9GOATS BLACK OUT, KEN LLOYD, SPINALCORD, BLOOD, AUNCIA, LUCY, CHEMICAL PICTURES, GPKISM, METH., AND MORE!

No.02April 2009

The wait was worth it for a magazine chock full of interviews and news from some of my favorite J Rock bands. I also learned about several new bands that I had not heard of before, which is good because I’m always looking for more music to fill my life.

Thank you so much for honoring hide with being the first Legend. It brought tears to my eyes to see the image and the words you have written about him. He has touched so many lives, as you said, even after his passing...mine included.

Amanda Scheffert

Head Staff

Laura BrickmanDirector of Publication

Rubab RizviDirector of Resources

WritersEvan BennerBridget WuHolly InterlandiCliff ModesKellie LaceyCari MacPhersonBillie GossJ.R.Kathleen SmithKatia SadovskaiaJessica Hodgins Selina Roberts

TranslatorsRubab RizviJessica Hodgins

Staff PhotographerAmanda Yungmann

EditorsLeigh RaineyBridget WuEvan Benner

Graphic DesignViktor Zheng

Contact:Askew Media, INC. 9901 W. Sahara #1119 Las Vegas, NV 89117

info@askewmagazine.comAskew magazine is based out of Las Vegas, NV, and is printed in the USA. All content contained within this magazine is under copyright and may not be used without written permission.

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Carla Agostina Gonzalez http://karura-kun.deviantart.com/

[Above] Stephanie Engstrom [Left] Ylva Ljungqvist http://spader7.deviantart.com

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/

Inês Fernandeshttp://chokobooarts.deviantart.com/Special Thanks:

purple SKY magazine for all the kindness and butt kickage when we deserve it. Katia Madden for driving us to the post office. JSHOXX for making sure we’re always drinking.

Derek Shaw for some kick ass photos.

Reina Hoshi for coffee shop humor.

Eyeko for stuff to review! Naimies Beauty Supply for products we need to build future tutorials out of.

JrockNYC for continued support.

Take 5 Records for helping us out.

Everyone who took time to tell us what did or didn’t suck. You helped us improve! Do it again!

Director of Publication Askew Magazine

Regular Features

Gearbox

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p. 39-40

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Women of Visual

Hiko p. 39-40

Hiko from danger gang

This month’s Women of Visual column features Hiko from Dan-ger Gang. Her vibrant personal-ity and rockstar attitude make her a star performer. Be sure to check out their new mini album “AmbitiouS.” Its coming out on May 12th.

Q: When did you get your start in music?

A: Originally I really admired a lot of rock stars, so one day I decided I wanted to become one of them too.

Q: When did you decide to become a guitarist?

A: Genuinely speaking, when we formed Danger Gang.

Q: What guitar do you play?

A: ESP Custom model.

Q: What made you choose this guitar in particular?

A: I wanted something that was uniquely mine.

Q: Can you play any other instruments?

A: A little bit of keyboard.

Q: What female artists do you look up to?

A: I really admire Janis Jop-lin’s musical works.

Q: What’s the hardest thing about being a female musi-cian compared to being male?

A: I can’t really say, I’m not much aware of it because I don’t really consider gender relevant.

Q: Are your fans mostly boys or girls?

A: They’re all girls.

Q: You seem to post a lot of fanmail you receive on your blog. What has been your favorite thing thus far?

A: I really love portraits of

me that fans send.

Q: What’s the weirdest or most interesting you have received?

A: I think, pastries and snacks from other coun-tries.

Q: So you’ve received fanmail from other countries then? Which countries have fans sent you mail from?

A: Yes. Italy, Brazil, Korea, New Zealand, America, and many other countries.

GHKJDFEKHIFDCBEDC

Dp. 5-25

Ken Lloydp. 31-32

Artist Interviews

BLOODp. 27-28

GPKISMp. 29-30

Vaeidosp. 37-38

aunciap. 33-36

Live Shows

Chemical Pictures

3/14/2009

Backstage

Shionp. 55-56

[a]narchy p. 56-57

Album SpotlightMUCC - Kyutai p. 51-52

From the Ground UpBands you should know about p. 55-56

FashionProduct Reviews p. 61-62

Lucy p. 42

meth.p. 46-47

SPINALCORDp. 43-45

Take 5 VAp. 53-54

Check Your FoldersLearn how you can submit farewell comments to sugar, send us a review for a free Auncia post-

card, get graphics for your LJ, and more!

This fi ve member operatic metal band has been pummeling the

music scene at breakneck speed with a fl urry of shows, appearances, and releases. They took a break from their busy schedule to give Askew readers an exclusive photo shoot and an in depth look at their new life as major artists.

“I suppose I sort of demand that sound in my body and heart, and even in my genes.”

— Asagi

Asagi: vocals Ruiza: guitar Hide-Zou: guitar Tsunehito: bass Hiroki: drumsInterview: Laura Brickman Photography: Amanda Yungmann

Your fi rst major album just came out. What is your favorite song off of Genetic World?

Asagi: Each song has its own strong sense of importance put into it, so I can’t say one over the others. If I had to pick something I would just say all of them are my favorites. Hide-Zou: I like all of the songs, but I think “Rakuen” is very moving. Hiroki: “Meteor ~Mubi no Kisa~”

Was there a song that was particularly diffi cult to create?

Asagi: Ah, with the exception of the chorus in the last song “Rakuen,” we were able to create it just fi ne, but when it came to the melody of the chorus we got hung up on reaching an agreement with it. We ended up spending a lot of time on it! Then, with “Kitsunetsuga,” once we had fi nished making the fi le for that song, we erased it by accident and

it was a little diffi cult having to recreate it all over again. Ruiza: The tempo of “Meteor ~Mubi no Kisa~” is fast so it was diffi cult. Hide-Zou: The speed of “Meteor ~Mubi no Kisa~’s” tempo took a lot of time to get used to. Hiroki: It was all diffi cult.

Was there anything you had to learn that you didn’t know how to do before?

Asagi: Well, we have to make songs and even though I study, it is still a slow process, so every day I focus all my efforts and studies on those songs. Ruiza: I studied quite a lot, scales and mode and such. Hide-Zou: Throughout recording the album, there was a lot of studying that needed to be done. Tsunehito: I did a lot of studying, focusing especially on melodies and truly hitting the sound of each individual instrument. Hiroki: I studied a lot of rhythm patterns.

We noticed Asagi is credited for writing a signifi cant portion of the music. Asagi, do you play any instruments?

Asagi: I’m not at the level where I can perform in public but when writing songs, I often use a sequencer. Right now I want to learn how to play piano.

How are the songs composed? Does the music come fi rst or do the lyrics?

Asagi: It varies often depending on the song. Sometimes from the lyrics, sometimes right from the melody, from the rhythm or the guitar phrase, and also even when I’m thinking about my world view.

There seems to be a lot of Middle Eastern infl uence in a number of your recent tracks. What has caused this?

Asagi: I’m not really aware of that, I suppose I sort of demand that sound in my body and heart, and even in my genes. For expression, I think it is an appropriate sound; I tend to naturally seek it that way. Hiroki: We kind of picked it up by taking in the sounds of many different countries. Ruiza: The compositions [of those songs] are made to connect with a world outlook. Hide-Zou: We didn’t choose to make it that way, but in order to make a worldly sound, it sought to create itself that way.

The recent song “What is Going On with The Human” was featured in the movie GOTH. Was the song made specifi cally for the movie, or was it made before and then featured specially in the movie?

Hiroki: Asagi-kun made up the image concept for it.Asagi: At fi rst, the creators of the movie said, “We’d like you to write a song for us,” so I wrote it after seeing the movie. I didn’t want that to

be the sole focus of course. I made the theme about the terror of the awakening of human belonging, and after taking it to the movie guys, we built it more into the movie concept.

There is a ballad and a rock version of Snow White. Which version came fi rst?

Asagi: The ballad came fi rst. One time after we fi nished the ballad, we brought up the tempo of it, and thought it would make a good version of the song, so we decided that it would be second version of the same title.

What made you decide to create a TV show?

Asagi: We were asked many times even in our indie days to do a TV show, so this time we were asked to try it out in fi xed intervals. We thought, “Why not?” We’re happy that we have a chance to spread our music this way. Hiroki: Avex asked us to do it. Hide-Zou: We wanted to have a chance to spread our music more.

How long will the show run for?

Asagi: We started the program last year, but as of April this year, the broadcast schedule changed probably because of stuff involving renewal and such. I would love to continue doing it as long as possible though. Hide-Zou: I’d like to continue with the show if it’s possible.

Are there any plans to make the entire program available to buy?

Asagi: I don’t know yet. If there’s a request for it, maybe it is possible to do so. We have fans not just in Japan but also overseas who love us, so I am very honored by that! Tsunehito: The highlights of the show were compiled on a DVD release. [He’s referring to a recent privilege item.]

What was the funniest episode to create so far?

Asagi: The one where we sold original D manjuu! Also the one with a cat café or a park… or where we shot at this forest like in Hayao Miyazaki’s fi lm “My Neighbor Totoro.” Those were fun too! Tsunehito: The one where we played table tennis with slippers.

Since you went major, what is the biggest change that the band has had to make?

Asagi: It’s the feeling. The expression we wanted to create as an artist doesn’t have much relation to whether we are indie or major, I think. Even so, it allows us to be able to reach more people, so we have to make sure we are able to convey our feelings that much stronger. To put out those feelings to our fans and everyone else out there too, not just for ourselves. Ruiza: I think it’s that we have to put out a lot more effort than before. Hide-Zou: Putting out more of our feeling; moreover, instilling a professional consciousness into our work became

important. Tsunehito: It’s not that the essence of D changed, but we got many more people listening to our music, so we’ll work really hard for that!

What was the moment where you felt like, “We’re really going to make it”?

Asagi: I don’t know how to defi ne “making it,” but my big break for me as a musician was when we made it to our major debut. Hide-Zou: It’s been my dream ever since I was a kid, so when our major debut was announced, I was so happy I started crying. Tsunehito: I was really happy when our single made it to the top 10 on the charts.

After going major, it is uncommon for most bands to maintain their visual aspects. How is this important to the band, and can we look forward to the continuance of their dark appeal?

Asagi: D often has a “dark” sort of image. Of course that “dark” part is a strong part of D, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only part. We have a lot of “bright” songs from our indie days, and those emotions at that time were painted by my heart as very docile songs and lyrics, so I think even now the songs, style, and world outlook of my heart continue to be shaped that way. I don’t imagine our style to be anything other than that. Honestly, I’d like to keep the style we have now. Ruiza: We’ve always made our

makeup and costumes follow along with whatever we are doing, so I’d like to continue doing that. Hide-Zou: I want to pursue the impact that only D can create. Hiroki: I plan to do whatever I think makes us look cool.

Many of the members of D seem to be fans of Dream Theater. Are there any other bands that the members of D like to listen to together?

Asagi: I listen to bands with female vocalists, like Evanescence. Also, they’re not bands, but I really like artists with beautiful voices, such as Bjork, Enya, Sarah Brightman, Tarja Turunen. Hide-Zou: I like Extreme. [Note: This band was popular for the song “More Than Words”] Tsunehito: I personally like a lot of bands, but I listen to Rancid a lot. Hiroki: Ruiza and I like to listen to Evanescence, My Chemical Romance and others.

Which member of D do you think gets picked on the most?

Asagi: We are all friends!

Which member of D would you not want to mess with?

Hiroki: All of us.

Did anyone ever fi nd the rabbit who got lost in the “Yami no Kuni no Alice” PV?

Asagi: It didn’t get lost! It was able to return back to its true habitat in safety. It was really cute.

We all know about Asagi’s cats,

but do any of the other members have pets? What kind?

Asagi: I have 3 cats but someday I want to have a dog! Ruiza: I don’t have any. Hide-Zou: I’ve always had a dog ever since I was a kid. Tsunehito: We have a dog at my house.

Are there any plans to continue Mad Tea Party Magazine?

Asagi: It’s been put on hold because we’ve gotten really busy, but I’d like to continue it if we have the chance. Ruiza: Well it’s on hold, so I assume we can put it out again someday. Hide-Zou: Defi nitely if given the chance. Hiroki: I want to do it again if we have the chance.

Is God Child Records closed now that you’re signed to Avex?

Asagi: It’s still going on. D is a part of Smile Company and Avex, but our indie material is still handled by GCR.

What kind of schedule does your typical day consist of?

Asagi: I don’t really get days off. If I do ever get a day off, I spend it watching a movie, going shopping, or just relaxing at home. Ruiza: Interviews, photo shoots, rehearsal, and writing music. Hide-Zou: Lately we’ve just been shut up in the studio all day. Hiroki: I’m either rehearsing or going shopping.

What new bands does D feel will become big?

Hiroki: BUCK-TICK!

Funny, what is your favorite song to play?

Asagi: All of them. Ruiza: I can’t pick one Hiroki: All of them, but if I had to pick one, it would be “Eden.”

What song is the most diffi cult to play?

Asagi: All of them. Ruiza: I can’t decide on this one either. Tsunehito: I don’t think any of them are easy. Hiroki: “Meteor~Mubi no Kisa~”

We remember when Asagi fell off the stage, are there any other injuries that members of D have received while performing?

Asagi: Wow, you remember that... [laughs] Thank you for your concern. Ruiza: I fall down a lot. Tsunehito: I’ve fallen over before. Hide-Zou: I’ve also fallen down countless times, but once I lost both of my contact lenses on stage… Hiroki: All I do is mess up the order on the songs.

ASAGIWhen did you decide that you wanted to become a singer?

I think it was about the time I was a high school student.

What do you feel about yourself now, looking back at the past?

I don’t think I’ve changed much from the past; I consider all the time I am given now to be precious. In the future, now will be considered the past too. So I want to live these days without regret.

Is there a specifi c reason why you like to cover your face?

Well our image and costume kind of just suits that look so that’s why I cover my face often.

What music do you like to listen to in your spare time?

Out of habit I fi nd myself listening to D’s music often. I guess when I’m not really thinking about it, I end up listening to alternative or emo rock and stuff like that.

What singers have inspired you?

I really admire the vocalists of different ethnicities from all over the world. I don’t understand the lyrics or the language, but I can feel the sadness or happiness of the voice deep in my heart. It’s really emotional.

If you could be any vocalist in the world, who would you be?

No matter how great I think another artist is, I can only be myself, so I just want to be myself.

You are more protective of your fans than a lot of people out there. Is this just a part of your personality, or is there a more specifi c reason for this?

I consider D’s fans very precious people to me. The fans, and also the band members, make up the entirety of D, so I hold them very precious. I don’t want to see any sad faces on our fans. I want them to always be happy.

With all the time you spend on both the band and your cats, how do you remember to water

your fl owers?

I always remember! [laughs] At fi rst I didn’t really understand how to take care of fl owers. As a result some died, but now I’ve gotten good at taking care of them.

There seems to be a lot of religious themes in your writing. Do you consider yourself a religious person? Is there an ideology that you follow?

I do consider myself monotheistic, I believe in one god up in the heavens. However, it’s different from the sense of following a religion. I don’t follow a specifi c religion from one region of the world, or support a religion that encourages violence against other religions.

Are we going to get to see more vampire videos?

Vampires are a strange transformation of a human into an evil incarnate being, or so I like to make them out to be. If we can, I’d like to make it an entire theme for more songs, and then we will try to show it to everyone.

Do you plan on any more solo releases in the future?

I think so. Right now there’s just a lot of work with D going on, but I’d defi nitely like to pursue it again. If we have the opportunity, I think it would be cool if D could do another project under an alternate ego and image.

RUIZAWhat is it about Canada that makes you want to visit there so much?I went there when I was in high school.

Where did you go to in Canada?I went to Vancouver. It wasn’t very humid, so it was very relaxing there.

What books do you like to read lately?Sorry, I actually haven’t been reading much lately.

How many guitars do you own?I have about 15 guitars, but the ones I use the most are all ESP models.

Do you plan on releasing any more solo material?I think so, if I have the chance to do it.

What does the title of Amenity Gain mean?Making electric guitar the main focus of the composition, I could show off the gain and distortion sound that I like.

Have you always played rock or can you play other styles? Why did you decide to become a musician?I’ve always been wrapped up in rock music. I listen to many other genres of music. However, the way music comes out from inside me always comes out in the form of rock. I became a musician because of the love I had for bands like X Japan.

HIDE-ZOU You’re very interested in Samurai, right? Was this something you became interested in at a young age?

I’ve always admired them ever since I was a kid.

Have you ever had any martial arts training?

Yes, although I’ve become too busy to do it lately, but I’d like to go back to it sometime soon.

Are there any good books or movies that you would recommend to another person?

I really like movies and stuff relating to the Shinsengumi or the Tokugawa shogunate.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I don’t have much free time lately, but if I could make free time, I’d like to go out on a drive.

You’ve played guitar, the bass, and have sung in bands. Are there other instruments that you play?

Well I haven’t played drums before, so that’s what I’d like to try out.

When did you get your tattoo?

I got it a few years before I even joined D.

You said before that you lived in America for a while. Where did you go? How long were you there?

About 15 years ago, I went to California for about a month. I really got to experience American culture, everyone there is really candid and cheerful so I was really happy to be there. I want to go again!

HIROKIHow much time do you spend rehearsing?

About 6 to 8 hours a day.

Do you practice outside of the studio at all, and if so, have you ever received any complaints about it being too disruptive?

I use an electric drum set at home, so I never get complaints.

How often do you reorganize your drum set or add to it?

It stays set for about an hour. I add new things to the set

when there’s a new song that requires a change to be made.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I still see myself unchanged and still playing drums.

TSUNEHITOYour style changed very quickly over the last few years. Was there a reason for this or were you just wanting to try something different?

Well, I think it kind of gradually changed as we tried to match

the costumes to each song.

Did joining D make you really nervous?

No! I was really happy actually.

What gauge are your ears at now?

1cm 6mm

Are there any bassists in particular that you look up to?

There’s so many of them!

“Thank you very much for giving D your attention. Right now we’re only active in Japan; however, someday I’d love to tour many different countries, so please wait for us!” - Ruiza

Tell us about how the artists on your label are unique.

KIWAMU: They are all unique in my opinion. Most of them use music they’ve programmed for live shows. Right now, I don’t have any “normal style” groups. Most of the artists and groups are small, 2-3 member units. I really like these kind of artists and style.

Also, are you currently looking to add new talent to your label?

KIWAMU: I’m always looking for artists, but they need to have a good image and a good sound. I get many applicants every day, but some artists have good sound

and very normal visual appearance while some look very extraordinary, but the sound…I cannot work with them! I think both good sound and visuals are necessary.

Are there any bands on your label that you would like to bring to America for live shows in the future whom we haven’t had as much exposure to?

KIWAMU: Last year… I… I brought Suicide Ali from Osaka to Los Angeles. This year, I brought GPKISM to the US to show. DJ SiSeN is also a regular at our American shows. I wish to bring more here when they have fi nished recording and creating their uh...

Debuts?

KIWAMU: Yes!

What activities would you recommend for people visiting Japan?

KIWAMU: Uhh. In Osaka, my hometown, there is Osaka Chapel. It was built 400 years ago. It has 8 fl oors. I think foreigners that come to Japan should visit it.

Kiwamu & Fu-ki

INTERVIEWER: Bridget WuPHOTOS: Courtesy of BLOOD

The Final Journey

FU-KI: Come drink at my bar, Midian!

How is Fu-ki unique as a singer and how do you like working with him?

KIWAMU: He has a different point of view to my songs and he always gives his own ideas. I think his style and elements mix with mine to create an interesting…arrangement and mixture, I guess.

So Fu-ki…

FU-KI: Hello! [smiles]

It’s great to see you! First off, it’s understood that you’re a big fan of the metal genre. Can you tell us a little bit about the bands that you like?

FU-KI: Well, they’re not all metal, but I like all kinds of heavy metal. Black metal, death metal and uh…any metal! [everyone laughs]

When and how did you get interested in activities relating to music?

FU-KI: When I was in high school, a friend talked me into playing drums. Then I started playing uh…bask…uh.

Bass?

FU-KI: Yes. And then I started to sing.

Some musicians write songs from feelings and experiences in life and others from imagination and daydreams. What type of musical creator do you see yourself as the most?

KIWAMU: I always make songs from vocal melody. When I fi nd the vocal melody in my head, suddenly, the rest of the song comes to my head. I do not know for sure where I get all of my inspiration. When I was young, there weren’t many songs, so it may infl uence the singing back then. FU-KI: I use my imagination!

Speaking of imagination, what inspires this imagination you have for your songs?

FU-KI: For me, it’s primarily vampire movies and novels. [sticks tongue out] These historical horror stories are a basis for my creative, morbid thinking. I like to tell a story as well.

What did you enjoy most about working with BLOOD?

FU-KI: I’ve been on this project for the past fi ve years. I liked many things about it. [big smile]

What experiences did you take with you from working on BLOOD?

KIWAMU: When I started BLOOD, I was not good with English. I didn’t study much English in high school. I had to write many emails a day in English, so I became much better at this language. When I got many offers from other countries, I took my band there and I met many people and saw many interesting places. I also found many good people that want to help me for the interest in the band and not just money, like Roger, who just wants to help us expand with fans. This is what I take from it.

FU-KI: I am glad that I got to go visit a lot of different places to perform which I wouldn’t have gone to if I was just the average person in Japan. It was also very fun to have been on a stage so many times.

What album do you listen to all the time?

KIWAMU: At home…I don’t really listen to music…for days at a time… [laughs]

Since this is your last tour with BLOOD, what do you see in the future for bands like GPKISM?

KIWAMU: I always use the skills I’ve learned for my band. I wish to offer my skills and knowledge to all of the bands under my label. If they can mix it in their music scene, I would be very happy. I invited two artists to Japan for live shows. This year, I want to invite more artists under my label to perform in Japan from Australia and other countries.

What would you tell your fans that want to follow your darker style, and do you have any advice for fans?

KIWAMU: In the past 8 years, many musicians have left their indie bands but have not been successful on their own. I would suggest that people try to work things out. If things get boring, then they have to fi nd another way.

FU-KI: I wish to go my own way. Maybe in the future I will make my own music. Maybe... If that happens, I wish to someday return to perform and I hope people will welcome me.

Go� ic Prince Ken

BW: You just met a bunch of your fans in Los Angeles a day ago. How does it make you feel to interact with them on a friendly basis?

GPK: I feel that the fan base for GPKISM is growing stronger each day. Every time I meet fans, it feels like there are more of them. [laughs] The reaction has been quite overwhelming. I try to return the love as much as possible to the fans.

BW: Tell us a little bit about where you’re from, Australia, and how it was living there and how it’s di� erent from where you are now.

GPK: I don’t really have time to miss Australia since I’m busy working on my music project.

BW: In contrast, what’s the coolest thing you’ve experienced while on tour as a tourist or as a performer?

GPK: I wish I could take back with me all the precious moments I share with my fans.

BW: How’s working in music di� erent in Japan than in Australia?

GPK: I’m actually…well I’ve actually only started my career in music about two or so years ago. I just moved to Tokyo, Japan, a few months

ago to further my goals.

BW: Tell me a little about Kiwamu’s, Ryonai’s, and your musical styles and how they mingle to form GPKISM’s unique sound.

GPK: Ryonai is our live supporting keyboardist. He was a very famous artist back in the 90s indies scene (BLAM HONEY), so we are very happy to have him. Ryonai’s presence in our group really helps us gain recognition, so I’m very appreciative of that. Kiwamu’s ideas are very helpful in how we promote ourselves as a whole. Mhm.

BW: How about yourself?

GPK: I probably am the experimental one. I like to try new things –like industrial aspects.

BW: Do you have any hobbies?

GPK: Other than gothic subculture and music, I like to listen to the lectures I fi nd online. Any topics, usually history interests me. I like to expand my life intellectually.

BW: How do you decide your direction in music? Is it intrinsic, or is it in� uenced by your experiences?

GPK: My style evolves over time, and judging by my

feelings I will create music as I see fi t.

BW: Who is your role model?

GPK: Myself. (smiles)

BW: What’s your de� nition of “Goth?”

GPK: I believe the notion of “Goth” is the refl ection of our own desire. It alludes to the ideology of the darker part of us. Most people try to avoid it, but the Goths embrace the duality of life and death itself and how we approach the existence.

BW: How do you feel onstage now as opposed to the � rst time?

GPK: Right now, these days, I feel great. I try to enjoy every minute of it.

BW: Who is your favorite Japanese artist?

GPK: That’s a tough one. Probably Yoshiki.

BW: Can you tell us about Atheos?

GPK: It’s a compilation of all the songs we have done along with some remixes of the songs we recorded. We added three new songs. It will be quite interesting to check out.

BW: � anks for your time!

GPK: Thank you very much.

interview by BRIDGET WU

30

Your birthday just passed, was it good? Did you get to do anything crazy?Yeah, I had a really wonderful time sitting at a desk, looking at a computer screen and trying to finish demos for the next album!! I hope next year I am as far away from a studio as possible!

Do you always travel to London to do your recording? No, this will be my first time doing some-thing back home in London, so it’s really fresh and exciting for me.

With OBLIVION DUST, we recorded our first three albums in L.A., which were always a lot of fun. We thought about doing the next FAKE? album in L.A., but in the end we decided on doing it in London, just because most of the people involved this time around are English. Having said that, we still might do it in Japan, you never know with us. Everything changes at the last minute for some reason.

You are fluent in both Japanese and Eng-lish, but which language do you think in?English, it has better sounding cuss words!

Are you still currently disobeying your parents?Yep, but in a more adult way.

With Ray McVeigh doing so much work with you guys, and your appearance at the hide memorial summit, is it safe to say you are a fan of his work?Well, I’ve been working with him on and off since I started music and OBLIVION DUST were kind of like Zilch’s kid brother band, so it’s more that we’re like a family. He is like a much, much, much older brother!

What songs are in heavy rotation on your MP3 player right now?Oh man…I have so many albums in my iPod that I usually have it on shuffle mode. For the last month or so I’d have to say Afghan Whigs, Corporate Avenger, Mutemath, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, The Dismemberment Plan, Beck, M83. Oh and there’s this really cool band called Vincent and Mr. Green that knocks me out every time I listen to their album.

Without limiting it just to bands, who/what are major influences on your work? (Maybe books, movies, personalities etc.)

Lots of movies, lots of children’s books, lots of space and nature DVDs, lots of day-dreaming and lots of time spent watching and listening to all the crazies on the street.

You wrote in your blog about watching the movie ZEITGEIST. Have you seen the new one?Yeah. Everyone should see it, if only just to get a different perspective on things.

Doesn’t that movie just make you want to never leave the house ever again?Not really, although there are plenty of shows out there that make me want to kill myself. Ever seen “American Idol?”

Recently you wrote about a new label for Fake? You also mentioned that it was to allow you to have more freedom with your work. Has this been something that you struggled with regularly in the past?It hasn’t been a struggle, although I’ve defi-nitely had my share of battles. I’ve pretty much just done what I’ve wanted to do and I’ve never really let myself get talked into doing something my heart wasn’t into, so I guess I’m proud of that.

The thing is that the record industry is just like any other business and it is really hard to remain pure and keep making music that you want to while also keeping the “big boys” happy. Having our own label just means that I don’t have to worry too much about that side of things.

Would you say that freedom and rebellion have been recurring struggles in your life?Nope. I just don’t like authority.

There are a lot of artists becoming major in Japan right now who are either not Japanese, or part Japanese. The enka singer Jero is a good example of this. Is this only a recent trend? Do you think we’ll be seeing more of this?Sure. But I think that goes for every other country in the world. The walls are being broken down and the cultures seem to be mixing more and more.

Have there been any considerable difficul-ties because of your heritage when work-ing in the music scene in Japan?Not so much in terms of music, but for

interviews, yes! I have a very western way of expressing myself. Early on in my career, a lot of people misunderstood a lot of what I was trying to say which didn’t go down too well. It’s funny because even to this day, I have people coming up saying “I had a bad impression of you to begin with, but now I love what you’re doing and how you think.” I’m just glad it isn’t the opposite way around!

Are there unique opportunities that you have that you might not otherwise have because of it?I guess I have a unique view of the culture, as I get to see it as both an outsider and insider.

Do you get asked those questions entirely too often?No. That was probably the first time any-one’s asked me that, if memory serves.

What do you wish people would ask you about that they never do?People never ask if I would like a hug or a kiss.

The news about your show at AnimeNEXT just came out. A lot of bands seem to be coming over to America recently via conventions instead of tours. Is it an easier way to get the band over here? Do you think this trend will continue?It’s definitely a good start. We played a lot of clubs in L.A. when we were there with OBLIVION DUST and it was tough! A lot of fun, but definitely tough!

Do you feel that connections to anime compromise the seriousness of a band in any way?Maybe, I guess that depends on what anime the band is linked to. I don’t really know enough about the anime culture to answer that I’m afraid.

If there is one thing that you will be re-membered for, forever, what will it be?I hope people are like “We could never completely figure that boy out…”

OBLIVION DUST and FAKE? are a pair of Japan-based yet international bands that you simply cannot miss. Behind both is Ken, the part-British, part-Japanese musician, who redefines the term “down to earth” with his sense of humor and warm personality. FAKE? will soon hit the road with a stop at AnimeNEXT in New Jersey.

Interview: Laura Brickman

Photography: Amanda Yungmann Interview: Evan Benner and Rubab Rizvi

Auncia was formed in 2006. Their drummer Hikari was previously drummer for Molle Node, while vocalist Tatsuki, guitarist Jin, and bassist Yosuke held their initiations with the commencement of Auncia. They are signed to Sequence Records in Japan. They are now being distributed in the US through Ironwerk Records with their most recent album “Beauty & Slime” featuring most of their previously released songs.

How did everyone meet?Tatsuki: First Yosuke and I met each other. Yosuke and Hikaru already had met in a previous band, and Tatsuki already knew Jin so he invited them to join, so we became four.

Why did you pick your band name?TatsukiI: The band name means “to tie” or “bonds” or “handcuffs” in Spanish, but originally we had to choose between two names we had thought up. That other name was “uncia,” which in Spanish means “origin,” but we ended up sticking the A on it to make

Auncia.

What is Auncia’s theme?Tatsuki: “Big storehouse,” “Positive rock,” “empathy,” and then tie us up with the world through our music.

What’s your favorite song to perform live?Tatsuki: “Hanairo” and it’s not really complete yet but “Seran.”Jin: “Hachi” and “pig telling”Yosuke: “Hachi”Hikari: “Hanairo,” “Abudara Hashamari,”

“BeautySLIME” and “pig telling”

What’s particularly difficult to perform live?T: “Wonderful Error” and “Onoreiro”J: “maiden” and “2pieces of presents”Y: “Onoreiro”H: “Wonderful Error” and “Risou no tonari”

What show has left a big impact on you?T: The Nagoya one-man show (our fourth one-man), at the performance hall we were so resonantly moved that tears kept falling. It was the first time we’d had such an emotional live show.J: Upon grasping the feeling of what one-mans were really like, it was the decision to do our second one-man. Even now I still feel it is really impactful for me because it felt the most personal out of everything we’ve done, being able to really pull off our own one-man shows.Y: Our first one-man. I deeply feel that starting your own one-man lives is when life truly begins for a band.H: For me it was November 17, 2006. We hadn’t started doing one-mans then, but in Nagoya I had gotten very sick from food poisoning and was taken to the hospital. We actually had to cancel that live at the last second. So far this band has performed at least 200 shows and that was the only time we have ever had to cancel a live. But of course I think one-mans are cool. [laughs] What is your favorite live house to play at?T: Well there’s none to dislike in the first place, but if we had to pick one that we like, it would be Shibuya BOXX or Ikebukuro CYBER.

Do you guys spend time together outside of rehearsal and at the studio?T: Hikari and I like football a lot so we go to sports bars a lot and play indoor football sometimes.Y: Yeah we don’t hang out much. [laughs]

What are your hobbies?T: I guess you could call it a hobby... lately I’ve been getting into kickboxing as a form of regular exercise.J: Lately I’ve been DJing and then just going around to different instrument shops and checking them out.Y: Manga and a bit of gambling.H: Manga and anime and some indoor football.

What’s important when writing a song? Is it making something new or just having fun?T: That we and the fans can have fun and can express it too. We enjoy the imagination behind it. It’s difficult to create something, but when you do make something the sense of achievement is a good feeling.

What are you listening to lately?T: Hakuei of PENICILLIN.J: If you let me I could have an endless list of people, but I’d have to say Kiyoshi Honma from “hide with Spreadbeaver.”Y: UVERworld, Girugamesh, Maximum the Hormone.H: UVERworld, Ellegarden, earlier L’arc~en~ciel’s stuff with Sakura, and also Sugizo’s solo work.

What separates Auncia from the other bands out there?T: The good feeling of “freedom” and “freestyle.”

Have you seen a lot of support from fans outside of Japan?T: Of course and we’re very honored by it. We’d like to continue to extend our reach far and wide so everyone can learn more about “Auncia.”

If you could perform anywhere in the world, where would you want to do a live?T: USA, Canada, Europe. But we would play anywhere else we are invited to though. [laughs]

At that live, which bands would you want to perform with?T: Yellow Card, Zebrahead or Linkin Park, but that’s impossible isn’t it? [laughs] But we’ll try our best!

Anything you’d like to say to your fans who await you at Anime Expo?T: We are happy to be honored with fans that support us from so far away. We hope you can please enjoy “Auncia.” We can’t wait to meet you in America!

Can you tell us about how you came up with the name for Vaeidos?Gene and Perry: The name was conceived by Xion, who explained it as a combination of the Greek word “eidos” (which means the shape of or the form of) and “Wa” was ancient Japanese term for “Japan.”Xion: After I came up the two words and com-bined as “WAEIDOS,” I didn’t feel that’s the right name of the band. So, I started to think deeply about who we are. The members of Vaeidos are not Japanese only. In fact, I am the only member from Japan. Additionally, I love the fact that we

have different backgrounds and it influences each other uniquely. So, I decided to chop the “W” in half and made a “V.” This shows, half Japa-nese and half international. Then, I combined the two words and they became as one “Vaeidos.” Plus, Va

sounds better than Wa anyway.Perry: Personally, I feel it’s a 7-character Runic Code for helping us decode the message of an Alien race that lives among us as I type this response...

It’s really great that this is a combined cultural music group. Can you tell us a bit about your background and where you come from?Xion: I was born and raised in Nagoya, Japan. It is a big city, so, I grew up with tons of people with tons of buildings. Nagoya has a history as well, so

I enjoyed Japanese culture growing up. If you have a chance to visit there, let me know! I love and respect the culture of Japan, but at the same time, I had the desire to go outside of the island I grew up on. When I came to the U.S., my first experiences with English songs were Michael Jackson’s! He kicked my ass!Perry: Chinese-American, born and raised in the U.S. Grew up loving the art of building launch ramps for skateboarding or BMX biking, video gaming, building model rockets, taking apart electronic devices and not putting them back to-gether according to manufacturer’s design; parents thought that it would be better if I’d become a clas-sical musician (cellist), but instead I was seduced by the “Dark Side of the Guitar” via punk rock and metal bands.Gene: Well, I’m Japanese by ancestry; both my parents are Japanese but my dad was born here in

the U.S. whereas my mom is from Japan. They were strict, and I had to study hard when I was growing up; yet they were open-minded enough to let me make my own decisions once my schoolwork was done. I consider myself lucky to have had my parents. I also have two older brothers, Earnest and Erik. Earnest and I share an inter-est in film and anime, while Erik and I share an interest in video games and art. I credit them for guiding me down the path of creativity.

How did you guys feel about the “F.U.T.U.R.E.” album?Gene: I’m glad that the mini-album was received so well, I definitely had fun working with Xion and Perry on it. We tried to put out something that would show various aspects of the band, whether it’s a ballad like “Things You Left Behind” or a rocker like “My Lemon.”Perry: [I feel that it’s] a snapshot of that moment in our past when it was mostly me writing music and the other guys adding to that foundation. I also focused on a more Japanese Rock/Pop sound to make it easier for Xion to come up with vocal ideas.Xion: I really had a good time working on it, and I did what I could do at that time. Of course, there are additional things I can do now, but that’s “now.” So, it is a good reference for me as a starting point. How much I have improved and how I have changed.

Can you tell us a bit about the new/upcoming mini-album?Gene: It will be interesting because the first mini-album was primarily written by Perry, whereas this new one will have more contributions from Xion and me. Perry is an amazing composer, and that’s why the first album had variety and yet a strong sense of direction. The new mini-album will be even more diverse because the approach is different.Perry: I’m not bound by the previous EP’s methodology in terms of provid-ing a comfort-zone for Xion. His skills have risen to where I don’t need to make it straightforward anymore. Which is how I like it: throwing curveballs at the boys is fun, like a videogame, Xion, Gene, and I are also now writing music and contributing ideas to the old VAIEDOS “Crock Pot.” Or should I say “Shabu-Shabu Hot Pot?”Xion: The songs in the first mini-album are mainly written by Perry. He has a great talent; so, I wrote lyrics and worked on melody lines only. But for the new ones, we all contribute, so it will have different sound.

What do you enjoy most about living in Los Angeles apart from playing music?

Perry: Food! And that I’m surround-ed by diversity.Gene: Variety. You’re literally just a handful of miles away from a moun-tain, a desert, a beach and an urban sprawl. Also, comedy can be found just around the corner...Xion: Umm, living in LA…I guess the weather!? At least I don’t have to worry about rain and humidity. Also, wherever I am, I need comedy. It is very, very important for my life. I cannot live without it.

What has been the most inspiring moment for you as an artist?Perry: For me, it’s when I realized that I could make frowning, stressed-out, pissed-off people in the audience during a performance smile, shout, laugh and toss away their cares... even if but for 45 minutes on a Friday night.Gene: Actually, it’s no different than my experience as a concert audience member because I’ve always consid-ered myself a music fan more than anything else. Once I see the crowd getting into our music, it pumps me up and makes me just as excited to be there. Then after the show, I evaluate what worked and what didn’t and ap-ply that to the next song idea.Xion: It is the moment I forget even myself. I earn that inspiration subcon-sciously.

How did you first get interested in music?Perry: My Dad’s tape recorder with a built-in microphone. I learned that if you turned the Volume control knob all the way up while recording, you’d generate howling feedback from the speaker. And I’ve spent the rest of my life since then learning to surf the awesome, magnificent wave of ampli-fier feedback.Gene: A friend of mine had a beat-up acoustic guitar lying around the house but he never played it. I picked it up one day, and after a while, I discovered how much fun it was to play. My roommates at the time all played different instruments, but there were no bass players among them. So I saved up and got a basic rig from Guitar Center and jammed with them. The rest is history.Xion: I don’t remember the “first time” exactly. It is little by little, day by day, I listen and work on music. Then, one day, I realized that I am already in the world of music.

This question is for Perry and Gene. Can you tell us about your instruments?Perry: I own and play a custom Ibanez ORM-1 Signature model guitar. I plug in through an Orange Tiny Terror valve amplifier, which feeds a Bogner 212 cabinet loaded with Celestion Vintage 30 speakers.

Sometimes I’ll use effects: an E-Bow, a Line 6 DL-4 Delay/Looper, and I’ve been thinking about adding a wah-wah pedal... probably the Budda Wah. I like the tone I get from all of those aforementioned components. It’s like a balanced mathematics equation to me, but it takes trial-and-error to sort it out. Kind of like with relationships?Gene: Well, my main workhorse for Vaeidos is my Ibanez EDA 5-string bass; it was “modified” by Sun Coun-try Airlines en route to Minneapolis/Kakkoicon 2008, but it can still do the job. I also have a Fender 5-string Jazz bass that I primarily use in my other band, Duality. I still have my very first bass, a Yamaha 4-string RBX P-bass. I also have a Pedulla 4-string fretless bass that I bought from Perry. For guitars I have a Fender Strat and a Jackson Rhoads Flying V clone; though I’m not a guitarist, these help me approach my writing from a dif-ferent angle. Sometimes you want to just pick up an axe and throw on full distortion, you know?

A performer has a significant im-pact on the audience, but the audi-ence also affects the musician. What have you learned or taken with you from performing onstage?Xion: I always think performing onstage is like playing catch with the audience. I always hope that I can talk to all of them at once, but I cannot. Instead of talking, I carry all the en-ergy I have for the audience, and then I receive their energy in return. What I learned from audiences is that we actually communicate at the venue. So, feel free to talk to us!!Perry: I always feed off of the audi-ence’s energy directly in one way or another. If they’re full of energy, I’ll take it, harness it, channel it through my instrument and with my band mates, and send it back... hope-fully two-fold. If they’re stubborn or completely unresponsive, I take it as a challenge and usually turn things up and sonically assault them, pummel-ing them with unrelenting sound at-tacks. But see, I’ll smile at them while doing this... and usually my innocent personal disposition softens the sonic onslaught, and usually people magi-cally get won over somehow. Maybe it’s because Xion appears to be such a charming talk-show host?Gene: This goes without saying. I used to be disappointed when the only audience members were the bar staff; but I’ve learned over the years that performance should not be based on audience attendance. Your perfor-mance is always going to be a reflec-tion of yourself, and if you slack off for 3 people, you are slacking off for 10,000. It’s like any other discipline in life - if you don’t give it 100%, you won’t get 100%.

Xion and his crew bring their California fanbase a taste of metal.

Interview: Bridget WuPhotos: ©2008 Derek Shaw

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First of all, what guitars do you own?

“Fender, Fujigen, Martin.”

What brand of guitar do you prefer?

“Lately, I prefer Fender.”

What is your favorite guitar to use? How is it different from the others?

“Fender Stratocaster.

With the pickup selector switch at bridge middle and middle neck, I can mix half tone sounds to my taste.”

What kind of amps do you use? Do you prefer a certain kind for recording and a certain kind for playing live?

“I’m using the Orange Rockerverb amp.

“When recording I use an amp simula-tor line of Fender and Voxx miniamp. When mixing I use one or the other. However, I think from now on I will be using the Orange for both live and recording.”

What effect pedals do you use?

“Fulltone OCD, BOSS Distortion, Blackstar OD1, DAMAGE CONTROL Glass Nexus.”

Did you learn how to play guitar on your own or did you take music lessons?

“I started by teaching myself; I’ve only taken lessons twice.”

Can you explain to us how you developed your own personal style of playing guitar?

“My playing style developed in almost no time at all after we began 9GOATS BLACK OUT. It was good, but we didn’t

start live performances until it was more solid. Live however is not just knowing it by ear, because the per-formance involves your whole body, which I quickly understood and put all my effort into after realizing it. I studied a lot of the live personali-ties of my favorite bands in order to build mine.”

Who was your fi rst favorite guitarist? Why did you admire this person?

“hide from X Japan; I think hide’s makeup and guitar models are quite impressive.”

What’s on your iPod right now?

“I have a lot of Cursive’s work on there.”

Who’s Cursive?

“They’re an American band from Omaha, Nebraska.”

How did you come across them?

“Ryo shared their album The Ugly Organ with me and I thought the song ‘The Recluse’ was really good.”

Besides music, what other interests do you have?

“Wine and sake tasting.”

What advice would you give to your fans who aspire to be musicians?

“If you give up, that’s the end of the game.”

9GOATS BLACK OUT - guitarist utA

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Lucy formed in 2007. They have released two singles to date, entitled “Discord” and “The disorderly world.” Their style is very darkly haunting and enticing, all centered around the core entity of the conceptualized female “Lucy.” They will be holding their very first oneman live in July.

How did the members of Lucy meet?As three, Kento, Hiromi, and Taisuke were looking for new bandmates because our former band broke up. First we met Ren entirely by accident, and his acquaintance with Sakaki worked out in making Lucy complete.

Which is more fun, creating new songs or playing songs live?Both are equally fun! We make the songs in the studio and convey expression at lives especially. Both aspects are equally as important and necessary, wouldn’t you agree?

Perhaps our expression is more real and fun, and not only meant for those who attend our lives.

What has been the most amazing thing that has happened since the bands inception?Pretty much everything that has led our development up until now, of which we try to make the best use of. Everything we have done together has been pretty fantastic.

You will be having your first oneman soon. How does that feel? Are you nervous?Because it’ll be our very first, there is a lot of anxiety and confusion, but we’re not really nervous at all. We look forward to it.

The band’s story ties itself to the character of “Lucy.” Is the band an outward expression of Lucy’s inner conflict, or is it her escape?Everything about Lucy is in our concept:“The girl who got rid of a smile Heat of zero degree split personality

body that was lost The feelings that were restrained Hope without light A name of the girl is Lucy...”

It is isolation, alienation, despair, bitterness among other things; the dark part of our heart that everyone carries, which can be another representation of what Lucy is.

Is there a specific message that Lucy wishes to convey through its music?To be able to produce our concept within each song’s sound, and to convey it live.

What sets Lucy musically apart from the other bands out there?Because our concept is quite different from most others, it becomes a part of our appearance I think. However, we still are uncertain which aspect is the true face of Lucy.

Lucy has several songs that they perform live that have not been released. Can we look forward to seeing these songs on a CD in the near future?We have so many songs that haven’t been released yet! Currently you can only hear them live, but I think we will release some more in the future. Some might remain designated for live performance, though.

If you could describe your music with only three adjectives, what words would you pick?Black, beautiful, bewitching.

How do you maintain harmony between your band members?We don’t really have any conflicts over different opinions. It is important for us that we take each opinion into consideration in order to make Lucy better.

Is there a member who writes a majority of the music, or are those duties shared by everyone?We all bring our individual ideas, and together in the studio we shape them into what becomes “Lucy.” We also come up with a lot of great new things during studio sessions.

Which members have made the biggest advances as musicians since Lucy formed?Probably, Sakaki. Being our frontman is undoubtedly difficult, but he has shown the best growth in that respect. Lucy is sponsoring four events with other bands. Can you tell us more information about this?First it started out as only a two month plan, and then we thought, “What the hell, let’s change it to four!” Because our first oneman is in July, we figured we would sponsor several events to tie it all together.

Do you plan to do more events like this in the future?We aren’t really thinking about it at this time, but the likelihood that we will sponsor more is pretty good.

What bands are your favorite to play shows with?There aren’t any in particular that we have really come to know or like so far, but it would be fun to hold a live with any band we are able to think are cool.

Where do you see yourselves two years from now?As Lucy, we would like for many more people to be able to hear our songs, see us live, and to be introduced to us.

Hiko from danger gang

This month’s Women of Visual column features Hiko from Dan-ger Gang. Her vibrant personal-ity and rockstar attitude make her a star performer. Be sure to check out their new mini album “AmbitiouS.” Its coming out on May 12th.

Q: When did you get your start in music?

A: Originally I really admired a lot of rock stars, so one day I decided I wanted to become one of them too.

Q: When did you decide to become a guitarist?

A: Genuinely speaking, when we formed Danger Gang.

Q: What guitar do you play?

A: ESP Custom model.

Q: What made you choose this guitar in particular?

A: I wanted something that was uniquely mine.

Q: Can you play any other instruments?

A: A little bit of keyboard.

Q: What female artists do you look up to?

A: I really admire Janis Jop-lin’s musical works.

Q: What’s the hardest thing about being a female musi-cian compared to being male?

A: I can’t really say, I’m not much aware of it because I don’t really consider gender relevant.

Q: Are your fans mostly boys or girls?

A: They’re all girls.

Q: You seem to post a lot of fanmail you receive on your blog. What has been your favorite thing thus far?

A: I really love portraits of

me that fans send.

Q: What’s the weirdest or most interesting you have received?

A: I think, pastries and snacks from other coun-tries.

Q: So you’ve received fanmail from other countries then? Which countries have fans sent you mail from?

A: Yes. Italy, Brazil, Korea, New Zealand, America, and many other countries.

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How should we do this? Would you like to start? If you have any questions, I’ll answer them. Syu: Hm, what to ask. Is America fun? Interesting? It depends on the state… Syu: Is metal very popular? Metal, what kind? Syu: The loud kind. [imitates percussion] Why did AUSHVITZ originally go on break, and how has that affected the development of SPINALCORD? Syu: Why did AUSHVITZ stop activities? [laughs] Well, I became very busy with my involvement in Galneryus, among other things. Kon: We were… Syu: …naturally left behind. Kon: Without a doubt. Left behind. Syu: To say easily, in Japanese. Kon: Just forgotten there. Syu: Neglected. Is SPINALCORD a new creation or a revival from your past? Kyoichi: It’s a new band. Syu: It has dual meaning. We still play songs from AUSHVITZ, and we do play songs we’ve created so far as SPINALCORD…. I don’t know. It’s mixed. Kon: As a band…

Syu: …It’s a new start. Please do [laughs]. Why did you change your band name? What kind of meaning did you place with SPINALCORD? Syu: There isn’t really a deep reason to this. Kyoichi: It seems so, but it isn’t. Syu: Yes. The name AUSHVITZ was universally, clearly not a very good name. Hm, yeah… Like, we were using that name and yelling

out to the world about world peace, but if we were asked “What do you guys know?” Kyoichi: We didn’t really know anything. Syu: We didn’t know anything. So, we decided to keep away from band names that can’t really hold meaning. And my neck is actually pretty weak. I used to head bang a lot, and SPINALCORD means spinal cord, right? Yes, it does. Syu: And I hurt my spinal cord a lot. Well, I hurt it a lot, but even though I hurt it I thought “Our fans still support us, so let’s do our best!” That’s why it’s SPINALCORD. Kyoichi: That’s why it doesn’t make sense. All centered around one person? Syu: Really, I decided it. Kyoichi: We thought about other alternatives, but in the end… What other names were there? Kyoichi: Wasn’t it something like… serious? Syu: Ah. There was something like that. But that’s from a manga. And to steal that… yeah. Kyoichi: Yeah. Syu: It was, S-I-R-I-U-S. Ah! Like, Harry Potter?

Syu: Ah, it’s that. I thought of that name because of that. Ahh. Harry Potter is really interesting. Kyoichi: We also thought of one other one, something long like Larc~en~ciel. How has each of member’s histories helped to make SPINALCORD? Syu: In my case, I was enlisted as lead guitarist for Galneryus, and also the chorus for this past album. To sing and play guitar at the same time, I don’t know--lately, it’s been making me feel great. While in Galneryus, it had a feeling like it was adult-like or mature. What about the other members? Syu: In Kyoichi’s case, he’s always been with me. Kyoichi: I used to be in a band called VALKYR, and we’ve been together since; after that, AUSHVITZ, and now SPINALCORD. It was just “Hm, okay. I’ll do it,” “Hm, I’ll consider.” Oh, I see. How about Kon? Kon: Originally, I was kind of introduced with AUSHVITZ but, at the time, there was someone else other than me at the drums. And, he… said he was going to quit? Or… I don’t remember what happened. Syu: I forgot. [laughs] Kon: And after this and that, I joined, they allowed me to play. Since I didn’t really have any other band that I had a part in, I only had AUSHVITZ. Syu: And then he used to play in a genre closer to…. speed metal. He used to do crazy metal. After being with me he kind of eased. He’s been changed. Syu: Well… Kon: In a good way.Syu: [laughs]

What makes SPINALCORD uniquely different from your other projects? Syu: In my case, as Syu, in this band there’s more passion, more love. Compared to being a lead guitarist in a band, I sing and play guitar. And when I think about it, I need to consider the overall total product, the band’s color. I feel like all of that depends on me; I think about these things even more than compared with when I was in Galneryus. Really, the band’s color and everything, I have to think deeply about it. In Galneryus I wrote songs too, but in reality the person that’s actually singing is someone else; I had to think, “How can I make this person stand out?” But, because the actual person singing is a different person, in the end, you have to leave it up to that person for the final decision. So, that’s why in Galneryus I had a very easy going time. In SPINALCORD things don’t work that way. It’s difficult. Does SPINALCORD have any new ambitions that might be different from before? Syu: Hm. SPINALCORD isn’t as visual compared to when we were Aushvitz. Well, we still care about how we look, we just don’t do the crazy make up anymore. It’s more about the catchy melody and heavy background. [in english] Catchy and heavy. Kon: Well said. [laughs] Syu: We’ve come this way so far, composed songs, we’re sure to create our own style. We still have only released three songs so far, and we’re a band that has a long future. I just hope--we will have our own color. Anyways, it begins with our thoughts. Our thoughts turn into sound, and that sound is heavy, but what we do is really pop. Really, pop? Kyoichi: Saying such complicated things…

Syu: Heavy metal and pop… Kyoichi: Which one is it!? [laughs] Syu: It’s the same thing. In the end it is music. In the end it is sound. We do what we want to do. So, I understand that you write your lyrics in both Japanese and English. Syu: Yes, but I’m not really confident about it. [laughs] To use both languages, how is that an advantage? Do you pick to use one language over the other for a reason? Syu: Hm, it just separates itself. I really admire the English language… but, um, even so, I can’t even speak English. Even back in the day, Japanese people loved to use English words for their lyrics. Kon: Well, that’s just like the way it’s passed down. Syu: Well, the Japanese style English is more like JANGLISH. [laughs] Like Japanese and English. Kon, Kyoichi: Ohh- Syu: I can’t say it very well, but do you know what I mean? For example, coffee. Kon: You don’t say it kyafe. Kyoichi: It’s ko-hi- Syu: Yeah. That’s why it’s that kind of image. It’s an English word but easy to understand. Ah- I don’t know, I use English where I feel it’s effective. Like, “This would sound better in English than it would in Japanese,” instinctively and I yell in death voice, but even so, I don’t want to do a death voice in Japanese. Hence why I don’t care about pronunciation and say that it’s technically English. [laughs] I do care, somewhat. But I thought I should say that because I’m not very good. …If I did death voice in Japanese it’d just be weird. Kyoichi: [in death voice] Weird! Kon: Is his English grammar even right? Syu: I would like for you to read the lyrics once. I have a feeling that you’d say, “This isn’t good at all.” Kyoichi: If a real English speaker were to read it… Syu: But for the English lyrics this time, there was an engineer that was temporarily back in Japan who knew English. I wrote the lyrics asking him, “Is this phrase right?” So, I do have some confidence. Well, you’ll see the show, so I’d still like to know if I’m saying it right.

You can’t easily understand death voice though. Syu: Well, it’s hard to understand Japanese death voice. You’ll hear us today. There’s a part that goes, “What should I do? Where should I go?” I say it like “Wasshu I du.” In Japanese, it sounds like “Wasshoi.” (Translator’s note: Wasshoi is a phrase in the Japanese culture, used mainly when carrying Omikoshi - a portable version of the shrine around the neighborhood) Kyoichi: Wasshoi. Syu: Wasshoi! Kyoichi: You really like “Wasshoi.” Syu: I hear everything like “Wasshoi.” Kon: In the end, he’s just saying “Wasshoi.” Syu: In a sense. Where do you find inspiration for your lyrics?Syu: When writing lyrics, I try to make it inspirations I have. Because, back in the day, anyways X-Japan …X was the only band that I actually listened to the songs while reading the lyrics. Yup. That and B’z. I like to listen to the really popular bands, like B’z. Also, the way you listen or read changes the way the lyrics are interpreted--I like those. Especially, the ones that Yoshiki writes; I like and look up to his work. It all depends on the way you look at it; the different ways you can decipher the lyrics. Basically, I like Yoshiki’s the best. Hmm, Then who has inspired you most for composing songs and writing lyrics? Syu: Well, Yoshiki, a bit of Hide -guitarist from X, and Luna Sea. This one’s completely different but Nickelback. I like Nickelback. Kyoichi: My Chemical Romance? Syu: Ah. That’s right. Kyoichi: And Muse? Syu: Ah, Muse. And… that’s it? Kyoichi: Your tastes are similar with mine for things like that. Syu: Yeah, that’s right. Oh, and definitely death metal. The basics for death metal are also hidden (in our music); Arch Enemy, In Flames, Bullet for my Valentine. Kyoichi: [laughs] Syu: There’s no end to this. Kyoichi: Metallica. Syu: Well, the ones that can be called

After what seemed like decades of waiting with anticipation, the band formerly known as AUSHVITZ has returned. Led by guitarist Syu of Galneryus, SPINALCORD reassembled the core members of AUSHVITZ, bassist Kyoichi and drummer Kon. SPINALCORD’s sound picks up where AUSHVITZ left off with the converging of powerful melodies with invigorating rock. Just after this interview took place with writer Reina Hoshi, Kon departed and Junichi of Gal-neryus joined as their new drummer. Questions by Evan Benner.

thrash and classic. Judas Priest. Kyoichi: Wow, she’s writing all of what we’ve said in English. Syu: Well, yeah. Kyoichi: That’s amazing. Do you know all of these? Syu: Dream Theater? Kyoichi: I don’t know about Kon though. Kon: I’m the same, listened to Dream Theater. The notes are all about Syu… Syu: I still want to list more. Kon: Muse was from Syu, I think. Borrowed, listened, and I thought “Ah, love at first sight.” I borrowed My Chemical Romance from my friend… I also like Nickelback. I’ve personally liked Dream Theater from a while back. Syu: You like Metallica, right? Kon: Me? I don’t listen to Metallica at all. On the other hand, if anyone told me to sound like Metallica, I wouldn’t comprehend at all. I’d get confused. Syu: That’s… bad. So, what new and exciting elements do you want to include in your music? Syu: So, basically, for SPINALCORD… Ah, that’s right. For guitar, bass and chorus, and percussion, we have been doing all these with just us three so far. To add sounds from keyboard in, we can open our horizons. Kyoichi: In a major way. Syu: It’d definitely make a difference. What can we expect from SPINALCORD in the near future, such as concerts and releases? Syu: Hm. Next year we want to release a new single with

about three songs. Then go on tour after that. Release a new album, go on another tour. I guess I want to make next year’s schedule busy… Want to? Syu: I want to. Yes. It’s a possibility. …Most likely. There’s a 98% chance. Kon, Kyoichi: It’s 2%. As Aushvitz, you often wore costumes. Has that influenced your music in the past and how? Kyoichi: Back when we were Aushvitz it was pretty easy to tell. Syu: Um. It had a meaning of prisoner, in a prison. Kyoichi: That’s why we wore jumpsuits. Syu: The kind that prisoners usually wear. Kyoichi: The white kind? Syu: Well. Mainly white. Sometimes black. Kyoichi: That was only once. Syu: Yeah. Kyoichi: It looked a little lame. Syu: Yeah. Kyoichi: In the end, we settled with white. Syu: I’m actually pretty flamboyant even though my preference is “Simple is best.” My favorite colors kind of lean toward ash colors, but we ended up using white. In the song composition and the lyrics, all were about this prisoner’s love with someone and love that will never come true. We used that theme. I know it’s bad to say it without feeling bad--but, torture, and things like death sentences--I read a book about it, and went “There were these kinds of death sentences back in the day?” But when we became SPINALCORD, we took off that

sort of theme, but we’re still keeping to the costume theme of wearing white. We sort of have white as our new theme.

If there were another band you could team up with to have a concert, which band would it be? Syu: After we have more experience, if I were to say a great band, a band so cool to me, I wouldn’t know what to do, Lynch. I love Lynch. I love the guitarist Reo. Kyoichi: If I were to say something grander… Syu: Oh? Kyoichi: Nickelback. Syu: We’d like to play with Nickelback. Good luck. Syu: We’ll do our best. Are there any messages for your fans overseas? Kyoichi: We have fans overseas? Everyone: [laughs] Kyoichi: We’ll go to America. Syu: We want to go to America. Please support us. Kyoichi: For that, please come to Japan first. [laughs] America’s a large place though. Syu: After a concert, if an event manager invited us we’d be happy to go. Well, anyways, on iTunes music store, if you search SPINALCORD our three songs are on there, so please listen to them. In Japanese yen, it’s 600 yen, very inexpensive. Kyoichi: It’s only 600 yen. Syu: It’s very cheap. Anyways, we have confidence in the melody and the heaviness of the background music. We’re going to add more heavy music, and we

may create some songs that might be more metal…. But we are not a metal band. We have the basics of metal, and if you listen to us thinking we are metal--we are not, we have other songs that aren’t metal. Kyoichi: I want you to listen to it as “SPINALCORD.” You mean SPINALCORD as a different genre? Syu: As we continue making our songs I think that you will see our style if you could keep an eye on our growth as well. And there’s another band named exactly SPINALCORD, correct? Syu: Yes, there’s another band with the same exact spelling. So, please don’t mistake it. Thank you. SPINALCORD - THE SPINALCORD. Kyoichi, Kon: Thank you.

“meth.” is a band based out of Nagoya whose style is progressively transforming into a dark, hard, and overall melodic rock. Recently they lost their bassist, Yuya, but have continued their activity with the assistance of a support bassist. The current core members are vocalist Akito (formerly Shiki), guitarist Tomoya (formerly Kill), and drummer Sora. Following the departure of Yuya, the band released a mini-album rightfully called “THE OLD ONE ENDS, IT BECOMES BRAND NEW.” Most recently, “meth.” released a brand new single entitled “THE LAST SLEEP,” continuing their transformation with a stronger metal feel.

Something you’re interested in lately:Akito: Foreign festivals.Tomoya: Foreign countries.Sora: Festivals.

What is the significance of the number 091 in your web address?Akito: Nothing.Tomoya: I think it’s the day we had our first live.Sora: I think it’s the day our official website was created.

Why did you choose to change your names?Akito: Because we wanted to move forward, so we felt a name change would accomplish that.

“meth.” recently experienced a member change and titled a mini-album “THE OLD ONE ENDS, IT BECOMES BRAND NEW.” How did the “new” concept tie in? What was a major factor you changed to make “new”?Tomoya: We were challenged by the arrangements we had created, so it became a creation rich in variety.

Do you feel your songs changed with the separation of your bassist?Sora: Now that the flavor of metal is slowly being incorporated, we have begun to sound a bit more violent.

Meth. Akito: VocalS Sora: DrumS Tomoya: Guitar

Was it hard to adapt to your new support bassist?Akito: I don’t have a problem with it.Tomoya: Yes!Sora: I managed to get along just fine.

How do you feel about your current tour?Akito: It has been hard.Tomoya: I’m tired! But it has turned out pretty good.Sora: We had only a short amount of time to prepare with the new bassist, so we were able to grow both mentally and performance-wise pretty quickly.

What was one of your most challenging experiences during the tour?Akito: I tore up my throat.Tomoya: We had a little car accident...Sora: The heat, and also just moving around.

How was this tour different from last tour?Akito: It’s not over yet, but I’d like it to turn out good at least.

What’s the most memorable thing from this tour?Akito: Oga Princess Hotel.Tomoya: Shinrei Spot.Sora: Our tire busted on the freeway so we ended up being late for a concert.

Sora, your former band was ichigo69, how is “meth.” different compared to this project?Sora: Ichigo69 songs were more influenced by pop and visual kei. Instead of taking heavy influence of visual kei, “meth.” pursues a louder and more harmonious style.

What is “meth.’s” style composed of?Sora: Akito’s melodies are attached to the arrangements the rest of us create.

Describe “meth.” in 3 words.Akito: Serious, hardworking, and straight principlesTomoya: Crazy, music-lovers, challengingSora: Melodious, loud, evolution.

Which part of the new single do you most want fans to hear?Akito: Up until the end of the intro melody.Tomoya: All of it.Sora: The last part of “THE LAST SLEEP” where I have some fun with the drums.

After the release of this single, how do you feel that “meth.” will change in the future?Akito: If we can, I’d like to have “meth.” be heard overseas, not just restricted to Japan.Tomoya: We’ll become unstoppable and continue pushing forward!Sora: We plan on producing more material while on tour next time in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.

Do you think that the new member change will move things in a good direction?Akito: Yes, of course.Tomoya: Yes!Sora: I am confident it will!

Photography: Amanda Yungmann Interview: Evan Benner

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Report and Photography: Amanda Yungmann Chemical Pictures gave their first perfomance to a quickly sold out audience this past March. The band features Tenten, Schwarz, Joe, and Jimi.

It didn’t take very long for the room to fill to the capacity of almost overflowing. The crowd waited in anticipation until finally the lights dimmed down and the music gave way to a countdown projected on the stage curtains. As the countdown got lower in num-bers, the voice of the fans grew louder. A unified “One!” hit the air and the curtains were removed to reveal the stage as a guitar rip wailed an opening note. Cheers went out as the members came out wearing a set of sparkling shades. Masami took to the center back on drums, Jimi took to the left side on bass next to Joe who also was on guitar, Schwarz took to the right on guitar, brought up by Tenten who took front and center as the lead vocalist.

Tenten started things out by introducing the members that made up the band as well as shared

a bit as to who they were personally. With thanks to those that had attended, the lights kicked to low and the fun began. Faster paced songs were the first to give the fans what they wanted; “that” sound. The more the band gave, the more the fans gave back, and it was almost an endless supply of energy feeding back into itself. Slower songs eventually were mixed in and balanced things out.

When it was finally time to end the show, Chemi-cal Pictures gave their goodbyes and thanks before leaving the stage. The fans, on the other hand, craved more. An encore wasn’t just called out once, but twice, and the band made the appearance of playing for two extra encores. The show had been an awesome experience.

On a personal note, one song in particular re-ally hit me and that was was a cover song that they played by Garbage, titled “Special.” It had been years since I had heard that song and it brought back memories. They really did that song justice and I would love to hear it again live one day.

Kellie LaceyMUCC have never been a band to stay still. Each release brings with it a different sound, different styles and different influences. After the synthesized sounds of their last album, Shion, and several months on the road across America and Europe, there was a real sense of anticipation about where MUCC would go next. With co-produc-tion by Ken from L’Arc~en~ciel, ‘Kyutai,’ their ninth full-length studio release, has taken the de-velopments made on ‘Shion’ and gone one step further.

Title track ‘Kyutai’ opens the album, and due to its positioning and the fact that it’s an instrumen-tal track, you’d be forgiven for assuming that it would summarize the album and a taste of things to come. In reality, it is neither, but is a nice opener nonetheless. It’s a trippy, sub two minute atmospher-ic taster that serves both as the calm before the storm and also a timely reminder that MUCC have never been afraid to try something different.

The real opening track is ‘Houkou’ - a song that attacks you from the opening second with a rapid guitar riff and never relents. There is a strong staccato and jagged feel to the guitar and bass in the first half of the song and it leads ‘Houkou’ into developing a frantic pace punctuated by Satochi’s fast drum-ming. The chorus line features some howling background vocals that are ready made for audience participation and cleverly reflect the song title and call to arms of the lyrics. Half way through

Tatsurou joins in with a deep, screamed howl of his own and it all kicks into a heavier gear.

‘Ageha,’ the first single taken from the album, is a real mix of styles. It opens with a haunting and simple guitar riff, courtesy of Miya, before developing into a fast paced song that utilizes every style in MUCC’s extensive reper-toire. The verses are crammed full of different riffs and beats whereas the chorus lines follow the same pattern, but the song is probably most memorable for the few sec-onds in the middle when every-thing breaks down into a heavily synthesized few seconds. It ends with a gloriously heavy guitar riff and growled vocal.

‘Hide and Seek’ is a song of great contrast. It is littered with Ageha-esque heavy guitars but these oc-casionally appear lower in the mix to allow the techno background to come to the foreground. The two work amazingly well together and help set ‘Hide and Seek’ apart from the rest of the album. The chorus line is punctuated by some wonderful backing vocals that, again, contrast Tatsurou’s voice very effectively. Despite the heavi-ness of the guitars throughout, the solo is far lighter and shorter than has been heard before and every-thing comes together to make a track that, although short, is easily remembered.

‘Kagerou’ is mellower than anything ‘Kyutai’ has offered so far, and it sees MUCC in a more reflective mood that is also evident in the lyrics. There is still plenty

of guitar work throughout, but this is one of the two tracks written by Satochi, and it is his drumming that drives the song and keeps it in its slower pace. Miya produces a beautiful solo that has a wonderful jazz-light tone that fits in with the reflection of the song perfectly. The final minute of ‘Kagerou’ has a stunning vocal segment from Tatsurou as he allows his voice to soar over a particularly effective bass line. Even the addition of another layer of guitars in the final chorus doesn’t shift the song from its easy pace, and it’s a welcome change to the consistent heaviness so far.

The heaviness returns for ‘Lem-ming’ and immediately sets a frantic pace to counter the more relaxing feel of ‘Kagerou.’ Tatsurou’s vocals are harmonized throughout the verses, as are the guitars, and on numerous occa-sions ‘Lemming’ shifts from one riff to another merely by stopping and restarting so nothing really flows, but it all adds to the speedy tempo. The one deviation from this comes after the harmonized guitar solo with the appearance of a Spanish guitar but all too quickly it disappears and ‘Lemming’ returns to the same speed before a false finish and faded bass ends the track.

‘Oz’ has quite possibly the best intro of any track on the album. It’s very reminiscent of‘Shion’s ‘FUZZ’ in times due to the catchi-ness of the intro and the layer of synth that wails away in the back-ground throughout. The backing vocals on the chorus line are used

to great effect and help lift the end of each line and ensure that ‘Oz’ will become firmly rooted into your mind. There is nothing spe-cial or spectacular about ‘Oz’ but I imagine it would be one of the highlights when performed live. The acoustic guitars are in full force for ‘Fuyuu’ and set the scene for a very chilled first verse. Tatsurou hits a lower octave than we are used to from him, and the song slowly builds throughout the first couple of minutes as extra layers of guitars filter in through the speakers. There’s a short har-monica solo, the only one on the entire album, but it isn’t enough to make ‘Fuyuu’ stand out.

‘Sanbika’ translated into English is Hymn and that’s an appropriate description. The slow echoing gui-tar riffs that start the song coupled with the soft drum beat set the scene beautifully and create an atmosphere that draws the listener in and ensures that you hang on every controlled note of Tatsurou’s vocals. Without warning the gui-tars explode, the vocals shift into an octave far higher than anything else on the album, and the song starts to take on that epic tone that had been missing so far. The guitar line follows the vocals while Yukke pins the song down with a simple, repetitive bass line that flows so beautifully into Ave Ma-ria. Yes, that Ave Maria. Tatsurou sings in duet with soprano Hisako Chou and once the initial shock of hearing Ave Maria on a MUCC album has faded, all that is left is a stunning and unexpected interlude. By the six-minute mark, ‘Sanbika’ returns to the more typical MUCC

sound and has made itself known as the unlikely standout track of the album.

‘Sora to Ito,’ the second single released from the album, is a far more upbeat and uplifting song than anything else ‘Kyutai’ has to offer. The vocals are heavily treated throughout and give ‘Sora to Ito’ an extra dimension but do detract slightly from the sincerity of the lyrics. Miya’s solo sees him travelling up and down his fret board while Yukke and Satochi en-sure that the lighter tone is never lost. The chorus line is, however, likely to remain in your head for days.

Album closer ‘hanabi’ begins with an acapella vocal that has again been run through a computer, but when the piano and acoustic guitar join the proceedings it melts away to reveal Tatsurou’s true voice. The chorus is very light and trippy and harks back to the mood cre-ated by opening track ‘Kyutai.’ Finally, ‘Hanabi’ kicks in at the two and half minute mark and sounds more like the MUCC of old. It’s driven by a very audible bass line, and a nice string section adds some more depth. There are a stunning series of solos that flow through the latter half of the song from both Yukke and Miya, but truly, it’s only fitting that the album ends on a solo by guitarist Miya.At times, ‘Kyutai’ appears to be a mix of old (Houyoku) and new (Shion), and tracks such as ‘San-bika’ show that MUCC are still as inventive as ever. ‘Kyutai’ is unlikely to win MUCC many new fans or any that disagreed with the shift of styles that Shion brought, but it is a strong offering from a band that have never disappointed. MUCC continue to reinvent themselves with every release and ‘Kyutai’ is a worthy addition to their catalogue.

Katia SadovskaiaMUCC — no matter how many times I repeat this to myself or in my head, it still just seems like a funny word. So what does that have to do with their new album Kyutai? Well, considering how I never took the band seriously, I’d say A LOT!

From the opening instrumental track, “Kyutai,” to the very final song, “Hanabi,” this album flows with tons of energy. I can’t partic-ularly compare this to their older works, but on its own this album is very enjoyable and entertaining. I particularly like the blending of styles that they do throughout the album and how it makes each song stand on its own, though it does make the album a bit choppy dur-ing transitions from song to song. “Sanbika,” the longest song on the album, took me by surprise when suddenly Tatsurou starts singing “Ave Maria” near the end, which I found to be a bit out of place at first, but they managed to pull through. I would be lying if that was the only song that made more or less confused, but although their compositions are unusual, it works for MUCC. This album is a sure must-have as it will not tire you out and, although heavy at times, still is a fairly easy-listen.

Billy GossMUCC are a band of consistent experimentation and this latest release, “Kyutai,” is no excep-tion. Tighter and harsher than last year’s Shion, it bristles with energy from start to finish. After the eerie instrumental title track, the album launches into the riff heavy “Houkou” which is metal-light but thoroughly enjoyable, but even the excellent Houkou’s still is completely over-shadowed by the next track: “Ageha.” This is still a beast of a track and remains a standout not just on this album but in their discography thus far. There is an ever-so-slight lull until “Oz,” a bouncy dance-rock number that gets the blood go-ing like a sequel to “Fuzz” from Shion. “Sankiba” is a slow respite from the rock and pleasant enough in its ethereal melody. It’s a pause to catch breath before the album’s other juggernaut single: “Sora to ito.” Awesome from start to finish, the song features Tatsurou singing with an autotuner, lending an inhu-man quality to his vocals. There is a simplistic monster riff and some amazing roaring from Tatsurou before a face-melting solo brings the song full circle. Kick. Ass. “hanabi” is the closing track. It starts off with a piano and sounds quite ballad-esque until 2:38 when it becomes an upbeat dance-rock-

er, then it transforms again into a Kagrra-style, neo-japanesque song with jangly notes and strings. It’s unusual and yet typical from a band so capable of rocking the boat and changing styles.Overall, a resounding success from MUCC. One of their best.

Evan BennerIt’s hard to anticipate a MUCC release with specific expectations, a side effect of their unrelentingly progressive style. Could it be that they are unpredictable? Sure, I’d say they are unpredictable to a large extent but not negatively so in the least. If there is only one thing that is entirely predictable about MUCC, it would be their dependability of a good release.Seriously, these guys have to try to make a bad song. Fortunately, I figure that they just don’t know how to disappoint. Given the killer singles “Ageha” and “Sora to Ito,” it’s a little surprising at how different the rest of the album stands to be. It’s pretty normal that their albums are diverse but well encompassing, and “Kyutai” holds to this standard. There are some tracks that stand out from the rest, particularily “Houkou,” “Hide and Seek,” and the memorable “Sanbika.” MUCC don’t forget to pack in some sure fire concert fa-vorites, “Lemming” and “Oz,” and some excellent mellow ballads, “Kagerou” and “Fuyuu.” “Kyutai” contributes to the progressive style that MUCC are known for, but this time around there’s a healthy mix of their clearly not forgotten styles of the past, think Houyoku, with the determined fresh progression to counter any chance that their style might become stagnant. Col-lectively, this album is tight in all respects, and is a worthy addition to their discography.

J.R.To newer listeners of MUCC’s latest album “Kyutai” serves as an introduction to the band. While listening to the first few tracks one can pick up on MUCC’s “sound.” The combo of soft, flowing musical elements with hard rock instrumentals mark the tracks with a distinct feel. The diversity of the album is “Kyutai’s” strength. While listening one hears the diversity from “Fuyuu’s” slightly melancholic, mellow, and melodic

guitar rhythms, to “Youen’s” blues influenced guitar notes, the surprising “OZ” with old-school rock flavor, and “Ageha” which especially showcases Tatsurou’s unique voice. Though not MUCC’s first album, “Kyuutai” serves well as an intro album for new listeners.

Selina RobertsIt has been a year since MUCC’s last album release, Shion and only two singles in August ’08 “Ageha” and January of this year “Sora to Ito,” so followers of MUCC had high expectations for “Kyutai.” The album open’s with an instrumental. The guitar takes you gently along into a false sense of calm before the rumble of the first chords of “Houkou.” “Houkou” is reminiscent of older MUCC tracks with driven guitar riff’s and Tatsuro’s distinctive vocals piercing through to the audience with a great clarity. “Ageha” as a single acted as a platform to show fans what was to come prior to the release of “Kyutai.” The band had evolved and was further instrumenting the great talent’s of guitarists Miya and bass guitarist Yukke with the melodies and solo’s throughout the album. By the time you get to “Hide and Seek” you find yourself absorbed by the album. Tatsuro’s vocals change from track to track. With sweeping, pleading vocals to frustrated growl’s and screams. Each track has it’s own individu-alism that consumes the ambi-ance around you, and there isn’t a single filler track in sight. The album as a whole, is melodic and dreamlike. And unlike previous albums, it’s not inclined to take you to the darkest crevices of your mind. “Kyutai” is not a typical J-rock album, but it’s a fresh take on the distinctive MUCC sound and rock music in general. “Kyutai” is an excellent album, further dis-playing how talented the members of MUCC really are.

Official Website: http://www.55-69.com/Where to Buy: http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/Price: $28.91Tracks: 13

e here at Askew are, well, slightly askew. We sure do dig new angles, and Take 5 Records are bringing their new angle to the table with their inaugural release. Kicking it into gear right from the get-go, Take 5 have gathered together a collection of songs from twelve bands all working around the theme of being “Alone in the dark.”

Take 5 presents Hitori*Anchuu features a line up of:

Asaguren ISTRiA R’AIE XIII Shuriken LOST LAPSE NADIR N.E.S. WARPHOLL KUЯO WHEN THE LEAF SEARED Sadayoshi Atsumi STOЯYFLY

heir compilation attacks the theme with ferocity and grace. This goes to show the intensity of Take 5’s business initiative of promoting these growing small-time bands and some that are just overlooked, all who deserve more recognition. Several of the bands were eager to take up on our inquiry to get a little more direct input from the bands themselves regarding this cross-border collective. Not only does this expound upon the falsity of how small bands are nothing but worthless, this challenges the divides between language and countries, making the statement that music is an art, possibly in an even more sincere fashion given the presently developing nature of these bands. Still got your interest? A comprehensive review is available on the Askew site.

Interview by Evan Benner with Juno (ISTRiA vo.),TAG (LOST dr.), N.E.S., Syva (WHEN THE LEAF SEARED gt. & vo.), and Kennosuke (STOЯYFLY vo.)

Askew: How do you feel your featured song best fits the theme of alone in the dark? ISTRiA: With CULT, I wanted to put the listener not so much in a dark place, but in a dark scenario. I hope it gives them a strong feeling of suspense and paranoia. Kind of like the effect a scary movie has on someone.LOST: This song is about change, revolution in ourselves and how we can believe in ourselves when we feel alone or not strong enough to step forward. Sometimes it is hard for us to choose the right way when we face alternative choices of our lives, but we believe in strong will to walk on the way chosen by ourselves and it will be the right way as long as we keep the faith after all. N.E.S.: Every person struggles with sadness having their feelings hurt, so we want to convey that through songs that envelope a sense of gentleness. WTLS: I don’t know. It’s a difficult question, but the song is about someone you lost and miss forever, so it’s kinda suited to the theme I feel. STOЯYFLY: It is a song that describes a scene of a person staring up into the sky while standing alone on a moonlit evening. We hope that you can get a feeling of “nocturne” through it. Askew: The compilation features

bands from different countries and from different music styles, what do you think this shows about the nature of music?

ISTRiA: Music is such a universal form of expression. It’s an art, just like painting and architecture. It’s a lot similar to the way people from all over the world can appreciate van Gogh and da Vinci. Music allows the listener to interpret it however they want, which makes it appealing to a much larger audience. LOST: LOST is from Japan and yet we are quite different from any other Japanese bands. We love all genres of music and we are influenced by many, many bands from all over the world. Since it has only been a few years since Rock music was introduced to Japan, lots of Japanese bands are just trying to be bands from US or UK and very few bands are keen to introduce Japanese traditional music or national element into Rock music. I guess our goal is to write and play new Japanese music and spread them all over the world, and that is our style of music. N.E.S.: ROCK!!WTLS: I think its great. It’s also a good opportunity for both

bands and music fans to listen to many interesting contributions at one time. STOЯYFLY: The music that we make is a fusion of nature and rock. Scenes, hopes, and thoughts from when we were children. We think that our music should depict ideals and such. Moreover, it makes us happy if our music has the effect of creating sympathies and gives us and listeners alike some sort of sensation. It is my dream that the crossover of genres and music beyond the language barrier gives hope to listeners. Askew: Would you please tell us a little about your lyrical inspiration? N.E.S.: Everyday life.WTLS: I can only write lyrics when I’m really upset and unstable, and it normally happens after i had a terrible argument or something like that.STOЯYFLY: The subjects of my lyrics are hopes that come from the nocturne, another being the meaning of life. I try to look beyond the filter of my being to share the visualization of the real but melancholic world. The origin of everything in its completeness comes from the sky, wouldn’t you agree? Askew: What is your band’s process for writing their music? ISTRiA: Normally, I compose a full, basic version of the song. We then use this as a foundation and each member adds their own personal changes too it. LOST: Usually we start writing from guitar riffs and develop the image of the song with everyone in the band. We jam in the studio and improvise the song and talk about the story of the song. It

is like writing a novel I guess. What is this song about, how is this song going to start and end, those kind things we talk about. And then the singer writes the lyrics and the band rearranges the song to adjust size and repeats. N.E.S.: We all gather together in the studio and share any new ideas we’ve come up with, and then we put them into arrangements. WTLS: I make demos which is normally made with my guitar and a computer... then make it heard to others.STOЯYFLY: It is something romantic and easy to take a liking to. (Laughs) Askew: Who are your biggest musical influences? ISTRiA: So many, it would be impossible to name each one. Basically, any music that can make an emotional impact on me. LOST: We are all influenced by different kind of music from Metal to J-POP, but we all love Deftones and they are our inspiration. Basically we love any good music. N.E.S.: Foo Fighters, and pretty much any other rock band. WTLS: I listen to any music from hardcore to classic. I’ve been influenced by music that has something new. STOЯYFLY: What I’m listening to now can be called more classical than it can be called rock, like Bach, etc. And also from movie soundtracks and such. Lately I prefer to listen to music in which the creator’s presence is strong. I really think that the composer of Ghibli’s soundtracks, Joe Hisaishi, is incredible. Askew: What message would you like to give to the fans?

ISTRiA: Please, keep your eyes on us! We are working our hardest to keep progressing and releasing better material! We thank you for any support. LOST: Thank you very much for your support! We are looking forward to playing in your country someday. It always has been our dream to play there. We will be recording our new album in USA with Jamie King in September. We hope you enjoy our new song “Pain of the words carved on my chest” from this compilation album. Please check more details and upcoming news about us from http://www.myspace.com/lostjapan. Thank you very much. N.E.S.: We hope everyone enjoys themselves and takes a liking to our rock. WTLS: Thanks for the support. If you feel anything about our music, comment on somewhere like our myspace. STOЯYFLY: Let’s obtain our wings through music together, because the sky is where we will all be connected perfectly.

Evan Benner’s original indie band feature. Got a suggestion? evan@askewmagazine.com

Crossfaith http://www.myspace.com/thecrossfaith

Formed in July of 2006, Osaka-based Crossfaith consists of vocalist Koie, guitarist Kazuki, bassist Hiroki, drummer Tatsu and vision/programmer Teru. They quickly caught attention with their surprisingly balanced blend of dynamic instrumental melodies con-sisting of loud, expressive vocals and propelling dance-electronica spread. What is most surprising about their well-conceived sound and the refinement of their production, both in recording and live from the very start, is that they averaged only 19 years of age when they first came together. Even now, only being in their very early twenties, Crossfaith has taken significant western influence, making this young and ambitious band a powerhouse metal core force to be reckoned with. In July of 2008, after two years of activity, they released their first free live distribute Blueprint of Reconstruction featuring three songs. Word spread quickly by word of mouth among hard-core music fans about the quality of Crossfaith’s sound. With their well-procured western sound, Crossfaith has the ambition “Japan to the world.” This could well be within their reach as they are scheduled to open alongside Head Phone President for In This Mo-ment’s three headline concerts in Japan this May. With the recent announcement of their very first full album, The Artificial Theory for the Dramatic Beauty, to be released on April 29th, this band is without a doubt, on its way to being a fan favorite. Their sound and performance are clearly driven by purpose and determination.

Mr.unknown Official site: http://www.mr-unkown.com

Mr.unknown began their activity in January of 2007, when vocal-ist Kyosuke collected the other core members, Takekazu and drummer Jun. Later that year, in September, they completed their lineup when they welcomed bassist You. Mr.unknown began releasing demo CDs in December of the same year followed by four singles and a mini-album, Dark Emotion, all in limited quanti-ties. In November of 2008, they re-released Dark Emotion with the previously recorded tracks and on new track. They credited it as their first mini-album. The songs have a controlled moodiness to them and though their sound is largely restrained, it does not drag along slowly. The alteration of guitar segments, drum rhythms and vocal melody maintain the listeners interest. Through a mixture of mellow, mel-ancholic and even spastic songs with subtle yet edgy impact, they adeptly express dark emotions. Mr.unkown’s sound is solid and not what one would call amateur rank. Their flexibility of sound and prominent melodies have provided an impressive introduction to their music.

Kyubihttp://ip.tosp.co.jp/i.asp?i=kyubi_jp_music

I always love discovering bands by accident. I came across Kyubi while investigating another indies band, but I immediately knew that this band had warranted my attention. Talk about a diamond in the rough! Their name meaning “nine tails,” the band is composed of female vocalist CHIE, guitarists KOUSEI and MAKI and drummer YUKATA. Their music is self-defined as “Japanese-style heavy & loud sounds,” and to tell you the truth, it is probably the best description for it. The Japanese elements of Kyubi’s style shine in both the visual and audio sense. Donning their traditionally influenced, yet uniquely modified stage get-ups, they have a similar visual presence to MUCC. Woven into their sound is a backdrop of traditional flutes and drums. Kyubi’s overall sound is reflective of what you might hear if LACUNA COIL and earlier MUCC had a child. On March 29th, Kyubi held a graduation live for the departure of their drummer, KENTA. They have since welcomed YUKATA to fill the position. They are currently seek-ing a bassist and a taiko drummer to further elevate the sound. They have released one mini album, Hyakkaryouran, and were featured on the KIWAMI code:03 compilation album and 3 day live release event in June, 2008. Aside from LACUNA COIL and MUCC fans, I would also recommend this band to fans of hard and melodic music, particularly D, Maximum The Hormone and HeavensDust.

EAT YOU ALIVEhttp://www.eatyoualive.net/

Though their name may sound slightly pretentious, there is no need to worry because EAT YOU ALIVE is fun and enjoyable and not advocating rampant can-nibalism. Formerly known as MaveRick, this Nagoya-based band brings to the table a neat blend of hard rock elements with rap. Formed in 2006, MaveRick consisted of Kray on vocals, Mukuro on guitar, Kenzi on bass, and Makoto on drums, and they released a few singles and an album. In June of 2008, MaveR-ick changed their name to EAT YOU ALIVE at a special live accompanied by the start of distribution for their first single as EAT YOU ALIVE, entitled JENNIFER/Hanamizuki. Along with the band name change Kray and Mukuro changed their names to Hiro and Ryouhei respectively. Their new single exhibited a slight

change in style, becoming more melodic and upbeat compared to their previous harder, louder style. As EAT YOU ALIVE, the incorpo-ration of rap into their songs became more prominent, intertwined with irresistible sing-along melodies, whereas MaveRick was much darker and only peppered with rap segments. Though the change in identity and the restructured sound, there still remains noticeable similarities between the new and the old and both remain satisfy-ing. The satisfaction connected with their releases can largely be drawn from the well developed uniqueness the band has brought to both their old and new works. They have shown that they are not afraid to experiment, and have ample versatility in their style to not hinder them in any way. EAT YOU ALIVE is worth keeping an eye on, in the very least out of curiosity of what they’ll bring next.

By Cliff Modes

Rating system: 1-10 (10 being the best.)The first quarter of 2009 was packed with plenty of great and not-so-great releases. Here’s a quick recap to help you spend your money on the right stuff:

The GazettE DISTRESS AND COMA (Single)The best possible teaser for their upcoming album DIM. The heavy, orchestral title song shines, the B-sides are worthwhile additions to GazettE’s outstanding catalogue. 9

Gackt GHOST (Single)Hypnotic disco-beats and the great chorus round off this Terminator: SCC soundtrack song, and the B-side is brooding and irritating like Depeche Mode at their best. Nice! 8

SIVA Kali (Single)One of their best songs ever, pro-duced to the max and with some extraordinary groove. That’s where Dali and Nega want to be! 8

D Genetic World (Album)A yummy mixture of some well-known and some new D sounds. Not as loveable as “Neo culture” before, but sound and solid! 7

Merry under-world (Album)This one features some of the best Merry songs I’ve ever heard! Too bad the rest is awful, and the three previous singles have been attatched to the end like a fake arse. 5

Could you please introduce yourself ? My name is Shion Francois, and I am half Japanese, half Italian. I am the radio host for JSHOXX Radio, and video host for JSHOXX Web TV. What was your first exposure to Jrock?My first experience with Japanese rock music were the bands Loudness, Flatbacker (EZO), and ZIGGY. Loudness was just so heavy, and the vocals were as metal as you can get. Awesome band. R.I.P. Munetaka Higuchi. I was always a fan of visual style rock spanning back to KISS and early Motley Crue. When introduced to X from a band mate, I was hooked not only by the sound but when I saw a video of the live I was like “whoa.” I then added Luna Sea to the mix and so on and so on.

What artist has consistently been your favorite? X-Japan has always been my favorite, and Hide’s solo stuff. However, when Hide passed, I took a little break from Jrock. I was then renewed when I saw a video from alice nine, “Yami ni chiru sakura,” and it gave me that spark again. Since then it has been alice nine, the Gazette, ALSDEAD (aka DICE & JOKER), DELUHI, & Matenrou Opera to name a few. What newer artist should people pay more attention to? Definitely ALSDEAD, DELUHI, gaara, vistlip & LA69, which I have been really liking a lot these days. What first inspired you to start JSHOXX? Well, I strongly feel that music has no

language boundaries. More like genre boundaries. I really am a huge fan of Jrock & Rock/Metal in general. In fact, when I was younger, I was in a band called “Shy Boy” in which we did original songs and covers of X, ZIGGY, Seikima II & EZO. I remember doing a few songs, and the kids thought they were our originals [laughs]. We actually wrote English lyrics for some of the songs. I started out as vocal, and then I switched to guitar. Guitar looked cooler, but pretty much the newer bands such as alice nine, The GazettE, and a few others really sparked my interest in VK and Jrock again, and I really wanted to share the sound of Visual Kei with the world.

When Hide was beginning to hit the international shores I thought that would be a huge break through. It was unfortunate that he passed. In some ways

JSHOXX is more of a dedication to Hide and the Jrock/Jmetal bands that try and break the language barriers with awesome music.

I am such a fan of rock music in general; and language, in my opinion, should have no factor on whether you listen to it or not. I mean, take other countries, for example, that crank English music through their radio waves. The vocals are an instrument, don’t get me wrong. It’s nice to understand, but honestly if it sounds good just crank it. So this led me to want to crank this awesome music to the world. There is so much talent on this planet, and now with the internet, it is possible to reach the entire planet...almost. How patient did you have to be until JSHOXX started picking up traffic, or

was it a hit from the start? It took about a month of a total of 4 listeners, (Thanks Momma-San!) before it finally starting growing rapidly. After 4 months we were rated #1 on live365 within our genre of Japanese music, and today we are still ranked #1 and have about 35,000 listeners worldwide. Many, if not most, of the bands featured on JSHOXX are quite visual, but web radio is almost entirely auditory. Well you can’t dress up a band in cool clothes and makeup and play crappy. Bottom line is still the music. It’s just a bonus when they look badass as well. Another thing about web radio is that this sort of industry may seem largely impersonal. What would you say to counteract that perception? That’s B.S. Like I said before, if we started a local station in S.F., our friends in Germany, Italy, Korea, what have you would not be able to have this access and be introduced to so many cool bands. It’s an awesome feeling when we

get numerous emails from around the world saying how thankful they are for JSHOXX being here on the web, and that’s the most important thing. Is there one thing that JSHOXX is unable to do at this point in time, but is something that you’d like to work toward achieving? A LOT [laughs] but we are working on a project that will give access to fans across the world to help support the bands they listen to. But that will be announced later, and you will be one of the first to know. From an industry standpoint, what would you say is the biggest incorrect assumption fans often make? Illegal downloads period. Hurts bands. Bad. Remember, these bands are not huge rich money-making machines, and a lot of them invest their own money to produce their music for the fans. As fans it is our duty to do our best to purchase their CDs, merchandise, and mp3s. How else are they ever going to

be able to leave Japan and tour the U.S., Europe, and other parts of Asia when they don’t even know they have fans out there? What are some of the most difficult things about operating a company in two different world markets? The time zone [laughs]. Some late nights here in San Francisco when dealing with Japan. Since our company consists of mainly Japanese-speaking staff it wasn’t too hard for us. One of the problems, however, was convincing certain labels that we are legit and not a little club. We invested over a quarter million dollars to get this thing operational in less than a year, and we continue to put out.

Would you please share a word of advice and encouragement for fans looking to promote their favorite bands? Street Teams are awesome, and don’t be afraid to try and contact the band or label about what you are doing. Most importantly, have your members promote non-illegal downloads,

and request them to be cranked on JSHOXX Radio! What is the most rewarding thing about operating a web-based radio program focusing on Japanese rock bands? I would definitely have to say introducing a new or unknown indies band and watching them build that fan base outside of Japan. It’s a great feeling. DICE & JOKER (Now ALSDEAD) was a band that our listeners had never heard of, and suddenly after a few months they became one of the most requested bands on JSHOXX Radio. It pisses me off that a lot of JRock projects are looking for the band to make them popular, where at JSHOXX we are about making the band popular, not us. At JSHOXX, bands and listeners are top priority. If there was a single message that you would like JShoxx to get across, what would that message be? Regardless of language, if the music sounds good, F’n Crank It! HAHA!

Kaytea and Kazu are a husband-and-wife hair studio duo who have brought their

high-end hair art to the heads of celebrities and the fashion savvy all over Japan.

The Anarchy shop is nestled in the middle of Harajuku, but will soon be relocat-

ing to Los Angeles. Kaytea took the time to sit down with us and tell us a little bit

about life as a fashion anarchist.

Interview: Amanda Yungmann

Interview: Evan Benner

What are three words that describe how your job makes you feel?Creative, crazy, and really crazy.

How long have you been styling hair?This is my fourth year. Kazu has been doing hair since I was a kindergartener but since we joined forces it’s my fourth year.

What kind of training have you had?I’ve actually had no professional training in hair. I was professionally trained by MAC for makeup but I was always on the other side getting my hair done and had always wanted to pursue it as more of a career. Since Kazu and I have started this shop, I’ve been taught everything as far as extensions go, by the best.

What are some of the best perks about your job?Being able to dress and look however I

want without having to worry about angry responses from my boss and being able to bring people out of their shells and to get them to try new things. A lot of people don’t really know where to go to change their look, and for us, we like to try and bring that out of people. Working with artists has also been great because they were people that we look up to and respect, being able to do something from not just our side, but with them. Feeding us their ideas and then creating something interesting has always been one of my favorite parts.

How did you both meet and end up in Japan?I was in Japan for a year when I was 19 do-ing music, and then Kazu and I have known each other since I was 16. He’s been doing my hair for the last past 10 years. When we got married we decided to try some place new so we decided to leave London and we

had a lot of fan base in Japan because of the artists that we’ve been working with. But we didn’t have them physically where we were, so we decided to go to them and that was how it all began.

How did the name of your shop come about?We’re both obviously Sex Pistols fans which is where the anarchy and the JP website reference comes from. It’s just something that disrupts the order in society. It’s what we wanted to do in Japan. It’s so normal here where people have short black hair, suits, and they don’t get to really express who they are. We wanted to just come and add a bit of color and make people realize that it doesn’t have to be just plain black and white. There can always be a little more color in life.

Your shop has a very unique style of hair, how did this trend come about? What do you call it?We don’t specifically have a name for it but it all began at my husband’s old shop, Peppies, in London. They just took whatever materials they could find; whether it was stuff that was thrown away in the rubbish or stuff that they thought in the electrical part of the shop looked interesting. They just pushed how you can really do hair. It doesn’t have to be human hair; it can be something crazy that creates new shapes or new ideas. We’ve done things like bubble wrap, used stuffed animals, balloons, and just anything that you can use to attach. There’s a lot of freedom in what we do, and one of our favorite things about this job is having people come to us with random material and ask, “Can you do something with this?”

What are your favorite materials to work with? What are your least favorites?My favorite is feathers and things that come out of nature. There are so many interesting shapes and colors and you really don’t have to go synthetic with it. You see so many birds with exotic shapes and colors and you can make vintage or futuristic looks with them. I

just like to take everything from nature to start with because they have the best colors to work with. My least favorite is foam. There’s this huge rage with using craft foam on the internet, and first of all our cats eat it, which makes it extremely difficult to work with without having to keep your eye on two places at once. Any material can become really interesting but it’s what you do with it. We’ve had a lot of fun creating interest-ing shapes with foam, but I think a lot of people who are out there working with it don’t really try hard enough. I think people should try to push the limits a little more.

What inspires you when you’re thinking of new hairstyles?The first thing that I always do is look at Google search for pictures of exotic birds, fish, insects, and things in nature that have exotic color combina-tions. Everybody always tries to think of something futuristic, amazing, or original, but in this point in time, it’s hard to be completely original. I don’t look at other’s works and think, “Oh, I want to do this.” The first thing I do is look at Amazon birds or tropical fish and I think, “Whoa, they have it so good.” And that’s how we start. Nature is definitely the best place to get any inspiration.

What is the craziest hairstyle that you ever created?It was for a member of the Japanese Air Force. In hindsight thinking that this person is what’s protecting us from North Korea kind of scares me at times. He used to come in with his own manga-fied versions of himself and title them things like, “The Lord of Thunder.” He would provide us with a bunch of foam tubes and industrial piping and he wanted us to make it into this crazy ‘KAPOW’ lightning bolt head. It was really huge and we made it within our limits that we thought was as far as we could, from then on though it started getting really ridiculous. We sent him a picture of it and he still wanted it bigger. We really had a lot of fights with him about it and he couldn’t even take it

home easily. He had to put it in a giant sized electrical bag. He used to prowl Harajuku and Shibuya with it and he just loved that ‘in your face’ hair. He was a very interesting client.

Have you had any requests that have shocked you?Our craziest request that we’ve had so far was for an exotic dancer who wanted to have this Blade Runner-esc, skin tone nude, plastic hair. She wanted to have this giant plastic hair go down to these cy-borg plastic tube things that would cover her nipples like pasties and then she also wanted to have a pubic-hair wig made out of plastic tubing. She wanted to dance in this and we ended up not making it, but we have made them in the past. Kazu has made them in his shop and that has to be the strangest thing that I have ever seen.

When people are vague on what they want, how do you go about helping them?Basically all that we ask people when they come in is what kind of material do they want to work with and what colors do they want. Color is the most difficult because people come in and say, “I want that one and that one and that one...” Before you know it they have a whole rainbow exploding out of their head. We have to try to keep them within the safe limit of just a few colors, but gener-ally, if they have a vague shape we like to create something out of it. Ninety-nine percent of the time people say that they are happy with it. We’ve had a few difficult ones, but generally we work re-ally well with our clients. There’s a good mutual trust with that.

Have you ever made a big mistake? How did you handle it?I would never really call anything a mistake, per se, because the one thing that we generally do is be very careful. We always have to think about how heavy the material is that we use on various kinds of hair. We don’t want people coming back and saying that they are bald or that their hair has been ripped out. We always try to go down to

the basic physics with it and know that we can only do so much in certain areas. The only one thing that has happened was with my hair when we were shaving and coloring it that something ended up going wrong. My head ended up a bit more shaved than it was supposed to be, but I just learned how to rock it out. Through it all though, we’ve never had any screaming, “Oh my God, what have I done?” moments.

What was the most interesting cus-tomer that you’ve ever had?Definitely the Tokyo Shock Boys who are the original Jack Ass. They’ve been doing crazy things like shooting milk out their eye sockets, sticking their face in wax, eating scorpions, and things like that. They are very famous in Japan. We used to watch them on late night TV and say that we wanted to do their hair. And it turned out one day that they wanted us to do it. We ended up doing a bunch of stuff for one of their performances. It was just so amazing, Kazu couldn’t talk, and I couldn’t talk. We were just so nervous and fan-girly, fan-boyish about it. That was really a great experience.

Do you feel that a person’s hair can be a part of their identity?Definitely, people say that 80% of first impressions come from hair. I think that people like DJ SiSeN for example, who was very well known in the Japanese scene, had suddenly become this huge boom in Myspace as soon as we started doing his hair. He is still one of our most known clients, if not the most well known. We’re really happy that as soon as we started working with him that he’s advanced as much as he has. We are also very happy with the business that he’s brought to us as a result. I think that definitely having hair that you’re happy with will affect how the world will look at you and how you will interact with the world as well.

Is it the same in Japan as in America, where people often feel the need to vent to their hairdresser?We have a very strict policy that we are

not emotional counselors. We have a lot of people who do come to us, especially in Japan, getting their hair done in crazy styles that usually tend to suffer from a lot of depression issues or self-harm issues. That was something that shocked us a lot because people weren’t coming here just to change their hair color, but to change their identity with a new hairstyle. We found ourselves, whether we wanted to or not, starting to have a lot of talks with our clients. We’ve helped a lot of people out; not that we are the best role models or anything. It’s difficult though seeing how society here isn’t just expressing yourself but more about changing who you are. We do have a lot of people who do come in and will explain a lot of strange situations or personal issues to us, but we do our best to keep it at 30%. We do what we can.

What made you decide to relocate from Japan to the United States?Japan I’ve always loved. Being here for a long time though, especially from my point of view being a foreigner here, where I can speak like them, live like them, move like them, but still I am always going to be the funny white chick with strange mannerisms. That’s something that kind of got to me. Also it’s a Japanese weak-ness to like whatever passing trend there is and that is another thing that found me down and in the outs. We just wanted to have a nice core group of fans here and there are definitely a lot of re-ally supportive people here who have followed us throughout the years. It’s kind of very light and fluffy here sometimes. It’s hard to be taken really seriously. It’s like a big pyramid scheme and we’re always going to be at the bottom. We wanted to go somewhere where people really appreciate what we do and I’ve always loved LA. I lived there briefly. Also we have a huge fan base there who is always contacting us asking, “When are you going to come to America?” And finally we get to say, “Yes, we’re going to America! Please wait for us!” Plus I do want to get back on my own home-land turf and see how it goes.

I get to go through beauty school. With my lack of qualifications I definitely want to make that a thing of the past because I’ve always wanted to pursue hair dressing. It’s just that Japan is a long three-year process, where as the USA, you’ve only got a year. Kazu is probably going to be working elsewhere while I’m taking all of my classes. When we’ve finished we plan to hopefully move to the Melrose area, or just any place really fun.

When you leave your shop in Japan, what will you miss the most?I will really miss our clients here of course because there are some really amazing people who have kept us alive for the past four years. There have been times where we wanted to give up in the past but just hearing one person, whether they come here regularly or not, saying that you need to exist in Japan and that they will always support you, that’s what has kept us here. I’m really going to miss our clients here.

What will you never miss?I will not miss having my shop in my house and the Japanese style of taking off your shoes at the door. I really miss having high ceil-ings and high doorways where I wouldn’t hit my head off all the time. Definitely the Japanese tiny things are the things I wouldn’t miss.

Do you have any advice for people who are looking to create crazy hairstyles for themselves?It’s all just trial and error. The best way to get good at something, to discover your own style, is to just try again and again. There are too many people who are out there that see something and who try to copy it. That’s a great start, but take it to the next level. Think about something you like and if you can add more to it to make it even more outstanding. That’s the best way to discover your own little niche inside of everything. That’s what we’ve done and plan to keep on doing. There are always things that will amaze us when we look at them. It’s the drive of, “How can we make it better?” It’ll kick you in the butt and help you to do better over time.

What would you say is the most rewarding part of being a musi-cian?Xion: It depends on the person, I believe. For me, after I started doing music, I could see things in a bit of a different way. I don’t know if this is a reward or not though. A life of music is unpredictable, so there are always risks and fun stuff!! I don’t know if people call this rewarding or not. Humble?Perry: I’ve been given the gift of playing music. Music itself is already the reward: it’s the universal language that transcends national languages.Gene: Oh, I can be a cartoon character. That is to say, I can escape from the confines of “normal” life via music, whether it’s at home playing or on the road and onstage some-where. It’s therapeutic and cathartic for me - I don’t know if I could deal with day-to-day stress as well if I didn’t have this as an outlet!

What would you say is a musician’s great-est challenge?Xion: Creating new sound without having any trouble. The place you live, the food you eat, the life you spend, etc, all influence what kind of sound you make. It is a challenge

for us to make our sound newly fresh, crazy, and sweet. You don’t want to eat a rot-ten peach, do you!?Gene: The greatest challenge for any artist is to have their own unique vision both realized and received. It mainly comes down to compromising when you’re in a band situ-ation because you’re working as part of a bigger whole. A lot of bands struggle with the politics of ego, and while that sometimes provides a fire that ignites the creative juices, it also can spell a quick downfall when there’s constant dis-agreement. I’m lucky to be in a situation like Vaeidos where we just want to “see what hap-pens next.”Perry: I think it is to stay committed to making music in the face of harsh economic realities of day-to-day existence. For a real musician, it’s a life-long journey... not just a one-year passing phase.

Can you tell us about who or what in your life has impacted your outlook on music and performing arts the most?Gene: I would not be who I am without my environment - my family, my friends, my own experiences over

time have all added up to shaping my sen-sibilities. When I was growing up, I never would have thought I’d be interested enough in music to play in a band. Once I started playing music, people were very supportive of my decision and that strengthened my resolve to continue on this reckless journey!Perry: Everyone that I’ve met in my life has shaped me as a person and my perspective towards music and the performing arts, if not simply by helping me understand what makes me tick in terms of how I choose to express myself as an individual or stand my ground on what issues matter most to me. We go through the deluge and then forge onward with the good and bad... even if we never actually dis-cover where it is we’re exactly going to. The sum of all people and experiences at the end of our life is the sym-phony’s true Finale.Xion: My family, friends, band mates, and the people I have met or talked to, life experiences, music I listen to, books I read, and the food I eat. I believe all the elements in my life impact me. It is very difficult for me to talk about this in words.

VAEIDOS CONT.