BrenGun

vkgy latest interview, with a famous vkei writer! 
Also I worked hard on this one so it's a cross post with JROCKNROLL
 
Nagasawa Tomonori (長澤智典) is a music journalist of note, having written for most major visual kei magazines and bands. We had the chance to ask him questions over several weeks, and so we explore his career, and his decades-long view of visual kei from the inside.
 
 
 
Choose your favorite platform
 
vkgy
or
jrocknroll
 
If there are people who still have any questions about the "visual kei" history, we can do another round  
So if you do have any questions, throw them to me and I'll will ask them!
 

So they are EX-Adult Children？
 

Well, since MH is closing, I thought I'd finally begin work on this project. For years, MH was THE place to get high quality downloads of rare bands. However, since MH is, well, dying, so much Visual Kei will be purged from the internet. To make up for that, I've decided to start work on a project to sort of replace MH in that regard. But, I cannot do this on my own, which is why I'm asking for your help.
If you're interested, join my discord server where we'll organize things
https://discord.gg/mFeJ6C3Yvm

so is he, calm ur cockoro

The world of MOB is very interesting so could you please tell us more about the world of MOB?

The word MOB(crowd) is a connotation of “zako(a nobody)”. Originally, the word referred to a crowd or other people. We decided to express the feelings that a “zako” has inside his heart if he is in the middle of a crowd. 

Also our lyrical worldview is:
We intend to represent the emotions of “zako” in various situations. With that in mind, we want to show the feelings and scenes that people who are defined as “zako” might imagine and feel in society, relationships with friends, school life and their position in a hypothetical world of devastation.
We try to create a sound that gives a melodious impression while emphasizing a heavy bass.
 
Anyway let’s learn a bit more about each member. Don’t we all have a single Kanji which fit our personality or just keeps or own attention? So what’s your favorite?

U: 新 (shin)(new)
Because new things are wonderful.

CHIHIRO: 千 (chi/sen)(thousand)
Because it’s a part of my name.

MAST: 初 (hatsu)(first)
You don’t forget your original intentions

KANADE: 響 (hibiki)(sound)
I like to make sounds by singing and playing an instrument.
 

We all do have hobbies isn’t? So besides music, what are your hobbies?

U: I love to drink and to watch various videos.

CHIHIRO: I like to travel around. 

MAST: I like to travel around. 

KANADE: I like to play around with gatchets. 


Anyway what about your musical background, do you have any?

U: I’ve been through a lot of bands. 

CHIHIRO: Actually I don’t have a long band history,… so 

MAST: I’ve been in the visual world for a long time.

KANADE: I tried punk and rock, changed the guitar to vocals and then I became a bass player.


Are there any artists and / or events which have influenced you the most?

U: DEAD END. The live of “1989/09/09 HYPER d. at Tokyo Hibiya Yagai Daiongakudou” is the best!

CHIHIRO: L’arc’en’ciel. When I saw the flower PV, hyde left an impression on me.

MAST: LINKIN PARK. I was fascinated by the band’s musical skills, Chesters voice is my favorite and it’s a band that incorporated various genres. 

KANADE: 蜉蝣 (Kagerou). I like their sound, lyrics and worldview, I still do listen to them.


You all love visual kei isn’t? But how did you encounter it?

U: I like Japanese metal, so it grew with me.

CHIHIRO: It was l’arc’en’ciel

MAST: When I saw Luna Sea on TV, I was impressed and thought they were so cool.

KANADE: It started with Dir En Grey and started listening to other bands from there. 


Anyway what is visual kei? Is their any connection between music and visual?

U: The band’s appearances look like artworks, the sound is like art pseudo-sense.

CHIHIRO: It requires  make-up and an over-the-top hairstyle. 

MAST: I still don’t know.

KANADE: It’s a bundle of fun. Also the music will never age. 


Being an artist isn’t always easy so what’s most difficult thing for being an artist?

U: Just the feeling of wanting to do it.

CHIHIRO: Feelings

MAST: The difference between your vision and reality.

KANADE: It’s a fight with yourself. If you are satisfied or give up, it will end just there.


Let’s talk about MOB’s image, style and music.
Could you tell us something about your costumes 
 
It’s an image of a decadent worldview.
 
Please tell us something about the CD jackets. What’s the idea behind all jackets?
 

 
 
1st single: Gomibako (ゴミバコ)
It represents the members of MOB thrown into a garbage can. 
The jacket is covered with the mask which we use in our live shows.

Live limited: HUMAN DEBRIS
As the title suggests, it’s ragged with human scum in mind.
The jacket is a doll with a deformed mask which we also use at our live shows.
The jacket also reflects the image of the recorded songs. 
 
Live limited: Gizensha NA kimi O Bokusatsu (偽善者ナ君ヲ撲殺)
We were inspired by a scene of a person beaten to death, so we created a jacket with a photo of the band member holding a baseball bat.
It’s also our first release after new members joined MOB, so that’s also a reason why we used a band photo as a cover.
 
To learn a bit more about each song, could you give some nice self-liner-notes to each MOB song? 
 
* KILL ME WONDERLAND
It’s a song with the story; living in a small world is a paradise for some people wile for others it’s a hell. 
 
*  Gomibako (ゴミバコ)
It’s the SE of our 1st single.
It expresses the world feeling of the current MOB.
 
* Signal (シグナル) 
The title already suggests it, but it’s a song about how no matter how many signals you shouted out with the message of “help me”, you won’t receive it.
It’s a song about a life that ends up ugly, no matter how hard someone tried. 
 
* Karma (カルマ)
This song let’s you realize the karma of being born as a mob. 
It depicts the struggle to find an escape route.
 
* BOKU NO NAKA Deco Lolita (ボクノナカデコロシタアイツ)
Are you the killer?
It’s a song packed with envy and grudge.
With other words, a song about “someone in the way”. 
It can be described as the highest (or lowest) grade.
 
* BOKU NO TSUKUE NO ICHIRINKA (ボクノツクエノイチリンカ)
This song answers the song BOKU NO NAKA DE KOROSHITA AITSU (ボクノナカデコロシタアイツ).
Hate or grudge the result, it’s a song which made you choose to disappear. 
 
* RYOUKI NARU RIDDLE (リョウキナルリドル)
It’s a song inspired by a tragic incident.
It’s a story that tells the story of a young man who couldn’t maintain his mental health.
 
* OVERDOSE
The theme of this song is destruction and imagination.
The song is about a person who misunderstood the idea of becoming a new self by destroying himself by relying on scientific things.
 
* Gizensha NA Kimi O Bokusatsu (偽善者ナ君ヲ撲殺)
It’s inspired by scenes of “beat to death”, so we wrote a song with this theme.
You thought to be protected, however nobody is protecting you, after all it’s only about oneself pleasure, isn’t it? That’s the message.
 
* Kankin My Room (監禁マイルーム)
How did she spend her days after being trapped for two and a half years?
We wrote this song with that question in mind. 
 
THE MV of “シグナル” has a really nice cool atmosphere. Could you tell us something more about the idea behind?
 
The world of BOKU NO NAKA DE KOROSHITA AITSU (ボクノナカデコロシタアイツ) is very much like a school, so we shot it in that kind of atmosphere. 
 
 
 
 
If a new song has been created how do you actually decide the title of this new song?
 
The lyrics to a song will be written after creating the melody of a song. 
 
What do you enjoy the most about playing live shows?
 
U: That you are surrounded by music to which you are able to express yourself.
 
CHIHIRO: It’s about going wild in the middle of an explosion!
 
MAST: To make MOB as a complete piece by matching our music with our appearance. Also to express yourself with music.  
 
KANADE: The ability to express yourself with music. 
 
 
Since a band is always writing new songs, can we expect a new release this year?
We have recorded a bunch of songs, we will let you know shortly when we will release them.
 
Until now what’s the most valuable thing that has happened to you in your music career?
 
U: I’ve felt the feelings of various people better than I would in normal life. 
 
CHIHIRO: Everything.
 
MAST: To be able to play a show in front of a big crowd
 
KANADE: Everything is valuable, because it’s stuff which I cannot experience in a normal life.
 
 
We face a worldwide problem now named corona, how do you as an artist face it?
 
U: I’ll do what I can do to express myself, however I don’t want to cause trouble.
 
CHIHIRO: We just have to do what we can do.
 
MAST: I love music, so we just have to take measures against corona and that’s all we can do.
 
KANADE: We’ll do what we can do, while taking the necessary precautions. 
 
 
What’s MOB’s ultimate goal for the future?
 
U: Living  a fun life.
 
CHIHIRO: I would be happy if you would continue to enjoy our music forever.
 
MAST: I hope that I can play music with these guys forever.
 
KANADE: living my life without no regrets. 
 
 
We came to an end, so please share your message to your fans and readers.
 
U: Please enjoy the world of MOB. That’s all. Everyone, please be careful about your health and take the path you think is fun!
 
CHIHIRO: Currently we cannot perform live because of the current situation, but I’ll send out messages in other ways, so please support us!
 
MAST:  It’s a tough time right now, but I’m sure the future will be bright, and that we are able to live the life we wish to live. Until then, we won’t give up and look forward to the future, so please keep your head up!
 
KANADE: It’s a tough situation, but MOB will continue to move forward, so I would like to ask you for your continued support!
 
 
Thank you very much for this interview, we wish the band all luck for the future!
 
Learn much more about MOB via jrocknroll band search!

Check it here
https://jrocknroll.com/band-search-mob/3/

https://twitcasting.tv/c:waver_livehouse/shopcart/31484
 
 
 
Also RotM isn't able to release GARDEN on 12/16, because its not finished on time.
So he decided to throw the "finished" songs for free to those who retweet this tweet.
contains 7 songs... and only 1 song isn't the greatest of the greatest.... But overall it doesn't sound that bad.  
 

i.D.A will release their 1st EP "Paradoxical". There will be 2-TYPES  a CD version and a digital version.   
digital version will be released on 2021.1.22 and CD version on 2021.2.03
The CD version contains 7 songs the digital version 6 songs.  
 
DIGITAL 2021.1.22 Drop
1.Paradoxical
2.アプリコット
3.Lamp
4.Inverse
5.mislead
6.iLLUMINA
 
CD 2021.2.03 Drop
1.Paradoxical
2.アプリコット
3.Lamp
4.Inverse
5.mislead
6.iLLUMINA
7.Live in eviL
 
Also they shared  tow new looks the RED ONE belongs to iLLUMINA  the light one belongs to アプリコット (apricot)
Both are "song titles".
 
Also the band will give a bunch of TWOMAN and ONEMAN SHOWS
 
🔺i.D.A 2ヶ月連続お試し2DAYS ONEMAN決定!
2021.2.15 Imaike GROW
2021.2.16 Imaike GROW
2021.3.30 Imaike CLUB 3STAR
2021.3.31 Imaike CLUB 3STAR
 
🔺i.D.A TOUR FINAL 3DAYS ONEMAN
2021.6.09 HOLIDAY NEXT NAGOYA
2021.6.10 HOLIDAY NEXT NAGOYA
2021.6.11 HOLIDAY NEXT NAGOYA
 
The new member is Kaname, you may know him from "CLiEN" 
 
 
Memeber photos
 

i.D.A will release their 1st EP "Paradoxical". There will be 2-TYPES  a CD version and a digital version.   
digital version will be released on 2021.1.22 and CD version on 2021.2.03
The CD version contains 7 songs the digital version 6 songs.  
 
DIGITAL 2021.1.22 Drop
1.Paradoxical
2.アプリコット
3.Lamp
4.Inverse
5.mislead
6.iLLUMINA
 
CD 2021.2.03 Drop
1.Paradoxical
2.アプリコット
3.Lamp
4.Inverse
5.mislead
6.iLLUMINA
7.Live in eviL
 
Also they shared  tow new looks the RED ONE belongs to iLLUMINA  the light one belongs to アプリコット (apricot)
Both are "song titles".
 
Also the band will give a bunch of TWOMAN and ONEMAN SHOWS
 
🔺i.D.A 2ヶ月連続お試し2DAYS ONEMAN決定!
2021.2.15 Imaike GROW
2021.2.16 Imaike GROW
2021.3.30 Imaike CLUB 3STAR
2021.3.31 Imaike CLUB 3STAR
 
🔺i.D.A TOUR FINAL 3DAYS ONEMAN
2021.6.09 HOLIDAY NEXT NAGOYA
2021.6.10 HOLIDAY NEXT NAGOYA
2021.6.11 HOLIDAY NEXT NAGOYA
 
The new member is Kaname, you may know him from "CLiEN" 
 
 
Memeber photos
 

NETH PRIERE CAIN
NEW SINGLE「救いの為に、神罰を。」
2021.2.10 RELEASE!!
 
 
---- (STORE VERSION)
 
神盤（CD+DVD）
[CD]
1 Nemesis-裁きのシ者-  (Nemesis-Sabaki no shisha)
2 Hestia
3 「ユウガオ」 「yuugao」
 
[DVD]
Nemesis-裁きのシ者-(MUSIC CLIP)
 
DRRD-075 価格￥2,000(税抜)
※トレーディングカード1枚(全4種類)ランダム封入
発売元:Double River Record 販売元：FWD
 
----DIGITAL VERSION
 
華盤（配信限定）
1 Nemesis-裁きのシ者- (Nemesis-Sabaki no shisha)
2 「クロユリ」 「Kuro Yuri」
3 「ユウガオ」 「yuugao」
 
 
 
 
 
 

NETH PRIERE CAIN
NEW SINGLE「救いの為に、神罰を。」
2021.2.10 RELEASE!!
 
 
---- (STORE VERSION)
 
神盤（CD+DVD）
[CD]
1 Nemesis-裁きのシ者-  (Nemesis-Sabaki no shisha)
2 Hestia
3 「ユウガオ」 「yuugao」
 
[DVD]
Nemesis-裁きのシ者-(MUSIC CLIP)
 
DRRD-075 価格￥2,000(税抜)
※トレーディングカード1枚(全4種類)ランダム封入
発売元:Double River Record 販売元：FWD
 
----DIGITAL VERSION
 
華盤（配信限定）
1 Nemesis-裁きのシ者- (Nemesis-Sabaki no shisha)
2 「クロユリ」 「Kuro Yuri」
3 「ユウガオ」 「yuugao」
 
 
 
 
 
 

check the Nagasawa Tomonori interview.
 
sure xjapan had some involvement, but it was Shazna who succeeded to make it accepted to the mainstream.  it wasn't xjapan.  SHAZNA is the king of vkei. 
 
Of course I do respect XJAPAN, but doesn't mean that their music was really amazing.  I think they kept vkei alive. people forgot shazna but not xjapan.
 
btw, Hide's solo projects where far more amazing than any xjapan release😅
 

ALCYON is a Nagoya (名古屋) based visual kei band who formed in December 2017, and started activity in July 2018. They typically focus on heavy-toned music which contrasts beautifully against the high voice of vocalist Sera.
They celebrate their second anniversary this July at Nagoya Fits ALL. Read on to learn about their two years of activity so far.
 
It's a band who we somehow never really notice, however their music isn't bad at all and since last month we also can enjoy their music via digital platforms!
 
So please check them out here!
https://vk.gy/blog/an-interview-with-alcyon/

There will be an mini album or album soon. pre-release is on December 16th I believe, but tracklist unknown.

Here's a summary of the post:
Kana was diagnosed with adjustment disorder in January 2018 and he told the president of B'Forest Inc., but the president didn't understand and told him he was sick and fired him.  In March he got an attorney and in June he filed a lawsuit against the president for power harassment and for money he was owed.  In the first trial it was confirmed that B'Forest Inc. owed Kana 3.2 million yen and that the president did indeed partake in power harassment.  The court ordered B'Forest Inc. to pay Kana 3.7 million yen.  However the president made an appeal, and at the appeal hearing in August 2020 they reached a settlement in Kana's favor of 3.3 million yen and an apology for the president's lack of consideration towards Kana's disorder.  Kana received the settlement in September. 

He couldn't write about it before because it was part of the trial, but he had been suffering from power harassment for years and eventually developed adjustment disorder because of it.  Apparently the president never admitted to power harassment.  Kana does not forgive the harassment and was initially adamant about the court's decision because he didn't want it to keep happening to his former label mates, but after the president appealed he just decided to accept the settlement.  He wants his former label mates to be paid properly or to stop working for the label.  He also made it a point to say that the president did apologize so no one should slander him or harass him because of this. 
 
In regards to how he's doing he says he is physically and mentally healthy.  The trial took a long time and he had to get treatment for his disorder but he's glad he worked so hard and was rewarded by the trial.  He didn't want to leave all the people that were concerned about him without answers, and he wanted to talk about his feelings over the last two and a half years, so this is why he made the post now.  He would like to return to the stage again some day and hopes everyone is doing well during these times. 

 

---
READ on JROCKNROLL  ENGLISH / JAPANESE
READ extra notes about their upcoming release on JROCKNROLL: HERE (EN&JP)
Read on IdolOnChaos ENGLISH / ITALIAN
 
--
 
The poisonous idol group “POISON RAT (ポイズンラット)” has suddenly appeared in the Nagoya idol world. POISON RAT’s fierce live shows scatter deadly poison and with their addictive PIKOPIKO sound it will poison your body which lets your body move!! 
Leader Yuzuriha Riri (楪 菻李 ), she also wrote a lot of lyrics which POISON RAT performs. 
Poisonous outbreaks! Poisonous alert issued!
If you’ve come to the live shows, you’re an “infected person”!
Because POISON RAT is a big infection that’s sweeping the floor!
POISON RAT’s music is composed by Nagoya’s rock band THREE LIGHTS DOWN KINGS, PENPEN(u-ya), 残響P/708(ハローモンテスキュー) and tmg(Ei). 
 
MEMBERS:
亞呪。 Ichitani Aju  | Twitter
愛音  Anon Yura   | Twitter
楪 菻李 Yuzuriha Riri (LEADER)  | Twitter
Dramatical Records: てるな teruna | Twitter
POISON RAT: Website & Twitter & Youtube
 
---
 
 
 
---
 
Please introduce yourself
Ichitani Aju: I’m POISON RAT’s Red member Aju! I’m doing the death growls and shouts!
 
Anon Yura:  I’m pink member Ano Yura. I’m a good dancer and I’m the member who laughs the most! Also I like to talk to people, once I start talking, I keep talking! Nice to meet you!(  ࿀  )
 
Yuzuriha Riri: I’m a really easy to understand person, I really do like singing and it’s also my specialty. Lately, I’m getting better at dancing, I never was a good dancer, but I’ve come to a point that people started to say “I never thought you were a bad dancer once”. So it makes me really happy if someone praised me for dancing more than being praised for singing.  
 
Please introduce POISON RAT members.
Anon Yura: We really can laugh about anything with each other, well sometimes I just laugh straight away right?(laugh)
 
 
What is the meaning behind the name POISON RAT?
Yuzuriha Riri: It’s my favorite animal! But that’s not the reason why we called the band POISON RAT, we just wanted to have a name which sounds beautiful and which can be remembered and be called out easily by many people, that’s how the name received its shape.  
 
How would you describe the music style of POISON RAT?
Ichitani Aju: Not only typical idol-like songs, but also mega cool “band” music.
 
Anon Yura: PICOPICO, band-ish sound. 
 
Yuzuriha Riri: I’m aiming that the music we pour out that it collides with our soul rather than just being good or bad. 
 
What makes POISON RAT special for you?
Ichitani Aju: POISON RAT is the only and best place to be. It’s the kind of place where you want to affirm that you’re alive and affirm the meaning of someone else’s life.
 
Anon Yura: POISON RAT is my life. 
 
Yuzuriha Riri: Unique member personality and one of the strength points is that the sound totally fits my voice!
 
When and how was POISON RAT formed?
Ichitani Aju: 2017/12/24, But I joined the group at a later moment, so I don’t know the story behind the formation. Our current line-up was formed on April 13, 2018.
 
Anon Yura: 2017.12.24
 
Yuzuriha Riri: This is a conversation I’ve had with our producer Teruna about what kind of group I’d like to be in and that’s what POISON RAT is now, it gradually embodies it. 
 
What have been the highlights of your activity?
Ichitani Aju: That we have achieved crowdfunding. In the past many auditions attempts and other challenges I’ve done so far were not a success, just disappointing, But I’m really glad to have been able to succeed this project with all our fans! 
 
Anon Yura: All big lives, but especially our one-man lives.
 
Yuzuriha Riri: There are so many highlights, but I don’t want to raise them over here. I don’t want to cling to past highlights too much, because I wish to make new highlights of every new day from now on. 
 
Why did you want to become an idol? Who or what inspired you?
Ichitani Aju: At first, I didn’t want to become an idol, but rather I wanted to be involved in it because I love music. So I was wondering how I could step in that world, so I wanted for my very first time to watch an idol live, mainly because I knew one of the former members, everyone was so sparkling, So after seeing the show I really wanted to be an idol too. 
 
Anon Yura: I loved idols and longed for them, so I wanted to stand on stage too!, I guess that was the trigger.  I always liked Tomomi Itano from akb48, I admire her because she is a great dancer and singer, so I really wanted to be like her.
 
Yuzuriha Riri: Actually I’ve been making fun of the idol genre for a long time. The dances aren’t hard, but most of the time it’s lip-synching. I’ve been saved by putting my trust in music all my life, so I thought that lip-synching was the biggest insult to music. 
“But don’t you want to be on Idol?” Since our Producer Teruna invited me to become one, It really gave me lots to think about which led to that I wanted to see what kind of idols I’ve been making fun of and because I wanted to see what they were focusing on and things like that.
 
 
How would you like your fans to support you? 
Anon Yura: I always wish that everyone can get along with anybody around them and support us together no matter where we are. 
 
Yuzuriha Riri: All I wish for is that you like our music. However if you don’t come to our shows etc, we won’t get results. However my personal feelings won’t change because of it, if you like me, I also will like you! 
 
What is the most important thing you want to receive?
Anon Yura: Fans happiness after seeing me perform a live show, I really want to be such a person to give my fans smiles and to receive them because of it. 
 
Yuzuriha Riri: Everyone’s feelings~~~~~
 
How do you prepare for a live show?
Ichitani Aju: While the soundcheck we all check out together how we will perform our show that day. Also we do some voice exercises before the show. 
 
Anon Yura: We also do some small preparation work, dressing up and getting ready for the show.
 
Yuzuriha Riri: I wouldn’t name it preparation, but it’s very specific such as stretching your body and vocalization before the performance, but that’s not preparation, it’s more about how to turn your mind to the right mind setting to prepare for the show like “We’re going to hit on stage again today too!!” 
 
What’s your favorite part of your live shows?
Ichitani Aju: When I notice someone who has never seen POISON RAT before.  At first their faces are like “don’t enjoy”… but I really love it and it really gets fun when they start raising their first and shout long. 
 
Anon Yura: When I felt the sense of unity with our audience. It’s really fun when we all have together as one unit! 
 
Yuzuriha Riri: Before you get united with music as one there is always a space gab. I mean, if there are 100 people in the same room, then each person has their own life, we all have our own struggles and fun times which we cannot always share with others. Even if you listen to the same music, you might never have the same feeling, and that’s fine. But even if our feelings are different and live music is playing, we are looking in the same direction and being filled with emotions which we share together, and that only can happen live.  
 
How do you decide on the costumes?
Ichitani Aju: I asked my favorite brands “M:E” and “kakuremi”, to create our costumes and also the last two shows before I became an idol for this group. I’m happy that I’ve received so many opportunities to work with them.
 
Anon Yura: We all consult and decide together!
 
Yuzuriha Riri: We’ll discuss the details with each other, but I’ll leave it up to the people who make our customs and our producer Teruna to handle the general details etc.
 
What’s your favorite song of POISON RAT?
Ichitani Aju: 毒69 (doku 69)
It’s my first song that’s my very own, so I’m deeply fond of it.
 
Anon Yura: It’s salam, I really like it because it expresses me so well!
 
Yuzuriha Riri: I’ve so many memories of all the songs, so I can’t really tie them just to one song, but I especially like grayscale because the song feels as if I wrote the song myself from out of my heart. 
 
 
Who decides the choreography?
Ichitani Aju: Mostly Yura and Teruna, but everyone is free to give some input ideas. 
 
Anon Yura: Our producer, other idols and choreographers. 
 
Yuzuriha Riri: Yura and Teruna are the main ones. But we are all working on it little by little. 
 
Who is your favorite artist?
Ichitani Aju: SUG. 
 
Anon Yura:  EXILE THE SECOND　＆　風男塾 (Fudanjuku)
 
Yuzuriha Riri: I do like many artists, but recently I really like the band CIVIRIAN.
 
What’s your favorite genre of music?
Ichitani Aju: Japanese rock.
 
Anon Yura: Idol.
 
Yuzuriha Riri: I always liked to listen to Anime and Vocaloid music, I still like to listen to it from time to time.
 
What is your favorite food?
Ichitani Aju: Plum
 
Anon Yura: I love tomato-based food, Pasta with meatballs, Hayashi Rice, Minestrone, carbohydrates.
 
Yuzuriha Riri: Yakiniku and chocolate!
 
What is your favorite drink?
Ichitani Aju: Ginger ale dry.
 
Anon Yura: Cafe latte.
 
Yuzuriha Riri: Cocacola, milk, Dr. Pepper
 
What are your hobbies?
Ichitani Aju:  Gaming, especially FPS (First Person Shooter).
 
Anon Yura: Watching youtube
 
Yuzuriha Riri: My hobby was music, so since I started this job as an idol the hobby kind of disappeared, but I really like to go singing karaoke on my free days.  
 
What are your recent interests?
Ichitani Aju: I love cooking, recently I’m learning how to cook a dish exactly how it’s shown in a photo. 
 
Anon Yura: Dancing. 
 
Yuzuriha Riri: Cooking!! I’d like to get better at it and turn it into a hobby. 
 
What makes you smile?
Ichitani Aju: The smiles of all the Otakus.
 
Anon Yura: When everyone is smiling. 
 
Yuzuriha Riri: The smiles of everyone who supports me. that’s all.
 
If you could make a live show abroad, where would you like to do it?
Ichitani Aju: I would like to perform at  DEAD RHYTHM EASTER FEST. 
 
Anon Yura: Taiwan or South Korea!
 
Yuzuriha Riri: China, South Korea, and the Philippines are closely related to Japanese culture, so I would like to show people over there the world of POISON RAT.
 
Corona is a global issue at the moment. As an artist, how do you deal with this issue?
Ichitani Aju: For idols and for the music industry right now.
I think everyone is filled with cloudy feelings. 
I hope I can cheer you up as much as I can without any boundaries of genre!
 
Anon Yura: We have been unable to perform well due corona, so we have been unable to express ourselves well enough, However we give our best to use SNS to communicate with everyone and to let people who don’t know us yet who POISON RAT are!
 
Yuzuriha Riri: I hope that anybody who feels sad because of Corona will be happy again.  
 
What’s your ultimate goal for the future of POISON RAT?
Ichitani Aju: To play at Budokan, with anyone calling out for us!
 
Anon Yura: To stand on a big stage with us four together. 
 
Yuzuriha Riri: Ultimately, it’s hard to say, but to put it simply, I want to be an artist that everyone can understand when they hear “POISON RAT”.
 
Please write your message to your fans and readers.
Ichitani Aju: Thank you for your support!! I hope that everyone will follow me! I will do my best to show you the very best LIVE’s you will ever see!  Thank for you (continued) support for POISON RAT!!~ 
 
Anon Yura: Thank you for always supporting POISON RAT! We’re going to grow much bigger in the future, so I’d be happy if you could (continue) watch over me/us!
 
Yuzuriha Riri: Thank you very much!! Please keep following us so that our music will become one of your reasons to “live”, we will continue until we die!
 
 

https://jrocknroll.com/an-interview-with-gunix/3/
ENGLISH Grammar/Spell Check thx to @Katt
--
 
Not everyone is familiar with the world of GUNIX yet, please introduce GUNIX with some nice words. 
K-BOM: GUNIX is a rock band with the concept of us being a modern form of cyberpunk. Our musical genre can be described as EDM+LOUD MUSIC. What sets us apart from other bands is that we are also a band with a female and a male vocalist. Also, we are always trying out new things. We are a five member band with Vo. Ami & K-BOM, Gt. Arly, Ba. Matsubai and Dr. Toyotetsu. We as a band are all calm and interesting, we all take our music very seriously and we love it with our whole heart.
 
When and how was GUNIX formed? How did you all meet?
K-BOM: GUNIX was formed around the end of March 2020, and we started our activities in August. Of course while forming the band we also got stuck in production due to the shitty epidemic known as the coronavirus. We got to know vocalist  Ami by a recommendation from a music vocational school. 
 
Japanese contains a lot of Kanji, so which Kanji would you give to GUNIX
和 (wa, harmony)
This is because we value Japan’s unique melodies, sensibilities and harmony. We are a world-class band that has a unique sense of connection in our music.
 

 
Currently we live in the world of Corona. Is there something you have learned in these difficult times?
K-BOM: We have learned that it is very important to have connections and relationships with various people. We have to learn how to adapt because the coronavirus epidemic divides us as people.
 
Does Corona have any positive impact on your life?
K-BOM: Well, we can thank the coronavirus because it led to the formation of GUNIX, which I’m thankful for.
 
Why are live shows so important for a band?
At least to us, a rock band can’t be a rock band without performing live. We don’t want to limit ourselves to just releasing material online either.
 
So, you wish that fans come to your shows right? Why is that so? 
For the time being, please come to our lives. Right now we live in a difficult situation in which both artists and visitors ought to spend some money.
 
 
Which Kanji would you choose to express yourself?
K-BOM: 楽 (easy) 
Because I’m always trying to have fun at anything and everything! I consider myself a hyper positive person! 
 
What made you decide to become a bandman?
K-BOM: After seeing LUNA SEA I was longing to be a vocalist and a guitarist, however after seeing PIERROT I really wanted to become a vocalist. Well, also to me, being a bandman is a way of life. 
 
What’s the biggest challenge of being a bandman?
K-BOM: The biggest challenge is that people end up just quitting like it’s some school club activity. Being a bandman to me means that you should never give up.
 
Out of these two, which do you prefer; a bar or an izakaya? Where do you like to drink the most?
K-BOM: I only drink when I’m at home.
Matsubai: I like to drink, but I also like to eat. Specifically, I like social drinking while talking with people around a big table with plenty of food.
 
Everyone smiles and laughs, so what makes you smile and laugh?
Ami: I’m the type of person who is always smiling even if there is nothing to be smiling about.
K-BOM: I don’t really laugh.  
 
Until now, what’s your most played CD?
K-BOM: DRAGON ASH ｢LILY OF DA VALLEY｣
Arly: RADWIMPS「絶体絶命」
 
It’s really great to stand on stage and do a show, right? Isn’t that the most amazing thing?
K-BOM: There is no point in living if you wouldn’t enjoy it.
Toyotetsu: That’s right! I don’t think the time on stage can be replaced by anything else. 
 
Do you face any problems when you perform your shows?
K-BOM: Right now, due to corona, it’s difficult to share my voice to many people. It’s hard because a venue can only allow a limited amount of visitors inside.
 
How do you get your inspiration for making new music?
K-BOM: It’s like taking a bath, a bath filled with music with your favorite songs and new music you never heard before. 
 
What’s your favorite place to write a new song?
K-BOM: I’m always writing with all my focus in my own studio. I really focus on creating songs of perfect quality. 
 

https://gunix.thebase.in/items/35179820
 
Why is the album titled “WIRED”?
K-BOM: WIRED means awakening or addiction, also it fits our musical style. Beside that, our previous releases are named WIRED1 and WIRED2 so we thought let’s create a “WIRED” series for this year’s releases.
 
What was the main inspiration for creating “WIRED”?
K-BOM: CORONA. This unusual situation felt cyberpunk which became the origin.  
 
What do you want listeners to feel while listening to “WIRED”?
K-BOM: First, the craziness which you will get surprised by, later you feel the loud parts however you will also notice a bunch of pop aspects too. 
 
How was the recording of “WIRED”? Did you have any problems recording the part?
K-BOM: The process of finishing the songs together was creative and exciting. Arly really did do a good job. He did a great job on the arrangement and putting our recordings together with our engineer.
Ami: It really was lots of fun to record all the songs! Most songs of GUNIX’s have a high key, so it was really difficult to hit the tones well, also the chorus wasn’t easy. I had trouble with the many parts of the songs and the many harps. It was fully loaded.
Toyotetsu: I didn’t have any problems with it. I felt good about being allowed to do it freely, while keeping the open-ended vibe of the song. (smile).
Arly: When we were making the unique concepts for our songs, we tried to create an intense but tight sound.
 
Are there any fun and interesting stories about “WIRED”?
K-BOM: There is a point where a song just floats by, like an idiot.
Ami: K-BOM, Gt.Arly, and I do like to record background sounds together. Everytime when Arly made a mistake in timing or rhythm, K-BOM scolded him (which happened almost every time), which was super funny and interesting to me personally.  
Toyotetsu: Well it’s not really interesting, but we were able to create our first album as a very unique and strong piece. 
 
What’s the inspiration behind the lyrics of “WIRED”?
Frustration? Because we live in a shit world, there are many people who are shit. We are the shittiest creatures in the world, so to speak.
 
What did you enjoy most about working on WIRED? 
K-BOM: For me, I enjoyed the food breaks between the recording periods. 
Ami: We recorded each song together, mixed it, mastered it, and finished it as a collective.It was a lot of fun to watch the process of creating a CD as it was completed.
Toyotetsu: Watching the production process, it was great to see how each song was completed.
Matsubai: The production process includes not only songs, but also jackets, music videos, and many other things, and that’s when we start to see WIRED as one piece of work. Our song ZERO GRAVITY was the last song which we matched to fit on the album. 
 
Could you please share some self liner notes about each song of WIRED?
1. INVADE
This is an instrumental song with the theme of aggression.
 
2. ZERO GRAVITY
Zero gravity is the theme, so that means that there’s nothing to lose! That’s the message of the song.
 
3. WAVY TOXIC
It’s written with the idea that the only way for us musicians to survive is to keep chasing the waves of life, we shouldn’t give up on trying, so we have to make sure that our dreams never stop existing.
 
4. IN SIDEOUT!!
This song was written when the state of emergency was declared. Now we came to the point that it’s time to release all passionate and emotional feelings inside your heart. 
 
5. MAKE SOME NOISE!!Feat.GUNIX
This is Ami-chan’s immensely badass PARTY SONG that we helped contribute to.
 
6. BANG MY HEAD
Let’s head-bang until our heads hurt so much that our heads burst.
 
7. PARTY MONSTER
This is also PARTY SONG. It’s a very uplifting song.
 
8. SiN-METRY-SiN
This song has symmetrical lyrics and singing parts. It’s fun to listen to because of the VOCALS swapping back and forth between singers.
 
9. #wonderland
It’s a song about a song which goes viral with a hashtag on twitter. It goes viral because everybody loved it when we played it at our lives.
 
https://open.spotify.com/album/2BIKkHuGRLZUKtIR7XXKPQ
 
 
Can you tell us about the MV shooting of your MV’s INSIDE OUT!! and WAVY TOXIC?
K-BOM: While shooting the music videos, I wore a mask and it felt like I was running out of oxygen.
Arly: While we were recording WAVY TOXIC, I slammed my PC with my guitar. I almost broke my PC but my guitar didn’t even get a single scratch. 
Toyotetsu: INSIDE OUT is a very rough PV. WAVY TOXIC is like a hardcore PV, and I hope you can feel the difference in tension in a good way.
Ami: INSIDE OUT!! is a MV created from off-shot videos which we took during our activities. We took the off-shot videos and we simply edited them from scratch, so I guess you feel the handmade love in the video! (smile) 
WAVY TOXIC was quite a long shoot, and since it was during the Corona period, we had to create it with only a few people on hand, so we had to move around a lot, and we had to give our very best.
 
 
Matsubai: INSIDE OUT!! is a collection of videos taken during the time between the formation of the band, all the way up until the official band photos were taken. So, we didn’t shoot any special videos but everything happened after Dr. Toyotetsu joined the band as an official member, so it turned into an emotional video. 
When we did shoot WAVY TOXIC it was raining like crazy. (laugh). I decided on our costumes and hairstyles that day, but I only brought a few costumes with me, so I was stressed out trying to keep everything dry.  On the shooting day location there was also an e-sport match going on, so you can see the word “e-sport” written on the wall and there are a lot of computers in the video. That day we also got the chance to take a peek at the location where they were filming an e-sport event. I was really was amazed by it (Laughs)
 
 
 
Please tell us a little bit more about the concept of the MV’s
K-BOM: The concept is cyberpunk. So I just thought about how to express the feeling of cyberpunk. To me, it’s to feel the end of the world.
 
Please tell us a fun background story about the MV shootings.
K-BOM: When we were filming our music video, we also used a CG composite by using a greenscreen. It was interesting to see how everyone was moving in front of the greenscreen.
 
What’s the ultimate goal for GUNIX in the future?
Matsubai: I want to do all kinds of things which are harder to achieve in our current situation. I want to perform at outdoor festivals, oneman shows at large venues, touring all over the country and abroad!
 
Why do you think someone should listen to “GUNIX”, what’s your unique point?
K-BOM: Because of our unique sound and the way we present and promote ourselves. The GUNIX’s sound is made for male and female twin vocals in mind, it’s quite unique. I also don’t think there is any other band like us with a modern cyberpunk concept.
Ami: One of the strengths of GUNIX is that it doesn’t get stuck in some trivial pattern that someone else has decided for us. The themes and atmosphere of the music keep changing, so It never gets tired of listening to it, and you will find something new every time you listen to us.
 
We came to the end, please give your final message to your fans. 
K-BOM: If you’re reading this, please share this interview, because we want to be active and known overseas as well.
Ami: There’s not a day that goes by that someone doesn’t listen to GUNIX. I’m going to give my best to make that happen. Our goal is to take over the world!♡
Matsubai: Right now I cannot promise you to play a live show in your area, which is very sad. We live in a time where the world is turned into turmoil. Yet GUNIX was formed and shaped and we made it this far, we will always keep going on and deliver our music to everyone. Thank you very much for your support. 
Toyotetsu: I will continue taking support from those of you who are addicted to the unique sound and style that is GUNIX. We are taking everything to the next level on stage, so I’ll see you at our next live show!
Arly: The first album from GUNIX is now complete. You have to listen to it!
 
 

Former Silver-Rose vocalist YOWMAY has restarted the band under the name “Otona no Silver-Rose”. However, YOWMAY has restarted the band with brand new members. Silver-Rose was formed in 1989 and disbanded in 1994. Even until today, the music of silver rose has been respected and loved by many visual fans enthusiastic. So let’s hear about this interesting restart!
 

 
Choose your language!
https://jrocknroll.com/interview-with-silver-rose/

Just some random COVID ramblings:
 
I got pneumonia TWICE this year. TWICE and I was terrified both times it was COVID. Fortunately it was not and i've been tested for it three times and got the antibody test done too and it was negative. I've been so sick this year and I don't understand why. I rarely get sick.
 
And there's no reason to be sick.. I literally don't do anything. Ever since COVID, my job has become permanently remote so I just work from home. I do go out to get groceries, maybe some clothing, recreational shopping every once in a while but I rarely come in contact with people if I don't have to.
 
I am so over this year, the pandemic and the politics. I've lost three people close to me - my step-grandmother, my grandmother-in-law, and my brother-in-law's father. Some countries are doing so damn fine while there are some who are doing horribly worse since after lockdown. Why can't people just use their brains?! It's really not that hard. People fighting over masks. I don't care - just wear as mask. I don't care if they work as good as they do or not - better safe than sorry. People thinking COVID is a hoax. Then explain the 1.x million dead. People thinking COVID will just go away. It won't go away. It's not going to go away. We're almost at the ONE YEAR mark with this disease. It's changed our lives - how we act, how we do things outside of our homes, how we handle ourselves in public. For better or for worse. I'm still undecided about the vaccine. I honest to god don't think Trump got COVID. And I don't think he was given a vaccine. I think it was a ploy to publicly hype up getting a vaccine. Do I think the majority of his administration got COVID? Definitely. But last month just played out so weird for me.
 
Anyway, just random thoughts. I just had to get stuff out of my head.

Well, hospitals are full of covid19 people here. Medical people are burned out, the army is helping out.. 
 
And yet people think its just fake news and that it is just a simple flu. 
 
Yes for most people its just a simple flu,  but for the 1% who ends up in the hospitals it isnt just a flu. 
Also many young people get very sick and not all do recover well and a bunch even fly to heaven. Here a guy in his. 20ties dies and his brother survied with luck, but might never be able to functional normal because of his lungs damage. 
 
 
Right now, there is too less known about the virus,  little kids don't even really get it, might its. Because of some other vaccine? Or is it really due their immunesystem? 
 
 
I didn't catch covid19 yet... I still did catch the normal flu more times than normal.. 😅 But never was short in breath. 
 
 
 
But the most thing what angers me is... 
 
Whats the big deal of wearing a mask? 
Why do so many people refuse it. 
 
Even if you think everything is fake, why will you be such...... To not wear one? Since it doesn't harm your self or anybody around you. And even might helps out to at least not pass the normal flu... 🙃 Why bring so egoistic? 
 
 

Well, hospitals are full of covid19 people here. Medical people are burned out, the army is helping out.. 
 
And yet people think its just fake news and that it is just a simple flu. 
 
Yes for most people its just a simple flu,  but for the 1% who ends up in the hospitals it isnt just a flu. 
Also many young people get very sick and not all do recover well and a bunch even fly to heaven. Here a guy in his. 20ties dies and his brother survied with luck, but might never be able to functional normal because of his lungs damage. 
 
 
Right now, there is too less known about the virus,  little kids don't even really get it, might its. Because of some other vaccine? Or is it really due their immunesystem? 
 
 
I didn't catch covid19 yet... I still did catch the normal flu more times than normal.. 😅 But never was short in breath. 
 
 
 
But the most thing what angers me is... 
 
Whats the big deal of wearing a mask? 
Why do so many people refuse it. 
 
Even if you think everything is fake, why will you be such...... To not wear one? Since it doesn't harm your self or anybody around you. And even might helps out to at least not pass the normal flu... 🙃 Why bring so egoistic? 
 
 

Well, hospitals are full of covid19 people here. Medical people are burned out, the army is helping out.. 
 
And yet people think its just fake news and that it is just a simple flu. 
 
Yes for most people its just a simple flu,  but for the 1% who ends up in the hospitals it isnt just a flu. 
Also many young people get very sick and not all do recover well and a bunch even fly to heaven. Here a guy in his. 20ties dies and his brother survied with luck, but might never be able to functional normal because of his lungs damage. 
 
 
Right now, there is too less known about the virus,  little kids don't even really get it, might its. Because of some other vaccine? Or is it really due their immunesystem? 
 
 
I didn't catch covid19 yet... I still did catch the normal flu more times than normal.. 😅 But never was short in breath. 
 
 
 
But the most thing what angers me is... 
 
Whats the big deal of wearing a mask? 
Why do so many people refuse it. 
 
Even if you think everything is fake, why will you be such...... To not wear one? Since it doesn't harm your self or anybody around you. And even might helps out to at least not pass the normal flu... 🙃 Why bring so egoistic? 
 
 

Well, hospitals are full of covid19 people here. Medical people are burned out, the army is helping out.. 
 
And yet people think its just fake news and that it is just a simple flu. 
 
Yes for most people its just a simple flu,  but for the 1% who ends up in the hospitals it isnt just a flu. 
Also many young people get very sick and not all do recover well and a bunch even fly to heaven. Here a guy in his. 20ties dies and his brother survied with luck, but might never be able to functional normal because of his lungs damage. 
 
 
Right now, there is too less known about the virus,  little kids don't even really get it, might its. Because of some other vaccine? Or is it really due their immunesystem? 
 
 
I didn't catch covid19 yet... I still did catch the normal flu more times than normal.. 😅 But never was short in breath. 
 
 
 
But the most thing what angers me is... 
 
Whats the big deal of wearing a mask? 
Why do so many people refuse it. 
 
Even if you think everything is fake, why will you be such...... To not wear one? Since it doesn't harm your self or anybody around you. And even might helps out to at least not pass the normal flu... 🙃 Why bring so egoistic? 
 
 

Thanks to @Katt for some "question help and spell/grammar check!"
 
You can read this interview also on J'ROCK'N'ROLL!!
https://jrocknroll.com/interview-with-nightingeil/3/
 
Japanese version
https://jrocknroll.com/interview-with-nightingeil/2/
 
-----------------
 
 
We are living in a global pandemic, so how are you currently dealing with the corona issue?
 
Vo. Kon: I just leave the global corona problem to the experts.
Gt. Kaie: I’m soooo tired of it.
Gt. Nao: I’m taking more precautions than just following the general measures.
Ba. Rei: I don’t take any special measures, because I think, if you get it, you’ll get it. 
Dr. Hakuya: I just endure it, and I’m aware of myself to stay safe and healthy.
 
Japan is full of Kanji, so how would you describe NightingeiL with just using one Kanji?
 
Kon: 傷 (kizu, scar): I guess because we are a naive and sensitive band.
Kaie:血(chi, blood): Because it’s or underlying concept.
Nao: 色 (iro, color): We have a dark image, but we have different nuances in various aspects.
Rei: 闇(yami, darkness): Because we are a two faces band
Hakuya: 夜 (yoru, night): It’s the opposite of the brightness of the day, we as a band can live without light as a nocturnal character.
 
And how would you describe yourself with just one Kanji?
 
Kon: 無 (Mu,nothing) Because I want to think about anything at all.
Kaie: 楽 (Raku, easy) Because I am an optimistic person.
Nao: 猫 (neko, cat) Because I can’t live without this creature.
Rei: 陰 (Yin,shadow) Because I’m a gloomy person.
Hakuya: 喰 (Ku, eat): LIVE is a one-shot soul life, I’m performing on stage with the intention of eating and swallowing everything!
 

 
In 2012 you disbanded once, and in 2017 you guys returned back, has anything changed?
 
Kon: We had a member change and we are a 5 member band now, also what we want to express has expanded with those changes.
Kaie: To me it feels as if we started a brand new story.
Nao: Of course the members changed, but I don’t think that the inner core of NightingeiL has changed.
Rei: The color of Solei has become darker.
Hakuya: We understand each other better and also our new members own input of their sound and entanglements ideas.  
 
Why did you decide to use the name NightingeiL as a band name?
 
Kon: We chose the name NightingeiL to express life, love and death.
 
What made you decide to use your stage name?
 
Kon: I can’t remember it anymore, I chose it too long ago.
Kaie: A character in the manga To-y is also called Kaie.
Nao: It’s a part of my real name.
Rei: My name is of no particular origin, but my fortune teller advised me to change my name because it doesn’t have any pluses.
Hakuya: From the anime “Bleach” from Byakuya Kuchiki, the first captain.
 
We are all influenced by someone or something so what are your musical influences?
 
Kon: Many bands and artists have influenced me. 
Kaie: Punk at its core, also hard rock and positive punk. To keep it short, I like LUNA SEA.
Nao: Of course it’s Japanese visual kei music, but nowadays I don’t care much about the genre. If I think it’s good music, I’m influenced by it.
Rei: I like Zi:Kill and Merry Go Round.
Hakuya: 90s J-POP.
 
You all play an instrument (vocals included(smile)), but what made you want to play your instrument?
 
Kon: Because I didn’t have to spend money to buy an instrument.
Kaie: I just happened to be in charge of it.
Nao: My dad had a guitar at home.
Rei: I’ll skip answering this question because it’s an impure motive.
Hakuya: My parents played the drums as a hobby, so we had a drum set at home, so also I started to play the drums for fun. 
 
So please tell us which type of instrument you use. 
 
Kon: I’m using SHURE BETA58A. 
Kaie: The tones I play are almost straight from the amp. 
Nao: The current guitar I use is one I painted myself.
Rei: I’m using Warwick JAZZMAN.
Hakuya:  My drum set: TAMAdrums starclassicBirch.
Hardware: TAMAdrums
Cymbals: Zildjancymbals
Twin Pedals : AMAHA FP9310
 
Talking about memories, what are some of your favorite memories?
 
Kon: Our emotions after we finish recording together..
Kaie: Can’t choose, so I guess all of them.
Nao: Our live shows and also our daily life together.
Rei: That I am finally able to perform with the legends which I saw in magazines as a junior and High school student. 
Hakuya: Our live shows at big venues and touring around.
 
You’ve been in the music industry for a long time, so what has changed the most since the start of your career?
 
Kon: I stopped to compare my own band with other bands.
Kaie: I don’t have too many expectations anymore.
Nao: We don’t have to be bound by certain stereotypes anymore, we can express ourselves in different ways.
Rei: Our hair was up to our waists, however now our haircuts are shorter. 
Hakuya: Our music and attitude towards the band and how to enjoy it has changed.
 
And what’s the secret to staying active for so long?
 
Kon: It’s finding the good balance between yourself and bandmates, also too keep up a healthy distance between each other.
Kaie: Because I love what I do and because we have people who support us.
Nao: We love our music and we respect each other, which leads to good relationships between each other.
Rei: We don’t get into conflicts easily because we don’t play as a band on a regular basis.
Hakuya: The most important thing above all is that we all love playing music and we are having lots of fun while doing it. 
 
Which song do you think is most popular under fans and what’s your own favorite song?
 
Kon: Our most popular song is “吊り下げの恋”. And my own favorite is “その手”
Kaie: I guess that our most popular song is “吊り下げの恋” and “白い森”. My personal favoriets are “その手” and “彼女と空腹” 
Nao: There are various of popular songs “吊り下げの恋” “12秒間” and “水銀”, but my own favorite is “孤島の彼女”
Rei: “吊り下げの恋” a song which is easy understand, so it’s loved by many people. My own favorite is “孤島の彼女”. 
Hakuya: 歪んで走る and 身代わりの人
 
You have a lot of introspective lyrics, where do you get your inspiration for writing lyrics?
 
Kon: I take inspiration from everything that happens in my life.
How do you write and compose your songs?
Kaie: We bring our ideas to the studio, and turn them into a real song together.
Nao: When we write a song idea, we turn it together into a song.
Rei: Based on our ideas, we create the final song together in the studio. 
 
How has your songwriting changed as you have gotten older?
 
Kon: If you wonder about the lyrics, they haven’t changed.
Kaie: Basically, I haven’t changed at all.
Nao: WE haven’t made any big changes, but we’re not trying to omit them with negative energy, but we’re trying to affirm them and trying to absorb them. 
Rei: It’s getting simpler.
 
Due to Corona, you weren’t able to perform live earlier this year.  How has this affected you? How did you deal with it?
 
Kon: No, problem at all, we didn’t have any live show planned.
Kaie: We’re just in the middle of a hiatus, so…
Nao: We weren’t able to make any plans originally, so it didn’t really affect us.
Rei: It didn’t interfere with NightingeiL’s activities, so I just gave my dogs attention during the self-restraint period. 
Hakuya: I’ve been doing some personal activities, so I was able to perform live. However I wasn’t able to do any activities for about 3 months during the self-restraint period, so in that meanwhile I just practiced at home. 
 
When you are standing on stage, do you face any challenges?
 
Kon: I’m always wondering how I can betray my audience in a good way. 
Kaie: To keep doing stuff easygoing, just to be natural and not being afraid of what I’m doing. 
Nao: Just to have fun. 
Rei: I always feel sorry for my dog to let her stay alone at home.
Hakuya: To stay calm, if you stay calm you are able to enjoy the live show.
 
Why is it important for (rock) bands to play lives?
 
Kon: To feel alive.
Kaie: Because it’s fun.
Nao: It’s the most fun to do and more importantly it’s not only fun with the members but also with the audience. 
Rei: It’s a great way to earn money.
Hakuya: We want people to see us because we’re alive.
 
What’s the most important thing that has happened to you in your music career so far?
 
Kon: Being into this current state now. 
Kaie: To be able to meet a lot of people.
Nao: That I am blessed with my musical friends.
Rei: Everything.
Hakuya: Playing with my favorite artists and supporting them.
 
Some years have passed since your last release, can we expect a new release soon?
 
Kon: If it’s expected we’ll release it, we are also considering digital distribution. 
Kaie: We’re looking at it positively!
Nao: Maybe yes, maybe no, I’ll give my best.
Rei: Would love so.
Hakuya: We’re currently considering it.
 
What’s the biggest challenge of being a musician?
 
Kon: To stay yourself.
Kaie: To absorb things without losing yourself.
Nao: How to deal with music.  
Rei: To not get fat and not to age (becoming unattractive). 
Hakuya: To keep loving and enjoying it. 
 

 
Have you ever thought about performing overseas as NightingeiL?
 
Kon: If you have an offer for us, we’d love to consider it!
Kaie: I would love to go abroad!
Nao: Currently not.
Rei: It’s hard because it makes me feel homesick. 
Hakuya: I always wanted to go abroad.
 
Kaie tweets a lot of anime, but what are some anime’s everyone watched as a kid?
Kaie: Can’t really tell, just check out my tweets. 
 
What’s your ultimate goal for the future? 
 
Kon: Sokushinbutsu. (To become a Bhuddist mummy)
Kaie: My goal is as long as I can enjoy my life, it’s the best life I can have. 
Nao: filial piety (laugh)
Rei: To own lots of dogs.
Hakuya: To be a respected musician and not just a band member.
 
Please tell us your beliefs and/or mottos as an artist?
 
Kon: Where there is will, there is a way
Kaie: Don’t beg, win, and it will be given to you.
Nao: The first thing to do is to make something that you are convinced and confident about.
Rei: It’s going to be a long story, so we’ll have to come back to it another time.
Hakuya: I always like the drums, hit the drums, and push the ensemble to the next level.
 
Please write a last message to your fans and readers.
 
Kon: If you haven’t been exposed to the world of NightingeiL yet, this is a great moment to start.
 
Kaie: The reason why I can take it easy is because there are people who are waiting for me. I am sincerely grateful. Although we are a peculiar band, we are looking forward to your continued support.
 
Nao: Nice to meet you. My name is Nao, I play guitar in NightingeiL. Thank you for taking the time to read this interview. I hope you will continue to support us.
 
Rei: Please let me touch your boobs when we meet. (laugh)
 
Hakuya: Thank you for your support. I’ll always play the drums with my heart and soul. I will continue to play the drums, which is my life’s work, and I will continue to work hard every day to provide you with a comfortable and pleasant sound. I will continue to be a band member, musician and drummer for the rest of my life.
 
 
--
 
 

Thanks to @Katt for the grammar/spell check!
 
Read on jrockrnoll
https://jrocknroll.com/interview-with-rana/3/
 

RANA, thank you very much for accepting this interview! 
 
To know you a little bit better, please introduce each other with a funny comment.
 
Vo. AME OTOKO AME (雨男雨) ↓
Ari’S is a multi-talented guitarist who can do everything and anything.
Sola is a drummer with a five-dimensional sensibility. 
 
Gt. Ari’S ↓
AME OTOKO AME, is a serious, stoic and seamless person. But he is also cute and unexpected too. Funnily enough, when he’s drunk, you can have more mature conversations with him.
Sola, is a natural and easy-going person, but he sees people and things in a different way that makes him dependable. When he’s drunk, he likes to act like a sumo wrestler.
 
Dr. Sola (昊) ↓
AME OTOKO AME, is sensitive and stoic. He is quite versatile as he can compose and write lyrics and draw oil paintings. He is also very  mischievous when he drinks.
Ari’S, he is outspoken and an honest person, and on top of that, he has great talking skills.
 
Japanese contains a lot of Kanji, so which Kanji would you give to RANA? 
【真】[Truth] One’s true self, “truth”, is an attitude that we all share.
Also it can mean that we are a band that pursues the creation of great and pure music.
 
Also which Kanji would you choose to express yourself?
 
AME OTOKO AME →  【雨】 Rain, I have a gloomy personality.
 
Ari’S → 【無】 Nothing, No waste, no pressure, nothing at all…
 
Sola → 【心】 Heart/spirit, Even when playing music, it’s the most important thing to live as a person.
 
Please tell us about your encounter, how did you all meet?  
When frogman Jack-©︎ and AME OTOKO AME met each other, they talked about the need for musical notes “rain” to bring inside the modern world and so they planned to start a band to bring  that kind of “rain” to the world. AME OTOKO AME asked his former band mates Ari’S and Sola to join him and so RANA was formed.
Dir&Pro. Jack-© is a frog, right? Why does Jack-© look like a frog? Explain a bit more about the image of Jack-©.
We don’t know if he is a human being who has turned into a frog, we don’t know if humans are disguised like frogs, honestly, we don’t know the truth I guess you could say? But he is the planner of RANA and he’s the one in charge of us behind the scenes. 
 
What was the reason why you became a bandman? Was there anybody who inspired you to become one? 
AME OTOKO AME → I thought it would be lots of fun, I like hide and Ulfuls (ウルフルズ). 
 
Ari’S → The first band I copied was SHAKALABBITS, and that was really fun.
 
Sola → I love music and music saved my life. I started playing drums naturally because I loved to beat to the rhythm of music. The band who inspired me firstly would be the German heavy metal band HELLOWEEN.
 
Being a bandman isn’t always easy so, what’s the most difficult thing about being a bandman?
AME OTOKO AME → Mental strength.
 
Ari’S →  I guess for me, it would be to stay motivated?
 
Sola → To earn money and to stay alive?
 
RANA has an interesting worldview, so could you tell us a little bit more about RANA’s worldview?
The perspective of humans and other living things and “rain” is also an important keyword. While “rain” seems a bit negative and depressing to modern people, everything is inextricably linked to each other, and because there is something negative, there is also a positive. If we can see it all in such a kind of “light“, the message is that “negative” isn’t just always something “negative“.
 
Why did you decide to use “RANA” as a band name? And what does it actually mean? 
Rana is the human condition from a perspective that crosses the boundaries of living things. In keeping with that theme, we could have also used any non-human creature.
 
AME OTOKO AME → So the word RANA felt right. 
 
Your costumes look trendy, so what about your costumes for RANA? How do you decide?
We choose the ones that fit our music, based on fashion trends.
 
Due to Corona your activities and appearances of live shows have been postponed. What would you want to accomplish when you finally can stand on stage? 
AME OTOKO AME → I want to increase the number of fans we have in an audience!
 
Ari’S → Our first step is to make our lives a success. Then the next step is stepping up higher!
 
Sola → It would be nice to have an environment where we can enjoy our live shows as we did before, but it will be difficult to do that for at least a while. But we won’t let that stop us from performing even better and we want to give everyone better shows than before. 
 
Being on stage, what’s the best part of it?
AME OTOKO AME → The best part of being on stage for me is  pouring out a song with a strong message and a hard sound. Also to introduce ambient surround synths, which is rare in live houses which expands the range of sound expressions.
 
Ari’S →  For me, it’s when i’m faced with lots of smiles and when I’m covered in sweat!
 
Sola →  I like it when there is a vibe, with intensity the genuine feel of live sounds. The drums in particular are an instrument that directly expresses emotions, and I want you to experience it for yourself.
 
What’s your biggest inspiration for making music?
AME OTOKO AME → Happiness, anger, sorrow and joy.
 
Ari’S → When you find preciousness in your everyday life.
 
Sola → Both sides of Sorrow and anguish, Ugly parts such as outrageous incidents and beautiful parts such as nature, art, and human goodness.
 
How do you decide on the title of your new song?
AME OTOKO AME → We decide by trying to be as original as possible.
 
Please give us some fun comments about the release of your 1st EP “蛙の詩” and 1.5 EP “蛙の悪戯”.
【蛙の詩】 Is our first release, so we thought a lot about the band and the message we wished to convey, and we made it.
 
【蛙の悪戯】 We created this EP during the Corona restrainment period. We did the entire process online, from arranging to mastering, also it was a good period to test the band’s teamwork.
 
Please tell me about the composition of the EP. How did you write and create the new songs?
AME OTOKO AME →  We composed the EP by using smartphone voice memos and D.A.W.’s (Digital Audio Workspace).
 
Do you have any fun comment to tell about your MV’s to “蛙の悪戯” and “蛙の詩”?
蛙の詩 is the front side, 蛙の悪戯 the back side of our image.
For the MV’s, we had a meeting with the director and left everything up to his own imagination. 
 
Why did you choose the titles “蛙の詩(Frog Poem)” and “蛙の悪戯 (Frog Mischief)” for your 1st EP and 1.5 EP?
AME OTOKO AME ↓
1st → The title track [蛙の詩(Frog poem)] is used as it is.
 
1.5th → Since the theme is unhappiness, it’s a mischievous frog who can be compared to God’s mischief.
 
What was your main inspiration for both EP’s?
AME OTOKO AME ↓
【1st蛙の詩】→ The desire to reset what you’ve gained, your pride, and your ego, and to start over, straight away.
 
【1.5th蛙の悪戯】 → Negative, yet realistic emotions in everyday life, such as sad events and unexpected misfortunes.
 
Please tell us about the artwork and any other production efforts for both of your EP’s.
【1st蛙の詩】 On the cover, Jack-©︎ is observing us humans in the rain, and on the back, we have included a hopeful image of sunshine after the rain.
 
【1.5th蛙の悪戯】  Jack-©︎ stands in the street with the colors reversed. He’s looking at the  other side of the world.
 
→ 1.蛙の詩
The world is full of complaints, yet despair and hope are linked with each other. This song tells you, no matter how you feel, you always can make a fresh start and try again.  
 
→ 2.Llluvia
Creatures that humans treat with a convenient interpretation is usually done by human pattern is drawn from differing perspectives.
 
→ 3.耳カラ脳ヘ
You who behave pleasantly in everyday life.
You who are obsessed with meaningless envy and information manipulation.
The stimulus melody given to your mind via this song surely breaks your stress.
 
→ 4.ハルガサク
Like a flower that blooms around…
The proof of our lives continues to bloom in our memories.
 
→ 5.オタマジャクシの詩。
The things we’ve gained and lost.
We were upbeat and depressed.
Plus or minus 0.
From today, let’s live well again!
 
→ 1.  Tranquilio
–Show your fists, not words.–
Aggressive and emotional.
An authentic rock number.
 
→ 2.  20% FORECAST
-Sun then rain, then…–
Funky & groovy sounds.
It’s a POP SONG that shakes your body.
 
→ 3.  僕らはみんな観ている
–When you look into the abyss, the abyss is looking at you.–
A dark side mid-tune song with aggressive sounds and solid lyricism.
 
→ 4.  Social Minority
-D-on’t stop, go where the impulse leads you.-
This is a new level rock number with epic melodies and dramatic developments.
 
→ 5.  他人には見えない力で動いてる
–To the unseen you, who keeps doing your best. –
You know, I’ve got an upper sound that I’ve been working on.
A powerful, straightforward ale song!
 
→ 6.  悪魔の子
-Happiness is like a bubble that disappears when you cross a line.-
A lyrical message song that questions modern society.
 
What is your favorite music genre?
AME OTOKO AME → J-POP
 
Ari’S → Rock, metal, anime music, classics and everything in between.
 
Sola → I like listening to rock music, anything loud, anime songs, electro, etc.
Basically, I like a whole lot of different things, but mainly quiet and dark music.
 
What are your favorite bands?
AME OTOKO AME → My absolute favorite is X JAPAN.
 
Ari’S →  Recently I have found myself listening to Band-MAID.
 
Sola →  Some of my favorite bands include, Chouchou, Radiohead, 光田康典, ClariS, amazarashi etc. As for Visual Kei, I have found myself listening to Kizu a lot.
 
What is your favorite local food?
AME OTOKO AME →  Soba noodles.
 
Ari’S → Sanzoku-yaki is my favorite local food.
 
Sola →  I also like Soba noodles.
 
What is your favorite drink?
AME OTOKO AME → My favorite drink is black coffee.
 
Ari’S →  Mine’s whiskey.
 
Sola →  Lately, I’ve been drinking non-sugar latte coffee.
 
What are your hobbies?
AME OTOKO AME → I’m really into watching movies.
 
Ari’S → My hobby is that I’m into gaming.
 
Sola → Not much, I like to collect clothes and manga and I like to watch anime.
 
What makes you smile? 
AME OTOKO AME → People make me smile. 
 
Ari’S → Mo—ne–y♡money。
 
Sola → Cute people/characters and Alcohol
 
What’s your own habitat? 
AME OTOKO AME → My habit is that I like to act suspicious.
 
Ari’S →  I have lots of habits, but I always try to care about people’s opinions, so I am mindful.
 
Sola → Being Dark-hearted, unpredictable, fickle.
 
Where is your favorite place in Nagano Prefecture?
AME OTOKO AME → My house.
 
Ari’S → I like the countryside and the mountains of Nagano Prefecture.
 
Sola → The places where I can feel the beauty of trees, forests and mountains are my favorite places.
How would you like your fans to support you? What is the most important thing you want to receive?
AME OTOKO AME → We’re very happy when people like our songs, and it’s very rewarding.
 
Ari’S → We’re very happy when people try to get to know us and tell us what they think of our music in their words.
 
Sola → We’re happy when people express themselves honestly in words, or when they like and retweet us. It’s best to be able to convey excitement through sound and appearance.
 
How do you feel that you also have foreign fans?
AME OTOKO AME → I feel Ve-r-y happy about it! 
 
Ari’S → We are just grateful that you found us before we even started!
 
Sola → I’m very happy! Someday I hope to meet you in person.
 
Corona is a global problem today. How do you, as an artist, face it?
AME OTOKO AME →  We’d like to put more effort into our video productions, so that we can present RANA on the internet in a style for when we don’t have the opportunity to present our music in front of so many people.
 
Ari’S → I think that the conventional wisdom of the entertainment industry will not be accepted at all in this day and age, so we have no choice but to continue to search for entertainment that meets the needs of the times.
 
Sola → Of course, we will make efforts to control the infection, but we would like to continue to communicate with our fans without losing against the virus. 
 
What’s RANA’s ultimate goal for the future?
AME OTOKO AME → Making a living out of music.
 
Ari’S →  World domination!
 
Sola →   I would like to tour and perform at big halls, we’d like to one day tour abroad too.
 
Why do you think we should listen to RANA? What do you think is unique about RANA that other artists don’t have?
We are not limited only to just Visual Kei, our music is pure, free and has lots of diversity. 
 
Do you have any beliefs or mottos for your fans as an artist?
AME OTOKO AME →  I want to be an artist who can gently push those who want to live positively.
 
Ari’S → I would be happy if I can be the energy to live tomorrow for you. For me, your smiling face gives me the energy to live for tomorrow.
 
Sola → Give color to your days, put your fantasies in reality, music will snuggle up your loneliness. 
 
We came to the end, please give your final message to your fans. 
AME OTOKO AME → As RANA we are a newcomer in the music scene,, so please give us you support. 
 
Ari’S → We’re not able to do our activities as much as we would like because of the constant holding down, but we definitely do anything to be able to meet you, so please come to meet us! 
 
Sola → thank you for taking the time to read this interview. Hopefully we will be able to meet more and more people. We will do our very best to make you love us even more!