here, but our belief that we can take on even bigger challenges together has grown stronger. For now, we want to meet more PLLI and become a group people can trust to deliver on any stage. Our goal will always be “Pyeong PL” — “PLAVE for life.” As you prepare to meet audiences in Los Angeles, what are you most looking forward to? What do you hope people seeing PLAVE for the first time will remember about you? HAMIN: What makes me happiest is finally being able to meet the people who have supported us from afar. Since they’ve waited for us for so long, I want to make sure we give them a performance that reflects everything we’ve prepared. For people seeing us for the first time, I want PLAVE to be remembered as a group where each of the five members has a distinct charm, while also having great chemistry as a team. Even if there are limits to what we can communicate through words, I’ll prepare every little detail so we can convey our feelings through our expressions, movements and music. BAMBY: Every venue has a different energy from the audience. I’m most curious about the atmosphere we’ll create together in LA. I hope people seeing us for the first time can simply immerse themselves in the performance. I want to clearly show the chemistry and energy of the five of us, and when the show ends, I hope they remember us as a group they want to see again. EUNHO: Audiences come to concerts excited and put a lot of thought into getting ready, too. I love seeing fans express their individuality through fashion and accessories, so I’m already looking forward to seeing how U.S. listeners will add their own color to the LA show. Even if we speak different languages, once the music starts, we can all move to the rhythm together. Sharing moments like that in person with PLLI in the U.S. is what I’m looking forward to most. I’m also curious which songs will get the biggest reaction. YEJUN: What I’m looking forward to most is meeting the people there who have been waiting for us. Feeling the support they’ve sent through the screen in person at the venue will be really special. It reminds me of the scene in E.T. where the alien is welcomed! PLAVE are aliens too, but we’re ready to build a real and wonderful friendship. I want PLAVE to be remembered as a group that is sincere about music and performance. I believe that even when our languages and cultures differ, we can become close the moment we hear a good song. We’ll be the ones to reach out first! NOAH: Like EUNHO said, I’m curious what the audience will react to most. It could be our voices, the melodies or the atmosphere of the stage. At the Incheon concert, the newly arranged songs and our solo stages got the strongest response. The same song might feel different when it meets a new audience, so I’m curious. We’ll be waiting onstage, so please come and let us know the answer.