[Interview] 'UKP' X ‘ARTLOVER (아트러버)’ : United Kpop Magazine Summer 2018

 

UKP : Can you tell us more about your personal background? For example, where in Korea are you from? Anything you are happy to share with us!

ARTLOVER : I am from Seoul, and I’m currently based in London. I have a background as a make-up artist and recently I started my career as a musician with my debut single “Want U Back”.

 

UKP : You used to work as a makeup artist for magazines. What was that experience like? What did and didn’t you like about it? Do you have a makeup artist now or do your own? What’s an essential item for your makeup bag?

ARTLOVER : I was great to get to work with clients such as Elle and Vogue because of their professionalism and the high level of creativity. It allowed me to travel and to collaborate with some of the most talented people. At times the publisher forgot to give me a credit which was frustrating so there are downsides to the work.

I always do my own make-up and my and I would say that Vaseline is my essential item, you can use it for skin, lips, front teeth, eyelashes and hair for protection and to get the glow.

 

UKP : When did you first come to England? Why England? What were your first impressions of the country? What do you like or don’t you like about it these days? Do you miss anything about Korea?

ARTLOVER : I came to London in 2010, I think England is a good place for young artists because of the many opportunities. The first thing I noticed was the vastly different architecture. The things I miss the most is my family, friends and the traditional Korean food.

UKP : Please tell us more about your music background. When did you start being interested in music, and when did you start making it?

ARTLOVER : I have always had an interest in music. I started singing and playing piano covers about 4 years ago, and sometimes I even improvised with classical sounds. I don’t know musical theory or and my skills on the piano are very basic. When I started to compose music it was just based off pure instinct.

 

UKP : How would you describe your sound?

ARTLOVER : I would say that it’s very 80’s and very retro. There are some influences of Rock, Jazz and Hip-Hop.

 

UKP : How do you feel about your first EP? How would you describe it? What was the process like of putting it together?

ARTLOVER : We’re currently just finishing it up and it’s been a fun and creative process. I have worked a lot with “Everywhere” frontman Max Billion. He has a background in a lot of electronic music, such as Cazzette, Paris Blohm, Violet Skies and Lisa Ajax, in a lot of ways its very different from what I do but funny enough, it’s a great match!

 

UKP : Tell us about the music video for Want U Bank. What was your inspiration or thinking behind it? How did you put together the fashion side of the video?

ARTLOVER : “Want U Back” is about lost love and passion so strong that it could only be experienced once during a lifetime. It’s a nostalgic and bittersweet song. I wanted to express strong feelings and colors that would fit the theme. Regarding the music video, I love retro fashion and I styled myself with mixed and matched European vintage pieces from all different eras. The idea behind the video was to make sure it had a fashion feeling.

 

UKP : Why did you choose the name ARTLOVER? What kinds of art and artists inspire you? 

ARTLOVER : I have called myself ARTLOVER for a long time outside of music, and the reason is because I used to draw a lot as a child. This is something I still do today, for example I drew the boots on my record cover. My interest as a kid followed me into adult hood and I love impressionism art and the way they capture feelings. Musically I’m very inspired by 80’s artists such as Madonna and Michael Jackson.

 

UKP : Will you be promoting your EP in Korea too? Where can we expect to see ARTLOVER in the future?

ARTLOVER : K-pop fans are everywhere in the world and I know London so well so I wanted to start there, I will probably promote my EP in Korea eventually. My music is a mixture of European and Korean sounds so I hope that feels very fresh.

 

UKP : What other artists would you like to collaborate with?

ARTLOVER : So many, The Weeknd would be amazing!

 

UKP : What do you think about the Kpop industry right now? Are you surprised by the number of Kpop fans outside of Korea?

ARTLOVER : Since K-Pop has been so big globally I feel that there is an Indie market starting to grow now. I have many foreign friends who love K-pop in London, especially since Gangnam Style was a hit. I think the music has been amazing in promoting Korea out in the world.

UKP : Is there anything else our readers should know about you and your music?

ARTLOVER : For me it is very important to communicate with the audience through my music. I want to make them feel better when they hear it, and really try to bring out positive emotions. I really hope your readers will enjoy the music video for “Want U Back”!

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/3oioGZ0iMj2lNlju2hjw5k?fbclid=IwAR1glV_M4tT3etc_I9Y15ECBaj63pUrUO9xFkB7Ho7qIQhR4EcFYrKwVmdU

iTunes https://music.apple.com/us/artist/artlover/1346187846

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/artlovermusic

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mynameisartlover

Twitter https://twitter.com/artlovermusic

Press Release;

UKP http://unitedkpop.com/2018/07/ukp-magazine-summer-2018-is-here/