Kakao Entertainment

Kakao Entertainment’s music platform Melon(Melon) selected electronic music artist haihm(hereinafter Haim) as the ‘Artist of the Month’ for February for the hidden-gem discovery project ‘TrackZero(TrackZero)’ and unveiled a recommended playlist. Melon Magazine containing an in-depth interview with Haim and TrackZero expert committee member Lee Dae-hwa was also released the same day.

Haim, the Artist of the Month, quickly drew attention as a rising figure in Korean electronic music and has expanded a distinct musical world. Although trained in classical piano, Haim set that background aside and built a distinctive musical language through electronic sound and experimental structures. Beginning with the first album ‘Haihm(Haim)’, then ‘Point 9(Point Nine)’ and ‘NOWHERE(Nowhere)’, Haim has explored diverse sounds including glitch, IDM, and ambient, and recently released the third full-length album ‘FLOW FORM(Flow Form)’.

In an interview with TrackZero expert committee member Lee Dae-hwa released on the 5th, Haim discussed musical changes and the behind-the-scenes of the work on the third studio album ‘FLOW FORM(Flow Form)’. The third album shows another inflection point Haim has reached. True to the title meaning ‘to flow’, this album centers on natural sonic development that evokes movements such as atmosphere and ocean currents, and focuses on the flow, space, and texture of sound by emptying the sound as much as possible.

The track that most symbolically presents the album aesthetics is the title track ‘Free Float(Free Float)’. By extremely restraining melodic motion and foregrounding the texture of space, it renders in sound a sense of drifting and a flow without fixed form.

Regarding the album, Haim explained, “Rather than revealing emotions directly through lyrics and voice, I wanted to delve more deeply into ways of conveying emotion through the sound itself, mood, texture, and sense of space.” Haim also added about why the music has become slower and simpler, “As you strip away unnecessary elements one by one, the one that should remain finally reveals a greater presence.”

‘FLOW FORM(Flow Form)’ also includes pieces composed for choreographer Cha Jin-yeob’s contemporary dance performances. Rather than putting the music at the forefront, it serves to highlight movement, characterized by long breaths and spaces that expand naturally. Whereas the previous album ‘NOWHERE(Nowhere)’ strictly pared down structure, this album also shows a more flexible mode of expression through tracks that carry an emotional flow, such as ‘Parallel Continumm(Parallel Continuum)’ and ‘Burst(Burst)’.

Recently, Haim has also been expanding interest in work that extends music visually. The exhibition work ‘FLOW WALL(Flow Wall)’ being shown at a gallery in Hapjeong is an installation that visualizes the vibration of music, offering an experience in which sound waves are transmitted throughout the entire space. The exhibition runs until the end of February.

Melon TrackZero also released Haim’s recommended playlist curated by the expert committee. Ten tracks are included, spanning from Haim’s signature song ‘A Bird That Does Not Cry’ to songs from the latest album. It is expected to offer another sensorial option that is not swayed by trends or speed.

Since April 2022, Melon has been spotlighting ‘TrackZero(TrackZero)’ every Thursday on the main screen of its mobile app, announcing ‘Artist of the Month’ and ‘Recommended New Tracks of the Month’ each month. ‘Artist of the Month’ targets artists who have released music domestically, and ‘TrackZero Recommended New Tracks’ are selected from songs released within the past 3~4 months. ‘TrackZero(TrackZero)’ is the only indie music support program in the domestic music streaming platform industry, and it focuses on the co-growth of the overall music industry.