MARCH 7 2025
by Aleisha Flores
A fond memory with friends. A missed connection from the cutie who smiled at you while getting on a different subway line. The one that got away. All of those lingering emotions – “after scents” and “after images – are what Korean alt-pop and R&B duo t024, pronounced “to twenty-four,” aimed to capture on their debut EP TRACE. Written and composed entirely by t024 members and best friends Senji and Nap!er, songs like “Cedarwood & Tangerine” and “Bridging time zones” evoke universal emotions like the excitement of meeting someone new, the loss of love, or inner angst.
Fans of the Korean music scene may already be familiar with Senji and Nap!er from their work composing and producing for names like OnlyOneOf, LUCY, Xydo and Haeil. In fact, Nap!er is behind OnlyOneOf’s debut song, “Savanna.” AndSenji is one the geniuses behind NCT DREAM’s “Teddy Bear,” which fans frequently cite as one of the group’s most underrated songs.
With TRACE, t024 is ready to take the world by storm. YOUR NAME MAGAZINE sat down to chat with Senji and Nap!er about the making of TRACE, their friendship and music creation process.
This interview has been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.
YN: TRACE deals with “after-scents” and “after-images” – AKA moments of connection and memories. How do you take these concepts and translate them into music?
Senji: From the beginning, our main focus was to highlight our own “color.” Rather than hitting people hard right away, we wanted the music to gently seep in over time. We aimed to capture those instinctive memories or emotions that pop up unexpectedly. “Dawn, introversion, pinking shears.” If I had to pick three words that describe us best, these would be it.
YN: I saw an endearing video on Instagram of the two of you having late night talks and producing together as best friends. What is it like working with your best friend?
Nap!er: Having a partner who understands you beyond just work is a real blessing. I believe communication is key for any team, and when our tastes and direction align, the nuances and style of our music naturally merge into one.
We have so many memorable moments from creating this album—like traveling together and suddenly getting a great idea, shooting and preparing the music video, and feeling proud once the mix and master were done. All those memories come rushing back when we think about it.
YN: The album art for TRACE sees you both gazing at each other while wearing these orange and green full-head Muppet-like masks. They also make appearances in the art for singles “FFY” and “On My Side.” Can you tell us more about these characters?
Senji: These characters were originally created for the “On My Side” music video [in 2022]. I was trying to figure out how to make a playful music video even more fun and ended up drawing inspiration from “Sesame Street,” which I’ve loved since I was a kid. The director and I spent about a week trying and failing until we finally got these masks right.
They’re not meant to symbolize anything huge – you can think of them as a cute character design that reflects the elements we like. The two masks are different in color. I wanted them to share a similar tone so I could show both harmony and contrast. After the shoot, we got so attached to them that we’ve been using them more than we expected.
YN: TRACE features several Grammy-nominated and winning engineers and musicians such as Ryan Giligan, Matt Huber, Sean Hutchinson and Chris Gehringer, who have worked with some of our generation’s most iconic artists: Charli xcx, Taylor Swift, and The 1975 just to name a few. How did these collaborations come about and what was it like working with them?
Nap!er: I wanted to collaborate with engineers who really got our sound, and fortunately, we managed to make those connections. They understood our music completely, then added just enough of their own touch. Thanks to them, the process went really smoothly and it felt like everyone genuinely enjoyed being part of these tracks.
YN: You’ve both composed and produced songs for artists such as OnlyOneOf, NCT DREAM, LUCY, and Xydo – what is it like bringing these songs to life for other artists and how do you decide which projects you want to keep for yourselves?
Senji: It’s always exciting when someone else sings a song we wrote — it makes me feel proud as a composer. But sometimes we’ll write a song and it seems to fit us well. For instance, we initially wrote “More a More” for another artist, but we ended up releasing it ourselves.
YN: What do you want listeners to take away from listening to TRACE?
Nap!er: We’re not trying to push a specific message with these songs. If people can relate the music to their own experiences, that’s enough for us. In a way, it’s more like we’re prompting them to recall memories and ask their own questions, rather than telling them what to think.
YN: Lastly, what are both of your favorite scents?
Senji: Somehow, we both ended up with similar tastes in perfume. We’re into woody scents—something about that forest-like aroma makes us feel free and liberated, for no particular reason.
Check out t024’s 1st EP TRACE, out now on all streaming platforms!
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