Black:List and exist trace started their European tour with a concert in Finland. JaME, together with other Jmusic media representatives, got the opportunity to interview the two bands.
The all-female band with dark looks and a heavy sound gave their interview before their show. Among other things, we got to hear about their thoughts on the beginning of the tour and the compilation album coming out soon.
Could each of you please introduce the band member sitting next to you.
Mally: She is the vocalist, Jyou. She is the highest ranked Japanese visual kei female vocalist.
Jyou: miko is the guitarist. She gathered the band together and is our leader.
miko: She is the guitarist, Omi. She is very cool and plays the guitar with her own style.
Omi: She is the bassist, NAOTO. She plays the bass with a very heavy style but also looks after the other band members.
NAOTO: Mally is the drummer. Although she has an intense image, she is like a trustworthy force that supports our band.
You have joined Sequence Records. How does it feel being a part of this label?
exist trace: We feel at home and are comfortable there.
What is it like to be on a coupling tour with Black:List?
exist trace: For us, the members of Black:List are pioneers, and we have known TOMOZO for a couple of years now, so it feels really great to get to tour with them.
Most bands consist of men, but all of you are women. How do you feel about being an all-female band in this male-dominated scene?
NAOTO: At first it was difficult because many bands don't have female members. However, recently we have started to feel that, precisely because of this, it's really a very good thing that we're all women.
Could you tell something about your forthcoming compilation album?
miko: We just were on a short hiatus, so we put together the best and the most popular of the songs that were released before that, and added one new song at the end of the album. So this is a collection of everything we created before the hiatus and at the same time a turning point which allows us to start anew.
Do you have any expectations on this European tour?
exist trace: At first we were uncertain about going abroad, but yesterday in the signing session, we saw how enthusiastic everyone was, and that made us happy as well. Now, as we have seen that enthusiasm, we are feeling very good and want to do our best.
How did you get started with music?
miko: I met NAOTO at school and we started the band. Later, Mally and then Jyou and Omi joined and we started practicing in a rented studio.
Could you please give a message to your fans.
Jyou: I don't know how everyone has learned of us, but thank you for having started to like our music.
Thank you for the interview!
Black:List
Black:List sat down for the interview after the show. During the chat they told for example about their aims as a band and the sentiments raised by the performance in Finland.
Why did you leave Sequence Records? Could you tell us something about your new label?
TOMOZO: Because of our band's different style and different opinions, we didn't feel like we were fitting in with Sequence Records. So we founded a new label with Pepe-san of Meguro Rockmaykan, one that has no other bands except Black:List.
TOMOZO, you are the leader of Sequence Records. What is it like to be a head of a record company in addition to your own band activities?
TOMOZO: It's difficult. Each band of the company has their own schedule and other things that need to be taken care of, and so does my own band. But it's also very enjoyable, and that's why I have strength enough to keep doing it.
What expectations do you have for your European tour?
Black:List: We look forward to performing in front of various audiences and getting to eat different foods.
REI: And getting to drink European beer!
Why did you decide to do a coupling tour with exist trace?
Black:List: They have been on Sequence Records with us for a long time, and we want to have shared experiences with them.
You haven't had an official bassist for a while. How did you meet your current bassist and are you planning to recruit an official bassist some day?
Black:List: Pepe-san introduced us to our current support bassist. If we found someone who fits in the band, musically and otherwise, we could make that person our official bassist, but we haven't found anyone perfectly suitable yet.
What aims do you have as Black:List?
Black:List: We want to do more lives, play in front of different audiences and get more experiences. It would be great if we could go on like that forever.
What is the weirdest thing a fan has given you as a gift?
TOMOZO: (thinks for a long while) There hasn't been anything weird, actually. We don't get that many gifts.
Could you please give a message to your fans?
KYOTARO: Thank you for a great live. Even though we have come from far away and the audience perhaps wasn't that familiar with us and didn't know our names, they enjoyed the show to the fullest, and I'm very moved by that.
Thank you for this interview!
JaME thanks the bands, Crossminds, JrockSuomi and everyone else who gave us the opportunity for this interview and the video comments.
Videos shot by Katariina Alainen
Video subtitles and translation by Adrienne @ Shattered Tranquility
Thanks to Maria Vähänikkilä and Katrin Borgersen for the pictures.
