Interview
Mana (Moi dix mois), KAMIJO (Versailles), ASAGI (D) and Sono (Matenrou Opera) join forces to create “Japanese Visual Metal”
(*NOTE : I did not use any -san/-kun as it often is less natural in English. I am not a professional and only do this for fun in the hopes of making it easier for fans to access content in Japanese and the translation might not be perfect or word-for-word accurate but reflects the original text in the most accurate way I could with my level of Japanese.)
---- Please start by introducing yourselves.
Sono: I’m Sono, vocal of Matenrou Opera. The "skyscraper" in "Matenrou(Skyscraper) Opera" represents new rock music, and "opera" represents the traditional piano and orchestra. I wanted to create something that combines both of them, so I decided on this band name. We are currently on our 15th Anniversary Tour "WALTZ-" and will celebrate our 16th anniversary on May 4 at Zepp HANEDA in Tokyo with our 16th Anniversary Live "Suitama no Waltz".
KAMIJO: This is KAMIJO, vocalist of Versailles. Twin guitars like intertwined rose ivy, undulating bass and drums with tasteful phrasing is what we do. On top is layered KAMIJO's main melody. Versailles had not been active for several years, but last year we celebrated our 15th anniversary with a tour. Versailles will be going on a nationwide tour in May to perform new songs, "Versailles Live Tour "Varoque" 2023~Gorgeous Beauty of Style in the Gyakkaku~". The members of Versailles are working as one to move forward as best we can until then.
Mana：I’m Mana. Although Moi dix Mois is a band per say, it is in fact my solo project, which is a big difference from the others here. My previous band, MALICE MIZER, was a band, but Moi dix Mois is a project that expresses what I want to do, so I do all the lyrics, compositions, and arrangements by myself. The music is symphonic gothic metal, which is what I like best. Since the current members have been with me for a long time, Moi dix Mois has a band-like atmosphere now.
ASAGI：I'm ASAGI, the voice of D. D is a band that focuses on a specific world view, and we have various concepts such as roses, vampires, Alice, forests, and so on. We make music with a strong narrative around the themes of life, death, and love. D is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and will be touring in April with the single "REVENANT" based on the concept of Vampire [D 20th Anniversary Spring Tour- Tokyo-Nagoya-Osaka, solo tour REVENANT"]. Since this year is our 20th anniversary, we are planning to work energetically with Vampire, the main axis of D, as our main focus.
Mana: Ah! I forgot to mention… Moi dix Mois is also celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Sono: Then, Versailles and Matenrou are celebrating our 15th anniversary.
ASAGI: That's a great coincidence, isn't it?
----Can you tell us a little more about how you came to issue this join statement?
KAMIJO: I first contacted Mana around last spring. I knew that there would come a time when we would have to summon up the courage to get out of the entertainment crisis brought on by corona. So I asked him if we could do something together. Soon after, I asked D and Matenrou Opera to join us too.
----It seems it’s slowly getting back to now, but last spring, it was still very difficult to do live shows.
KAMIJO: Right. We started with the idea of doing a statement together to lift the ban on speaking out in order to take that first step back towards normalcy. So at the very beginning, the idea was to work together to take a courageous step to get out from the state brought on by corona.
ASAGI: When KAMIJO talked to me about it, I could immediately sympathize with him and that’s what really pushed me forward. I thought it was beautiful that our four groups would be working together to overcome obstacles in the music scene.
----From there, you decided right away to do a Zepp Tour with the four bands?
KAMIJO: No. I had a desire to do so, but since Mana is my direct senior (he said sempai, since he was a Malice Mizer roadie), I felt that I could not ask him to do so many things at once suddenly. So, at the very last minute when we were about to announce the joint statement, I couldn't hold back any longer and made him a request.
Mana: I first lifted the ban on vocal performances at my live concert last December (2022). When I told the audience that a joint statement was going to be announced with Versailles, D, and Matenrou Opera, there was a huge outpouring of joy from the audience. At that point, the audience was figuring out or probably hoping that we were going to do a live concert together.
KAMIJO: Sorry, I was really waiting for that feel (laughs)
Mana: Then, I got a call from KAMIJO. He said, "We would like to do a joint Zepp tour.” I was a little surprised, but I felt the excitement of the audience, so I thought it would be fun to go in that direction.
----Sorry to interrupt this conversation, but I’d like to address the basic relationship between the four bands.
KAMIJO: First of all, I’ve learned a lot from Mana.I have been assisting him since the time of MALICE MIZER, so I am his direct junior. We are on the same side line, though we did not play together very often. Matenrou Opera is another band on the same side of the line, and they were labelmates of my old label.
Sono: No, no, no… We’re his (Kamijo) direct juniors.
----So you’ve all had some relationships from the start.
KAMIJO: Another thing that we have in common is that me, ASAGI and Sono all love Mana. When I first approached Mana and asked to work with him, I thought I wanted to work with artists who understand Mana’s appeal and truly also admire him. There are countless people who respect Mana, and among them, ASAGI and Sono were the ones I thought, "I can work with these guys.”
----When you were contacted by Kamijo, how did you two feel?
Sono: They are all our great senpais, so it was an honor just to have their names placed next to ours.
ASAGI: When I heard about the project, I thought it was a great honor because I have always respected and loved Mana, and MALICE MIZER is the only band that D has officially covered. So I felt extremely honored.
----So one could say the relationship is based, or comes back to Mana sama.
KAMIJO: That wouldn’t be an exaggeration
----(To Mana) How does it feel to hear this?
Mana: It makes me honestly happy.
ASAGI: Today’s roundtable, too…
KAMIJO: That too, it’s almost a dream come true to be able to be here and talk with him.
ASAGI: It truly is!
KAMIJO: That's why we have this "bloodline". We don’t have noble blood or anything. It is not the blood of nobility, but it is a bloodline that is connected to Mana's bloodline, not to strangers. I think this is "Japanese Visual Metal".
----That is the name of the new scene that was set forth in the statement.
Mana：Visual-kei used to be a vague category, but I think it has become a category that clearly shows the musicality that these four artists possess. Until now, "visual-kei" has been a vague term, as if just wearing makeup makes you visual-kei, I don't think it was about musicality. However, I feel that the keyword "metal" has been used in the music, and it felt like it fit the musicality.
----Who thought of the word?
KAMIJO: I think it just came naturally.
Mana: I think it was just a tentative word at first.
KAMIJO: Ah, that's right. I had tentatively written "Japanese Visual Metal" as words to describe these four artists, since we share the same lineage.
Mana: It’s gradually becoming more and more familiar to me. I think it is very important that it is easy to understand. So I thought it was fine the way it was.
KAMIJO: Talking about lineage, Mana is the one who has created the scene as the beginning of the bloodline. We have been allowed to walk behind him and have added various embellishments to our own path. I thought it would be easier to understand if we were going to meet at the intersection of the visual-kei scene and the metal-kei scene as “Japanese Visual Metal”.
Sono: When I heard this name, I thought it was very straightforward. The music I listened to and was influenced by was Visual Kei and Heavy Metal, and my current project, Matenrou Opera, is a mixture of both. The name was a direct expression of the music I like.
ASAGI: I also thought it was a new and very good name. I think some artists don't like to be categorized, but I think it is good for listeners. When you search for the music you like, if you search only for Visual-kei, you will find a variety of musical styles. If you search for "Visual Kei" and "metal," you will find these four artists. That is the creation of a new scene, isn't it?
KAMIJO: Yes. I want to take it from there. We must not only walk on the tracks that our seniors have drawn for us, but from here we must create from scratch too. When it comes to making it, it is very reassuring to know that us four can move forward together.
Sono: I think we can create a swell that cannot be achieved by a single band.
KAMIJO: Another thing that all four artists have in common is that each of us has a complete "world view" in addition to the musicality of Japanese Visual Metal.
----And what is the origin of this being made?
KAMIJO: That’s also Mana.
----What kind of tour do you have in mind for the joint 4 band Zepp tour?
KAMIJO: All performances will have a different band as main. That idea was suggested by Mana.
ASAGI: That’s really lovely.
KAMIJO: Then we are working on creating a song together in the form of a "concerto" and performing it on the Zepp tour. I will create the foundation of the song, and I hope that Mana's taste, ASAGI's D’s charm, and Sono’s Matenrou Opera’s charm will be added to it, so that we can complete one song together. And for all four performances, this concerto will be played after the main performance.
----So it will only be performed?
KAMIJO: It will also be recorded and made (as a physical copy).
----What will the name be?
KAMJO: … Naming it?
Sono: Well, it has to be “Japanese Visual Metal”, no ?
ASAGI: JVM?
Mana: We hadn’t thought about that yet, eh.
KAMIJO: That's how genuinely excited we are about writing music together. We haven't even thought of a name yet, so we are still trying to figure out when and in what form we will release the music.
ASAGI: I received all that excitement directly from Kamijo, and Mana as well.
Sono: I have felt that excitement before too.
KAMIJO: Actually, it is Sono who is the most unreserved of all the members. He would say things like, "We should record together, right?” But he would also say things like, "Do you think Mana would be okay with that?” and is unafraid to express himself.
Sono: It is unusual for our four groups to perform live together, so I thought the audience would be more pleased if we performed something together on the soundtrack as well, so I said my idea bluntly (laughs).
KAMIJO: You can say things bluntly with this group, but you can't say things bluntly with that group… (laughs).
Sono: I’m glad my best idea was elected.
KAMIJO: So in that way, we all kept saying, "Wouldn't it be fun if we did that?” Everyone kept coming up with ideas that they thought would be interesting to do. Each of us has been doing this for 15 or 20 years, so we all have a tremendous amount of power. It is really encouraging.
----What kind of song will it turn out to be?
Mana: KAMIJO sang the chorus to my ear in a huge voice, but it was so loud that I couldn't hear it (everyone laughs).
KAMIJO: But, ASAGI instantly memorized the melody, sang it to Mana and told him, "This is the melody.” (laughs)
ASAGI: Right.
----Great teamwork!
Mana：I want to complete a song here that can create excitement in the scene. Eventually, my dream is to tour overseas with Japanese Visual Metal and lift and carry Japan on our backs.
ASAGI: That's a good idea.
KAMIJO: Let's do it! Everyone has already been around overseas.
Mana: So I think it will be a lot of fun.
----First, let's get Japanese Visual Metal going in Japan, including the Zepp tour.
Sono: Yes. Anyway, we are looking forward to it. That's all I can say. I'm looking forward to working with you all, and I'm also looking forward to singing the songs that I'm going to write. I'm sure the audience of Matenrou Opera will be looking forward to it, as well as the fans who like Visual-kei more broadly. I think it will be a good opportunity for them to hear our four bands. So I would like them to come to the live show. If you like these four groups, of course, but if you think "something interesting is going on in Visual-kei," I would like you to come and see what it is all about. I hope that people who are currently staying away from live houses will use this as a chance to step out and meet us at Zepp. Also, since I am the most junior member of this lineage, I would like to ask those juniors who want to follow in my footsteps to run for office. If you think “my band is Japanese Visual Metal”, I would like to hear from you.
KAMIJO: I’ll be a judge of that.
ASAGI: Like an audition show.
KAMIJO: Yes. If you pass the audition, I'll ask you to start as a roadie for Matenrou Opera.
----(Laughs)
ASAGI：I think it is a dream project. It's not easy to talk about wanting to do something like this, but I think it's difficult to actually make it happen. This time, everything really fell into place. This time it worked out well, but you never know when the next time will be. I really want people to see it while it's still going on.
KAMIJO: I think it is a good opportunity for Versailles to move on to the next stage by touring Zepp with three other artists. I would like to show them how we are growing as a band. We are a cool band above all. And as a creator, it is a concerto that we all make together. I am looking forward to performing that.
Mana：Moi dix Mois is a band that only plays one-man shows and practically doesn’t do shows with other groups, especially not three. The bands we’ll play with now are people with incredible pedigrees.
ASAGI: Pedigree! I am honored.
KAMIJO: It’s Incredible hearing this from Mana himself.
Sono: I am so happy to hear that.
Mana：I can only be looking forward to working with such great people.
“The worldview is one of the things that all four artists have in common”
---- Please start by introducing yourselves.
Sono: I’m Sono, vocal of Matenrou Opera. The "skyscraper" in "Matenrou(Skyscraper) Opera" represents new rock music, and "opera" represents the traditional piano and orchestra. I wanted to create something that combines both of them, so I decided on this band name. We are currently on our 15th Anniversary Tour "WALTZ-" and will celebrate our 16th anniversary on May 4 at Zepp HANEDA in Tokyo with our 16th Anniversary Live "Suitama no Waltz".
KAMIJO: This is KAMIJO, vocalist of Versailles. Twin guitars like intertwined rose ivy, undulating bass and drums with tasteful phrasing is what we do. On top is layered KAMIJO's main melody. Versailles had not been active for several years, but last year we celebrated our 15th anniversary with a tour. Versailles will be going on a nationwide tour in May to perform new songs, "Versailles Live Tour "Varoque" 2023~Gorgeous Beauty of Style in the Gyakkaku~". The members of Versailles are working as one to move forward as best we can until then.
Mana：I’m Mana. Although Moi dix Mois is a band per say, it is in fact my solo project, which is a big difference from the others here. My previous band, MALICE MIZER, was a band, but Moi dix Mois is a project that expresses what I want to do, so I do all the lyrics, compositions, and arrangements by myself. The music is symphonic gothic metal, which is what I like best. Since the current members have been with me for a long time, Moi dix Mois has a band-like atmosphere now.
ASAGI：I'm ASAGI, the voice of D. D is a band that focuses on a specific world view, and we have various concepts such as roses, vampires, Alice, forests, and so on. We make music with a strong narrative around the themes of life, death, and love. D is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and will be touring in April with the single "REVENANT" based on the concept of Vampire [D 20th Anniversary Spring Tour- Tokyo-Nagoya-Osaka, solo tour REVENANT"]. Since this year is our 20th anniversary, we are planning to work energetically with Vampire, the main axis of D, as our main focus.
Mana: Ah! I forgot to mention… Moi dix Mois is also celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.
Sono: Then, Versailles and Matenrou are celebrating our 15th anniversary.
ASAGI: That's a great coincidence, isn't it?
----Can you tell us a little more about how you came to issue this join statement?
KAMIJO: I first contacted Mana around last spring. I knew that there would come a time when we would have to summon up the courage to get out of the entertainment crisis brought on by corona. So I asked him if we could do something together. Soon after, I asked D and Matenrou Opera to join us too.
----It seems it’s slowly getting back to now, but last spring, it was still very difficult to do live shows.
KAMIJO: Right. We started with the idea of doing a statement together to lift the ban on speaking out in order to take that first step back towards normalcy. So at the very beginning, the idea was to work together to take a courageous step to get out from the state brought on by corona.
ASAGI: When KAMIJO talked to me about it, I could immediately sympathize with him and that’s what really pushed me forward. I thought it was beautiful that our four groups would be working together to overcome obstacles in the music scene.
----From there, you decided right away to do a Zepp Tour with the four bands?
KAMIJO: No. I had a desire to do so, but since Mana is my direct senior (he said sempai, since he was a Malice Mizer roadie), I felt that I could not ask him to do so many things at once suddenly. So, at the very last minute when we were about to announce the joint statement, I couldn't hold back any longer and made him a request.
Mana: I first lifted the ban on vocal performances at my live concert last December (2022). When I told the audience that a joint statement was going to be announced with Versailles, D, and Matenrou Opera, there was a huge outpouring of joy from the audience. At that point, the audience was figuring out or probably hoping that we were going to do a live concert together.
KAMIJO: Sorry, I was really waiting for that feel (laughs)
Mana: Then, I got a call from KAMIJO. He said, "We would like to do a joint Zepp tour.” I was a little surprised, but I felt the excitement of the audience, so I thought it would be fun to go in that direction.
----Sorry to interrupt this conversation, but I’d like to address the basic relationship between the four bands.
KAMIJO: First of all, I’ve learned a lot from Mana.I have been assisting him since the time of MALICE MIZER, so I am his direct junior. We are on the same side line, though we did not play together very often. Matenrou Opera is another band on the same side of the line, and they were labelmates of my old label.
Sono: No, no, no… We’re his (Kamijo) direct juniors.
----So you’ve all had some relationships from the start.
KAMIJO: Another thing that we have in common is that me, ASAGI and Sono all love Mana. When I first approached Mana and asked to work with him, I thought I wanted to work with artists who understand Mana’s appeal and truly also admire him. There are countless people who respect Mana, and among them, ASAGI and Sono were the ones I thought, "I can work with these guys.”
----When you were contacted by Kamijo, how did you two feel?
Sono: They are all our great senpais, so it was an honor just to have their names placed next to ours.
ASAGI: When I heard about the project, I thought it was a great honor because I have always respected and loved Mana, and MALICE MIZER is the only band that D has officially covered. So I felt extremely honored.
----So one could say the relationship is based, or comes back to Mana sama.
KAMIJO: That wouldn’t be an exaggeration
----(To Mana) How does it feel to hear this?
Mana: It makes me honestly happy.
ASAGI: Today’s roundtable, too…
KAMIJO: That too, it’s almost a dream come true to be able to be here and talk with him.
ASAGI: It truly is!
KAMIJO: That's why we have this "bloodline". We don’t have noble blood or anything. It is not the blood of nobility, but it is a bloodline that is connected to Mana's bloodline, not to strangers. I think this is "Japanese Visual Metal".
----That is the name of the new scene that was set forth in the statement.
Mana：Visual-kei used to be a vague category, but I think it has become a category that clearly shows the musicality that these four artists possess. Until now, "visual-kei" has been a vague term, as if just wearing makeup makes you visual-kei, I don't think it was about musicality. However, I feel that the keyword "metal" has been used in the music, and it felt like it fit the musicality.
----Who thought of the word?
KAMIJO: I think it just came naturally.
Mana: I think it was just a tentative word at first.
KAMIJO: Ah, that's right. I had tentatively written "Japanese Visual Metal" as words to describe these four artists, since we share the same lineage.
Mana: It’s gradually becoming more and more familiar to me. I think it is very important that it is easy to understand. So I thought it was fine the way it was.
KAMIJO: Talking about lineage, Mana is the one who has created the scene as the beginning of the bloodline. We have been allowed to walk behind him and have added various embellishments to our own path. I thought it would be easier to understand if we were going to meet at the intersection of the visual-kei scene and the metal-kei scene as “Japanese Visual Metal”.
Sono: When I heard this name, I thought it was very straightforward. The music I listened to and was influenced by was Visual Kei and Heavy Metal, and my current project, Matenrou Opera, is a mixture of both. The name was a direct expression of the music I like.
ASAGI: I also thought it was a new and very good name. I think some artists don't like to be categorized, but I think it is good for listeners. When you search for the music you like, if you search only for Visual-kei, you will find a variety of musical styles. If you search for "Visual Kei" and "metal," you will find these four artists. That is the creation of a new scene, isn't it?
KAMIJO: Yes. I want to take it from there. We must not only walk on the tracks that our seniors have drawn for us, but from here we must create from scratch too. When it comes to making it, it is very reassuring to know that us four can move forward together.
Sono: I think we can create a swell that cannot be achieved by a single band.
KAMIJO: Another thing that all four artists have in common is that each of us has a complete "world view" in addition to the musicality of Japanese Visual Metal.
----And what is the origin of this being made?
KAMIJO: That’s also Mana.
“The bands I'm working with all have incredible pedigrees.”
----What kind of tour do you have in mind for the joint 4 band Zepp tour?
KAMIJO: All performances will have a different band as main. That idea was suggested by Mana.
ASAGI: That’s really lovely.
KAMIJO: Then we are working on creating a song together in the form of a "concerto" and performing it on the Zepp tour. I will create the foundation of the song, and I hope that Mana's taste, ASAGI's D’s charm, and Sono’s Matenrou Opera’s charm will be added to it, so that we can complete one song together. And for all four performances, this concerto will be played after the main performance.
----So it will only be performed?
KAMIJO: It will also be recorded and made (as a physical copy).
----What will the name be?
KAMJO: … Naming it?
Sono: Well, it has to be “Japanese Visual Metal”, no ?
ASAGI: JVM?
Mana: We hadn’t thought about that yet, eh.
KAMIJO: That's how genuinely excited we are about writing music together. We haven't even thought of a name yet, so we are still trying to figure out when and in what form we will release the music.
ASAGI: I received all that excitement directly from Kamijo, and Mana as well.
Sono: I have felt that excitement before too.
KAMIJO: Actually, it is Sono who is the most unreserved of all the members. He would say things like, "We should record together, right?” But he would also say things like, "Do you think Mana would be okay with that?” and is unafraid to express himself.
Sono: It is unusual for our four groups to perform live together, so I thought the audience would be more pleased if we performed something together on the soundtrack as well, so I said my idea bluntly (laughs).
KAMIJO: You can say things bluntly with this group, but you can't say things bluntly with that group… (laughs).
Sono: I’m glad my best idea was elected.
KAMIJO: So in that way, we all kept saying, "Wouldn't it be fun if we did that?” Everyone kept coming up with ideas that they thought would be interesting to do. Each of us has been doing this for 15 or 20 years, so we all have a tremendous amount of power. It is really encouraging.
----What kind of song will it turn out to be?
Mana: KAMIJO sang the chorus to my ear in a huge voice, but it was so loud that I couldn't hear it (everyone laughs).
KAMIJO: But, ASAGI instantly memorized the melody, sang it to Mana and told him, "This is the melody.” (laughs)
ASAGI: Right.
----Great teamwork!
Mana：I want to complete a song here that can create excitement in the scene. Eventually, my dream is to tour overseas with Japanese Visual Metal and lift and carry Japan on our backs.
ASAGI: That's a good idea.
KAMIJO: Let's do it! Everyone has already been around overseas.
Mana: So I think it will be a lot of fun.
----First, let's get Japanese Visual Metal going in Japan, including the Zepp tour.
Sono: Yes. Anyway, we are looking forward to it. That's all I can say. I'm looking forward to working with you all, and I'm also looking forward to singing the songs that I'm going to write. I'm sure the audience of Matenrou Opera will be looking forward to it, as well as the fans who like Visual-kei more broadly. I think it will be a good opportunity for them to hear our four bands. So I would like them to come to the live show. If you like these four groups, of course, but if you think "something interesting is going on in Visual-kei," I would like you to come and see what it is all about. I hope that people who are currently staying away from live houses will use this as a chance to step out and meet us at Zepp. Also, since I am the most junior member of this lineage, I would like to ask those juniors who want to follow in my footsteps to run for office. If you think “my band is Japanese Visual Metal”, I would like to hear from you.
KAMIJO: I’ll be a judge of that.
ASAGI: Like an audition show.
KAMIJO: Yes. If you pass the audition, I'll ask you to start as a roadie for Matenrou Opera.
----(Laughs)
ASAGI：I think it is a dream project. It's not easy to talk about wanting to do something like this, but I think it's difficult to actually make it happen. This time, everything really fell into place. This time it worked out well, but you never know when the next time will be. I really want people to see it while it's still going on.
KAMIJO: I think it is a good opportunity for Versailles to move on to the next stage by touring Zepp with three other artists. I would like to show them how we are growing as a band. We are a cool band above all. And as a creator, it is a concerto that we all make together. I am looking forward to performing that.
Mana：Moi dix Mois is a band that only plays one-man shows and practically doesn’t do shows with other groups, especially not three. The bands we’ll play with now are people with incredible pedigrees.
ASAGI: Pedigree! I am honored.
KAMIJO: It’s Incredible hearing this from Mana himself.
Sono: I am so happy to hear that.
Mana：I can only be looking forward to working with such great people.
*********
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