Song Review: ARTMS Release 1st Pre-Debut Single "Pre1: Birth"

ARTMS - Pre1: Birth 

Release Info & Mini Bio 

ARTMS (아르테미스) is a five-member girl group under MODHAUS consisting of members: JinSoul (진솔), HaSeul (하슬), Kim Lip (김립), HeeJin (희진) and Choerry (최리). The group is technically a sub-unit of the girl-group LOONA. I can't say ex-members of LOONA because officially LOONA hasn't disbanded yet. That also makes ODD EYE CIRCLE a sub-unit of both LOONA and ARTMS. Or it would make ARTMS a super-unit of ODD EYE CIRCLE with the addition of HaSeul and HeeJin and also a sub-unit of LOONA.

Although it has been emphasized that ARTMS isn't the group's name and rather it means Artemis Strategy project, it seems that MODHAUS is still going with that name. And instead of debuting as a new group they will be pre-releasing four pre-debut singles. In other words the whole thing is unnecessary complicated. What matters is that the group (or sub-unit, or project) made a pre-debut (or debut, or comeback) today on March 29, 2024 with their 1st digital single "Pre1: Birth". Which is also not true because technically this isn't their 1st digital single but their 2nd one, since their first digital single was "The Carol 3.0" that was released on December 1, 2023. 

ARTMS's debut full-length album "<Dall>" is scheduled to be released on May 31, 2024 with "Virtual Angel" serving as the album's title track and the singles "Flower Rhythm", "Candy Crush" and "Air" are scheduled to be pre-released on April 11,  April 25 and May 10. 2024 respectively. 

Review 

"Birth" is a dark, creepy and atmospheric masterpiece that oozes gothic-ness. The embedded imagery and semi-disturbing animations along with the electric guitar chords increase the immersion in their dark-fairytale world. I never expected to see bloody and dismembered fairy-creatures in a K-pop music video. This seems more like an intro song for a gothic-metal band and I love it. It is slow, it is melancholic and it feels as if Black Sabbath decided to go into K-pop. And most of all it is unique and refreshing. There is nothing bubbly and cutesy in this MV, although the girls do look pretty amazing like always. There are no dancing melodies, no rap-parts, just atmosphere and darkness! Pure magic!