ORβIT

For ORβIT, a Korea–Japan joint group formed from contestants of Produce 101 Japan, the journey to a Korean debut has wound through a global pandemic, military service, and a creative evolution quiet enough to miss if you weren't paying attention. Now, with their mini-album TRANS, the group are finally stepping into the market that, in some ways, they were always pointing towards.

Formed in 2020, ORβIT have spent most of their career active in Japan – building a fanbase called EαRTH, releasing their second full-length album ROAR last year, and steadily extending their reach to Bangkok and Taipei along the way. Their Korean debut is more like an arrival.

From early on, members have been involved in writing, design, and art direction. By the time ROAR came around, that had expanded to include composition and choreography. "With our full-length album," says Shunya, "members took part not only in design and lyrics but also in composition and choreography. I think that really helped solidify our identity as a self-producing team."

Tomo frames it in musical terms: the mix of Korean and Japanese members has produced something that sits outside either industry's conventions. "Since each of us has our own musical style and cultural background," he says, "we're able to create something that's neither purely J-pop nor K-pop – something unique that you can't really find elsewhere." Shunya goes further, describing how those cultural differences generate friction that feeds rather than undermines the work. "Sometimes those differences can lead to disagreements," he says, "but personally, I believe that kind of clash creates a great chemistry and helps us produce music that truly feels like ORβIT."

The Korean debut brings its own pressures. For the Japanese members, it meant recording properly in Korean for the first time. For Younghoon and Yoondong, who carried their Korean industry experience with them into a group that's largely been based in Japan, it's a return to territory they know but haven't worked in for a while. "I feel both nervous and excited," Younghoon admits. "I do worry about whether I'll be able to do well, but I want to work hard and show ORβIT to a wider audience." Yoondong echoes the ambivalence: "I'm feeling a mix of emotions. Still, I want to prepare hard with the members and show people that a group like us exists."

That might be the most honest pitch ORβIT can make right now – that they're worth discovering. As Yoondong adds, almost as a footnote: "We're all low-key pretty funny." Years of building a creative universe, and it turns out the sell is simple. Come and find out.

ORβIT has been active since 2020. How do you feel the group has changed the most since you first started?

SHUNYA I feel that our role as a self-producing group has become much clearer over time. In the early days after our debut, we were involved in writing lyrics and designing the album, but not in composing or track production. However, with our full-length album “ROAR” released last year, the members took part not only in design and lyrics, but also in composition and choreography. I think that really helped solidify our identity as a self-producing team.

TOMO We’ve always built our identity around self-production, but recently we’ve been putting out even more of our own creative work across various areas, including songwriting, choreography, and design. It’s not something that changed overnight, but rather something each of us has been steadily developing and growing into over time.

YUGO Compared to our early days, I think the bond between the members has grown much stronger. Since we couldn’t spend much time together for a while due to COVID and military service of some members, every moment we have now feels especially meaningful. We’ve also become close enough to spend time together outside of work.

YOUNGHOON Over the past five years, our bond has definitely grown stronger, and I think each of us has become more professional in what we do.

YOONDONG I’d say it’s the group’s direction. We’ve become more proactive and take the lead in many aspects now. Not just in music, but also in performances and overall activities—we communicate, coordinate, and move things forward together whenever we have the opportunity.

Some of you took a break for military service. When you came back, did anything feel different – about yourself, or about the group?

YOUNGHOON Because of COVID and military service, I spent about two to three years without much communication with the members. When I came back after being discharged, I could see that everyone had grown a lot in different ways. It made me feel like I needed to work even harder to make up for the time I was away.

Your Korean debut is coming in April. What does that moment mean to you personally?

SHUNYA For me, being part of a Korea–Japan joint group is a valuable opportunity, and I’m truly grateful for it. Since we’ve mainly been active in Japan so far, I think this Korean debut is a chance to highlight one of our strengths—having Korean members in the group. It also motivates me to work even harder on improving my Korean.

TOMO Honestly, it doesn’t feel entirely real yet, and I think it will gradually sink in once we actually begin promotions. But to me, it means being able to share my music and songs with audiences in Korea just as genuinely as I always have.

YUGO Personally, it feels amazing to be appearing on Korean music shows that I’ve watched since I was young. At the same time, making our Korean debut five years after debuting in Japan also feels like a new challenge. I’ll do my best to show a good side of myself.

YOUNGHOON It’s been a while since we’ve promoted in Korea, so I feel both nervous and excited. To be honest, I do worry about whether I’ll be able to do well, but I want to work hard and show ORβIT to a wider audience.

YOONDONG I used to work in Korea before focusing on activities in Japan, so I’m really happy to have the chance to promote in Korea again. At the same time, I do have some worries about whether I’ll be able to do well here again, so I’m feeling a mix of emotions. Still, I want to prepare hard with the members and show people that a group like us exists, and present a great side of ourselves.

ORβIT has Japanese and Korean members. Do the two cultures bring different ideas or energy into your music and performances?

SHUNYA Yes! Since we’ve grown up with different musical influences and cultural backgrounds, I think each of us brings unique strengths from a creative perspective. Sometimes those differences can lead to disagreements, but personally, I believe that kind of clash creates a great chemistry and helps us produce music that truly feels like ORβIT.

TOMO I do think so. Since each of us has our own musical style and cultural background, we’re able to create something that’s neither purely J-pop nor purely K-pop, but something unique that you can’t really find elsewhere.

YUGO Because ORβIT is a self-producing team, I think we naturally have a lot of ideas. Rather than it just being about differences in nationality, all of the members are full of creativity and have a strong desire to express what we want to do.

YOUNGHOON Each of us also has our own vision of what kind of artist we want to be. On top of that, the different ideas and energy that come from both Korean and Japanese cultures play a big role in shaping our performances.

YOONDONG It’s not only about the two cultures—we all have different musical tastes, and since everyone genuinely loves music, we tend to explore a wide range of genres. I think the result of that is our previous full-length album “Roar,” which includes a great variety of tracks and a high level of member participation. I hope people will give it a listen. We also constantly motivate each other, which really helps us grow together.

You are involved in songwriting and art direction yourselves. How do you decide what story you want to tell with each release?

SHUNYA It varies from album to album, but we usually start by deciding on a core message we want to say. From there, we work together as members on the album title, concept, and music production to align with that idea.

TOMO The order can differ, but we generally build the overall framework—like the album title and concept—based on what we want to express at the moment, along with elements like the season or mood.

YUGO We often begin by discussing the album’s direction and concept among ourselves, and then finalize it through conversations with our staff.

YOUNGHOON In many cases, we try to capture the emotions and thoughts that feel specific to the present moment—things that we can only express right now.

YOONDONG As for the lyrics, we tend to include the stories we personally want to tell, and for more conceptual tracks, we write them to closely match the theme of each song.

When you are creating a concept, where do you usually start – the music, the visuals, or something else?

SHUNYA I’m mainly in charge of art direction and visual production. I usually start by defining the concept first, and then translate that into visual elements. For track logos, I tend to create them while listening to the music.

TOMO I think the starting point can vary depending on the album.

YUGO Sometimes we begin with the visuals when creating a concept, and other times we start with the music.

YOUNGHOON I usually start by writing lyrics from scratch, even before anything else is set.

YOONDONG In my case, when I come across a beat I really like, I start thinking about the melody line, and then express the message I want to say through the lyrics.

Is there a part of the production process that surprised you – something harder or more rewarding than you expected?

SHUNYA For the Japanese members, it was our first time singing in Korean, so we struggled quite a bit with pronunciation.

TOMO Since this was a Korean debut, it was also our first time properly recording in Korean.

YUGO It was my first time composing together with several people, which was very inspiring, and I learned a lot from the experience.

YOUNGHOON Rather than being difficult, it felt fun because it was a new way of working, and overall it was a really valuable experience.

YOONDONG As we shifted from Japanese to Korean, the nuances changed, which made everything feel fresh and new.

Your performances are known for being very precise and detailed. How do you balance technical skill with genuine emotion on stage?

SHUNYA The Korean members give us a lot of guidance and advice during practice, helping us deliver strong performances more efficiently.

TOMO During practice, we focus on improving technical precision, but on stage, we think it’s important to sing with the emotions of that moment.

YUGO We complement each other by playing to our individual strengths, and we also direct one another throughout the process.

YOUNGHOON I believe that if there’s genuine sincerity, the performance will naturally reach a strong level of completion as well.

YOONDONG We practice by constantly repeating, checking, and exchanging feedback with each other.

You have performed in Thailand and Taiwan, and now you are preparing for Korea. Does the audience feel different in each place?

SHUNYA I feel that the way audiences cheer and enjoy performances differs a lot depending on the country.

TOMO Each place has its own atmosphere and way of reacting, and I think every one of them has its own unique charm.

YUGO I feel that every audience are very passionate in how they show their support.

YOUNGHOON I think language is the biggest difference.

YOONDONG I’m really grateful because everyone seems to genuinely enjoy the performances so much.

What is something about ORβIT that you think people have not fully discovered yet?

SHUNYA I think our biggest appeal is that we are a self-producing group.

TOMO Our self-production, along with the members’ warmth and consideration for each other, really comes through in our music.

YUGO What makes us special is that we truly create everything ourselves.

YOUNGHOON I think we’re a team where each member can clearly express their own unique color.

YOONDONG We’re all low-key pretty funny.

Five years in, what is one thing you are still learning – as a performer, or as a person?

SHUNYA I always try to remind myself of the importance of staying true to my original self.

TOMO I’m continuously learning to explore and develop my own musicality.

YUGO I keep learning so I can make more people happy through my singing.

YOUNGHOON I’ve come to realize that there’s no single right answer for everything.

YOONDONG I feel like I’m constantly learning every time I step on stage.

When you imagine where ORβIT is in five more years, what do you hope people say about you?

SHUNYA I hope to be recognized as an artist who represents the era.

TOMO I’d like to be known as “an artist with outstanding music and live performances.”

YUGO I want people to say, “They’re a group you have to see live performance.”

YOUNGHOON I hope we can become a group that feels like a companion through life.

YOONDONG I want to be remembered as a team that can really put on some fun concerts!

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This feature is taken from our fourth printed issue, available for purchase here.