This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

Just after lunchtime on an otherwise quiet Thursday, the electric blinds of RTST Label's headquarters suddenly zipped down with a mechanical whir. Moments later, the speakers kicked in with the addictive intro of "Damdadi," - the latest track by R.Tee, the star producer behind hits for Blackpink and BigBang - accompanied by a bold, dramatic music video featuring girl group i-dle's Soyeon.

While reporters were still reeling from the jolt, R.Tee took it up a notch by ushering them into his personal studio and hitting play on "Switch Out," an intense techno B-side track that instantly turned the office building into something closer to an underground electronic club.

But you don't need to be underground to enjoy hard electronic music, R.Tee argues. It is an idea that made him reverse his long-held stance that he would never, ever, launch his own label - and ultimately led him to part ways with Teddy's The Black Label last year and launch a company of his own.

"One of the reasons I established RTST Label was because I really want to make Korea recognized on the global stage for its electronic music," R.Tee said during a roundtable interview at his office in eastern Seoul.

Accessibility, he emphasized, is key to that vision, as he aims to bring the genre to the surface.

"Germany, for example, added its techno scene as an intangible cultural heritage. Just like that, I wish to make the genre more accessible and easier to enjoy for the wider audience in a healthy, open atmosphere."

Even the design of RTST Label's building reflects such a vision of his, ready to be turned into a venue for a listening party anytime.

As a longtime champion of electronic music, R.Tee found Blackpink's latest single "Jump" - which caught many listeners off guard in Korea, where the hard techno genre remains relatively niche - as a welcome surprise.

"It felt like being praised for recommending my favorite restaurant," he said with a smile, showing affection for the song produced by his former colleagues.

Known for his distinctive electronic sound, R.Tee produced the songs "Fxxk It" (2016) by BigBang, "Playing with Fire" (2016), "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" (2018), "Kill This Love" (2019) and "Lovesick Girls" (2020) by Blackpink and "Money" (2021) by Lisa. He previously worked with major acts including aespa's Winter, Winner, iKON, Treasure and Jeon Somi, and also is active as a DJ.

Alongside his ambition to elevate the genre not only into the nation's mainstream but also on the global stage, R.Tee cited two more reasons behind his solo venture: He wants to promote new artists - not just musicians, but possibly visual artists and even chefs - and also launch a solo artist with global potential.

He remained tight-lipped about the said solo artist, only revealing that the debut will come within this year.

"I'll say this one thing - this artist's specialty is a genre that is still unfamiliar in Korea, and I believe they will remain the best in the scene for years, maybe even decades," he said with a confident smile.

R.Tee's new single "Damdadi," signals the start for both RTST Label and a new creative chapter for R.Tee.

"For an album with my name at the forefront, I want to focus on house and electronic music," he said.

The title track was designed to appeal to the general public's taste, R.Tee explained, while the B-side caters to hard electronic fans.

Working with i-dle's Soyeon for the title track has been a breeze, he recalled, describing the idol-slash-producer as "one of the musicians I genuinely respect."

"I've never met someone who's as much of a perfectionist as I am," he said with a laugh.

"It's been a while since I felt that happy after receiving a compliment from a producer," R.Tee shared, expressing hopes for potential collaboration with global artists in the future.

Despite being one of the K-pop industry's most successful producers, R.Tee is not sure how to define the genre - but he also ...