Korean rock band 2Z takes a chance with a new sound on their latest EP, highness
Comprised of Bum Jun, Ho Jin, Jung Hyun, and Zu Non, the K-rock band is known for their intense performances and genre-blending prowess—especially now as they step out of their comfort zone to collaborate with DJ and producer Plomo.
Bringing EDM expertise to the project, 2Z and Plomo released a five-track EP under the joint name GOGO2020, featuring the new singles "Borderline" and "Unreal," alongside three remixes of existing 2Z tracks.
Boasting a strong connection with their fandom ‘FromA’, 2Z decided to work with Plomo, who is under the same company as them, after his work influenced member Zu Non in particular.
As such, working directly with Plomo was an obvious next step – something which the 2Z members were happy to share their thoughts on.
What was it like collaborating on your latest EP?
Ho Jin: Through this collaboration with DJ Plomo, I realized how well DJing and a band sound together. It also opened my eyes to the possibilities of adding different performance elements to our live shows. I’ve never liked the idea that, just because we’re a rock band, we should only play music on stage without interacting with people. What we’ve always dreamed of is moving people with both our music and different staging ideas while delivering our message and emotions.
With a strong band sound, we can excite the audience, and with warm, comforting sounds, we can share our emotions and messages. Even during a one-hour-plus show, we want to guide the audience through a clear four-part narrative. Performing with a DJ has been amazing! Between songs, we get Plomo’s remixes or members’ solo themes, and the music never stops. I love that feeling of continuity.
Zu Non: It was really exciting and full of anticipation. Thinking about how to blend 2Z’s colors with Plomo’s, and imagining and creating something new together, was fresh and fun. Plomo has been like an older brother to us, even before this collaboration. And because he used to be a bassist in a band, he understands band music really well, so conversations with him were always comfortable. That’s why I was looking forward to this project.
Jung Hyun: The whole process felt new. Of course, preparing a new song always feels “new,” but this wasn’t just an extension of 2Z’s usual style; it was a collaboration between our band sound and Plomo’s main genre, Big Beat. That freshness came across even stronger in the remixes. For example, in “2020 March (Plomo’s Rhythm Institution),” combining the original track with Big Beat rhythms sounded so cool. He even filtered the original vocal tracks to create new sounds, which turned into highlight moments. I really recommend listening to both the original and remix versions side by side.
Bum Jun: I felt very excited. It was a new challenge, and the thought of showing a more colorful stage performance together with the DJ and our members gave me a sense of fullness.
How did you find taking on an unfamiliar genre of music?
Ho Jin: Honestly, I knew almost nothing about DJing music. I’ve always loved rock and pop, both classics and current songs, but genres like house, big beat, and techno felt unfamiliar. Then I discovered something that totally grabbed me: the 4/4 kick drum pattern. It makes you go crazy with excitement!
Big Beat in particular is said to pair naturally with rock, so I dove into it. Listening to artists like Fatboy Slim, Underworld, The Prodigy, and The Chemical Brothers, I started to see rock music from a DJ’s perspective. That was really attractive to me, and soon my playlist was full of DJ tracks.
Zu Non: We’ve always looked for ways to change the mood and flow of our set, whether at the beginning, middle, or end. So we thought, why not collaborate on stage with DJ Plomo, who was already a close friend? That idea grew into the highness album, blending Big Beat and band music.
Jung Hyun: Yes, this EP was definitely us challenging a new genre. Looking back three weeks after its release, I think it was such a cool project. We’ve performed “Borderline” live twice now, and the energy it creates is way bigger than I expected. The audience also seemed to enjoy it a lot. Since it’s a different vibe from our original tracks, I was curious how people would respond. But after playing it live, I realised it’s more mainstream than I thought and an essential part of our setlist.
Bum Jun: When I first started music, I was inspired a lot by Post Malone’s performances, where a DJ and band play together. I thought making songs like that would let us show more diverse sides of ourselves.
What made you want to do remixes with DJ Plomo?
Ho Jin: Plomo is more than a musician – he’s like our brother. He’s a great person and has been performing as a DJ for 15 years, but before that, he was a bassist in a band. That’s why our tastes overlap a lot. When we’re driving and I play Queens of the Stone Age or Pearl Jam, he gets excited and headbangs with me.
Since we clicked so well on a personal level, we thought it would be great to work together musically too. When we traveled to Namhae, Korea, we talked in detail about collaborating. I loved discussing music with him and appreciated his advice as a senior musician. We trusted him completely, and that trust became the foundation for creating highness.
Zu Non: We wanted this album to be a joint project between 2Z and Plomo. Then we thought, why not also remix some of our original tracks with his style? It felt like a chance to connect on a deeper level and create an important starting point for both of us.
Jung Hyun: Before becoming a DJ, Plomo was actually a bassist in his high school band. So when we talked about music, we realised we both loved bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam. He was already interested in blending band and DJ sounds. Earlier this year, he proposed a collaboration album, and with the GOGO2020 producing team, we started working on it in February. Step by step, we made it happen, and now it’s out.
Bum Jun: We thought that if our sound combined with Plomo’s, we could create something trendy and fresh, so doing remixes felt natural.
Was it more difficult to revisit your old work with him, or was writing new tracks harder?
Ho Jin: I think Plomo really loves 2Z’s music. You can feel it in his remixes, and he’s seen us live countless times, so we trusted his interpretations completely. In comparison, writing new tracks was harder. “Borderline,” for example, was planned from the start to merge two songs with different BPMs and genres, really tough to pull off. Mixing dreamy synth-pop voicings with a basic Big Beat rhythm in “Unreal” was also a new challenge. The result was something uniquely strange but cool.
Zu Non: For me, remixing originals required more caution. Even though it’s a remix, it still has to express both 2Z’s and plomo’s intentions clearly. Balancing those two identities took a lot of thought.
Jung Hyun: Writing new songs was more interesting to me. I couldn’t imagine what kind of original track would come out when combined with house, techno, or big beat. Take “Borderline”, it started from a synth theme by Ho Jin, but midway, it shifts into a completely different rock sound. In that rock section, I only recorded bass guitar, but I worked hard to make it sharper and more powerful. That experimental process was refreshing and fun.
Bum Jun: I found “Borderline” harder. Especially making the shift from the first verse into the rock section stand out, I revised the first verse several times until it felt like the right build-up.
What do you have planned next?
Ho Jin: Right now, we’re promoting highness with the title track “Borderline” on TV and radio in Korea. Soon we’ll also introduce our new guitarist! I can’t wait to show him. He’s someone I’ve come to really like and rely on, and I’m sure fans will love him too. This is a time for us to strengthen our core as a band.
We’ll keep working with Plomo on new show production ideas, music, and live performances. Next year, we’re preparing for a Latin America tour, and possibly a Europe tour too. We’ve already been getting lots of interview requests from European outlets, which feels like a good sign.
Zu Non: Our plan is to show fans the new side of 2Z and Plomo together through highness. We’ll be touring and performing a lot, building synergy, and continuing to explore new genres.
Jung Hyun: For now, we’re focused on highness promotions in Korea. After that, the most important goal is spending time with our new member. Starting next year, tours will come one after another, so we need him to feel like he’s always been part of the band. We’re practicing constantly—even on off days—because repetition is the only way to reach that level. Next year, we’ll finally start our long-awaited Europe tour, followed by Latin America and North America.
Bum Jun: We’ll start with radio shows and TV performances in Korea, then move on to club gigs and an overseas tour early next year. I think we’ll have many touring opportunities abroad in 2025.
You’re in your fifth year as a band – has anything changed since the beginning?
Ho Jin: I think my sense of seriousness has changed. When we first started, I didn’t really know music, or bands, or how tough this life would be, but I also didn’t realise how beautiful and meaningful it was. Since then, we’ve released over 50 original songs, performed more times than I can count, and since 2022, toured around the world. That’s brought a stronger sense of responsibility and pressure.
When I think about my members playing behind me, or the audience receiving our music through my voice, my expression, my movements, it doesn’t feel like simple fun anymore. But I take it positively, because it means I truly love this work and feel blessed. I just hope more people will come to share in these feelings and messages with us.
Zu Non: Our attitude has changed a lot. We were fashion models who came together to make a band, so at first, learning instruments and figuring out music wasn’t easy. But as we kept going, communication, songwriting, and concert planning became more detailed and fun, yet also more serious. Compared to when we first met, I can see how much we’ve grown.
Jung Hyun: The biggest change is probably my appearance. I’ve changed the most among the members :) When we debuted, I was still in high school and looked boyish, but now I’ve grown into more of a young man. Musically, my mindset has matured too. In rehearsals, I pay much more attention to sound details. Before, I just thought “this fits,” but now I carefully listen for blending. If even one element—attack, duration, pitch, feeling, diction—is off, the balance is lost. I think my ears have grown sharper over time.
Bum Jun: In the early days, it was tough to adjust not only musically but also in daily life. Now we know each other so well that just a look or gesture is enough. Our friendship has deepened, and that makes our playing tighter too.
Connect with 2Z: Instagram
Connect with Plomo: Instagram
