- Joined
- Apr 13, 2019
- Messages
- 19
source: Philosophy 3
Translation: MoonlightPrince
Interview with Mana- Moi dix mois
Interviewer: Please tell us your opinion about the 20th anniversary. It's a bit strange isn't it?
Mana: I feel like it hasn't been that long since our first concert. Of course, I know that 20 years is a long time, but…Anyway, I've been pushing forward, so I feel like it's too short and I tend to give up.
Interviewer: Looking back on the 20 years you've been driving, what is the most memorable event? And the activities during the corona crisis remain symbolic.
Mana: I never thought that the day would come when playing live would be difficult and, even worse, it would be seen as a social evil. A live presentation is exactly a live presentation, or rather, it is made up of call and response, so what should we do? Not only us, I think all the artists were like that, but the confusion was very strong. However, even though I was confused, there was no point in staying still, so there were years of constant search for what I could do in the face of the restrictions and demands of each situation.
Interviewer: Apart from the social situation, what is the most memorable part of the Moi dix Mois sound project?
Mana: The European tour left a strong impression on me. Moi dix Mois has toured Europe several times, and especially on the 2007 tour, we used a big bus to tour various places for about a month. There were about 15 members and staff members, and we were together the whole time, and we even stayed in hotels here and there, but we hardly had any private time…it was a lot of fun. There was a TV on the bus, so watching a movie together was also a memorable experience. Plus there was a lounge on the bus with all you can drink alcohol.
I don't drink much, so I only go once in a while, but every time I go there are people drinking. I thought everyone was having fun, but at the same time I was wondering, when do these people go to sleep?...(laughs).
Interviewer: For Mana, Moi dix mois was your first performance abroad right?
Mana: Yes, Malice Mizer had not performed abroad. The first time Moi dix Mois performed abroad was in 2005 in Munich, Germany, and it was a shocking experience. I was very surprised that the cheering completely drowned out the sound of the performance. Of course, we received a lot of applause at our live performances in Japan, but the level was a little different. It was my first performance abroad and I was worried about various things, but when I heard that my anxiety dissipated and my tension increased.
Interviewer: You experienced a stimulus on stage abroad that you have never experienced in Japan.
Mana: However, on the other hand, there was some stress that was unique to being abroad. In the case of abroad, there were times when the rental equipment you had ordered was not available and you were in a hurry.
Interviewer: It's hard to say: “There is nothing like what it should be” in a project like Moi dix Mois, where you have a solid worldview.
Mana: Yes, until then, I had only had experience in Japan, so at first I was confused. However, there's no point in begging for something you don't have, so halfway through I came up with the idea that “when you're in town, do what's done in town”. I feel that I have improved my problem-solving skills during overseas performances (laughs). Being able to perform live in various places abroad was fun and a good experience. Lastly, it's been a long time since we performed live abroad, so I'd like to do another live abroad.
Things that haven't changed in 20 years
Things that have changed in 20 years
Interviewer: Tell us about the part of Moi dix Mois that has remained unshakable throughout all these years.
Mana: What hasn't wavered is the core concept of evil, gothic, and symphonic that I had when I started Moi dix Mois. I have become attached to this place without hesitation at all and will not change in the future.
Interviewer: On the contrary, what part has changed?
Mana: The first big change was my own style of playing the guitar.
It's a patchwork of Moi dix Mois now, I feel like in the early days of the band the penchant for black metal went too far. At the time, he was very particular about the style of playing the unmuted 16-minute tremolo. A 16 minute tremolo is a way of plucking the string 16 times in one measure. Which is basically a very fast racing style. At first, he was very particular with this style, but depending on the song, he was muted and didn't always want a sense of speed, so he gradually changed.
Interviewer: What do you think about the music production side?
Mana:In the early days, however, we brought to the fore a sense of speed. In terms of the album, when it comes to "Dix Infernal", the emphasis is on speed. Thinking of the flow of the song, Nocturnal Opera I added strength and weakness to it. There was another change of heart during "Beyond de Gate", a digital sound album of all songs. I also liked the sound of the extremely intense rhythms that were programmed, so I thought I'd try it on a Moi dix Mois album. “there is also something like that”, so we decided to include deux ex machina.
Interviewer: (Although you did put your foot in the metal, you went through a lot of trial and error.)
Mana: I agree. After trying various things, I think "DIXANADU" has become a form of what I'm looking for. Based on the paradise concept of Moi dix Mois, a wide variety of songs and twin lead guitars have been established. And “D-SECT” is where I feel like Moi dix Mois has established itself as a sound. The dark sect of the concept is the existence of Moi dix Mois.
I think the way you write the songs and the way you play the guitar are the most cutting edge.
Changes in stage production to entertain fans.
Interviewer: What kind of changes have you seen in live performances where you directly interact with fans over the last 20 years?
Mana: From the entertainment concept of Moi dix Mois, in the early days of your activities, you brought darkness to the fore in your live performances, and from the beginning to the end of the performance, you never lost your seriousness. But gradually, I started to add some comic elements. In particular, birthday ceremonies have not been held recently due to the coronavirus crisis and things like appearing behind the audience and throwing candy. Things like exchanging balloons between the stage and the audience. I called “Sexy Pretty Angel Mana-sama” (laughs).
Interviewer: When and why did this change start? You took a serious path for several years after Moi dix Mois started.
Mana: For a while, after Seth became the vocalist, he was completely serious. I had the idea that there was no need to have fun in the evil and dark world of Moi dix Mois, but as I continued my activities, the desire that the public who came to my concert would enjoy it more and more became more and more stronger. It has become. Originally, I was a person who used to go go-go on stage (laughs). After all, I also like to think of funny productions.
Interviewer: I dare to ask Mana-sama, what is your favorite MdM song? Do you have a song? if I had to choose one, it would be the seventh veil. Sound themes of evil, gothic, and symphonic.
Mana: I think I was able to express it in terms of the face. In D-SECT, it could be said that the flow from the first track, In paradisum, to The Seventh Veil, is what he wanted the most.
Interviewer: Do you feel that the ideal of Mana-sama envisioned when creating Moi dix Mois has come true?
Mana: Also, I like “Solitude” because I can feel a sense of unity with the fans during a concert. Basically the Moi dix Mois concert is so intense that even the audience is headbanging, but Solitude's is kind of cute with everyone rocking out together. It's a unique song in a way. There is a special feeling just because of that.
Interviewer: On the contrary, if there's a song you don't like, let me know.
Mana: I know it's hard to answer, but in the sense that there was a conflict in the past, it's Pageant. It's a bit misleading to say it's not a favorite but…
Interviewer: It feels strange. Pageant is a popular single, and I think it's one of the standard songs for live encores.
Mana: To reiterate, when I started Moi dix Mois, I had a strong thought: “I'm going to do Black Metal anyway”. In my mind, the intense and fast song was justice. On the other hand, there are several aspects that bother me, and the fans who followed me from Malice Mizer said that the songs were all about my tastes.
I wonder if I'll leave it behind. With that in mind, I made Pageant with a soft atmosphere to dedicate myself to my fans. The response from fans to this song was very good, but after all, people thought “it's not black metal at all”.
It isn't true? I had a very strong conflict. Actually, for a period of time, he was cut off from live performances.
Interviewer: But somehow the seal was broken, right?
Mana: Just like the change of scenery I mentioned earlier, as we continued our activities, our desire to “make our fans more entertaining” became stronger. When we perform the song live, the audience gets very emotional and the sense of unity is amazing. After all, a live performance is something you create together with the audience, right? In that way, as I experienced a sense of unity with the audience, my conflicts disappeared and now it has become a very important song. When you play Pageant, the whole place is dyed blue.
From the 20th anniversary of the miracle, to MdM to distribute throughout the country
Interviewer: Lastly, please give a message to the fans who are reading the pamphlet.
Mana: I think the 20th anniversary is somewhat miraculous. I have been able to spend 20 years despite many things, thanks to the support of my fans. It's been hard to perform live shows for the past few years, but I think the light is finally shining. Looking back, in the last 10 years or so, we've been doing concerts only in Tokyo. In 2022, the Hiroshima presentation and the Osaka presentation were held.
So, from now on, I would like to be able to offer live performances directly to fans in more rural areas. We look forward to your continued support of Moi dix Mois.
Mana's message to members:
To Seth:
Anyway, he is a person who talks a lot (laughs). Always expose yourself and never hide.
It is said that while he is the character who teases the members, he is also the one who sets the mood. As a vocalist, he has beautifully expressed the world of Moi dix Mois songs. Especially the vibrato is very skillful. For example, even if I gave him a new song and he sang it for the first time, Seth would use the vibrato just as I envisioned it, so I didn't have to give him detailed instructions. I think this is a great talent.
To Ryux:
You are a free-spirited person, aren't you? Flexible and light footwork.
I am the type of person who is not comfortable unless the construction is not beautiful. But Ryux-kun is the exact opposite and he is extremely rough, But that freedom and rudeness is not self-righteous and there is also a very delicate aspect of paying attention to the environment. It shows that subtlety onstage and works well with my style of guitar playing. Because Ryux-kun stays by my side, I can play the harmony I want.
To Sugiya:
The most mysterious member is Sugiya-kun. Sugiya doesn't talk much about himself as Seth (laughs). He's still a mysterious person to me, so I'd like to try to unravel his mystery one day. I always feel very calm on stage. He is a very reliable bassist who firmly supports the bottom of the song with his steady playing.
From your usual taciturn demeanor, I sense that you are a craftsman.
To Hayato:
I feel that you are a person who thinks things deeply. When we have a meeting with the members, he never talks much, but he thinks carefully and finds an answer within Hayato-kun. I'm the kind of person who doesn't let things end with “somehow.” It holds up the backbone of Moi dix Mois on stage. It's hard to play when the drums are strangely playful, but Hayato's drums really click. Depending on the song, even when it seems like I'm playing freely, it always keeps the right rhythm, which is very helpful.
Translation: MoonlightPrince
Interview with Mana- Moi dix mois
Interviewer: Please tell us your opinion about the 20th anniversary. It's a bit strange isn't it?
Mana: I feel like it hasn't been that long since our first concert. Of course, I know that 20 years is a long time, but…Anyway, I've been pushing forward, so I feel like it's too short and I tend to give up.
Interviewer: Looking back on the 20 years you've been driving, what is the most memorable event? And the activities during the corona crisis remain symbolic.
Mana: I never thought that the day would come when playing live would be difficult and, even worse, it would be seen as a social evil. A live presentation is exactly a live presentation, or rather, it is made up of call and response, so what should we do? Not only us, I think all the artists were like that, but the confusion was very strong. However, even though I was confused, there was no point in staying still, so there were years of constant search for what I could do in the face of the restrictions and demands of each situation.
Interviewer: Apart from the social situation, what is the most memorable part of the Moi dix Mois sound project?
Mana: The European tour left a strong impression on me. Moi dix Mois has toured Europe several times, and especially on the 2007 tour, we used a big bus to tour various places for about a month. There were about 15 members and staff members, and we were together the whole time, and we even stayed in hotels here and there, but we hardly had any private time…it was a lot of fun. There was a TV on the bus, so watching a movie together was also a memorable experience. Plus there was a lounge on the bus with all you can drink alcohol.
I don't drink much, so I only go once in a while, but every time I go there are people drinking. I thought everyone was having fun, but at the same time I was wondering, when do these people go to sleep?...(laughs).
Interviewer: For Mana, Moi dix mois was your first performance abroad right?
Mana: Yes, Malice Mizer had not performed abroad. The first time Moi dix Mois performed abroad was in 2005 in Munich, Germany, and it was a shocking experience. I was very surprised that the cheering completely drowned out the sound of the performance. Of course, we received a lot of applause at our live performances in Japan, but the level was a little different. It was my first performance abroad and I was worried about various things, but when I heard that my anxiety dissipated and my tension increased.
Interviewer: You experienced a stimulus on stage abroad that you have never experienced in Japan.
Mana: However, on the other hand, there was some stress that was unique to being abroad. In the case of abroad, there were times when the rental equipment you had ordered was not available and you were in a hurry.
Interviewer: It's hard to say: “There is nothing like what it should be” in a project like Moi dix Mois, where you have a solid worldview.
Mana: Yes, until then, I had only had experience in Japan, so at first I was confused. However, there's no point in begging for something you don't have, so halfway through I came up with the idea that “when you're in town, do what's done in town”. I feel that I have improved my problem-solving skills during overseas performances (laughs). Being able to perform live in various places abroad was fun and a good experience. Lastly, it's been a long time since we performed live abroad, so I'd like to do another live abroad.
Things that haven't changed in 20 years
Things that have changed in 20 years
Interviewer: Tell us about the part of Moi dix Mois that has remained unshakable throughout all these years.
Mana: What hasn't wavered is the core concept of evil, gothic, and symphonic that I had when I started Moi dix Mois. I have become attached to this place without hesitation at all and will not change in the future.
Interviewer: On the contrary, what part has changed?
Mana: The first big change was my own style of playing the guitar.
It's a patchwork of Moi dix Mois now, I feel like in the early days of the band the penchant for black metal went too far. At the time, he was very particular about the style of playing the unmuted 16-minute tremolo. A 16 minute tremolo is a way of plucking the string 16 times in one measure. Which is basically a very fast racing style. At first, he was very particular with this style, but depending on the song, he was muted and didn't always want a sense of speed, so he gradually changed.
Interviewer: What do you think about the music production side?
Mana:In the early days, however, we brought to the fore a sense of speed. In terms of the album, when it comes to "Dix Infernal", the emphasis is on speed. Thinking of the flow of the song, Nocturnal Opera I added strength and weakness to it. There was another change of heart during "Beyond de Gate", a digital sound album of all songs. I also liked the sound of the extremely intense rhythms that were programmed, so I thought I'd try it on a Moi dix Mois album. “there is also something like that”, so we decided to include deux ex machina.
Interviewer: (Although you did put your foot in the metal, you went through a lot of trial and error.)
Mana: I agree. After trying various things, I think "DIXANADU" has become a form of what I'm looking for. Based on the paradise concept of Moi dix Mois, a wide variety of songs and twin lead guitars have been established. And “D-SECT” is where I feel like Moi dix Mois has established itself as a sound. The dark sect of the concept is the existence of Moi dix Mois.
I think the way you write the songs and the way you play the guitar are the most cutting edge.
Changes in stage production to entertain fans.
Interviewer: What kind of changes have you seen in live performances where you directly interact with fans over the last 20 years?
Mana: From the entertainment concept of Moi dix Mois, in the early days of your activities, you brought darkness to the fore in your live performances, and from the beginning to the end of the performance, you never lost your seriousness. But gradually, I started to add some comic elements. In particular, birthday ceremonies have not been held recently due to the coronavirus crisis and things like appearing behind the audience and throwing candy. Things like exchanging balloons between the stage and the audience. I called “Sexy Pretty Angel Mana-sama” (laughs).
Interviewer: When and why did this change start? You took a serious path for several years after Moi dix Mois started.
Mana: For a while, after Seth became the vocalist, he was completely serious. I had the idea that there was no need to have fun in the evil and dark world of Moi dix Mois, but as I continued my activities, the desire that the public who came to my concert would enjoy it more and more became more and more stronger. It has become. Originally, I was a person who used to go go-go on stage (laughs). After all, I also like to think of funny productions.
Interviewer: I dare to ask Mana-sama, what is your favorite MdM song? Do you have a song? if I had to choose one, it would be the seventh veil. Sound themes of evil, gothic, and symphonic.
Mana: I think I was able to express it in terms of the face. In D-SECT, it could be said that the flow from the first track, In paradisum, to The Seventh Veil, is what he wanted the most.
Interviewer: Do you feel that the ideal of Mana-sama envisioned when creating Moi dix Mois has come true?
Mana: Also, I like “Solitude” because I can feel a sense of unity with the fans during a concert. Basically the Moi dix Mois concert is so intense that even the audience is headbanging, but Solitude's is kind of cute with everyone rocking out together. It's a unique song in a way. There is a special feeling just because of that.
Interviewer: On the contrary, if there's a song you don't like, let me know.
Mana: I know it's hard to answer, but in the sense that there was a conflict in the past, it's Pageant. It's a bit misleading to say it's not a favorite but…
Interviewer: It feels strange. Pageant is a popular single, and I think it's one of the standard songs for live encores.
Mana: To reiterate, when I started Moi dix Mois, I had a strong thought: “I'm going to do Black Metal anyway”. In my mind, the intense and fast song was justice. On the other hand, there are several aspects that bother me, and the fans who followed me from Malice Mizer said that the songs were all about my tastes.
I wonder if I'll leave it behind. With that in mind, I made Pageant with a soft atmosphere to dedicate myself to my fans. The response from fans to this song was very good, but after all, people thought “it's not black metal at all”.
It isn't true? I had a very strong conflict. Actually, for a period of time, he was cut off from live performances.
Interviewer: But somehow the seal was broken, right?
Mana: Just like the change of scenery I mentioned earlier, as we continued our activities, our desire to “make our fans more entertaining” became stronger. When we perform the song live, the audience gets very emotional and the sense of unity is amazing. After all, a live performance is something you create together with the audience, right? In that way, as I experienced a sense of unity with the audience, my conflicts disappeared and now it has become a very important song. When you play Pageant, the whole place is dyed blue.
From the 20th anniversary of the miracle, to MdM to distribute throughout the country
Interviewer: Lastly, please give a message to the fans who are reading the pamphlet.
Mana: I think the 20th anniversary is somewhat miraculous. I have been able to spend 20 years despite many things, thanks to the support of my fans. It's been hard to perform live shows for the past few years, but I think the light is finally shining. Looking back, in the last 10 years or so, we've been doing concerts only in Tokyo. In 2022, the Hiroshima presentation and the Osaka presentation were held.
So, from now on, I would like to be able to offer live performances directly to fans in more rural areas. We look forward to your continued support of Moi dix Mois.
Mana's message to members:
To Seth:
Anyway, he is a person who talks a lot (laughs). Always expose yourself and never hide.
It is said that while he is the character who teases the members, he is also the one who sets the mood. As a vocalist, he has beautifully expressed the world of Moi dix Mois songs. Especially the vibrato is very skillful. For example, even if I gave him a new song and he sang it for the first time, Seth would use the vibrato just as I envisioned it, so I didn't have to give him detailed instructions. I think this is a great talent.
To Ryux:
You are a free-spirited person, aren't you? Flexible and light footwork.
I am the type of person who is not comfortable unless the construction is not beautiful. But Ryux-kun is the exact opposite and he is extremely rough, But that freedom and rudeness is not self-righteous and there is also a very delicate aspect of paying attention to the environment. It shows that subtlety onstage and works well with my style of guitar playing. Because Ryux-kun stays by my side, I can play the harmony I want.
To Sugiya:
The most mysterious member is Sugiya-kun. Sugiya doesn't talk much about himself as Seth (laughs). He's still a mysterious person to me, so I'd like to try to unravel his mystery one day. I always feel very calm on stage. He is a very reliable bassist who firmly supports the bottom of the song with his steady playing.
From your usual taciturn demeanor, I sense that you are a craftsman.
To Hayato:
I feel that you are a person who thinks things deeply. When we have a meeting with the members, he never talks much, but he thinks carefully and finds an answer within Hayato-kun. I'm the kind of person who doesn't let things end with “somehow.” It holds up the backbone of Moi dix Mois on stage. It's hard to play when the drums are strangely playful, but Hayato's drums really click. Depending on the song, even when it seems like I'm playing freely, it always keeps the right rhythm, which is very helpful.
