Rock and Read BAND 003

The May tour for the new album Human Dignity that was released in February has ended, but it has been a while since the tour where you officially became a 5-member band, right? Has the response been good?

Sono: It’s been a while since that live, however we’ve been surrounded with these five members since last year after all, so whatever troubles arose, we’ve been able to create a smooth tour without worries. And the members joined us after making sure that we all got along well first and foremost.

Absolutely. Hibiki has been around before during last year’s tour as a support member, right?

Sono: Yes. Though he’s worked to create the best work he could make before the final through trial and error in terms of the setlist, he’s determined to have that process over with by the first day this time. The point is to be able to do the first day on the same level that he was able to achieve for the tour final last time. Thus, the idea is that hereafter is the same setlist, and we just polish up that which we want to show during the tour.

Ayame: Because we’ve decided that we want the smaller lives to be mostly on the same level as the first day as well, the setlist won’t really change much. I think we’ve been able to create a solid setlist.

Yo: Although we didn’t have any worries as members, we were a little worried about what the reaction of the fans would be like. However, that has all blown over and we’re at peace of mind now.

Now that you’ve become official members, when you enter the stage, did the reaction of the audience change as well?

Hibki: I was definitely surprised the first time during the previous tour (Invisible Chaos TOUR), like ‘’ah, is this how I’m getting greeted’’, but since becoming a member, it’s become even warmer. The things I do are still the same, but because I get the feeling I’m being seen more, I feel more of that anxiety, and the feeling that I need to need to drum with this awareness that I am an official bandmember is tightening around me. So that’s why the scenery from up the stage has changed from then, right. When back in my support drummer days it was just like ‘’if I just go in like this, it’ll be fine’’...

Ayame: It’s because right now you enter the stage while throwing kisses, right? (laughs)

Hibiki: Not at all, I’m just doing my research! I have work on it and polish it up, that’s why.

JaY: Hibiki has already become Visual Kei so quickly. Perhaps my mentality hasn’t become Visual Kei just yet. Because I come from a different field of music originally, I’m still in this stage where I’m having all these thoughts like ‘’this Visual Kei thing is way happy, I can’t do something like that’’.

On that note, is there something that made you go ‘’oh that’s nice’’ since coming to the Visual Kei scene?

JaY: One hundred per cent that there’s a lot of girls here. There’s absolutely a lot of girls making up the audience.

Eh! What do you mean!?

Ayame: No, you’re getting it wrong. Because when JaY first got in a band, he was in a metal band with a female vocalist, and as a result the entire audience was just men.

JaY: With men, he means older men. So there’s just no way there’s gonna be any energy, right? So, when everyone in the Matenrou Opera audience started headbanging, there was this great smell going around and I just thought to myself ‘’ah, that’s it!’’ Now, I’m like a fish in the water*. But, with that being said, given the current situation, wouldn’t it be ok to talk to a girl then? Well, I didn’t get to said observation yet back then...

Everyone: Hahaha.!

Yo: But, because what you ended up doing was completely different, I’ve also come to a new discovery. During the tour we have a lot of these moments where we’re like ‘’ah, so that’s how you think about’’, everyone brings in these new ideas we couldn’t come up with ourselves, and it gets really exciting to see how things turn out in the future.

On that note, within Visual Kei, Matenrou Opera is a pretty special band. Would you say you guys walk quite and independent road?

Sono: That specialness? We really don’t actually know anymore! We, ourselves.

Then, when asked “what kind of a band is Matenrou Opera?’’, how would you explain that?

Sono: If it’s someone who doesn’t know Matenrou Opera at all... first and foremost, we’re a Visual Kei band, it’s like that, right? And then... something like we’re rare for the Visual Kei scene in that we have a basis in metal. But, with that said...

Ayame: When you put it in words, it gets a bit shady (laughs). That’s why when I first meet someone I always tell them ‘’I’m in a band called Matenrou Opera. You’ll get all kinds of results when you look us up on Youtube, so please do some searching on there”. When they do that, all kinds of videos of our lives in front of large audiences and cool music videos pop up; that should make them go ‘’Matenrou Opera is pretty cool’’, right?

So in short, just watching one video can never do the band justice**?

Ayame: That’s right. That’s why ‘’please check it out on Youtube” is the best way to do it (laughs).

But if that’s it then we should just end the interview here (laughs). Changing up the questions, what is it that you first wanted to do that you started this band?

Sono: From the outset, my motive when starting up this band was to ‘’create a unique sound”. In my previous band Jeniva, we’d create songs that carried a sense of beauty inspired by roses. Starting out with wanting to send out a sound that carries that kind of a beautiful worldview, at the time we were really into releasing songs with quite a heavy sound, weren’t we? That was around 2006. At the time Jeniva broke up, I had this talk with Yu, who was our drummer in the same band that went like ‘’this is the kind of band I want to be in, won’t you do the drums for us?’’ And thus after we were like ‘’well then, let’s invite Yo over too”, we started our band.

Yo: Actually, strictly speaking, I wasn’t invited. Aside from having his preparations for his new band, at the time, Yu was doing all kinds of things, and in one of those activities, we were together, and upon meeting me he told me that ‘this new band I’m starting is lacking a bassist”. This went on for a month so eventually I thought ‘’well since I’m free anyways, let’s give it a go”, such were the flow of events.

But, this ‘’let’s give it a go’’ is because you ‘’wanted to try it’’, right?

Yo: It was simply because it sounded “fun”. Because Sono and I used to be in rivalling bands, I knew that he sang good songs, so when I heard it was gonna be a concept derived from that I was able to conceptualize the image very well (, hence I thought it was fun).

By the way, since the band name Matenrou Opera is a “fusion of modern things with traditional beauty“ kind of concept, was the name given by Sono?

Sono: That’s correct. I originally took it from the TV anime BLOOD+, which it is the subtitle from.

Yo: Because of this “modern and tradition” concept, at the start Sono expressed this wish to have both kanji and katakana*** in the name, and, if I’m not mistaken, because of that there was another contender. However, I personally felt like it wasn’t that as fitting, so I consented to Matenrou Opera.

Ayame: If I’d been there for the voting, I’d definitely put in my ballot for Matenrou Opera. Because at the time the kanji and katakana combination was pretty in vogue. That is all kinds of genres in anime and bands etc. during the latter half of the 2000’s. Music released on Niconico Douga and subtitles for things like “STEINS:GATE” were like that.

With a name that combines kanji and katakana like that, it represents the fusion of a traditionally beautiful world view and a modern, heavy sound, right?

Sono: If you just say something like “beautiful and heavy”, there are already as many bands like that as there are stars in the sky. But, after all, one’s own sound, when made with these 5 people, the way it is mixed becomes its own unique thing. That’s why I don’t want to just categorize it as “beautiful and heavy”... But on the other hand, what do you think about it? The music of Matenrou Opera.

Ayame: When I explain it to people, I like hearing how they put it.

That’s right... It’s very Visual Kei, you create this beautiful worldview for it with the makeup and the costumes, but the music has metal as a basis, lending it speed, moreover the worldview of the lyrics is broad as well. The musical performance is strong, I’d say, all in all it’s phenomenal.

Sono: I see!

Ayame: “All in all it’s phenomenal”, that’s pretty sweet.

As for the three members who weren’t original members like Sono and Yo, because of that, you joined the band coming from a place where you used to view them from an audience perspective, right? What were your honest thoughts about Matenrou Opera?

Ayame: But, at the time that I joined “alkaloid showcase” was the only release. And surely there were metal elements in that song but to me Sonata Arctica was what metal was, so I didn’t have any realiztation that Matenrou Opera was a metal band. I think that’s how I felt when the guitar would be played fast during a solo.

Sono: I see what you mean. I also felt that the speedy parts during the hook and in the intro, with the keyboard involved in it, were similar to Sonata.

Ayame: Ah, you did. Because I felt that if the double bass didn’t bring everything together, it wouldn’t be like Sonata (laughs). Rather, with the strong impact of the visual look and the old band photo... you know the one you guys shot at the park, with just that and listening to the one track, I got the impression like: ah, it’s a Visual Kei band. Because we only had the conversation where you told me that you like metal afterward, my first image of the band was that there weren’t any metal elements at all. Because I thought I myself want to play metal, I wasn’t going to join.

Hibiki: As for me, on the other hand, I didn’t want to yield from “wanting to play metal”, so I paid no attention to Visual Kei at all, but when doing support, I realized that even within the field of Visual Kei bands, Matenrou Opera was, in that respect, different. Because what I knew from about the time of Gloria, bands in the Visual Kei scene that did melodic speed metal were quite rare, right? To me, this peculiarity where a band is able to do both Visual Kei and metal was huge.

I see. What about you, JaY?

JaY: The time that I started doing support, I did know about Matenrou Opera, but I didn’t know any songs. So, when I first did some research and I came across this picture, it was a photo from their starting days, it was like really Visual Kei. Ayame, you had bangs, right?

Ayame: I did. That was a super long time ago.

JaY: That, and your shoulders were showing, When I saw that, I have this memory of turning to the director and saying “I don’t wanna do THIS kind of thing”. And then he told me “it’s fine. They don’t do this kinda thing anymore”. So as you can see, I honestly did have that kinda prejudice against “Visual Kei”. But when I listened to the songs it was incredibly metal, and on top of that, back when I was a young guitar-loving youth, down tuning (translator’s note: this is when you change the general tuning of the guitar to a lower key, like the E string getting lowered in pitch fully to a D) was all the rage and I had formed this melodic death metal band, so this more majestic feel was really refreshing for a change.

Though you were biased, you did try joining the band, so what was it really like?

JaY: That bias, by now I’ve definitely lost al of that. By the time I joined the band it had already finished creating its own identity, so now I’m busy thinking of how I can add my own color to that.

Sono: Also because after all I’d like to keep finding how we can create a sound with the 5 of us, as per usual. And we don’t want to be a copy of anyone else, this is a stance that hasn’t changed since the band was formed.

The song that Sono wants to create probably doesn’t get reproduced the same way by the other four members, even if he continues to feel a certain way about how he wants to create a certain ‘’unique sound’’ he’s thinking of.

Sono: If I make it by myself, it also becomes the world view of just one person, but if the world views of everyone mixes together then because of that it holds 5 times the world views, doesn’t it? Because everything joins in with the song it becomes added content that enhances it, so if one were to reject that kind of a thing, then it doesn’t really work for a band, does it?

Yo: For instance, I play the bass parts and, to this day, I have people who quite honestly do not know the instrument all that well and ask me ‘’what do you even do with a bass?’’. But, ever since I started playing a band, I’ve been wanting to do things that only I can do. So with that kind of a meaning as well it is important that all members respectively add their own colors to the music. When the members change it happens that a new color is added, but it’s not like the main body of the band is constantly changing through such means, right?

Sono: In a scene where there’s also a lot of bands that have one leader who creates the songs, and then the rest just performs it, I think it’s one of the charms of Matenrou Opera that our songs have this feeling of a mixture where we try to have everyone put in their own colors as much as possible. What I do personally is exceedingly putting in too much of everyone else’s color, and then on the other hand lose sight of adding my own, to the point where I have to place my foot down on the breaks intentionally and tell myself “don’t just hand over the parts to the others that you can’t hand over to them!’’ (laughs). In the sense that we mix the colors of 5 people, and also in the sense that we mix all kinds of genres, there’s a really strong sense of the music being a mixture of things with Matenrou Opera, isn’t there?

I’ve always been under the impression that you guys went to drink out together and communicate in secret before, is that because of your wish to incorporate everyone’s colors?

Hibiki: If we don’t communicate outside of band activities, there will definitely be things even beyond creating music that will not go well that are gonna appear. During my time when I did support for various bands, I also saw a lot of bands where people would not listen to everyone’s opinions. I had made the decision stop joining bands like that.

Basically, what you’re saying is, Matenrou Opera is not that kind of band.

Hibiki: Exactly. That my opinion is carefully listened to is most important, next comes a minimum of social etiquette. If I’m not granted this little bit of what you’d call humanity, if that’s lacking, then I am not joining a band. I mean even without social etiquette it can function as a band, but (laughs).

Ayame: But that’s straight up illogical, right. It’s the same as if someone would ask me about my theoretical wife ‘’Why would you be married to her?”, that would be illogical and thus difficult.

Hibiki: But that’s why even with people who are too logical, there are times that I don’t match with them.

Ayame: Yeah I get that (laughs).

I think I get what you mean. By the way, JaY was made an official member after having done support for roughly a year and a half since 2016, why did you make that decision?

JaY: The biggest thing was... this one time when we went drinking during the tour, this thing occurred where we all shouted “Let’s definitely go to the Nippon Budokan!” together in solidarity. And I got this ‘’Let’s do it!” feeling afterward, and it really strengthened my own resolve about it as well, and I thought to myself “I will definitely succeed with this band!” Well, Yu, who was also among the members present at the time, sadly left the band because he was in a helpless condition, but because of him I’ve definitely gotten stronger in this feeling that we will get to the Nippon Budokan, with the thought of him carried in mind.

A band that possesses hat kind of strong will and high aim really resonated with JaY’s heart.

JaY: That’s for sure. If that wasn’t there, I wouldn’t have been able to be in a band. That said, isn’t life a gamble anyways? I’m taking the gamble in that gamble, being a bandoman. The joy and difficulties and so on that I’m tasting right now I wouldn’t be able to experience if not for being in a band, I think. That’s why when it comes to the way of thinking that goes “with the gamble of life, how will it turn out? Will I get a 0 or a 100?”, right now, I’m aiming for a 100!

I see, you’re being bold, going your own way. It’s like I heard since you were made a member, you were “the type we didn’t have yet in Matenrou Opera before now”.

Sono: He sure is! Up until then we already had a lot of the brooding type of human but since those two joined us the mood has lightened up. Things got a bit more casual, like we became able to think more freely.

Even for the first release since your new line-up, Human Dignity, that was announce for February, JaY had immediately written numerous songs. Though this happened in practically no time after he became an official member, I was really surprised, thinking this guy has got guts.

JaY: To be fair, that’s all I do have.

Is that so (laughs). Since JaY’s songs were included in the album, I’ve personally been feeling like the color of hard rock has increased.

JaY: Well, since my roots are in hard rock, you might be correct with that statement.

Sono: It might just be so that, rather than hard rock, JaY has been giving us a more stylish sounding type of rock, at least that’s how I feel about it. Even if you just pick out one guitar riff, no matter which one you pick he uses a really stylish sound.

Rather than the unrefined sound that one can also find in hard rock, JaY has definitely given it the more polished finish that really stands out; wouldn’t you say that this exactly is the image of Matenrou Opera that JaY holds that is being reflected?

JaY: I think so. I think at this point I’ve already gotten to creating that of my own volition.

Ayame: I think it’s quite obvious how your feeling for music has changed, but I don’t think that’s simply because people change, I think it’s also because times have changed. It hasn’t gotten anything to do with talking about what is good. It’s just that some things don’t fit into the current scene.

Yo: Since this is our first full album since JaY and Hibiki have become official members, I’ve come to really earnestly feel like these two are just so incredibly talented. When working on the arrangement of the songs I’ve been listening very closely to, no doubt, every part, but I just couldn’t figure out what their character was. Since we have these two people that have so much knowledge, experiences and ideas they bring to the table that we could never have done ourselves or come up with ourselves before, I think we will be doing things with that same feeling from now.

Having gained these two fresh, new individuals, what are your predictions for what kind of band Matenrou Opera will be becoming?

Sono: Nearing our 12-year anniversary, I think more than being a more solidly constructed band, I think we will be a band that’s able to move into a new era smoothly. I think that if not for these two young individuals joining we would not actually have been able to do this, we would have come to an end in a fashion where we’d just constantly gather the great things we created in the past and played those. What I’m saying is that I’m anticipating that while we continue to acknowledge the good things from the past as being good, we also continue to change by creating new music and reach out to all kinds of listeners, even more than we did in the past.

“These two young individuals” is a word that has come up in a lot of interviews recently, so on that note, do they really feel like they’re that ‘’young!”?

Sono: It does....feel like that (laughs). To be fair there is quite the gap between our ages.

Hibiki: But if you look at a picture of us, you can’t really tell the difference in age all that much.

JaY: What you’re saying is, is that it only shows... if you see the real thing, hmm?

Everyone: Hahaha!

Hibiki: No(!), I think that without the knowledge of it, I don’t really feel the difference between our ages.

Right. And for the three older members among you, you don’t really specifically feel that they are older?

Sono: Well, since we’ve been around each other for this long, and we talk and act around each other this casually, there are sure to be times when they feel like ‘’we’re different from these 3 grandpas, we’re so youuung”.

JaY: Aah, and the things that are fashionable change over the decades as well, don’t they. Thinking from the perspective of Visual Kei, those three were from around the time of LUNA SEA, I think. But the time the two of us started in the music scene, the bands from around that period had already broken up or paused their activities and stuff like that so they weren’t around anymore. As a result, the kind of music we were doing that was trending around our time was stuff like DIR EN GREY that had just appeared on the scene. So I think that it’s not a difference you can really do anything about and the way that we’re inevitably gonna approach music ourselves is vastly different. So there are times when I think “well if it was me I’d be doing it this way...”, but there are also times when I think “hey, that’s also a way to approach this thing!” and I get this fresh new feeling.

From the perspective of you two, are there things you can’t do while working with the same generation?

JaY: Yes. Coming from a different background, I think we’re quite blessed. I think if we’d all been the same generation, we might be a collection of people who all like the same type of music, and it might be easier to have a mutual understanding when we say things like “this part turned out like this so let’s it like that”, but now I have a lot of moments where I’m surprised like “oh, that’s what we’re doing?!” For instance, with “Human Dignity”, “MONSTER” was one of those kinds of situations. If it was up to the two of us, there’d by things like death voice (Translator’s note: that’s growling/screaming) in there, right?

Hibiki: After the first hook, right? You mean like tutti****, right?. It depends on the genre as well but we haven’t done this kind of thing yet in Matenrou Opera were we all just continue playing the same phrases in unison.

Sono: Hearing that kind of opinion, conversely we all think something like “this is absolutely the way we should do” (translator’s note: he’s referring to the other member’s own views that didn’t involve tutti.).

Because there are a lot of bands that work with the same generation, I can imagine this intergenerational exchange is really precious. Having seen the past 12 years and the changing of the members, what do you think is the thing that has changed the most?

Sono: This question is difficult as well, but I think it’s that the dream we’ve been aiming for has become reality. Having somehow become famous right now, having our music reach out to a lot of people and standing on large stages... this, all we did was heading for and pushing for an objective that was just all too vague, and yet the reality of the situation before us has now come true. The thing that has changed the most over these 12 years is clearly seeing the image of myself standing there on that stage before my eyes. In the first years the goal of being a creator who wants to create a “unique sound” was the goal I held the strongest, and so we didn’t have talks like “let’s aim for that venue”.

So that’s also how this vow of “we’ll stand on the Budoukan stage” was born, right? However, as you get closer to the dreams you aim for becoming a reality, you become able to see the road you walk down to it become visible more concretely. Doesn’t that get more tough at times than distant dream you yearned for more vaguely then?

Ayame: But by that logic, perhaps at the time of Yu’s departure that dream was a little bit far away.

Yes. Although such crises come along the way time after time, I wonder what the source of your motivation to keep going with your activities as Matenrou Opera without losing heart. To be quite honest, I’m really interested in hearing it.

Sono: Quite simply, it’s just that we love music, and nothing else.

But then that means that if it’s just music, you can do it without being in Matenrou Opera as well, I mean there must be a reason why it has to be Matenrou Opera, can you tell me?

Sono: I see what you mean now. You mean when JaY and Hibiki joined the band, why didn’t we just stop the band at once and get a new band name for us, right? But then we wouldn’t be able to play Matenrou Opera’s music anymore, and the music we wanted to create as Matenrou Opera would no longer be born. We weighed those options and decided we wanted to treasure the music of Matenrou Opera.

Then, would you say there really is something like the allure in the music that can only be embodied by Matenrou Opera? I mean, just a moment ago Sono used the words that your music has this feeling of being a mixture.

Ayame: What would our alure be indeed?

Sono: I guess, in terms of a musical genre, it goes without saying that let aggressive and beautiful things coexist...

Yo: Basically, I think our charm is that we want to devote ourselves to our listeners. Because that thought hasn’t changed since 12 years ago either, that we ask people to “please listen to our music this way because that’s how we make it” isn’t different either. Nevertheless, because our members have changed and moreover 12 years have passed, certainly the image that comes to mind when people hear the word Matenrou Opera must differ per person too. But all of those images are valid. On top of that the people who look at the current band, listen to the music and feel that they like what we do come to our lives in support. Because I think that’s good I think the only answer I could give is that we want to devote ourselves to those listeners.

I see. Then, Yo could you explain to us what the appeal of Matenrou Opera would be to the person who would consider themselves your #1 fan?

Yo: Oh no! ...Sono’s singing probably?

Ayame: As for me, I’d pick the keyboard, no doubt (laughs)!

Hibiki: The time I was a university student was the time I knew Matenrou Opera from the perspective of a listener, but I had this period where just thinking it was straight up Visual Kei, I kept a safe distance from it like “ah it’s ok, I guess”. But when my friends got into a copy-band I thought I’d give it a listen. Because they were different from other Visual Kei and I simply loved music with a strong metal sound, the prejudice I held at the time against the Visual Kei scene... I definitely don’t hold that anymore now, that prejudice. I think the big appeal was the aspect that the music makes you go past that barrier and think “I want to listen to this”.

I see. Without a doubt Sono’s high-tone vocals, Ayame’s magnificent keyboard, and the metal sound supported by your skill are absolutely your appeals, so then, what dpes JaY think?

JaY: Isn’t it that we’re catchy? As in, no matter how I add more colors to it, our catchiness doesn’t waver. I think that’s what Matenrou Opera is.

Sono: No matter what you can never think that there is no melody. It’s because at the age at which I decided to just go with music, I’ve always really loved melodious music. I’ve listened to a lot of death metal bands as well, but because I love melodious bands after all, I just can’t help myself when it comes to this. It’s deeply rooted within my very being.

You mean your roots are in seeking a beautiful world view to the background of aggressive music, right? I think that is going to continue being Matenrou Opera’s weapon without change going into the future, however are there any elements you’d like to try adding in the future, or things you’d like to do?

Sono: Personally, I’d like to try and challenge myself with songs that have a lot of gaps in them, I think. That is because I am prone to writing a lot of songs with an aggressive concept, no matter what I do.

Hibiki: Up until now the corpus of metal used by Matenrou Opera has been heavy metal inspired, but because I’ve done more hardcore style things that are complexly different from what I’m doing now in bands that were similar, I feel like I want to try applying that type of drumming as well. That’s why I’ve also done songs that consist only of shouting, and I think if we blend that kind of energy nicely with Sono’s voice, we’ll be able to create a new type of music.

Ayame: You mean you’d like to up the speed a little, right?

Hibiki: That’s not it! But, take the part in “MONSTER” I mentioned earlier, since I added that kind of element in there...well, why don’t we speed it up!

Ayame: I see you’re still able to go strong (laughs). So, for instance, similar to how I took the choir from “GLORIA’ and put it in there, if I come up with something new I’ll probably try it, but I don’t currently have anything that makes me go “I definitely need to try this out in a song next time!”

Yo: Because the official members make up 5 people altogether, and we’ve only made 1 full album yet, I think right now it’s fundamental that we create a new works.

Absolutely.

JaY: Well, in terms of music I think it’s good to think about such things because new song writing has started again, and I’d like to rival with a larger variety in bands. When it comes to this genre, I think there’s a lot of picking from different styles, so I think we need to battle all kinds of bands. Since it’s in my nature to be quite competitive, I want to go to battle constantly. Because of that I think, if I had been a military commander in the Warring States period, I would have definitely been a garbage commander.

Why is fighting in your blood?

JaY: I just kind of charge forward into things like “let’s do this!” For instance, even if I was able to destroy my neighbour’s house, I won’t be able to claim that ground as my own and build my own house. In other words, because I am unable to create a war strategy, if I was a Warring States military commander, I’d either get killed immediately or, if luck were to serve me well, become a huge name, but it’s either one of those I think.

That’s really going in for nothing or all again (laughs). By the way, if you were a real military commander, who would you be?

JaY: Oda Nobunaga, right? Kill the cuckoo!*****

Sono: Who is Ieyasu, waiting for it to sing?

JaY: Perhaps Yo.. No, maybe Sono, or maybe Ayame. Hibiki is Kuro Yoshitaka, right?****** That’s because of all the commanders in the Warring States, he was said to be the smartest, and Hibiki is always by my side to support me. He’s a good adviser!

Hibiki: JaY isn’t really skilled at expressing what he wants to say, hm (laughs).

JaY: That is, if I was all on my own I’ll only destroy things, but if I’m with Matenrou Opera, I think we’d likely be able to build a house. That’s why I’ll charge into the fight!

You guys had a two-man live with Arlequin in July and in August there is “CRUSH OF MODE”, which is going to be another even where you’ll be rivalling with different bands to look forward to. And when that is over you will be starting yet another one-man tour in September and, judging from the title “Human Dignity TOUR -9038270-, this too will be displaying your “Human Dignity” album, right?

Sono: That’s right. That’s because although we’re expressing one single album, the spring tour didn’t have enough days to it.

Ayame: The things is that the territory we’ll be exploring afterward is going to be quite different.

However, since you said that for this tour the first day will be at the level of the last tour’s finale, exactly how far are you intending to polish it?

Sono: Well, we were supposed to be done with it by the spring tour, but the capacity of the venues is growing and the things we are able to showcase is expanding too. That’s why we thought it would be good to show an improved sound and visuals as an addition.

By the way, what is does the number “9038270” mean?

Sono: The number... Please look at it just as the number (laughs). Eventually I’ll tell you the answer... one day!

JaY: I’ve XXXed that number up till now! (Translator’s note: this was censored in the interview)

Yo: No, it’s JaY’s bank account number!

Ayame: If you add a 0 to the start, it looks a bit like a phone number, right. Ah, not it’s just a little too short.

Sono: By the way the flyer has been going around with the number on the image, That way, before the tour hits off, people can look forward to it thinking “I wonder what that means?”

JaY: On that note, the tour finale on December 6th is my birthday. Isn’t that just bizarre!

Eh! Isn’t that great, your birthday being a concert.

Ayame: And a tour finale of all things too.

Yo: That said, please don’t bring anything! He doesn’t need any presents, so please just come and see the live, he told us that same thing last time too.

JaY: That really is how I think about it. I really have no need for any presents. I really don’t need any!

Ayame: He said, instead, bring your friends along!

JaY: Exactly. Instead of a present, I’d like you to bring a lot of your friends along. If you do, if you bring 2 people for every 1 person... Shibuya O-EAST’s capacity is 1200 people I think? We can bury it under the overcapacity.

Even without doing that, Matenrou Opera would be able to bury it, no?

JaY: No, no, I want to bury the place under Matenrou Opera band shirts to the point that people who pass by the venue and hear the sound leaking out go in to check it out. When I went to see lynch. at Nakano SUNPLAZA a while back, Nakano was completely painted in pitch black! Eh?

Hibiki: That’s right.

JaY: That really moved me. If my band too could achieve that same thing, that can connect with our motivation all the more I think. Of course all our performances are honest, but of course the tour finals are always when we feel the strongest about that. I want to fight with my vigor of having just reached the end of my first year with this band at that live!

*Translator’s note: It means ‘to be in one’s element’.

**Translator’s note: what he said more literally was that one view can never make a hundred listens. Which sounds weird in English.

***Translator’s note: in Modern Japanese, that is the Japanese used in this day and age, katakana is used for loan words and new, modern terms a lot, thus it has a sense of modernity.

****Translator’s note: tutti, キメ(kime in Japanese), is when all musicians play together in unison as opposed to having the accent placed on one individual instrument playing solo.

*****Translator’s note: During the Japanese Warring States period, three military commanders were considered the big unifiers of Japan. A popular poem illustrates the philosophies these three unifiers held when it comes to their military strategies: when presented with a cuckoo that won’t sing, how will they act?

Oda Nobunaga

If it won’t sing, kill the cuckoo

Toyotomi Hideyoshi

If it won’t sing, try and make the cuckoo sing

Tokugawa Ieyasu

If it won’t sing, wait until the cuckoo does.

織田信長が

鳴かぬなら

殺してしまえ

ホトトギス

豊臣秀吉が

鳴かぬなら