Double feature: 摩天楼オペラ (Matenrou Opera) & 響 (Hibiki) (drums)

I wanted to share this big interview with the entire band earlier already, but due to circumstances behind the scenes I was asked to wait with sharing it here until the second interview of the set was finished and published as well…

So I’ll make it a double feature today. As a birthday present from myself to everyone I could share the interview with all members of 摩天楼オペラ (Matenrou Opera) at the end of January already: (Re)Introducing: 摩天楼オペラ (Matenrou Opera) – Arlequin Photography

And today I can add the solo interview with the drummer, 響(Hibiki), to the list: A chat with: 響 (Hibiki) (from 摩天楼オペラ (Matenrou Opera)) – Arlequin Photography

(Both interviews are also available in Dutch if that’s more your language of choice!)

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Did you interview both in fully English?

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Absolutely not. XD

So you speak fluent Japanese or do you have someone who helps you to talk with them?

Neither of the two actually. I wish I had someone who could help me with these kind of things.

I ask them questions in my not-great-Japanese and they answer based on that. They usually understand what I am trying to say very well. Not just Matenrou Opera, but all artists I’ve ever done interviews with.

That’s just amazing and kind of those artists that they even try to understand.
(but well google translate and deepl aren’t that bad anymore nowadays).

There are some bandman around who totally aren’t doing their best and just make fun of someone who doesn’t speak it well :innocent:

Oh yeah, for sure. Though I can honestly say that Sono in particular is one of the nicest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Hibiki being a close second, because it was actually Hibiki who asked me if I wanted to do a solo interview with him after the interview with the entire band was published.

I did not give any information that I had more questions I wanted to ask to anyone, he somehow either picked up on it, or he was just really lucky that I had something left when he asked me if I was interested in that.

But you also do a lot of interviews (and at a much higher pace than I do). Do you do yours in Japanese, or do you have help / Google Translate?

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That’s really gentle! Hope you get more opportunities like that. Such bandman are the best to work with. I’ve read both interviews and I noticed the real passion for music. Which I always love ^^

I have Japanese friends who do correct my own and all google/deepl translations I send them. So my interviews are fully in Japanese for most artist, unless they do speak English and aren’t too busy to translate themselves (which rarely is the case).