Interviews with Old School Visual Kei Bandomen

[robkun]

#012 - Jun (純)
Famous bands: SEPHILA, 404NOTFOUND

1. What first got you interested in visual kei?

• Around the time I started, there was a huge boom in visual kei, so that was how it caught my attention and interest. I then started out as a roadie for ACiD.

2. Your first band was SEPHILA. What does the band name mean?

• In religion, there is something called the Tree of Life, with each of the nodes being called sephiroth/sefirot. The name SEPHILA is just a respelling.

(SEPHILA, with Jun on the far left)

3. In 2002, SEPHILA had a major lineup change, leaving the group a duo. What was the reason for their departure?

• The shared future image of SEPHILA and further musical goals became pretty different, so they decided to leave.

4. Shortly afterwards, SEPHILA disbanded. What was the reason?

• I think the group folded because I, the main composer of SEPHILA, decided to leave, and the fundamental musicality of the band collapsed thereafter.

5. Your next band is a mysterious band named HYPER CRUNCH. Can you tell me a bit about that band?

• HYPER CRUNCH was a band that consisted of myself and other musicians from around the Nagoya area who were also in bands that split right around SEPHILA did. It was intended to be a departure from the typical visual kei sound, but it ended up dissolving pretty shortly after it started.

6. After HYPER CRUNCH split, you joined 404NOTFOUND, which also had Akito (陽斗) from meth. on vocals. 404NOTFOUND was a non-visual band, so what inspired you guys to go in that direction?

• 404NOTFOUND was formed by myself and guitarist Tomoking and bassist Ryouji (リョウジ), whom I have known since SEPHILA as they were former members. I think I just wanted to jump towards a new genre.

7. 404NOTFOUND managed to garner some attention from overseas listeners. How did you guys respond to that?

• 404NOTFOUND participated in many tours in Korea and other countries, which made our overseas audience increase gradually. We were always aware of that market and always tried to target it.

(404NOTFOUND, with Jun in the middle)

8. After 404NOTFOUND disbanded, you appeared to have disappeared from the underground music world. Is that true? And if so, what made you decide to retire for a few years?

• The thing was my mentality was always in the frame that if I was going to do a new band, it would have to surpass all of my other bands one way or another. I chose to use a few years to scope around the underground and prepare, but I never thought about fully retiring.

9. In 2015, SEPHILA reunited for one night only and performed live with all the members for the first time in over 10 years. How did it feel to play together with the guys after such a long time? - There was never any bad blood between us, and we actually knew each other since high school, which is where SEPHILA was formed. I always wanted to do a reunion with SEPHILA if given the chance, so I was able to enjoy it from a pure sense.

10. In 2018, SEPHILA temporarily reunited for a few lives. What prompted a longer comeback?

• After the revival in 2015, I thought it went really well, so we decided to play a few more lives in 2018.

11. In 2019, you formed シキ-siki- with not only Akito (陽斗), but with SEPHILA drummer Shoji (将治). What are the future plans with シキ-siki-?

• Currently, シキ-siki- is on hiatus due to conflicts within the personal lives of some members, which was exacerbated by the COVID19 pandemic. We’re not thinking about disbanding at all, so I’d like to continue the band’s activities as soon as possible.

12. Thank you very much for your time. Is there anything else you would like to say?

• Thank you very much for the interview. I will continue to be a guitarist for as long as I live, and I hope that with the future activities of SEPHILA and シキ-siki-, you will continue to support me!

(Jun today, as a member of シキ-siki-)

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#013 - Kazunori Akihara (秋原和教)
Famous bands: SEPHIROT, SHONEN KAMIKAZE (少年カミカゼ)

1. Not many people know that you were a visual kei bandoman before SHONEN KAMIKAZE (少年カミカゼ). What inspired you to become a visual kei bandoman all those years ago?

• I was lent the EXTASY SUMMIT '91 (エクスタシーサミット91) VHS from one of my friends, and when I experienced LUNA SEA… this is the only way, I thought. I was absolutely mesmerized by INORAN’s coolness, and the spinning around during “PRECIOUS”. Another figure that inspired me to become a visual kei bandoman was Kirito (キリト) from PIERROT. Eventually meeting him was a dream come true!

2. Can you tell me about your first band, AQUA?

• It was a cover band that played songs from GLAY and SOPHIA when I was in high school. Eventually, we started doing original songs that were composed by leader HIDEKI. It was so much fun. I was the guitarist.

3. Your next band, SEPHIROT, received much coverage in the legendary visual kei magazine SHOXX. How did you feel about that exposure?

• I was still in my teens at the time, so I was simply overjoyed to be regularly published in a magazine that I strongly admired. Because of the SHOXX exposure, I received many fan letters too (lol). It was an era where everyone loved visual kei.

(SEPHIROT, with Kazunori on the second-to-left)

4. I saw that you eventually left SEPHIROT. What caused you to leave?

• SEPHIROT had a dark sound and image, but I personally was more inspired by softkei and pop music. I just didn’t feel like I fit the image.

5. Your next band, TRIC STER ROJIC▼, was indeed a far-cry from SEPHIROT in practically every sense, a total softkei band. What inspired you to finally make that bold jump?

• It was completely and utterly influenced by SOPHIA (lol). SOPHIA was another band that completely changed my life.

6. Your last band before SHONEN KAMIKAZE (少年カミカゼ), PR@ZMA, seemed to have a very short run. Can you tell me a bit about it?

• In retrospect, I feel it was a sort of preliminary stage for SHONEN KAMIKAZE (少年カミカゼ). This band was also particularly inspired by the oshare movement, as I was a huge fan of baroque at the time. I lived in Tokyo at the time, so that’s where PR@ZMA was based, although I moved back to the Kansai area afterwards.

7. SHONEN KAMIKAZE (少年カミカゼ) was your first non-visual band. What inspired you to retire from the scene?

• Well, put it like this: if you leave visual kei and form your first non-visual band which goes major after about a year of activity, you kind of come to the conclusion that visual kei just isn’t for you (lol). I love the scene, but it just wasn’t a fit for me, I guess. I’d love to reenter the scene at some point though.

8. As you said before, SHONEN KAMIKAZE (少年カミカゼ) quickly became a major band, signing to Victor Entertainment. What was it like breaking into the mainstream?

• Yeah, we were major practically instantly, so I don’t think we experienced any hardships or anything yet. I was wondering at the time if being major was actually happening. Life definitely changed from that point on.

9. What caused SHONEN KAMIKAZE (少年カミカゼ) to disband initially?

• Hmm… that’s tough. I wonder what caused it too (lol). It was a very rare, blessed debut that went really smoothly, so I’m not really sure.

10. What was the inspiration to SHONEN KAMIKAZE (少年カミカゼ) reuniting?

• Maybe somewhere deep down, I felt like there was something that was left unfinished in that band.

(SHONEN KAMIKAZE (少年カミカゼ), with Kazunori third-from-the-right)

11. What is the current state of SHONEN KAMIKAZE (少年カミカゼ)?

• Last year, I was on a tour called AVENZERZ!!, and I performed some SHONEN KAMIKAZE (少年カミカゼ) songs, with some members of SHONEN KAMIKAZE (少年カミカゼ) participating. I was very happy. Everyone was waiting for me after the show, and I almost cried. In fact, I think I might have cried. Next year is the 20th anniversary of SHONEN KAMIKAZE (少年カミカゼ), so I hope we can do something, but who knows (lol).

12. Can you please tell me about your current activities?

• Right now, I am in a unit with vocalist CHiYO called CHi+KAZZ. Our concept is stylistic future-pop. We have recently released our first PV, so please check us out.

13. Thank you very much for your time. Is there anything else you would like to say?

• Music is the best. I will do my best to make better and better music. Like a ramen shop, I am always serving!

(CHi+KAZZ, with Kazunori on the left)

Check out the first PV of CHi+KAZZ, “MAGICAL DANCE”!

マジカルダンス/CHi+KAZZ

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#014 - YOSHITAKA
Famous bands: SMOKY FLAVOR

1. How did you first become interested in visual keI?

• One of my older friends in high school went to a local cultural festival and was hugely influenced by the scene, and he brought it to my attention.

2. Your first visual kei band was ALLIGATOR back in 1991. What inspired you to join the visual kei movement when the scene was still young?

• A local friend (ALLIGATOR guitarist TAPPEI) invited me to Tokyo, and when I came, we just decided to form ALLIGATOR.

(ALLIGATOR, with YOSHITAKA in the upper-middle)

3. Around early 1993, ALLIGATOR disbanded and SMOKY FLAVOR was formed. What caused ALLIGATOR to disband?

• Musical differences, really. I wanted to do more of a metal sound, and I chose to leave and start another band (SMOKY FLAVOR) with some friends of mine at the time.

4. Since practically the beginning, SMOKY FLAVOR has always had a rather hectic schedule. What drove SMOKY FLAVOR to have such a crammed schedule, compared to other early visual bands?

• We made friends easily when we toured, so whenever a local band friend would reach out to us, we would be there to play a live, alongside normal touring.

5. In 1997, after a dozen demos and singles, SMOKY FLAVOR suddenly went on a brief hiatus. What was the reason?

• SMOKY FLAVOR had underwent a rather intense lineup change, and rather than immediately continuing on, I decided to do some solo work and take my time to find the right members.

6. In 1999, along with SMOKY FLAVOR, you started a few more other projects: Psycho-nizm and Dokudoku Monsters (毒々モンスター). With SMOKY FLAVOR already having a tight live schedule, did the busyness of all of the projects ever get overwhelming?

• Rather than taking on a direct role as leader in SMOKY FLAVOR, I would try to leave it as more of a band decision, while simultaneously releasing some of my creative output in the other projects as well. But when members clashed and different views were discussed, I would then get the most stressed.

(SMOKY FLAVOR, with YOSHITAKA on the upper left)

7. In the 2000s, although SMOKY FLAVOR had already been around for over a decade, the group seemed as popular as ever. How do you think SMOKY FLAVOR maintained its popularity throughout the massive changes in the visual kei landscape?

• I think that even though we moved to our own pace, the fact that SMOKY FLAVOR remained a resilient force that wasn’t influenced by any of the modernism in VK and stayed true to ourselves is what made us remain popular.

8. In 2010, SMOKY FLAVOR disappeared and Animal-Z was started. What was the concept of Animal-Z?

• The concept of Animal-Z was to create a unit that was enjoyable regardless of form.

9. Needless to say, SMOKY FLAVOR and Animal-Z are two bands with completely different ideologies and styles. Was it difficult to separate the polar opposite personalities of SMOKY FLAVOR and Animal-Z?

• Aside from SMOKY FLAVOR, I felt Animal-Z would attract artists that were not strictly musicians and create a new vibe, so in that aspect, I’m not sure if I consciously separated the two. Either way, it was a fun time.

10. SMOKY FLAVOR, which returned for a few years afterwards, disintegrated again and still currently seems to be on a mysterious hiatus. What happened, and is there a future with SMOKY FLAVOR?

• I think what happened was that I just didn’t have the drive to keep doing SMOKY FLAVOR. I haven’t decided on whether or not SMOKY FLAVOR will return, but I think if it does, I’ll have to really be dedicated.

11. You are currently still active as a veteran in the visual kei scene after 30 years, which is an amazing feat! Not many visual kei musicians have stayed around for that length of time. During all of these years, as visual kei changed and evolved numerous times, did you ever feel lost in the matrix and trend of things?

• I think that surroundings of any genre or style will naturally change over time, but I hope the music and performance of a musician in a certain style remains relevant and liked over the course of time. I never really got lost in things, but when I do, I always try to change and adjust slightly.

12. Can you tell me a bit about your current project, Yoshigaeru Unit (吉ガエルユニット)?

• Yoshigaeru Unit (吉ガエルユニット) is a solo project of Yoshigaeru (吉ガエル), one of the characters from Animal-Z. The lineup is constantly changing with Yoshigaeru (吉ガエル) being the only core member. Sometimes there are guest vocals though. Overall, I think the music of Yoshigaeru Unit (吉ガエルユニット) is more intense than Animal-Z.

13. Thank you very much for your time. Is there anything else you would like to say?

• It’s nice doing music, but one day, I’d like to get married and have a wife! (lol) I remembered a lot of things during this interview and it was fun answering. Thank you.

(Yoshigaeru Unit (吉ガエルユニット), with Yoshitaka as Yoshigaeru (吉ガエル) in the center)

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#015 - Hikari Ishitani (石谷光)
Famous bands: BILLY & THE SLUTS, Acma

1. How did you first discover visual kei?

• Well, my first encounter with music overall was taking violin lessons as a kid, which started when I was 4. In 6th grade, I moved to England for a year, which is when I discovered rock music. When I returned to Japan a year later, I learned to start playing guitar, and then started my first band soon after. By the time I got into high school, the Japanese metal scene was really starting to boom, and visual kei came from that.

2. In 1992, you joined BILLY & THE SLUTS. Was this your first visual kei band?

• In terms of wearing makeup, my first makeup band was in high school with my band ARES. After that, I joined my first visual kei-esqued band KISS THE CRACK with MAY on guitars and YUKARI on drums, both of which would later join THREE EYES JACK. A few years after KISS THE CRACK split, I auditioned to be a member of (BILLY & THE SLUTS), and through the encouragement of my teacher OKA (from DIE-KUSSE), I passed and joined.

3. BILLY & THE SLUTS were one of the most popular underground visual bands during the genre’s early days. How did it feel to be a significant part of it?

• At that time, I was totally absorbed to the fullest. I think it was a true blessing how (BILLY & THE SLUTS) got to tour all over the country with fans waiting for us wherever we went.

(BILLY & THE SLUTS, with Hikari third-from-the-left)

4. In 1996, BILLY & THE SLUTS disbanded. What caused the initial breakup?

• I think it was due to musical differences on where to go. I would then leave. As I started to grow and learn as a musician, I wanted to start doing music that wasn’t limited to the framework of a band’s style or image. After several lineup changes, BILLY & THE SLUTS started to gradually go into a musical direction more akin to funk, and that’s just not the kind of style I wanted to do.

5. Before BILLY & THE SLUTS disbanded, you formed another band, NA-ZE?. Was it originally a side project, or was it always a full-fledged band?

• At first, NA-ZE? started as a side project with (vocalist) DAI, and we soon after did a demo tape. After a while, the demo began to attract the attention of some major labels, and we then started to do lives with drummer KARSUKE, who I knew from BILLY & THE SLUTS, and bassist SHINJI. They were originally support musicians, although they would eventually end up officially joining NA-ZE? in early 1996, and it then became a full-fledged band after that.

6. In late 1996, NA-ZE? became a major act and signed to Horipro (ホリプロ), although I’ve seen reports of the band having serious issues with the label. Can you discuss some of the issues?

• At first, me and NA-ZE? had a pretty good relationship with Horipro (ホリプロ), although things didn’t exactly come out the way they were supposed to. There was then a change in management at the label and one of the heads of the label pulled me aside and thought it would be a good idea to have NA-ZE? go more towards a folk sound. So NA-ZE? left Horipro and became indies again. Looking back now, I can understand the position the label was in, and there are many things I regret about myself from that time (lol).

7. In the summer of 2000, NA-ZE? announced it was going on an “indefinite hiatus”. What was the reason?

• Musical differences. KARSUKE and SHINJI wanted to go more towards an alternative rock direction, but it wouldn’t match the vocal style of DAI. So I decided to split my musical endeavors in two: DH and brain drain (which would later become Acma).

8. What did DH stand for?

• The origin of the name of DH was DAI and Hikari (lol).

9. DH was very heavily influenced by R&B, which is something that was and still is very rare to find in a visual kei band. Where did that unique sound come from?

• DAI really liked R&B at the time and was good at singing it, so I wanted to make music that would suit that vocal style well. With the help of a DJ friend of mine who had just returned from London at the time (TAKA BOON), DH would perform a few lives as well over the next few years.

10. What caused DH to eventually split?

• Basically, once Acma’s activities really started to pick up, I decided I would rather focus more closely on that project, so DH then folded as a result.

11. Compared to the previous bands in your timeline, Acma had a sound that image that was distinctly non visual. Was this an intentional move to retire from the scene? If so, why?

• Acma was strongly influenced by UK rock, rooted from my days in London back when I was in the 6th grade. I never intentionally sought to distance myself from visual kei, it just sort of happened naturally.

12. Alongside Acma, you also temporarily were a member of RaFF-CuSS. What caused you to leave that group?

• I really hit it off with (bassist) Kouji Fukao (深尾幸治), and we then decided to make music at my house, which became RaFF-CuSS. A few years later, Kouji (幸治) told me that he wanted me to quit Acma and put all of my heart and focus in RaFF-CuSS, which I couldn’t do, so I quit RaFF-CuSS.

13. Although Acma was not a visual band, it still ended up being a massive underground crossover success. How did it feel to maintain such deep rooted popularity for the first time outside of the visual kei scene?

• I was really happy that I was able to get such strong support with Acma while I was active with my own musical commitment through trial and error. Starting with “Circusy”, which was included in Acma’s second mini-album, 2002’s “HO-K COMPUTER”, I have also been in charge of theme songs for many professional wrestlers and units, so I think that also helped spread Acma’s popularity wide.

(Acma, with Hikari on the far right)

14. Around 2017, Acma seemed to go on a hiatus, which it still appears to currently be on. What happened?

• Well, the band went on a hiatus because of a significant member change which effected composition, and lives were then halted as well. Sometimes though, I’ll use Acma as an alias for composing different songs for wrestlers.

15. In 2008, BILLY & THE SLUTS was revived. How did it feel to go back to your roots as a visual kei musician and reunite with the band after all this time?

• It was a fun reunion. The tempo of some songs was faster than I remembered, so the phrasing was a bit difficult at times, but it was still fun! (lol)

16. Around 2020, BILLY & THE SLUTS appeared to go on a hiatus. What happened and is there a future for the band?

• Everybody became busy with their own lives and work outside of the band, so things kind of fell apart. But we were approached a few months ago by the band THE BLACK LILLY, which is the new band of DECAMERON vocalist Naoki and drummer Take who we’ve known for years, to play live with them. It’s been a long time since BILLY & THE SLUTS played live, so I’m really looking forward to it.

17. Currently, you are mainly working as a songwriter and producer, most significantly working with idol groups. What made you head in this direction?

• It all started some years ago when Naoki (vocalist of SAY-LA and READY) approached me about making an idol group together. I always enjoyed idol pop, so I agreed, and I found that I was able to write idol pop songs quite naturally. The idol group ended up also being named SAY-LA, due to Naoki’s insistence (lol). Since 2011, I’ve been writing songs for SAY-LA, while Naoki has been designing the costumes. Whenever I organize oneman lives for SAY-LA, I also fill in on guitar.

18. Thank you very much for your time! Is there anything else you would like to say?

• First of all, I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in my music activities. There have been a lot of fun times and certainly a lot of hard times, but looking back, all of them are treasures. And I want to increase those treasured moments from now on. Also, as I wrote earlier, on Sunday, August 13, 2023, BILLY AND THE SLUTS will be performing at the Shimokitazawa ReG venue for the first time in a while with THE BLACK LILLY. I’m looking forward to seeing old friends, and it’s been a long time since I’ve done a live show with (BILLY AND THE SLUTS), so I hope you can support me. Thank you very much!

(Hikari from a few years ago, promoting the latest SAY-LA release)

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#016 - Yasuaki Miyaji (宮路ヤスアキ)
Famous bands: RONDE, Bye2regret

1. What first got you into visual kei?

• I first became familiar with the scene through X JAPAN, and I then started following the indies scene closely afterwards.

2. Your first visual kei band was RONDE, which blew up in popularity practically overnight. What was it about RONDE that you think made it so popular?

• We were actually still high school kids when we formed RONDE, so we didn’t know what it took to break through the visual kei scene. I think it was just dumb luck.

3. In 2000, RONDE signed to Plug Records, a label that had other popular visual bands like Vivid and Psycho le Cemu. What made that label so appealing to you guys?

• RONDE was working hard out the gate to cover band expenses, so I think that just having that particular field covered instead of doing it directly was the most appealing part (lol).

4. RONDE was one of the most popular softkei bands. What was the environment like during the softkei boom, versus just a few years later when the scene virtually dissolved?

• Around the time softkei declined in popularity and dissolved, many new visual kei subcategories was started, thus further diversifying the scene. I think that at the end of the day, every genre had its own fads which come to a close, and that bands in that particular boom will come and go in popularity as the subscene does.

(RONDE, with Yasuaki second-from-the-left)

5. In 2003, despite still being very popular, RONDE disbanded. What was the reason?

• Some members of the band just got tired of the whole lifestyle, and from the formation, it was decided that if a member left, the other members of RONDE wouldn’t replace them and instead disband.

6. After RONDE split, you formed Bye2regret with the vocalist of RONDE, Tomonori Okada (岡田智徳). What were the immediate differences you guys set to do to separate RONDE from Bye2regret?

• We decided that Bye2regret wouldn’t have the same flashiness of RONDE.

7. Right before Bye2regret initially disbanded, you joined THE HUSKY, which was your first non-visual band and had Whiteberry vocalist Yuki Maeda (前田由紀). How did you first meet her and the rest of the band?

• The band was formed by (drummer) LEVIN, and when he heard that Bye2regret was in its final days, he reached out to me to join. After that, he sought a female vocalist and reached out to Yuki, and that’s when THE HUSKY started.

8. In late 2008, you left THE HUSKY. What was the reason?

• Someone in the band (sidenote: probably Yuki or LEVIN) had trouble with our bassist (Sunao Nakamura (中村すなお)), and asked me personally to fire him. However, I wanted to do more music with him, so me and (Sunao) decided to leave THE HUSKY instead.

9. Afterwards, you joined the second lineup of Indigo7. What was it like meeting the other members?

• I actually knew KENT and Yuji Kitadai (キタダイユウジ) from our earlier bands, and I met the other members after I joined. It was a smooth introduction.

(Indigo7, with Yasuaki on the far right)

10. I read that in 2013, Yuji Kitadai (キタダイユウジ) suddenly vanished from the group, thus leading to Indigo7 to disband. Is that true?

• Yes, it’s true. After he left, our agency and the remaining bandmates tried to keep the band going by looking for a replacement, but it was never found, so Indigo7 then disbanded.

11. In 2014, you joined D4C, your first visual kei band since Bye2regret’s initial disbandment. How did it feel to return to the scene?

• Now, I don’t have any real hostility towards the scene, but back then, I was really resistant against the idea of wearing makeup and visual kei clothing again. I was actually the only member of the band who was that strongly against it (lol).

12. In 2016, Bye2regret reunited, except with very little of the same softkei aesthetic it originally had. Other than stylistically, was there a significant difference between the two eras?

• Other than the new members, not really. But if I had to say, maybe there’s a slight difference in the mindset. For example, originally, my mindset was using the band to continue my journey as a musician. But upon the revival, it changed to seeing the band as more of a hobby where friends get together and make music. I hope that makes sense (lol).

13. In 2021, Bye2regret folded for a second time. What was the reason?

• Well, in March of 2021, my father passed away, and because of that, I didn’t really feel like continuing in something that I only saw as a hobby. Plus, the members of the band were getting older and had families, and our visions for how we saw the band became more and more different. Compounded with the COVID19 pandemic, it just seemed like a natural end to the band.

14. What are your current musical activities?

• My main job today is working as a composer, arranger and recording engineer. Aside from that, I’m also a support musician in Ash Berry and BAKU BAND.

15. Thank you very much for your time. Is there anything else you would like to say?

• It was a great opportunity because I don’t really get too many chances to reflect back on my life and career like this. Thank you very much!

(BAKU BAND, with Yasuaki on the far left)

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#017 - Ryo
Famous band: TAI:LEN

1. What first got you interested in visual kei?

• Before visual kei was a thing, I was a long time fan of Japanese metal and hard rock from around elementary school, and over time, I began gradually drifting towards bands with a strong focus on their visuals (DEAD END and Seikima-II (聖飢魔II), for example), so I think it started from there.

2. Your first visual kei band was TAI:LEN. What did the name mean?

• It came from a slang word in Kagawa-ben, which meant “unbearable”. Because TAI:LEN sounds similar to the slang, I decided that would be our band name.

3. It took only 3 years for TAI:LEN to reach the top of the early visual kei underground. How did it feel to be in such a popular band?

• When TAI:LEN were active, livehouses were always packed when we would play, so it was a huge honor!

(TAI:LEN, with Ryo third-from-the-left)

4. I saw that TAI:LEN disbanded as a result of the Great Hanshin earthquake. What specific impact did the earthquake have on the band?

• To be exact, because of the earthquake, TAI:LEN decided to move activities to the Tokyo area. But life in Tokyo proved to be pretty hard, with a sharp divide among the band members, as well as with management and producers. As a result of all of these problems, finances became dire, so we then decided to disband.

5. After TAI:LEN disbanded, you appeared to have retired from visual kei. Is this true? If so, what caused you to retire?

• It’s true. I ended up deciding on a route that would directly support my family, and as a result, I stopped my musical activities for nearly 20 years.

6. In 2012, TAI:LEN reunited after 17 years apart. How did it feel to reconnect with the band members and returning to the scene after all those years?

• It was my first musical activities since retiring all those years back, so for that alone, it was special. I had many thoughts in my head and me and the rest of the members apologized to each other and made amends. It was really moving.

7. In 2017, TAI:LEN dissolved again, and I see that you then decided to open a crepe shop. Can you tell me a bit of the journey from returning to the scene to opening a crepe shop?

• The guitarist of TAI:LEN, AKI, didn’t have a regular job at the time, so me and him discussed on opening a crepe shop, and that remains our current main source of income.

8. Do you think you will ever return to music again? Either with TAI:LEN, or something else?

• Unfortunately, I don’t really have too much time these days to do music, but the personal relationships between me and the other members of TAI:LEN is still really good today. I would like to return with TAI:LEN sometime in the future if the opportunity arises.

9. Thank you very much for your time! Is there anything else you would like to say?

• I am thrilled that TAI:LEN is still remembered after 30 years. Thank you.

(Ryo, today)

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[robkun]

Just put up two more interviews. This time I got to interview some vets: YOSHITAKA (best known for SMOKY FLAVOR) and Hikari Ishitani (石谷光) (best known for BILLY & THE SLUTS and his non-visual band Acma). The interview with Hikari in particular helped clear a lot of confusion I had with his current idol project, and some brand new info is unveiled for the first time regarding that very idol group and where their name came from!

[robkun]

Put up two more: one with Yasuaki Miyaji (宮路ヤスアキ), who is best known for being in the hugely popular 2000s softkei band RONDE, and Ryo, who was the frontman for the massively popular early-mid-90s underground VK band TAI:LEN, who now… runs a crepe shop?!

[robkun]

After about a month of silence, I’m finally back with an interview with guitarist You., best known for being in Bang-Doll and one of the most popular VK bands of the 2010s: Scarlet Valse. Some interesting stuff in this one, including some seemingly bitter feelings towards the other guys in SV. That will be below this comment, along with some more interviews in the future… whenever they get done! lol

[robkun]

#018: You.
Famous bands: Bang Doll, Scarlet Valse

1. What first got you interested in visual kei?

• I became a huge fan of X JAPAN, and from there, became fascinated with the hair and makeup associated with the scene. In fact, they were the direct inspiration for my first band, ~Setsuna~ (~刹那~).

2. Indeed, your first visual band was ~Setsuna~ (~刹那~), who played with bands like JE*REVIENS, MUCC and sinners during its run. How did it feel to play with such popular bands even though the band was only around a short time? Also, what caused the band to split up?

• At that time, it was my first ever band, so it was a miracle for me to play with such popular bands, but I still felt inexperienced, so I left after about a year in the band. I was later contacted to play the band’s final four lives, but I don’t know exactly why they disbanded.

3. Afterwards, you joined RAPT, a band that was regularly featured in SHOXX. What was it like to be in such a high profiled indies band?

• I was introduced to the members of RAPT on the day of the final live of ~Setsuna~ (~刹那~) at the CLUB GIO livehouse in Ichikawa (市川), and I joined soon after. I don’t think RAPT had all that much publicity in comparison to other bands, but it was still a good band, I think.

4. You then joined Bang-Doll, which you were in for quite some time. Bang-Doll was famous for its constant lineup changes, what was the environment within the band like?

• It was like joining a company (lol). Speaking of which, when I graduated from a certain school, I remember writing in my previous employment section “Bang-Doll: guitar”. The environment, the activities and live shows were all very intense and demanding. But it’s a band that really made me evolve as a musician, and I think I’m the overall person I am now due to my time in Bang-Doll.

(Bang-Doll with You., second-from-the-left)

5. Towards the end of your time with Bang-Doll, you joined the supergroup Yokohama (横濱) Bay Rock Stars. Although many lives were archived, not much is known about the group’s actual history. Can you tell me about it?

• Supergroup? (lol). Yeah, I’m from Yokohama, but I never actually did any band activities based there. So I decided to form Yokohama (横濱) Bay Rock Stars based on that premise, with drummer Ei (英), who was also from the area. I then invited DIEkichi (DIE吉) to play bass, and Yokohama (横濱) Bay Rock Stars then became a melocore band heavily inspired by The Offspring. Since we had a baseball theme, we (had) Go act as a referee. We were later introduced to a comedy group named Avant-Gyaru’S (アバンギャル’S), who acted as our cheerleaders.

6. In 2007, you left Bang-Doll after about 6 years. What was the reason for your departure?

• There were many reasons, but it was mainly because the direction of the band changed while we were in the process of looking for a new producer. It ended up being a different endeavor than what I was aiming for.

7. You then became a member of the long-running session group RAIL TRACER. What was your history in the band?

• I participated as a support bassist.

8. And then in 2011, you joined Scarlet Valse, one of the most popular and representative bands of the 2010s visual underground. Scarlet Valse ended up lasting 11 years, which is a pretty long run for a visual kei band. What do you think made Scarlet Valse last so long?

• In terms of the inner band workings, I think strong support from our agency helped. They would always assist us when we had members leaving. And as far as the rest of it went, the massive support we had from our fans really helped us keep afloat as well.

(Scarlet Valse, with You. on the far right)

9. In 2022, Scarlet Valse went on an indefinite hiatus. What was the reason for that? And does the group have a future?

• I planned on withdrawing from the group, so I suppose that may have been what caused the hiatus. I talked to the other members after I made my decision, and the rest of the band decided not to continue with Scarlet Valse. As for the future of Scarlet Valse, I’m not sure. Perhaps if they find a replacement for me. (sidenote: yowch, no love lost there).

10. You would later join Bang-Doll in a one-off live during the band’s brief comeback following its original disbandment. What was it like reuniting with the guys after all this time? Was there any awkwardness? Especially when you consider the massive second breakup Bang-Doll had just a few months ago?

• The live I did with the band was a total blast with no awkwardness at all. Yeah, I saw the breakup on Twitter. It’s a shame.

11. You are currently working on two projects: youghal-ヨール- and Y-xiz. What can you tell me about these projects?

• youghal-ヨール- is a unit that was started by Gurigula (グリグラ) vocalist HAL, whom I’ve known since I supported Gurigula (グリグラ) throughout the years. We play digital hard pop and play about twice a month. Y-xiz is a stylish hard rock band that first began when I found out about the Kagoshima (鹿児島)-based band VERITAS, who would later move to the Tokyo (東京) area in 2019. I was eyeing vocalist YESK for a project, and following VERITAS’s disbandment, Y-xiz was finally formed. Right now, Y-xiz is focused primarily on recording, but when the day comes when we do a live, I can guarantee that it will be amazing and will be a picture perfect example of how to perform.

12. Thank you very much for your time! Is there anything else you would like to say?

• I also recently joined takeshiwoJAPAN (たけしをJAPAN) with (ex-Black Berry members) Yasunori Henmi (逸見泰典) and Kazumi Nagao (長尾和美). We play a oneman on October 6th at Shinjuku Samurai (新宿サムライ). Thank you for the interview, and thank you for reading until the end.

(You., today)

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#019: Shiina (詩那)
Famous bands: NOISY CROWDS/NOi’X, moll’e node (モル・ノヲド)

1. What first got you into visual kei?

• I met bassist LUCCA through a wanted ad in a FOOL’S MATE magazine. Based on his thoughts, we would then start a visual kei band: NOISY CROWDS. That is how I first got into the scene. Before that, I was in a hardcore band called THE LUCIFER KISS.

2. What did the name NOISY CROWDS mean?

• It quite literally meant “noisy people”.

3. NOISY CROWDS were one of the most popular bands in the early visual kei underground. What was the scene like at its early stages?

• It was absolutely brutal (lol). Not so much like today, the visual kei scene at that point was very lively with a lot of bands, so competition was fierce.

(NOISY CROWDS with Shiina, third from left)

4. In 1997, NOISY CROWDS folded and NOi’X was born. What was the reason for rebirthing as NOi’X?

• To be clear, NOISY CROWDS did not ever disband, but was more of a band name change. Towards the end of NOISY CROWDS’s activities, we were the first signees to Key Party, but the company president thought that we would fit better with a female role, which would be me. So NOISY CROWDS then changed our name to NOi’X.

5. There are various theories about the origin and meaning of the band name NOi’X. Could you please clarify the exact meaning of the name?

• The first meaning is fruit (sidenote: I am lost as to what this means. The literal kanji he used is “kajitsu (果実)”, so… I have no idea lol). The second is the sound of “SY” in NOISY CROWDS, being pronounced in the X in NOi’X. A third meaning is that since NOi’X was started at the end of the century, I wanted it to be read similarly to “Noah”, as in “Noah’s Ark”.

6. Immediately after NOi’X started, you were signed to Key Party. How did you meet the heads of the label: SHINOVI and EURO?

• I met both of them when NOISY CROWDS performed a live with (SHINOVI’s band) Satsurikutou (殺戮党) & s1w.

(Shiina in NOi’X)

7. Key Party would quickly become one of visual kei’s most popular labels. As NOi’X were one of the main featured bands on the label, what was it like to be a part of its meteoric rise?

• The bands were very, very close. We were all as close as schoolmates in afterschool curricular activities. I still keep in touch with most of the guys from Key Party today.

8. In 2000, NOi’X dissolved. What happened?

• Guitarist RYOTA wished to leave, so we disbanded.

9. Your next bands were KiéRE. and Shekena Babies (シェケナベイビーズ). What can you tell me about them?

• KiéRE. was only active for about one year, and we toured nationwide, eventually playing three onemans and releasing one demo. Shekena Babies (シェケナベイビーズ) was a session group started by Haruka (ハルカ) from MAZOHYSTERIA. We only appeared on an omnibus VHS and album by Anarchist Records (アナーキストレコード).

10. In 2003, you formed moll’e node (モル・ノヲド), which had a similar goth aesthetic to NOi’X. What inspired you to return to this style?

• moll’e node (モル・ノヲド) was originally supposed to be a 5-piece band, and I wasn’t supposed to play the female role in the band. However, guitarist Ahiru (あひる) left, and we were then a 4-piece, and because of his departure, I would take over the female role in the band, similar to what I did in NOi’X.

11. moll’e node (モル・ノヲド) split up in 2006, and you then revived NOISY CROWDS in 2010. What was the drive behind a revival?

• Me, (guitarist) Sivy (シビィ), (bassist) Haruka (ハルカ) and (drummer) Be…S were all drinking buddies, and one night, we thought it would be exciting to revive NOISY CROWDS. I was the only original member left, but it was still fun.

12. In 2013, you launched a solo project called Visual Kei Enka Kashuu TAKASHI (ヴィジュアル系演歌歌手TAKASHI), which is currently known as Takashi Omitama (小美玉たかし). The project would have a much lighter, comedic and party-like atmosphere compared to your previous works, with the enka influence of course being a particularly new element in the project. What inspired you to embark on this project?

• The Shekena Babies (シェケナベイビーズ) project recorded a track called “Shekena Kaze (シェケナ風)”, and I also sung enka live sometime before, in the summer of 2009 at a fireworks display at the Miyagase Dam (宮ケ瀬ダム). Due to my parents’ musical taste, I was a fan of enka since I was a child, and would eventually become good at singing it. I then wanted to do something that no one was doing… I then thought of the whole “visual kei enka singer” concept, and kickstarted the project earnestly.

13. In 2017, after 17 years, you revived NOi’X. What was the reason behind it?

• It all started when (bassist) Till came up to me at a live event at the Machida (町田) Play House venue and said that he wanted to play “Flowers” by NOi’X as an encore. That sparked the interest.

14. Currently, you are active in both NOi’X and the Takashi Omitama (小美玉たかし) project. Since they’re both complete polar opposites from each other, does it ever get jarring or tiresome to keep them separate like you do?

• It can be tough, but I consider myself somewhat of an actor, and I have a blast with both sides.

15. You have been active in the visual kei circuit for over 30 years, a huge accomplishment that not many others can say. What drives you to keep going at this constant pace?

• Because I think I missed the cue to retire at some point (lol). But you know, it’s really hard to be active in visual kei after all of these years. There are a lot of hardships. But when you do what you love, the hardships don’t seem too bad (lol). It’s a weird thing.

16. Thank you very much for your time. Is there anything else you would like to say?

• Please continue to support my projects with unimaginable intensity! And please follow me (on Twitter/X) as well.

(Shiina today, as Takashi Omitama (小美玉たかし))

Follow Shiina/Takashi Omitama on Twitter/X!
https://twitter.com/shina1147

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020: Nalu-shin
Famous bands: XYXX, support musician extraordinaire

1. What first got you into visual kei?

• When I was still a junior high school student, I was in awe of B’z, who became great inspirations to me. When I was blossoming as a musician in high school and entering afterschool curricular programs, I noticed there were a lot of guitarists, so many that I couldn’t find a band to join. I then learned the drums which I was good at, and that became my instrument of choice. Afterwards, I began covering songs from BUCK-TICK and LUNA SEA, before making original material later.

2. How did your first band, SPEED MAKER, form?

• It was my first band that I ever joined in high school.

3. What caused you to leave SPEED MAKER?

• The guitarist was worse at playing than I was (sidenote: harrrsh lol), so I decided to leave.

4. After you left SPEED MAKER, you joined Ru~ne, an underground visual group that was already popular before you joined. How did you first meet the members?

• After I left SPEED MAKER, I went on to join a recording session that a school senpai was involved in… he was in Ru~ne. After the session, he asked me to do support for a few Ru~ne lives, and I then ended up eventually becoming a member.

(Ru~ne, with Nalu:shin on the bottom right)

5. In addition to being a member of Ru~ne, you also became a support musician to numerous underground visual groups, including SHAKE:A:CRAYE and Dust. Did you ever experience any scheduling conflicts when being a support musician to several underground visual groups at once as well as being in Ru~ne? Or even, was it ever a tiring and physically draining endeavor?

• It was a difficult task, both physically as well as financially. I didn’t have time to work a real job part time, so I lived on the little money I could from being on stage.

6. Later, you would officially join XYXX, after a year of being a support member. Compared to Ru~ne, what was the band environment like in XYXX?

• Ru~ne had a great deal of support from our Kanagawa friends, but since XYXX’s activities were largely based in Tokyo, with most of the band living around the area, it was difficult for me to commute to rehearsals, lives, promotional shots, etc. I often had to find a way to get to Tokyo to perform on local tours with XYXX, and travel time and lodging expenses, which were paid from out of my pocket, were pretty high.

(Nalu:shin, from the XYXX era)

7. Eventually, you left XYXX. If you had to pick a few, were there any specific catalysts for you leaving?

• To be honest, the music of XYXX felt more like something that Metronome (メトロノーム) would have done, and I wasn’t exactly a big fan of that style of music. I would quit though because I primarily didn’t get along with the rest of the band.

8. Your next bands were SUPER NOVA and PLUTO. Unlike the high profile of your previous bands, both SUPER NOVA and PLUTO seem shrouded in mystery. What can you tell me about them?

• SUPER NOVA was a session group with the bassist of Ru~ne (Haruka). We didn’t really do much. And PLUTO was started as a project by the vocalist of SPEED MAKER (Ū), with the guitarist of SPEED MAKER (Hiro) joining later. Our schedules rarely aligned, however, so we did very little stuff together, and soon disbanded.

9. You then joined airhead, a group that started out visual, before eventually adopting a more casual, punk look. What inspired airhead to go towards this direction?

• airhead was a time of excitement in my career where I could really test out my skills as a musician, so it would eventually become more focused on the musical side of things, versus the more synthesized work I did before.

10. Around 2019, airhead embarked on a sudden hiatus, which it still appears to be on today. What caused it to go on a hiatus, and is there a future for the band?

• I’m not sure, the style of airhead is sort of spontaneous, with little worry as to major developments.

11. You also joined the revival of the softkei band Xie, which it rebranded itself as a “Christian band”. What was your initial reaction to the drastic change in style for Xie?

• I hooked up with the band because bassist (Tsurube (鶴瓶)) was looking for a drummer, and I then joined. As to the Christian aspect, to me, it didn’t feel like Christianity was the main focus of Xie’s music, despite it playing a significant role in the rest of the members’ lives, so I didn’t really have any real reaction to the changes.

12. In addition to being one of the most prolific support musicians in underground music today, you also are currently in the original band never ever, which comprises of former visual kei musicians such as yourself. Can you tell me about the history of the formation of never ever, and its future plans?

• never ever was started by ANIMAL LOVER vocalist (Teruzo), with the guitarist of airhead (Jun (淳)) and myself. Besides myself, the rest of the band have outside jobs and families, so the concept of never ever was that it would be great if we all could keep doing what we’re doing until we die.

13. Thank you very much for your time. Is there anything else you would like to say?

• SPEED MAKER, Ru~ne, XYXX, PLUTO, airhead, never ever, and everyone I’ve supported… thank you. That’s all.

(Nalu:shin, today)

Follow Nalu:shin on Instagram and Ameblo!

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#021 - Hina (ヒナ)
Famous bands: hurts, AZALEA

1. What first got you interested in visual kei?

• A great band that was my senior. (Sidenote: it’s never said what band he’s referring to)

2. Your first visual band was AZALEA, which ended up signing to the iconic indies label Matina after only a few months. How did you meet Kisaki?

• A member of the band was a roadie for a band who was close to Kisaki (guitarist Seana, perhaps?), and that’s how AZALEA ended up on Matina.

(Hina, while in AZALEA)

3. After AZALEA disbanded, you would form Sally (サリー), which became SCHELLEN. What was the reason for the name change?

• Our producer thought it would be a good idea to change our name to SCHELLEN.

4. Later on, you formed hurts, which would become one of the most active touring underground visual bands of the mid/late 2000s. Was the hectic touring schedule ever a challenge?

• It was definitely a tiring period, but it also was a fun time as well.

(hurts, with Hina on the bottom-left)

5. Your next project after hurts was Schwein, which was my personal favorite project of yours. After three singles, you ended up leaving Schwein. Why was that?

• In Schwein, I was doing a straight heavy rock vocal style, and I ended up getting tired of it, and leaving.

6. In the early days of Schwein, one of the members donned a pig mask. What exactly was the concept behind the band?

• The concept and theme behind the band was dark and heavy rock, although I still have regrets for taking a band name from my utmost music hero (sidenote: Atsushi Sakurai (櫻井敦司) from BUCK-TICK, I would assume).

7. After Schwein, your next project was Lucifer’s underground, your longest-lasting band to date, running a decade. How did you keep new generating ideas for this band for all that time?

• My fundamentals as a musician haven’t really changed all that much over the years, which goes hand-in-hand with the music. I’m not too sure.

8. Your music and bands have proven to be relatively popular with the foreign visual kei fandom. Why do you think your music in particular resonates with that audience?

• I did not know that, wow (lol).

9. Can you tell us about your current and future musical endeavors?

• I am currently in Industrial Apes, although one day, I would like to revive Lucifer’s underground.

10. Thank you very much for your time. Is there anything else you would like to say?

• Thank you to anyone outside of Japan who listens to us!

(Hina today, as a member of Industrial Apes)

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#022: Naoki Shimada (嶋田直樹)
Famous bands: PSYCHO CANDIE, Hiroshima (廣嶋)

1. Your first band, HARLEM JOKERS, was formed right when visual kei was practically coined. What was the scene like at the very beginning?

• At that time, there was something of a band boom, and I could feel that Tokyo’s livehouse scene was starting to become very exciting. Genres were quickly starting to blossom, from flashy rock’n’roll bands like HARLEM JOKERS, to the more straightforward visual kei, to punk, etc. It felt like entertaining rock’n’roll had finally been established.

2. Aside from being around when visual kei was starting to kick off, HARLEM JOKERS also were a part of a new movement of glam rock, along with bands like THE YELLOW MONKEY and LOVE MISSILE. Was this particular point in the scene memorable in any other way to you?

• I actually didn’t feel too much of a band boom happening at the time with glam specifically, although I do think that each band in that scene was overflowing with energy, and in that sense, it was a very stimulating point in glam.

(HARLEM JOKERS, with Naoki in the bottom middle)

3. Around 1993, HARLEM JOKERS disbanded. What was the reason?

• I realized there were many other things I wanted to do, and I also decided to move to America for a few years.

4. In 1995, you formed your next band, PSYCHO CANDIE. What did the name mean?

• It was taken from a song by The Jesus and Mary Chain (lol). We chose the name because we felt it represented our more psychedelic, melodic band.

5. PSYCHO CANDIE had a noticeably more grungy, less colorful image than HARLEM JOKERS, and indeed had a more psychedelic 1960s rock inspired sound. What was the inspiration behind PSYCHO CANDIE?

• When I moved to the US after HARLEM JOKERS, I gave myself a firsthand experience to the local LA and NYC music scenes. I felt like my musical horizons were quickly expanding. At the time, (Japanese rock band) CASINO DRIVE were active in LA, and (guitarist) Shake and (keyboardist) Rei Atsumi (厚見玲衣) had a big impact on me when I was out there. I could feel the LA music scene going through the changes of grunge, with less and less bands wearing makeup. As a result, the Sunset Strip wasn’t as fun or exciting as it was before.

6. By the new millennium, PSYCHO CANDIE had become one of the most popular underground bands in Japanese music. How did this popularity affect the band?

• Although we had great turnouts to our lives, it didn’t exactly cross over to music sales as much. I think we were in a bit of a dilemma on how to make that happen.

(PSYCHO CANDIE, with Naoki on the upper left)

7. In late 2001, PSYCHO CANDIE went on a sudden hiatus. What happened?

• The main reason was that guitarist Ryo Maezawa (前澤亨) left. Bassist Masato Tsuya (津谷正人) also began working in ZIGGY as a support member, and then joined. Before we all knew it, we became quite distant from PSYCHO CANDIE.

8. While PSYCHO CANDIE were on a hiatus, you started another project, LAD INSANE. What can you tell me about this project?

• It was my project that got its name from an event that (livehouse) La.Mama used to have. I think it was a natural evolution of the London Boot Night events from the early 1990s.

9. PSYCHO CANDIE would be revived in 2005, but went on a hiatus again in 2016. Why?

• Between Masato (正人) being a member of ZIGGY, as well as my other band at the time, Hiroshima (廣嶋), which I formed with (PSYCHO CANDIE drummer) Maggie (マギー), our schedules got too busy, and PSYCHO CANDIE was naturally put on hold.

10. In 2018, drummer Maggie (マギー) unfortunately passed away. What specific impact did his passing have on the band? And do you think PSYCHO CANDIE will ever return?

• Before his passing, plans on a new album were being discussed, but they were naturally scrapped. His death gave a huge shock to the members. I always really loved his drumming style. As for if PSYCHO CANDIE has a future, PSYCHO CANDIE did return for one-night at the SHIMADA SONIC 2023 event as me and Masato (正人). There may be more reunions or future activities with Masato (正人) and myself as PSYCHO CANDIE in the future.

11. You are currently active in two projects: Sen no Kami (千の神) and THE MONOLITH. What can you tell me about these projects?

• Sen no Kami (千の神) is an acoustic unit that consists of myself and guitarist ONOCHIN (of Venus and Mars and HEESEY WITH DUDES fame). We are active at a relaxed pace, and have released two albums so far: “Garbera” and “Morning Glory”. THE MONOLITH is my main-focus band that is entering its fourth year of activity. My goal in 2024 is to get as many people as I can to listen to THE MONOLITH’s new album, so we are planning to tour a lot for the year.

12. You’ve been active in the underground music scene for over 35 years now, becoming a pioneer in both visual kei and glam in the process. Is playing and writing music as fun and enjoyable as it’s always been?

• I don’t feel like a pioneer in anything (lol). But yes, I’m still having great fun doing music. I am trying my best to express myself through THE MONOLITH, and I love doing it my own way.

13. Thank you very much for your time. Is there anything else you would like to say?

• THE MONOLITH’s new mini-album, “Excerpts from 001-003”, is available to stream on various streaming platforms, which is a sampler of our albums. It has some pretty cool stuff, so please listen♪.

(Naoki today, as a member of THE MONOLITH)

Check out THE MONOLITH today on your favorite music streaming service!

Excerpts from 001-003 by THE MONOLITH

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#023: Shingo
Famous bands: JURASSIC, CROSS HARD

1. What first got you interested in visual kei?

• When I was a kid, I loved JPop, and soon became interested in Japanese bands. I was later heavily influenced by heavy metal and hard rock, and older kids would introduce me to many bands. I would eventually discover LUNA SEA on TV, and from there on, I became interested in visual kei.

2. Your first visual band was BACTERIA. What can you tell me about it?

• I formed BACTERIA with the vocalist of JURASSIC, Yuki. He started it because he said he was sick of playing guitar and become a vocalist

3. After BACTERIA, JURASSIC was formed. What was the meaning behind the name?

• It was my idea. I just thought it sounded cool.

4. In just two years after JURASSIC was formed, the band was at the top of the visual underground, and became one of the most representative bands in softkei. How did it feel to achieve such amazing success in such a short time?

• I felt like I was always aiming at the top, and even though we got there, I wanted to go even higher.

5. In late 2001, JURASSIC became a major band and signed to Polystar. What impact did this have on the band?

• The major debut was a little bit different than expected, and… a lot of things happened (lol). We tried to do our best though regardless.

(JURASSIC, with Shingo on the upper-right)

6. In December of 2004, JURASSIC disbanded. What was the reason?

• Mainly due to musical differences. Also, me and Yuki were no longer getting along.

7. Afterwards, you joined the supergroup CROSS HARD, which included members from STRUSH and guitarist Takayoshi Omura (大村孝佳). What was this experience like?

• Most of the songs were written by Takayoshi (孝佳), and were very hard to play, which he himself would later admit. The two of us practiced a lot, and along the way, I learned various techniques and new rhythms.

8. You then joined a band called KILLERS, which is not too known about in the West. What can you tell me about it?

• It all started when talent Nahomi Matsushima (松嶋尚美) said she wanted to record a “call-and-response” type song for her show Kira Kira Afro (きらきらアフロ). All the members were decided upon quickly, except for the drummer. The guitarist Hiroki (from bands like media youth, superbrunch, and many others) personally reached out to several drummers he knew, including myself, asking if they would be interested in joining the project. Funnily enough, I was exiting a train in Osaka, and got a call from Hiroki who told me he and the other members were nearby. I met him, Nahomi (尚美) and the others, and Hiroki decided on me. He told me later that he actually contacted another drummer right before me, but it went to voicemail. It was only supposed to be for one-night only at an event at the Osaka jo-Hall (大阪城ホール) venue, but a label (Defstar Records) reached out to see if we’d be interested in doing a single, so KILLERS ended up lasting a year. We would do two singles, several live events, TV and radio appearances before playing one final live at the Nippon Budokan (日本武道館) in 2007.

(KILLERS, with Shingo on the far right)

9. After KILLERS, you joined another supergroup, The ROMEO, which consisted of members from bands like Psycho le Cemu and Raspberry Circus. How did this group start, and also, why did you end up leaving?

• Vocalist Daishi originally started out as a solo artist, which I played support in. He would then decide to start another band, and I joined. The reason I ended up leaving was due to personal reasons.

10. Afterwards, you ended up joining THE TERRROR’S 666, which would be your first full-fledged visual band since JURASSIC. What was the concept of the band? Also, it seems to have been on a hiatus since 2021. Is there a future for THE TERROR’S 666?

• I’m friends with (vocalist) Mori, and we wanted to form a band that had a horror aesthetic. We were then invited out to an event, which turned out to be fun, so we then continued. The members of THE TERROR’S 666 are all busy with their own projects, so the future is unclear at the moment. I think we’ll probably return one day though.

11. In 2010, JURASSIC reunited after 6 years apart, and have had sporadic reunions since. Is there a more concrete future for JURASSIC?

• As long as the members are healthy, I can see JURASSIC reuniting to do more lives. We currently only reunite about every 5 years or so, so it’s undecided as to when we’ll reunite again.

12. On Christmas Eve 2023, a new band was announced: the softkei band “the superlative degree”, which, besides yourself, includes members from other popular softkei bands of the time like ALL I NEED, Galla and HUSH. What led to the formation of the band? It seems like it harks back to the glory days of softkei, which I’m all for! (lol). Are there any long-term plans for the band?

• Some of the members of the superlative degree have jobs outside of music, so they can’t be active too much. But we are currently in the studio recording new music, so I think there’s some good news ahead.

13. Thank you very much for your time. Is there anything else you would like to say?

• Thank you very much for the interview! I’ll do my best in the new band (the superlative degree) as well as my role as a support musician, so please support me!

(Shingo today, as a member of the superlative degree)

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[chemicalpictures]

man this is freaking great, loving to follow this journey! And thanks for single handedly keeping so many old bands memories alive during all these years!

(and yooooo any chance of a interview with jouei ex-FREE, as.milk, hirameki?)

[robkun]

Thanks man! And that’s a good one! I’ll see what I can do with my very limited resources lol

[Jigsaw]

Another great addition, thank you (and You)!

His new project Y-xiz is really solid, I wish it wasn’t so underrated/unknown…

[GreatNorthernVK]

Yeah, it seems like the issue was not Takashi’s talent at all, but more like “our market research shows that fans don’t gravitate towards him as much as the other members”, and the other guys didn’t want to make waves (given the recent jump back to the indies market) by insisting that Takashi stay.

[MaHARocks]

This is so cool! Thank you!

[robkun]

Happy holidays and new years everybody! After months of putting this project on ice for several reasons, I am happy to say I am revisiting it with some new interviews coming tonight (hopefully)! One of which is with the frontman of Key Party icons NOi’X, Shiina (詩那), and the other is with drummer Nalu:shin, one of the most prolific support artists in the underground and a softkei vet. Stay tuned!!

[robkun]

Interviews were just added! Hope you guys enjoy! And hopefully I’ll be able to do some more before disappearing again for nearly 6 months lol.

[Jigsaw]

It was cool to read the new interviews, especially Shiina! Thank you once again for your work!

[robkun]

Happy New Years! Just put up what is probably gonna be my final interview for the year, and this one should tickle the fancies of all fans of Matina and 90s VK: I got to have a (relatively brief) interview with Hina (ヒナ), from AZALEA and hurts fame! This one is indeed a much shorter one as Hina was more… aloof, than a lot of the other guys I’ve interviewed so far lol. But it still has some cool insight, such as his regret about using the name Schwein for one of his projects, as well as his surprise to learning that a good portion of the foreign VK audience enjoys his stuff! Hope you guys enjoy it!!

[Yukina]

Thank you so much for this interview You are always providing i swear

[CielSombre]

Looking forward to the next interview.

[splendorofbeauty]

Hina-San!!!Omg pls ask him if he’ll ever release as mailorder the first ep from his new project “Industrial Apes”I’ve been waiting for like 6 months…

[robkun]

Just posted a new interview with veteran Naoki Shimada (嶋田直樹), a 35+ year vet in visual kei and glam. Some interesting stuff about what it was like when VK was first starting to bloom in the late 80s, as well as other cool tidbits. Check it out!

[robkun]

Posted another new interview, this time, with the drummer of JURASSIC, Shingo! This one was a personal thrill for me since I’ve been a fan of JURASSIC since I was a high schooler (was actually just listening to “RESCUE U” for the billionth time in the car today!). Check out his insight as a member of one of softkei’s biggest bands ever, as well as his numerous activities outside of the scene, including the interesting story of how he ended up a member of a comedian’s band!

[robkun]

#024: Naohiro
Famous bands: CLOSE, DALIAN

1. What first got you interested in visual kei?

• I started doing music because I was a huge fan of BOOWY, and the first band I was in happened to be a visual kei band, so I don’t think I was necessarily influenced by the visual kei scene directly. It just sort of happened.

2. That band was CLOSE. What was the meaning behind the name of the band?

• The origin of the band name came from the English phrase “close to you”.

3. CLOSE took off relatively quickly in the visual kei underground, although its first two years are a relative mystery. Do you remember anything from these times?

• These events were over 20 years ago, so I don’t remember much, but I remember enjoying bandoman life immensely.

4. In 1998, CLOSE skyrocketed in popularity with the release of its first mini-album “For you…”, which had rave reviews across the scene. What do you think made this album really click with the visual kei scene at the time?

• Hmm… I wonder (lol). Maybe it was my singing voice, our songs by themselves and our overall characters that made that album really resonate like it did.

5. At the end of 1998, CLOSE became a major band and signed to EastWorld, one of Japan’s biggest labels that housed groundbreaking bands like SHOW-YA, TRACY and BOOWY. What was the process like making that jump as a major band?

• Behind the scenes, preparations for our debut were happening at a steady rate. I was excited every day up to the major debut.

6. As a major band, CLOSE had some strong success, appearing in not only visual kei magazines regularly, but teen pop magazines as well. What impact did this exposure have on the band?

• At the time, SNS/texts were not nearly as prevalent as they are now, so having that kind of exposure was extremely effective at promoting CLOSE, and greatly increasing our profile.

(CLOSE, with Naohiro in the center)

7. While CLOSE were heavily prolific in 1999, 2000 would be a much quieter year, with the band releasing only one single that year, “Resei (理性) - No Control”. Was it meant to be a busier year? For example, was a new album in the works at the time?

• Yes, there were talks of doing a second album, but nothing came from it.

8. In early 2001, CLOSE disbanded. Why?

• One of the members of the group (sidenote: no idea who) was saying how he was thinking about leaving, and the rest of us decided to disband rather than replace him.

9. After a few months, you returned as the frontman for the indies band varoqueworks. What was it like returning to the indies circuit after being in such a high profile band like CLOSE?

• It didn’t feel like I was leveling downward, and in fact, it was a rather refreshing time to be on stage as an artist versus doing it solely for a profession.

10. After varoqueworks, you formed DALIAN, a band which would be one of the most dominant in the 2000s underground visual kei world. How did it feel to be in a band that rivaled CLOSE in terms of indies popularity?

• Like varoqueworks, DALIAN at the end of the day was an indies band, so in both bands, it felt nice and freeing without the restrictions of a major label. But in terms of popularity, it felt great to have a second run.

(DALIAN, with Naohiro in the middle)

11. In 2006, DALIAN would disband. What was the reason?

• DALIAN had one lineup change when guitarist Ryo (亮) left, and I thought DALIAN was at its best with the second and final lineup. With that in mind, someone else from this lineup wanted to leave, and because I thought this was the definitive lineup, DALIAN disbanded. It was pretty much the same reason as CLOSE.

12. Your next big project was 御剣-Mitsurugi-. Like DALIAN, it was a supergroup consisting of veterans in the visual kei scene, except it was much less of a visual project than your previous bands. What was it like to work with fellow visual veterans such as yourself in a non-visual band? (Sidenote: it would be the first non-visual project for all members, not just Naohiro)

• The members all had strong experience, so it was a learning curve for me, which I’m still learning today.

13. In 2021, after almost exactly 20 years, CLOSE announced its revival to humongous fanfare. Were you surprised by the reaction it got?

• There was a period in time when I couldn’t sing at all, so I wasn’t expecting much of a reaction. I am eternally grateful to my fans who continue to support me and CLOSE today.

14. What are the future plans for CLOSE and 御剣-Mitsurugi-?

• In both bands, we try to balance a spirit of playing seriously and having fun with it. Neither I nor the members of either bands are young anymore, but we would be happy if through our music and experience we could broaden our fanbase and get new fans.

15. Thank you very much for your time! Is there anything else you would like to say?

• Thank you very much for the interview!

(CLOSE today, with Naohiro in the center)

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#025: Tadafumi Okamoto (岡本唯史)
Famous bands: Spiral free, The ROMEO

1. What first got you into visual kei?

• I was first introduced to X by my father.

2. Your earliest known band was FULL AHEAD, which was formed with members of the softkei band SILENT SCENE. How was FULL AHEAD formed?

• I fell in love with the style of the guitarist (AYANO!) right away, and I then invited the bassist (Toshiya) to join, who I was in a band with previously.

3. Around 2002, you left FULL AHEAD and joined Spiral free. How did you first meet the band?

• I first met the band at a livehouse, and joined soon afterwards.

4. Around 2003, Spiral free had a massive blast in popularity. How did the band react to this sudden skyrocketing in popularity?

• I worked very hard to hone my skills as a drummer, and so I think with our youthfulness at the time, it was sort of natural.

5. In the summer of 2004, Spiral free became a major act and signed to WAVE MASTER. What impact did this have on the band?

• Some members of the band reacted like all of their dreams came true, and others saw this as only the beginning of things to come. We started having some internal conflict at this time because of how differently we all saw the opportunity of being a major band.

(Spiral free, with Tadafumi in the upper middle)

6. In 2007, Spiral free disbanded. Why?

• It all boiled down to the fact that we were all still really young and immature. We were all looking to go in a different direction.

7. After Spiral free, you joined The ROMEO, a band that consisted of members from legendary visual bands like Psycho le Cemu, Raspberry Circus and media youth. What was that experience like?

• I was personally asked to join by one of the members, and by playing with such established artists, I was able to learn a lot.

8. After The ROMEO disbanded in 2011, you joined SIXX, which featured some other members of The ROMEO. What were some differences between The ROMEO and SIXX?

• I think that the main difference was that in SIXX, there was a bigger focus on better vocals and making waves in the major circuit.

(SIXX, with Tadafumi on the second-from-right)

9. In early 2016, you would leave SIXX. What was the reason for your departure?

• I guess you could say it came down to musical differences.

10. You would then form Apes From Nine, a group that consisted of members from visual bands like JURASSIC and KING. Although all of the members came from a visual kei background, Apes From Nine was characteristically straightforward in sound and style. What was the concept for the band?

• We basically started this band to try to reach out to an overseas market.

11. Apes From Nine have largely been on mysterious hiatus since 2021. Does the band have a future?

• Our bassist (Takuya Koujitani (糀谷拓也)) left, and we wanted to reinvigorate our sound by hiring a new bassist. Things got thrown off big time though when the COVID19 pandemic started, as well as trouble finding a replacement. But as long as we’re still all playing, I definitely think there’s a future for Apes From Nine.

12. Your latest band is HELL DUMP. What are your future plans in music?

• I actually left HELL DUMP, and am currently a support musician.

13. Thank you very much for your time! Is there anything else you would like to say?

• I think of time as a flowing thing, so the past just washes away. So in that sense, I don’t really look too much in my past, nor do I ever talk about it. I think you just live and die, and that’s it. However, because of my past, this interview happened, and I am very grateful you decided to reach out and interview me for your series. I will continue on in life as I always have. Thank you for the support.

(Tadafumi today)

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#026: Kazz
Famous bands: STRAIGHT

1. What first got you interested in visual kei?

• I fell in love with L’arc-en-Ciel, and decided to set my sights on the scene.

2. Your first visual band was STRAIGHT. Were you in any bands previously?

• Before STRAIGHT, I was in a few normal non-visual bands.

3. STRAIGHT became one of the biggest and most representative bands in the early 2000s softkei scene. Why do you think the band exploded so much in popularity?

• Some media sources said I looked like Teru from GLAY, and STRAIGHT were advertised as a “GLAY-like band”. So along with constant touring around the Tokyo area, I think these things pushed STRAIGHT to the top.

(STRAIGHT, with Kazz second-from-the-left)

4. In 2002, STRAIGHT disbanded. Why?

• Everyone besides myself left the band, and I then left the agency which STRAIGHT belonged to.

5. After that, you formed PIERCIN’MIND, a band with a certainly strong and catching name. What did you aim to do differently with PIERCIN’MIND than with STRAIGHT?

• What we aimed to do was “create excitement on stage”, which is something that carried over from STRAIGHT. Since this was a whole new lineup as well, I learned to listen more to the opinions of my bandmates as well, which is something I suppose was different from STRAIGHT.

6. The reason for PIERCIN’MIND’s disbandment was never exactly clear. What happened?

• The guitarist and bassist left, and I just folded the project soon after.

7. After PIERCIN’MIND, you seemed to have retired from the visual scene. Is this true? If so, what happened?

• Yes, I searched until I found the right members and reason to come back.

8. In the late 2000s, you returned with ROXXANE, a band with a much more traditional rock’n’roll image than your other bands. What inspired you to go towards a more casual and non-visual direction?

• That’s because I felt that visual kei had moved beyond on, and I then aimed for a “stylish rock” non-visual sound and image.

9. Currently, ROXXANE doesn’t seem nearly as busy as it was. What are your current and future plans?

• I myself appeared on TV in recent years as a Teru (GLAY) impersonator, and currently, ROXXANE plays about 3 times a year as a GLAY cover band.

10. Thank you very much for your time! Is there anything else you would like to say?

• I’m glad you were interested in discussing my band history. I will continue on in my band activities, so I look forward to your future support.

(Kazz today, as a member of ROXXANE)

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#027: Tezya
Famous bands: FiX, solo work

1. Your first band was PINOCCHIO, which you formed with drummer Shinya (真矢) and guitarist SUGIZO, both of which are known today for later being in the groundbreaking band LUNA SEA. What can you tell me about this historic band?

• Before PINOCCHIO was formed, I was in a cover band that played covers of Sex Pistols and others. It was only active for a very brief time due to switching high schools. After I switched high schools, I met Shinya (真矢) and SUGIZO. I first noticed SUGIZO, who was wearing a weirdly modified version of the school uniform, and he approached me to come talk to him in a smoking area, which I did. We hit it off and decided to then form a band. As for Shinya (真矢), SUGIZO always had the intention of inviting him to join this newly formed band, which he did. A bassist then joined, and PINOCCHIO was then officially started. When we first started, we were a cover band, but soon started writing our own songs, and we would then become a band that only performed our originals. This was all during high school too, and other bands from around the area that were also high schoolers started to cover our songs, and we were really starting to become popular locally. Eventually, I told the band I was leaving, but I don’t remember why, and PINOCCHIO then disbanded.

2. Around the time PINOCCHIO disbanded, visual kei was first starting to blossom. What was your initial impression of the scene?

• When PINOCCHIO ended activities, I think it was right before visual kei was officially coined, but flashy bands were indeed starting to pop up regularly in media, and the underground music scene in general was really booming. When around PINOCCHIO wrapped up activities, we were also trying to shoehorn and find our place in that scene too.

3. Your next band was WOOD PECKER, which became Grace ModE. What inspired the name change, and what was the meaning of Grace ModE?

• I came up with the name of WOOD PECKER, along with PINOCCHIO, and both were meant to represent the gap between a cutesy name versus our intense performances. As WOOD PECKER, the music was pretty different than what we would sound like as Grace ModE, so the concept behind the band name was a bit trickier to describe, so around the time we were working on our first album, we decided to change our name to Grace ModE. As for the name of Grace ModE, I got it from my favorite band Depeche Mode. I just placed my favorite English word (“grace”) in place of ‘depeche’.

(Grace ModE, with Tezya second-from-the-left)

4. After Grace ModE disbanded, you would end up joining FiX, a group that had legends from bands like D’ERLANGER, Strawberry Fields and LADIES ROOM. How did you meet the members and what was the process like?

• When FiX was being formed, Grace ModE was pretty well known in the scene, and they were scouting for talent for a vocalist. It didn’t even have a name yet, as I came up with FiX later on. I joined FiX because of a demo I heard of theirs, and I thought its new wave-inspired sound was very similar to the direction I wanted to go. Oh, and also, the first drummer of FiX was Sab from AION. Shu-Ken (from Strawberry Fields) would join after he left. (Sidenote: interesting!!)

(FiX, with Tezya in the middle)

5. In 1996, FiX disbanded. What happened?

• I think after Shu-Ken left, the rest of the band just started to not care about FiX anymore, and it just eventually folded.

6. After FiX, you formed ATOMIC ZaZa with the bassist of the band SEELA. ATOMIC ZaZa would have a similar softkei image to FiX, but with perhaps more of a modern finish. What was its story, and why did it fold after such a short time?

• After FiX, I started to become fed up with the visual kei world, and I wanted to form a band that went outside of the confinements of visual kei. In order to distance ourselves from the limitations of visual kei and try to achieve commercial success, ATOMIC ZaZa had an even greater pop influence, but it didn’t work out. The reason why ATOMIC ZaZa was around for such a short period of time was because our only single sold rather poorly, and we were dropped from our label, and that was pretty much the end of it.

7. After ATOMIC ZaZa, you appeared to have taken a step back from the music world in general for a few years. Is this true? What happened during those few years?

• Although I was not on stage for some years, I was still making music in the background, looking to form a band and approach labels with music as well.

8. In 2001, you made your return with the formation of MeGAROPA, a duo with yourself and guitarist Masahiko Araki (荒木真樹彦), someone who had very little if any involvement with visual kei before its formation. MeGAROPA indeed seemed like a very ambitious project. What were you and Araki (荒木) looking to do with it?

• Masahiko Araki (荒木真樹彦) was actually a co-producer and leader of the support band backing ATOMIC ZaZa, and due to this connection, him and his agent reached out to me to see if I was interested in a possible collaboration, and MeGAROPA was born. With MeGAROPA, we tried to create music that brought together contradictory ideas, such as mania vs popularization, analog vs digital, etc. We also tried to channel our current maturity that comes with age and somehow mesh that with the impulsive rock experiences we had as youths. Basically, MeGAROPA was created to challenge the larger market.

9. After MeGAROPA disbanded, you began to focus a lot more on your work as a solo artist than before. What inspired you to want to do more work as a solo artist?

• Don’t get me wrong, I love being in a band, but I experienced so many band breakups over the years. It never ended up going well. When I reflected back on the number of songs I wrote after MeGAROPA split up, I didn’t know how I could positively do it in a band, so I thought it would be the best to perform them as a solo artist.

10. As a solo artist, your visual aesthetic is noticeably toned down to a barely visible degree, while your work in the project tezya & the sightz has a lot more of a visual aspect to it. Do you see any differences between your purely solo work and the work you do with tezya & the sightz?

• I see tezya & the sightz as just a collective name for larger solo performances. I don’t really see any particular differences between my solo work and that with tezya & the sightz, except for perhaps the makeup and visual look during a tezya & the sightz live, versus a stripped down casual look when I’m doing an acoustic live.

11. You have been active in the underground music world for over 4 decades now, predating the launch of visual kei and in the process becoming an important key figure in the movement. What are your future plans as an artist?

• For the past decade or so, I’ve been focusing on just doing music that seems right to me, without overthinking much of the aesthetic. After really putting this idea and thought process into action, I’ve been able to play overseas a few times, and I definitely think it was the right choice. But if I had to be greedy, I would love to be in what was considered to be the “best band” ever!

12. Thank you very much for your time! Is there anything else you would like to say?

• I want to perform live in various countries. So to everybody reading this, I’m looking forward to the day when I can perform live in your country!

(Tezya today)