We Are X hits the big screen >>>
Friday, May 29
INTERVIEW Japanese singer Chuck*
Chuck* is smiling as she performs on the Hyper Street Live stage, singing popular vocaloid to an excited crowd. She’s dressed all in black, in platform boots and a dusty brown wig. There’s a regal aura about her as she sings, which makes her character, Prince Charlie, seem all the more appropriate. The prince is a boy from another world, one that is floating right above us, who is trying to find his lost memories and is one of the personas that she uses on stage.
With a name that translates as “zipper” in Japanese, Chuck* enjoys zipping into a variety of characters. In Japan, she normally performs as part of a duo but in here she is singing alone. She doesn’t seem fazed by this challenge, and sings her heart out on stage. Before she began her set at Flyjam Creative Agency’s special concert, Chuck* sat down with MyM Buzz to talk about her work.
You recently released an album called Johannes Factotum. What was the concept for the album?
“The album was released last year and I adapted the name Johannes Factotum from a 16th century English term which means a “Jack of all trades”. It sounds like German, but in the 16th century there was a really great playwright who was criticised by another for being an absolute johannes factotum because he was doing everything. He would do many things really well, but it wasn’t perfect. I like doing lots of stuff too and I end up having imperfections, so, in a way, I feel the same. I am trying to ridicule myself with the album title.”
How did you find this out?
“I am in love with 16th century English culture, and especially theatre and entertainment culture at that time.”
What was the name of the playwright?
“Shakespeare.”
It was Shakespeare! That makes sense now. When you were in Hyper Japan you performed vocaloid and anime songs as well as your own songs. What interests you about that type of music?
“At the beginning I started by creating songs under the name Chuck The Magpie. All the songs were really personal; I wanted to share my inner stress, love, and any of those feelings with other people. Whereas under the name Prince Charlie I try to do a bit more fun stuff and pop songs so that I have fun with the audience. It’s a very different way of approaching them, because under the name Chuck* I want to share my personal feelings, and with Charlie I want them to enjoy the songs. I would call Charlie my alter-ego.”
How do you come up with your original music?
“I try to imagine many different things when I’m with someone. I like creating stories, and using my imagination. My song about fairies was written for my niece, for instance. When I was walking around with her I would see male birds, and I started to think that fairies are living inside them. I thought about how we only see a small part of the world, and if we were to open a box there would be the fairy world down there. I try to imagine things like this when I’m writing. Even when we are in a place like this, I would imagine that under this chair there are stairs which would lead to an underground world and I could write something about that.”
In Japan you perform as a duo when you act as Prince Charlie. How did you come up with the characters and their storyline?
“It’s quite a long story! The girl I perform with used to come to my gigs a lot, and I really appreciated it. She was performing sometimes in an idol group as well, so I told her that I would go to her gig but then she said that if I wanted to see it I had to pay. So she asked, ‘Why don’t you perform with me?’ We started to perform Time To Time together around January and February, and then in March we decided to do it more regularly.
“So we started to think about a story, and we created the idea of a boy who has no memory and is living in a floating kingdom. When he comes to he doesn’t know who he is or what he was doing there. Then there’s a girl who has an understanding of that world and she started to help him find pieces of his memory. Using vocaloid and original songs we made a musical-type show so that the audience would enjoy the journey with us. This time I came to England to just perform vocaloid songs, but back in Japan we perform in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka to do this story-based show which uses these songs.”
When you perform as Prince Charlie it brings to mind the Takarazuka (female-only theatre group), and it seems like you would suit them very well.
“When some Japanese people see our performance in a musical style, or with a storyline they often refer to as something Takarazuka-like as well!”
Why do you like performing as your characters?
“I like putting on theatrical performances, and I try to appeal to people’s hearts not only through my music but also through visuals. I can take people into my story with these characters, and I can do more with them than just performing by myself.”
What was the reception to your music like at Hyper Japan?
“They were a really nice audience, because when I was looking into somebody’s eyes they were looking back with really warm eyes. Instantly I could understand how they felt, and they were a very nice audience so I liked that. I would like to come back to Hyper Japan to meet them again.”
Did you notice anything interesting about Japanese culture in the UK?
“It’s quite difficult to say, because it was my first time seeing Japanese subculture in the UK. But they consider the details quite a lot here; like when I see people in costumes they seemed to consider the details very well.”
Are there British musicians that you like?
“I love Kate Bush, because my mum loves her; she also likes Queen, Muse and this kind of music. Personally I like Muse, Kate Bush and Bloc Party. I love French music as well. Actually, there’s one band that only uses toys as their instruments which I find really interesting.”
Do you have any future plans?
“I am studying sonography and a little bit of performance art now in university, so I hope I can use these techniques in my performances in the future.”
Interview by Roxy Simons, all photos copyrighted to Chikako Osawa-Horowitz
INTERVIEW J-Rock Band Boys End Swing Girl
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Japanese Guitar Samurai MIYAVI Is “Afraid To Be Cool” In New Animated Music Video
Japan’s very own guitar samurai MIYAVI is back with force, showcasing the release of his new song “Afraid To Be Cool” and the announcement that his new album for 2016 will be out on August 31st.
Although we only have the short version of the music video and song available at the moment, just within the 1 minute and 57 seconds preview we get, you can already tell this is gonna be another chart topping song for Miyavi and his endless amounts of talent. For his new release he joined together with the amazing Japanese artist Fantasista Utamaro – of whom has a very extensive list of people he has worked with such as LM.C, YUZU, Aya Hirano, Ko Shibasaki, Shina Pikarin, Amiaya, Pharrell Williams, and Ai Shinozaki to name a few.
On april 12th MIYAVI’s youtube channel teased fans with a trailer for his “Afraid To be Cool” release, but was also giving a glimpse into his B-side of the track “Raise Me up” – an added bonus to the video was the announcement of his new Japanese tour “New Beat, New Future” which starts in Sapporo on the 19th September, and finishes in Nagoya on the October 2nd. Good news is that “Afraid To be Cool/Raise Me up” are both available for purchase on the itunes Store which has already hit the #1 itunes top album charts in Japan and entering the top 10 itunes charts in Hong Kong and Finland.
Make sure you show all the support you can for MIYAVI by visiting his official website, twitter, facebook and youtube channel. Be sure to check out the teaser trailer for his upcoming album and Japanese tour, as well as the new music video below, and stay tuned for more information.
Japanese Band NOCTURNAL BLOODLUST To Tour Europe
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SPYAIR announce European special edition of latest album “4”
Japanese rock band SPYAIR have confirmed that their latest album 4 will be released across Europe through JPU Records from 15 April 2016 as a special edition CD.
The special edition will include three bonus tracks (“JUST LIKE THIS 2015”, “Genjyou Destruction” and “LAST MOMENT”), a 16-page booklet with photos and lyrics, and a 12-page pamphlet with English translations, linear notes and an interview. A further limited edition will be available with an exclusive t-shirt.
With their fresh sound, feel-good lyrics and exciting melodies, their tracks have featured in anime such as Hammer Session, Gin Tama and Haikyuu. SPYAIR have also achieved over 200,000 followers on their official YouTube channel, with their videos earning close to 70 million hits.
Starting out performing on the streets in their hometown of Nagoya, members Ike, Kenta, Momiken and Uz have experienced domestic chart success, with their previous album Million released in 2013 reaching #2 in Japan’s national chart, which pushed SPYAIR to new levels of success as well as selling out nationwide tours. All four of 4’s singles also made it into the top 20 of the singles chart.
In May 2014 everything came crashing down when during one of their biggest tours, vocalist Ike announced via his personal Twitter account that he would leave the band. After developing a polyp on his vocal cords he began doubting his own abilities as a vocalist. The sudden announcement came as news to band mates, staff and fans alike. From that moment SPYAIR fell silent and each members’ Twitter accounts were abandoned.
The silence was broken in November 2014 when SPYAIR announced a comeback show at the end of the year, and that Ike would be staying with the band. After making a full recovery, Ike said, “I no longer listen to the negative thoughts about my voice. It’s pointless yearning for something that is impossible. Once I finally accepted that, I became at peace with my ability and found happiness once more. Now I know my limits and how far I can push myself. I feel much more confident now.”
4 is SPYAIR’s first studio album since the incident and is their fourth to-date. It can be purchased on 15 April 2016 from JPU Records.
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Exclusive Interview: VAMPS speak about their involvement with the J-rock music scene and more!
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The Japanese rock scene is full of different themes and characters that fill our ears with the kind of music that is both mentally and visually stimulating. In the run up to their performance at Japan Night at the O2 in London, VAMPS invited MCM Buzz to hold an interview with them.
It was an extremely hot and humid day, but with bright smiles and lots of laughs before the interview within the very swanky and rock-a-licious offices at Universal Music, both Hyde and Kaz were pretty excited and very happy to hear some of our readers questions, and answered them with a lot of enthusiasm. So check out what VAMPS had to say below.
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Could you please explain who and what VAMPS stands for?
HYDE: VAMPS are not human, as you might know, so we have taken inspiration from vampires.
Japanese rock music has grown overseas at a fast pace. But do you feel that J-rock has reached its peak?
HYDE: The J-rock movement has only begun to promote overseas, so there is a huge area to keep growing further, and with new people and bands entering the system there is even more growth.
KAZ: I agree, I feel there will be more bands that will travel overseas, and with that the fans who left the Japanese music scene might come back to it once again, as soon as there is more activity.
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Where do you feel your position is within the movement of J-rock? What do you feel you have contributed towards its growth?
HYDE: I feel we are only at the beginning as well and that this new adventure of touring with a new album is helping the growth of Japanese music. When we reach a point when we can do what we do in Japan, such as special events and live promotions, then that’s when it will become a challenge for us.
KAZ: I feel the same as Hyde, in the fact that we are just starting out, we are working as a team with other artists who are promoting overseas to get our work out there, and hope to go on from there.
You have stated that your new album “Bloodsuckers” is one of your best to date. What is it that makes you feel so passionate about this album?
HYDE: Our basis of a good album is judged on how it plays live, so when we play a live show for our fans we look at what pleases our audience and what songs get the audience pumped. But for this album, even if we thought there was a song that was good live, we always found a better song for the album. This is why we spent so long in creating the album, making it to our highest standard. This is why we think Bloodsuckers is the best yet.
Could you tell me a little bit more about the songs that are on the “Bloodsuckers” album? Which ones are your favourites?
HYDE: Yes, ‘Vampires Love’ is my choice as we shot the music video for it in London, and it’s a very humble song for me.
KAZ: I like all the songs on the album, but if I have to choose I think I’d go for ‘Zero’ as it’s very different from our usual songs, a new fresh and novel song to play. ‘Evil’ is my second choice for its aggressive and attacking sound, it sounds pretty harsh.
You have recently been promoting overseas. Is there any difference in performing in Europe, USA, and Asia? Do you have to perform differently at all?
HYDE: For me it’s not a case of Asia, Europe or USA. It’s more like Japan and not Japan. Because we haven’t played many live performances outside of Japan, I feel it’s important we show an image of VAMPS that our Japanese fans see and to express what VAMPS stands for.
KAZ: I am always so surprised at how well the overseas fans know our songs and our lyrics, and I’m happy that they know our songs and want to sing along to them when we perform. It’s very nice and humbling to hear fans making the effort. Though one thing I notice is that when we are overseas, the English parts of our songs are sung the loudest.
You have used a lot of English throughout your recent release. Do you have any troubles when trying to perform in English?
HYDE: I have always listened to English spoken music when growing up, and when I listen to it I learn and understand parts of it. But when I am performing in English I obviously need to understand it fully, so I practice hard for my performance.
Many idols receive gifts from fans. What is the most memorable item ever given to you by a fan?
HYDE: I received a music box that was signed by David Sylvian, as I am a big fan of his. The story behind it was that a fan of mine randomly bumped into him on a bullet train in Japan, and only had this item at hand so asked him to sign it so they could give it to me as a present. It was pretty cool.
KAZ: Hyde was so fast in answering! Um… fans keep giving me frog plushies and figurines after I said I was a fan of a specific character frog. I have so many now that I have no room for more, so I am thinking of opening up a frog shop!
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A big thank you to HYDE and KAZ of VAMPS, and to Miyuki and the Universal Music team. VAMPS new album “Bloodsuckers” is available via iTunes on their the Official VAMPS website. From the album, check out the track “World’s End” below!
Photo credit to Kei Sung
J-rock band SCANDAL send a message to the European fans
As part of their, “Hello World,” world tour, Haruna Ono, Mami Sasazaki, Tomomi Ogawa and Rina Suzuki of SCANDAL have taken to YouTube to give a special message to their fans ahead of the European leg of the tour, which begins in April.
The message that can be seen below, features the group promoting the upcoming tour and even promising to bring new songs to their fans.
The band will be playing three dates, one in Paris, France at the Le Bataclan on April 25th, one in London, England on April 26th at the 02 Academy Islington, and the final one in Essen, Germany at the Weststadthalle venue on April 30th. Tickets for the London leg can be bought here or from the venue here (costing about £37). However, be warned that they are likely to sell quickly as this is a rare chance to see this talented foursome in action. So get booking!
You can read our interview with SCANDAL by clicking here.
Cosplay interview with Kei of EZCosplay
J-rock is a huge genre and style of sound that promotes Japanese rock music around the world. There are sub categories and genres that spur off the initial title of J-rock along with the fashion that surrounds the name as well. With anime-esque hair, outlandish clothing, men dressed as women, women performing deep growling vocals, and a mix of classical, rock, heavy metal, and pop combined to create unique and unforgettable songs.
Now it’s no secret that at the MCM Comic Con there is a love for Japanese culture, fashion, food, drink, and music. But something else that is growing year by year is cosplay within the scene. With J-rock becoming more prominent and with the popularity of cosplay booming more than ever it was only a matter of time till we saw amazing costumes and replicas of our favourite Japanese rock stars.
I got the chance to interview 18-year-old Kei from Scotland, a bartender and social media intern for EZCosplay Costumes who often attends conventions during her free time and has a thorough love for the fandom she is part of. Below are a few of her thoughts about cosplay, J-rock and MCM Comic Con.
How were you introduced to cosplay?
I got into cosplay through a friend and seeing their posts about going to conventions on my Facebook. I always loved the idea of dressing up, so I went scouring the web to find a convention that was local to me so I could try it out. The convention I found was Dee-Con in Dundee, it was free so I thought, “Why not?” – though it was short notice and I only had two weeks to decide what I wanted to cosplay! I made a really quick cosplay of RUKI (the GazettE) from The Suicide Circus. It was an utter failure, but even though my cosplay wasn’t great, I really enjoyed the community and atmosphere. Everyone was so welcoming.
How did you get into the J-rock scene?
I was introduced to J-rock by a good friend of mine from England. He had always been a Japanese rock fan since he is half Japanese. We were just about talking music one day and I asked about the “girly” looking band of men he always listened to, which went by the name of ‘the GazettE’. The first song he introduced me to was ‘Invisible Wall’ and from there on out, I found my love of Japanese rock. Although my first ever J-rock song was in fact GACKT’s ‘Vanilla’, at the time I wasn’t aware that it was J-rock!
Do you have a personal favourite group or people within the J-rock scene?
This is a hard question. I’ve been a J-rock fan for many years now so my list of bands has grown since the GazettE. I now listen to a wider range of bands and artists, including X Japan, VAMPS, L’arc~En~Ciel, ACID BLACK CHERRY and GACKT, so choosing just one is really hard! But if you’re asking now as I answer, I’d say my two top bands right now are X JAPAN and VAMPS. My bias from each band would be Yoshiki from X JAPAN and HYDE from VAMPS. Yoshiki’s music really enchants me and I am teaching myself to play piano so I look up to him. He lost his father at a young age, as did I, so his lyrics and melodies I can really relate to. As for HYDE, I just adore his personality, quirkiness and how he is so down to earth. Again, his music has brought me to meet some of my best friends now and I’ve had the opportunity to meet him and KAZ at their London shows. Attending their concerts with my friends has brought us all a lot closer than we’ve ever been.
How do you feel about J-rock and the Japanese culture becoming more accepted within the western world?
I am really glad because when I first began getting into J-rock, which would be around four years ago now, it was hard to listen to music from another country. I was judged in high school because of this. People just didn’t understand why you would listen to music you didn’t understand initially. But I found myself listening on a daily basis anyway because I really enjoyed the new sounds and melodies. It was refreshing from the generic rock music that English-speaking bands produce.
What are your thoughts on cosplay?
I love it! I feel like I can really be who I am without anyone judging me. I’ve met so many amazing people through cosplay, including my best friend, and I am super glad I chose to give it a try. The community is wonderful, with everyone always helping each other. Of course, there are always rough patches, but everything has its rough spots. My favourite thing about cosplay is the idea of bringing a character to life or just becoming your favourite idol for a day, showing your love and passion for them and just being who you are.
Why do you attend MCM London Comic Conventions?
I’ll have been attending MCM London Comic Con for around three years this October. I go because it’s a chance to see the friends I’ve made up and down the country in one place, over a weekend. Both May and October have been highlights of my year for the last two and a bit years. I work on new costumes ready for debut at both MCM London events, and since the crowd is more varied and larger than at other conventions, there is always someone who recognises your costume, even though I usually go for pretty obscure cosplays when it comes to J-rock.
If you had to recommend some J-rock music to the readers who would you pick?
I’d say go listen to:
– The GazettE
– VAMPS
– X JAPAN
– GACKT
– ACID BLACK CHERRY
Do you have a formula or routine you follow when creating your costumes?
I don’t have a routine or formula, per se. It’s more like I watch a PV (promotional video) or see a photoshoot and really enjoy the look of a certain member of the band or the artist and decide that I want to copy that look. From there on out, I’ll source out reference images, the more high quality the better, though high quality pictures in J-rock aren’t always easy to get hold of. For example, I’m currently working on GACKT’s ‘Requiem et Reminiscence II’ look. The character name goes by ZERO. So first on Google Image I would search: ‘GACKT – Requiem et Reminiscence II’, and other similar phrases to gather what I can. Then I’ll look onto fansites for scans and other images. If it’s a cosplay that I am really passionate about, I’ll even go purchase photobooks to make sure I am as accurate as I can possibly be while keeping to my budget.
What advice would you give to those wishing to do J-rock cosplay? Do you have any tips or tricks for anyone wanting to make costumes of stars from the J-rock genre?
Those wishing to do J-rock cosplay, I’ll stress this; Gather as much reference photos as you can, whether it be official photoshoots, candids or even screen captures. Every picture helps! Practice different make up and hair techniques as J-rockers have a large variation of make up and hairstyles. But with J-rock cosplay not being generic enough, make sure you have a budget that is sensible for the cosplay you want to do because wigs, costumes and little accessories will add up and may cost more than you thought. So budget wisely and always scout out the cheapest seller with the best feedback to buy your items from! I always allow for a large budget because J-rock cosplays can’t always be bought like your typical anime or game costumes. For instance, my HYDE – VAMPS Halloween Party 2010 dress was commissioned and cost me around £180, including the wig. But it’s absolutely beautiful and worth every single penny. It looks just like his and I couldn’t ask for more. But it wasn’t a cosplay you could simply buy online. To achieve the level of accuracy I got, I had to get A LOT, and I mean A LOT, of reference photos for my commissioner and make sure I was willing to spend that much on one outfit.
What about the make-up and hair? It is pretty unique!
J-rockers are known for their odd and often thin eyebrows and extravagant make-up. I usually do many make-up tests before the event I aim to debut a cosplay at, so I have time to perfect it. I didn’t do that the first time I cosplayed and the result was a disaster. So I learned my lesson. But master concealing your eyebrows and drawing eyebrows along with the make-up before the event. Wigs are also another thing that can be costly in J-rock cosplay. Luckily over the years I have learned how to style elaborate J-rock hairstyles on various wigs. I’ve styled wigs for Yasu from ACID BLACK CHERRY’s Kuro Neko ~Adult Black Cat~ PV, RUKI’s The Suicide Circus hair and his INSIDE BEAST hair. I usually reserve a budget of £30-40 for my wigs, and that includes styling products, wefts and commissioning a base wig if need be.
Of all your previous cosplays, which have been your favourite and why?
I’ve been cosplaying for just under three years now, and I’ve worn a variety of costumes. Though, I’ll have to say, I really do love my HYDE – Halloween Party 2010 and my RUKI INSIDE BEAST (Red Suit) cosplays! I’m really happy with how they turned out, and I feel like I’ve mastered the make-up. The feedback I got from the cosplays were amazing: I felt overwhelmed. Though my HYDE cosplay is special to me because I wore it to meet HYDE back at VAMPS’ London show in March. He smiled brightly at me. It’s a moment I won’t forget.
What advice would you give to those attending MCM London Comic Con for the first time?
For the people attending Comic Con for the first time I’d advise getting a Weekend ticket. You’ll gain faster entry and it’s worth the money, plus you don’t have to wait in endless queues for hours just to get in. Also, get there early and make sure you have snacks and water for queuing if you have to. Be prepared for large crowds, especially on the Saturday! If you’re cosplaying, make sure to bring make up to touch up during the day and I always carry a sewing kit in my bag, in case myself or a friend have a cosplay malfunction. Hairspray is good too for keeping your wig styled!
Are there any cosplayers or J-rock entertainers that you would like to see at MCM Comic Con?
There are so many people I’d love to see at MCM Comic Con – from HYDE, GACKT and Yoshiki (again) to cosplayers like Reika!
What are you cosplaying for MCM London Comic Con? If people want to grab a photo of you this weekend is there anywhere particular where they can grab a snap of you?
HYDE from Halloween Junky Orchestra, with my cosplay partner cosplaying Rina from the same group today. Then on Saturday it should be hide from X Japan, and hopefully GACKT Requiem et Reminiscence II look! I won’t be locked down to one location at Comic Con, but if people want to catch me they can always message me on my Facebook page! As for photoshoots, I have nothing planned, but if there are photographers interested, again send me a message on my Facebook page and we can arrange something!
I would like to say a big thank you to Kei for the interview. If you would like to contact Kei regarding her passion for J-rock or cosplay then you can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Deviant Art. Don’t forget to keep checking back to MCM Buzz over the weekend for further photos from Kei as well as other cosplayers and updates from the MCM London Comic Con, where our photographers will be looking out for more fantastic cosplayers. If you have a costume you’d like to show off, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for our team!