Interview: ESIE in France

From contemplative ballads to festive techno titles and electro punk numbers, ESIE is a versatile artist that mixes cute and industrial in her music and visuals. While the singer-model was in France to perform at the legendary Printemps de Bourges event, she answered some of our questions about her recent activities, her relationship with France and her future projects.


Hello. Can you please tell us about yourself for those who don’t know you?

ESIE: Hello, I am ESIE, singer and model.

You have just performed two concerts in France at Printemps de Bourges and at Tokyo Tendance. What were your impressions?

ESIE: I had some small problems with the equipment I needed but the live itself went well. I can also say that the French audience appears more responsive than the Japanese audience, who are usually quiet.

Are there artists you have discovered and appreciate at the Printemps de Bourges?

ESIE: I had a pass to attend different concerts at the event, but I unfortunately had no time to enjoy it. (laughs)

Tell us a little about your debut. When and how did you decide to get into music?

ESIE: I decided to make music around a year-and-a-half ago. But I didn’t know at the time whether it would really be a serious decision.

What music did you listen to when you were younger?

ESIE: I listened to classical music because I was part of a choir in high school. I was also interested in some rock groups. Also, around the age of 17 or 18, I had a tendency to stay home and discover different styles of music via the internet and MySpace, like electro or techno.

Are you influenced by anything in particular?

ESIE: Not that I'm aware of. People have told me that my style resembles that of Nina Hagen but I didn’t know that until recently. Otherwise, I like the Japanese composer Akira Miyoshi a lot.

So you only recently discovered Nina Hagen. How do you think you fit her style?

ESIE: Not that well (laughs). But I think her personality is very strong, with great stage presence.

Your first concerts were held in training for the unit Desire Note. Can you tell us more about this?

ESIE: It all started on a site, Mixi (a popular social networking site in Japan, equivalent to Facebook.) The composer of my current songs, Yoshimi Hishida, came up with the idea to start a band with an electronica singer and a biwa player - biwa is an instrument in traditional Japanese music. We met via Mixi by chance and formed the trio Desire Note. We played for four months before the biwa player decided to quit. After that, we spent a lot of time discussing the future, and the outcome was the solo project ESIE. I sing and Yoshimi writes my songs.

Is there a special meaning to the name ESIE?

ESIE: It comes from the word “poetry."

How does composition work with two people?

ESIE: Usually, Yoshimi writes the basic composition of the song. I listen to it and then write my lyrics in Japanese and he translates them to English. I work on the song some more, then we rebuild and finalize it together.

Your personality and the world of industrial/electronica in which you have radically evolved with the image of the model Momoko (ESIE's real name), are for example shown in the magazine Non-No. How does this change affect you?

ESIE: At the time of Non-No, I had to follow the artistic directions of the magazine. I didn’t have much freedom to speak. Now with ESIE, I enjoy new ways of doing things and more importance is placed on my choices.

Which of these two images, the model or singer, do you most identify with?

ESIE: I don’t know. Maybe a mixture of both (laughs).

ESIE represents the image of a dominant woman as the lyrics mainly explore themes of the body and flesh. Should we see something like social rejection of the traditional Japanese society or a justification of individualism?

ESIE: I write my lyrics from everyday life experiences, so there may be a link with the Japanese society model. But I don’t necessarily try to deliver a specific message.

Your discography contains a curious title sung in French, Bouffe ta baguette. Where did it come from? Who wrote the lyrics?

ESIE: Yoshimi has a French friend, an artist called Xerak, who also sings and composes gloomy electro. He’s married to a Japanese woman and visits Japan ever year. The last time he came by our studio and recorded some improvised vocals, he also brought the idea of the track Bouffe ta baguette with him. Yoshimi sampled the vocals and wrote lyrics to the vocal track, which I then sang. So this piece is a collaboration of three, with Xerak.

You seem to have a special bond with our country. Does it mainly come from Yoshimi Hishida, who works with different labels and French artists, or is it a personal attraction to France?

ESIE: It’s a little bit of both. It’s true that Yoshimi is in contact with many French artists and had a certain influence in my coming to play in France. I myself have many French friends in Tokyo and generally, I’m also interested in this country for fashion.

This is the first time you’ve come to France?

ESIE: Yes, absolutely.

If you had the time, what would you like to do or see here?

ESIE: I would love to go shopping (laughs). I did have time to visit Notre-Dame and the Bourges. It was sublime.

What are your future projects?

ESIE: I am going to release an album in December.

Apart from France and Japan, do you plan to produce your work in other countries?

ESIE: Nothing is set in stone yet but I would do more concerts in Europe, in Berlin for example, or the United States.

What are your dreams or long term ambitions?

ESIE: I can’t tell you them at the moment (laughs).

We can hope for some big surprises?

ESIE: I’ll let you imagine (laughs).

Do you have one last message for your fans?

ESIE: Thank you for your support and for this interview, which will allow your readers to discover me. If you can, please try to follow my news in the future.


JaME would like to thank ESIE, Yoshimi Hishida and JMusic Live for making this interview possible.