Xikers Opens New Chapter with ROUTE ZERO : The CALLINGSince debuting in 2023, 10-member K-pop group xikers has made its mark with an adventurous sound that moves from EDM and hip-hop to rock and horror-inspired lore. That spirit of experimentation carries onto the stage. At 82WORLD: LA, the group won over the crowd with tightly synchronized, high-energy choreography, even slipping Adéla’s viral dance of "Ain't in LA" into a performance of “Breathe.” The group continues to pursue and challenge their fresh artistic vision with each musical release.

The group’s name blends “x,” a variable representing unknown coordinates, with “hikers,” capturing the members’ journey through infinite time and space. Since signing with KQ Entertainment—the label behind powerhouse group ATEEZ—Minjae, Junmin, Sumin, Jinsik, Hyunwoo, Junghoon, Seeun, Yujun, Hunter, and Yechan have continued to chart their own course. Their eighth mini-album, ROUTE ZERO : The CALLING, opens a new chapter for xikers with several members contributing to its production. Ahead of their 82WORLD performance, xikers spoke with Music Connection about bringing fan favorites to the stage and the making of ROUTE ZERO : The CALLING.

Since we're at 82WORLD: LA today, how would you describe a performance from xikers?

Sumin: it's legit, cool, and hot. And we prepared a lot of songs and also some bangers in there, so look forward to it.

Is there a song you guys like to perform?

Seeun: "Do or DIE" is my favorite song to perform in front of Road𝓨 because it’s a really exciting songs and many Road𝓨 like it.Jinsik: "XIKEY," it’s power is insane.

Do you have any rituals or routines before going on stage?

Yujun: My routine before going on stage is to eat a good, hearty meal—I make sure to fill up so that my energy doesn’t drop while I’m performing.Yechan: Heading onto the stage, I usually run through the songs I’m performing that day in my mind. I also make sure to warm up my voice thoroughly, and—since I’m getting older and my physical well-being has become increasingly important—I take care to warm up my body as well, just to avoid any injuries.

Is there a song that's the hardest to perform live?

Junghoon: "XIKEY," the one Jinsik mentioned earlier, might be a bit difficult to pull off because the performance is so intense, it’s been challenging to execute it live.

You guys are always touring, always on the go, and do some intense choreographies as well. How do you make sure your vocals and your bodies are in tip-top shape

Hyunwoo: Whenever I travel to countries with a significant time difference, I tend to have a lot of trouble getting to sleep. So, I make sure to catch some sleep whenever I can—even if it’s just in short bursts—and I always wear a mask when I sleep.Sumin: I drink some ginger tea and also eat lots of carbs and proteins, and workout everyday.

If you could select one song from your whole catalog to recommend to someone, which song would it be?

Junmin: I think "XIKEY" is the most impressive performance of ours, so I’d recommend that one. It’s a track that’s bursting with high energy from start to finish—I think it’s the kind of song that can really recharge the energy of anyone watching, which is why I’d like to recommend it.

As a group, how do you encourage each other during busy schedules or moments when things become challenging?

Seeun: Well, whenever the other members seem to be struggling or not feeling their best, I go over to offer words of encouragement and support, share some praise, and even give them a hug—I think I help boost their morale that way.

Your comeback is on November 2nd. Can you tell me a little bit about ROUTE ZERO: The CALLING?

Minjae: The title song is "DIENAMITE," and is made by ourselves, all of us. We put a lot of effort into some new and fun ideas in the whole album, this is going to be the opening of a new chapter by xikers, so please look forward to our 8th EP.

How is this project different from the first one of the series, ROUTE ZERO : The ORA?

Minjae: As an album, we do not try to make a lot of differences, we try to maintain that vibe and mood of our previous albums. Like I said before, we try to put more of our ideas and our sound just by ourselves. The main title track was made by us, there's no credit with other producers and other engineers.

Were there any challenges since you were working on the song by yourselves?

Hunter: The challenges were definitely the choreography because for this time, it's a choreography that uses kind of like angles that we've never used before, like Michael Jackson angles and stuff like that. And so we had to really watch a lot of Michael's performances and try to capture the essence of his gestures and like his little “ah” vibe that he gives when he dances. So that was quite a challenge for us.

Looking back as a time as a group, what's the coolest thing the group has accomplished so far?

Xikers (in unison): Billboard charts.MC: Anything else?Jinsik: Since the time spent preparing for my debut was quite long, I think the very fact that I finally debuted is, perhaps, my greatest achievement.

Since you mentioned your debut, what's one thing that you've learned?

Jinsik: I’d say that before I debuted—or rather, before I even became a trainee—I mostly did things on my own. But since becoming a trainee, I’ve ended up doing a lot of things together with others, so I think my teamwork skills and my ability to navigate social environments have really improved.

Any fun activities or hobbies that any of you guys have gotten into?

Hyunwoo: To start off, I’m a huge fan of soccer—and sports in general. Whenever I can, I go to watch matches in person, though most of the time I watch them on screen. I also mostly play soccer-themed video games.Seeun: I like baseball, so I like playing baseball with Hyunwoo.Yujun: I collect Pokémon cards.

Xikers' 8th mini-album ROUTE ZERO : The CALLING is available now on all global digital streaming platforms, with its US physical release set for November 6 

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