It’s been a few years, so how did you spend your end of the year vacation? Perhaps you returned home, etc?

K: Nah. I saw the Hakone Ekiden races (lol). Then went on trips and such.

…Kami, you cut your hair, didn’t you?

K: There’s a deep meaning behind it. But I want to keep it to myself, so I will not say what it means in public.

I see. And continuing, Mana…

M: I didn’t go back home.

What a quick response (lol). Did you spend the time meaningfully?

M: Before I knew what was happening the days had flown by. As expected not having a break for about a half year was hard. I had so many things I wanted to do, but couldn’t do them all satisfactorily. But I don’t want to talk about it a lot. Mystery is my charm after all (lol)

Then let’s leave it at that (lol). As for Yuki?

Y: I composed songs.

Ah, the first musician-like answer! (lol) What kind of type are you when it comes to getting your job done?

Y: On the keyboard…It gets long (lol). I’m on the side of completing each measure at a time so it takes a long time. So I still can’t see the end (lol). Just as I was thinking what to do with my vacation it had already ended.

But it was your hard earned vacation.

Y: For that reason alone I thought too much about what to do, and when I noticed…(lol).

You’ll have to be prepared for the next one then (lol). Well then, moving the subject to your 3rd single Gekka no Yasoukyoku, this song is considered a play song, so it is surprising that is was selected as a single.

Y: Malice has a lot of different song types, but this time for the third single we wanted to show this face, this kind of side. Generally speaking that is it.

The timing of releasing the single now must be tied to the album Merveilles?

Y: It is part of that in some respect. But rather, it was already decided to release it.

It’s Malice Mizer’s destiny, being Malice Mizer?

M: (nods) But if we say everything I don’t think it would be interesting.

I do not think it’s going to be performed at the end of the year live at Shibuya Koukaido, but is this part of some sort of plan?

M: Yes it is.

Meaning?

M: The world from this song…is like that, after all.

Um, just now you didn’t say…does that mean we’re to still imagine a lot of different things?

M: (nods)

I guess it can’t be helped (cries). By the way, what was the form that Kôzi had for it in the first place?

M: It was pretty similar to what it is now. He said something about Russian, but something you’d want to dance to…(lol). This song is not expressed by the guitar. It’s expressed through the body (lol)

It’s a pretty hard-to-make-out expression (lol)

M: There’s a story in it, and we’re becoming the actors in that story. Therefore we thought to express the song with suitable movements. When the base of the song was being made, from the time I’d consulted with Kôzi that had been the discussion.

And Yuki, what was your first impression?

Y: Including the song title from the time I heard it, images like a burials floated up, so for me I thought there were many different ways to see and listen to it.

Like let’s do something experimental?

Y: Yeah. In lives I play the contrabass, but from hereon I might do something different.

You didn’t record the contrabass?

Y: That sound was omitted. During the lives the visual aspect is added to the listening one, and this time after thinking of the song’s image it wasn’t necessary.

And Kami, your reaction?

K: At first, the drum was thrown into a tango style, but I didn’t think that way was interesting so I tried tweaking it from the basic point. The A melody had a feeling of walking in the forest, and the B melody had a dance feel to it, so I only did the tango beat in there. In this way the lyrics become a story and it becomes easy to do.

Did the basis for the lyrics exist from the beginning as well?

M: For the lyrics the pattern is often to write them after speaking to the composer of the song. So this would be something to ask Kôzi.

For sure (lol). And this time was the arrangement done with Shimada Youhei as well?

M: Well, he is the arranger who looks at the song as a whole after all. But with this song, he decided a lot together with Kôzi…

So I should ask Kôzi? (nigawarai)

K: At the live we didn’t do it, but the key changes at the end.

Occasionally while listening with headphones it reaches a condition close to something like seasickness (lol)

K: That’s the idea.

Is it? (lol). But up until now if an arrangement was done it ended up metal-ish…that was the story that came out, but it does not seem so (lol).

M: For this too there was this thing where there were different patterns, basically we had a discussion not to add the guitar…it’s just the body (lol).

And for the castanets?

M: Ahh…I can’t say (lol). The sound is the sound of castanets from over there isn’t it (lol).

It feels western…

Y: How was the coupling song?

Huh? What? (after this it came to light that for some reason the tape only had one song on it) Oh no…as preparation please tell me in advance (lol).

K: Huh? We can’t do that (lol)

Ah being told that, there’s nothing but a cold walk home for me (cries).

K: (lol) In the end, it’s just that there’s no vocals. There’s an accordion. It’s just the accordion, right?
M: Yeah.

Not a toy accordion?

M: Nah, a real one. It’s not us playing it though.

Eh???

Y: It’s Coba-san.
http://www.coba-net.com/eng/profile/index.html

Eh? The accordion player Coba? That’s an unexpected assortment!

Y: Is it? But Bjôrk and the Pizzicato Five did it too didn’t they?

It’s not unexpected? It’s like working with Kahime Karie or releasing a remix with Kenishii, a different field from Malice Mizer’s gothic world.

Y: Ahh…what was the path again?
M: I don’t know…

Like wanting to do something with someone or the like.

All: silence

Well you don’t know when you’ll meet someone (lol). Continuing, Gekka no Yasoukyoku is included in your next album right? The second to the last song, perhaps last in all but name. For this positioning I thought that at Blitz and Noon, as individual worlds would be tied together, song by song were tied together here too.

M: Ah, I see. People have different ways of thinking after all.

Ah, I don’t understand…but you had previously thought of the album title Merveilles at the time that the tour started?

M: Yeah that’s that.

And is it ok to think of these all up to now as a compilation?

M: The things for the Merveilles tour?

That’s included.

M: If rather than thinking of them as firmly bound, you think of them as a rough sketch.

And you can see the overview at the Budoukan.

M: Well, yes, like that. But whether it will be revealed or not depends on how it is perceived on the actual day.

So we should do like at the Wild Bird Society with binoculars…

M: Just watching isn’t Malice Mizer. You’ve got to grasp the atmosphere too.

I’ll attend taking care of how I watch. Is there enthusiasm about performance side?

Y: We’re enthusiastic about various things!

Last year is exciting because you showed so many facets of Malice Mizer. The string bass, wearing orange, cavorting with Parisiennes.

Y: Right. But this year I was to continue with writing songs.

I’m waiting for your work! Speaking of, Kami, what is your bounty for this year?

K: Well, my mental state changed a bit, so I want to challenge myself with all sorts of different things! Done!

Succinctly stated. And Mana, a word about at last playing the Budoukan.

M: Budoukan. The holy pinnacle of Rock. The Budoukan.

What suitable words (lol)

M: After I’ve done the Budoukan it’s fine if I stop.

Huh?? What are you saying!! Did you admire it that much??

M: Wellll, I admire it a lot. If I can play the Budoukan, then it’s okay to stop there (lol)
Y&K: What? Really?

Well, if we go back to the beginning, it’s a place the Beatles did to isn’t it.

Y: Hmm.
K: Huh?

You two aren’t impressed at all (lol)

M: Me, if I can do the Budoukan, I’ll burn myself out till I’m ash (lol)

There’s the Tokyo Dome too isn’t there?

M: That thing’s whatever! In the end, the Valhalla of Rock, it’s the Budoukan!!

…is how it ended up…

 

 


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