[Dispatch=Reporter Park Hye-jin] "I was thirsty for music. I'm confident I can make music better than anyone." (Park Kyung) Block B's Park Kyung has returned after two years. But not on stage—this time, behind it. As a producer, he has overhauled the roster of rookie THE WIND. He brought his own color to the airy group. He kept the refreshing vibe but added more hip. The album's genres span from pop rock to R&B. He produced THE WIND's fourth mini album 'Second Wind : S#00' in its entirety. He handled all songwriting, composition, and production alone. Previously, he has produced songs for Block B and THE BOYZ. This is his first time producing an entire album. Dispatch met with Park Kyung. We heard about the new wind he brought to THE WIND, and about his second wind as he sits before music again. ◆ "I Was Thirsty for Music" It's a long-awaited return. Though burdened, he thought of THE WIND first. "I thought if my explanation could be helpful to those listening to this album, I should share it," he said. Above all, Park Kyung accumulated thirst for music during his break. "I wanted to make music," he said, adding "I was really thirsty to create and show it. That's when I received a proposal like an oasis," explaining his move to producing. Park Kyung produced 'Second Wind : S#00' entirely. He wrote and composed all five tracks solo. He brought the music-making process from his Block B days in his own way. "These days, when a composer hands over a song, the A&R team directs it and outsources the mix—it's become divided labor. But I brought the Block B process and directly set the concept, made the song, and was involved through mastering. Doing every process alone was tight," (Park Kyung) He concentrated on THE WIND for six months. "CEO Bang Jae-hyuk kindly gave me full authority over music," he said, "and as I listened to recordings, the CEO and I would have impromptu meetings right there to raise the completeness," he explained. He didn't just make songs. He touched stage movement, live style, and the overall group vibe. "THE WIND changed a lot from their refreshing concept this time. I tried to help them find what fits the song from my perspective," he conveyed. So his attachment to THE WIND is strong. "I call them 'babies.' I did it with the heart of raising kids. I don't know if they think of me as dad, but my heart is that big," he laughed. ◆ "Research Day and Night" THE WIND is a group with a refreshing and soft image. Park Kyung wanted to twist that texture one step further. He embedded that intention in the album title 'Second Wind.' "If there's soft and hardcore, THE WIND was on the soft side. I thought change was necessary. If it changed drastically all at once, it would feel alien, so starting with 'Second Wind,' I wanted to show gradual development." Park Kyung dove into THE WIND day and night. "It was my first work in a long time, and I had no thought but not to harm these kids," he said, "I was determined to help with something cool," he conveyed. Before producing, he set out to identify each member's characteristics. He found all videos featuring THE WIND. "While writing songs, I thought about which member should handle which part in what way," he said. Once he knew the members, the songs came quickly. "It took two days to grasp the overall picture of the title track," he said, "humming melodies, I developed it in two days," he explained. The challenge was matching with THE WIND. Park Kyung said, "Because my songs have strong color, I needed a process to match. I was prepared for it not to be easy." "With Block B members, I would've said, 'That's all you can do?' or 'Try more,' but with THE WIND I said, 'Should we try more of this?' in conversation. I don't know Gen Z communication well. (laughs) I produced it like dealing with children." ◆ Fingerprint-Like Songs The album contains five tracks total. The title track 'Party Like A Rock Star,' along with 'With the Wind,' 'That's Smoove!,' 'Shiver,' and 'Back and Forth.' All five tracks span different genres—pop, R&B, pop rock, contemporary, and ballad. The genre range is wide. Despite being a mini album, he put in full effort. Park Kyung said, "Since I'm producing alone, there could be similarities. Then listeners get bored," and "To make tracks and narratives that don't tire, genres need to change. I subdivided genres so everyone receives completely different feels," he explained. He continued, "If you listen to all five tracks, there are consistent elements," and "while genre and intensity change, I tried to put in many elements so that when heard, it's clearly THE WIND's song," he added. Park Kyung said, "Songs should be like a group's fingerprint," and "when you hear a song, the team should come to mind. I wanted to build a world where mixing my and THE WIND's musical color, anyone would say, 'That's THE WIND's music,'" he said. Park Kyung's close training began. They worked together on pronunciation correction, vocal training, and gestures on stage. While recording, he drew out the members' energy and potential. The title track 'Party Like A Rock Star' was recorded four times. "Six hours each, about four times on different days. Tried, redid, did again. THE WIND needed time to adapt to the changed style and my music," he said. ◆ "THE WIND, Seal Released" The most difficult part was releasing THE WIND's seal. That's because THE WIND had only done what they were told, what was given. "I tried to find what they wanted to do themselves. For that, I had to release THE WIND's seal. I'd say, 'Do more,' 'It's okay to be weird, I'll handle it.' Later, the kids were running while recording. (laughs) That vibe naturally made it into the song." When asked about each member's strengths, Park Kyung's eyes sparkled. First, Thanaton is a Thai member. "He sings the best. His feel is so good," and "he's a kid with R&B soul, so without him the song doesn't complete," he praised. Choi Han-bin handled rap on this album. "He originally did both vocal and rap, but this time I changed his position entirely to rap. The rap I write has syncopation and difficulty, but Han-bin digested it all," and "his physicality is good, and he's a confident kid," he picked. About Park Ha-yu-chan: "His low tone is really charming. When he cuts through, there's something that grabs attention," and "his sense of rhythm is good, and his stage presence is great. He's multitalented. He's a member you 'see' on stage," he said. An Chan-won he pinpointed as a natural idol. "Looking at him makes you smile. He's so cute," but also "he's shy normally, but 180 degrees different on stage. Like an artist. A born entertainer," he evaluated. Jang Hyun-jun handles visuals. "He's handsome, and his dance line is so pretty," and "he has a soft, mellow voice. He sings softly. As a producer, when I need a voice that stimulates female hearts, Hyun-jun has to be there," he said. ◆ Second Wind Park Kyung said, "I hope people tired of 'visual music' these days heal by listening to this album," and "my motto is 'music to listen to.' It will be different from music made solely for performance," he was confident. The moment he felt the most dopamine after making the album was when he saw the members choreograph to his songs. "When I dressed my songs on THE WIND, I worried we'd hear it doesn't suit them. Seeing the stage, all that worry flew away," he said. He doesn't wish for anything grand. Rather than music that hits big at once, he wants to slowly build a discography. "It's reality that mid-sized agency idols struggle even more these days. Through this album, I want to show gradual growth," he conveyed. To THE WIND fans: "An album that maximizes the charm of THE WIND you knew before," and "I hid dates and names meaningful to fans in the lyrics. Finding those details while listening will make it more fun," he pointed out. 'Second Wind' also applies to Park Kyung. He plans to be more active as a producer. "I'm hungrier. I want THE WIND to do well and continue showing many good songs together," and "they're kids with a lot they can do," he showed affection. Meanwhile, "Actually, the next album's title is already conceptualized," and "I wanted to work on the title track in advance, so as soon as 'Second Wind' work ended, I set the entire framework for the next album," he hinted. He will soon return as a player too. He promised Block B activities. "I miss the stage," and "I want to say let's meet soon with Block B after working hard," he conveyed. "I made a promise with Block B members to come back. I can't say when yet, but nothing will fizzle out. We'll each work hard at our places and then unite, so please wait a little!"