Interview with Rose Noire

Gothic duo Rose Noire, formed by the siblings Louie and Jill, will release a best-of compilation titled Principle -the LIVE BEST- on January 25th, 2017. In this interview with JaME, Louie and Jill tell us about their new release, their style, the evolution of their sound and more.

It’s been five years since our last interview with you. We are pleased to have another opportunity to interview you. How are you doing so far?

Louie: In the past five years, we released some albums and I’m happy to talk with you and the audience again!
Jill: In 2014 we had concerts in Mexico and Canada and I was really glad to be able to meet many of our fans! I am happy to reach the audience through this interview.

In January, Rose Noire will release the best-of compilation Principle -the LIVE BEST-. What feelings did you have while preparing this album, and what would you like to convey to your fans? Have you chosen the songs based on your own preferences or did you follow the fan’s suggestions?

Louie: For this album, we picked songs that we have played many times and that we are always performing during live shows.
Jill: Mainly, the chosen songs were the ones that are often played in regular shows. We thought of the songs that are the most enjoyable during Rose Noire's shows. We have released many albums until now, but there are also certain songs that you cannot get any longer since they are already sold out.

Why did you decide to include a new song in this best-of compilation? What kind of song can we expect Uncertainly to be?

Louie: Actually, I composed Uncertainly three years ago, but I couldn’t complete it. I tried to make Uncertainly have a flavour of grace and a story like mythology.
Jill: There are always many fragments of songs composed by Louie, and, in the end, there are a lot of things that end up without any shape. But I really liked this song even when there were only fragments of it. Louie completed it after I told him to finish it at any rate, since I wanted everyone to listen to this song. I am very happy that my dream of the past came true with this album!

Recently, you have been using more modern sounds in your music. Although you still apply classical music in Rose Noire’s songs, what made you shift from classical to a modern sound?

Louie: I always think that evolution is needed in sound and also in our minds. So we make sure to put new elements in everything Rose Noire creates.
Jill: Our origin is classical music, and it is part of our identity. Even if from now on we incorporate a variety of sounds into Rose Noire’s music, the classical elements will not disappear.

In our last interview you told us about your favourite classical composers. This time, could you share some of your favourite artists of other genres with us?

Louie: Linkin Park, Marilyn Manson, Skrillex and Justin Timberlake.
Jill: Linkin Park, Marilyn Manson, Muse and Periphery.

Your style combines gothic elements with the style of 18th century France. What appeals to you about this era and culture?

Louie: The 18th century was before financial capitalism, so they emphasized the decoration and quality of art. I love it.
Jill: In this era, music and arts prospered. It was also a period when many of the great artists flourished. There is a lot to learn from the composers and artists of that time, and I really love their works. I am particularly attracted by the gorgeous palaces and dresses with the Rococo style.

Is there any artist or band you would like to collaborate with in the future?

Louie: An illustrator who could turn Rose Noire into a comic.
Jill: Since they are all artists that I like, anyone from my answer to question number five!

What do you think of anime? We saw a photo of a cosplay of Sasha from the series “Attack on Titan” on your blog Jill, and you also have a violin cover of its soundtrack on your YouTube channel. Is she your favourite character? Do you like any other anime characters?

Louie: I love many anime, including “Natsume Yuujinchou”, “Ghost in the Shell”, “BLEACH” and more.
Jill: Sasha is mischievous, and that is why I like the character. However, the reason why I covered that song, Guren no Yumiya, was because I wanted to try to play it since I like it very much! There are many other anime that I like. For example, “Neon Genesis Evangelion”, “Sword Art Online”, “XXX HOLiC”, “Ghost in the Shell” and many others!

What are your plans for the next year?

Louie: I’m going to try to strengthen and renew Rose Noire.
Jill: Since our best album Principle -the LIVE BEST- has just been released, first, I would like many people to know about it and listen to it.

To conclude our interview, could you please leave a message for our readers?

Louie: Thank you very much! We hope to see all of you guys! I love you!
Jill: Thank you for always supporting us! I hope that you can enjoy Rose Noire's albums until that day arrives. I love you all!

JaME would like to thank Rose Noire and Royal Stage for this interview opportunity.

Below you can hear a preview of Rose Noire’s best-of compilation, Principle -the LIVE BEST-, which will go on sale on January 25th.