Mere minutes before their Parisian performance, we held a short interview with the visual kei band D=OUT.
Indie visual kei band D=OUT (pronounced ‘dauto’) visited Europe this April for a short tour. Before the second concert of the tour which took place in France, the JaME team had a little time to have a short chat with the members of the colorful quintet. Because the band members were busy preparing for the concert, only Kouki, Ibuki and Reika were present to answer our questions.
Could you please introduce yourselves for the readers that do not know you yet?
Reika: I’m Reika, bassist.
Kouki: I’m Kouki, the vocalist.
Ibuki: I’m Ibuki, guitarist.
How did you all meet each other?
Kouki: Before starting the band, we didn’t know each other at all seeing as we lived in completely different cities. We were introduced to each other by mutual friends.
Why did you choose to start a visual kei band instead of any other style?
Reika: We chose visual kei because we think it is very artistic. Doing visual kei is a little like making art.
Where does the band name come from and what is the meaning of it?
Reika: It comes from the English word ‘doubt.’ However, we did not want to keep this negative side of the word because our songs don’t reflect this at all. So that’s why we changed it a little.
Your new single Hanasaki Beauty will be released next week. What projects do you have in store next?
Kouki: We are planning to release an album with covers of artists we love and for sure a new album which should be out this summer.
On May 1st, you will perform your second one-man concert in a hall. Are you planning to release this as a live DVD?
Kouki: No, we haven’t thought of filming the concert for a DVD release, but we will probably record the audio.
How did your concert in Barcelona go?
Reika: It was great to see how the fans reacted differently by country, it surprised me a lot.
What do you expect from this European tour?
Kouki: We will do everything possible to give it our all. I think we will come out of it stronger, thanks to what the fans give us, and thanks to what we will experience during this tour.
How did you get the opportunity to sign with the European label CLJ Records? Was it your wish to release your CDs in Europe?
Kouki: We always wanted to perform abroad and we were prepared. CLJ Records proposed to release our album in Europe and we gladly accepted their offer.
To end with, do you have a message for your European fans?
Reika: Two days ago, we performed abroad for the first time. It was very stressful but I think we did well. We are really thrilled to be here.
Kouki: With this tour, I’ve started to appreciate Europe more and more. Now when we work on new songs we won’t only think of Japan, but also of what Europe has brought us.
Ibuki: This is our first time in Europe. We will do our best to return stronger. Wait for us!
JaME would like to thank the translator Charlotte for making this interview possible, as well as Rock Identity, Gekido Tour and of course the band for taking the time to talk with us.
