Lolita 23q Share Plans For Empire in a Quick Interview
(see the original article :link
by Kate Havas, Ayame Takahashi, Mio Nagasaki, posted November 21, 2011
Following their Neo-Tokyo Empire oneman at Akasaka BLITZ, ROKKYUU had a few questions for Lolita 23q about the live and their personal stylings.
69: Self introduction: Please introduce your name, part in the band and the most wild childhood dream you had.
Soshi: I’m the vocalist, Soshi. I wanted to be a manga artist.
Ryuto: Guitarist Ryuto. I wanted to go to Kanto (Tokyo area).
Yu-ki: I’m guitarist Yu-ki. When I was young my dream was to join Nirvana.
Ryosuke: I wanted to be an astronomer.
BAN: I’m Lolita23q’s drummer, BAN (my nickname is Tamaban). My wildest dream was to become Godzilla.
69: We saw you play Blitz, how does it feel playing in such a big venue?
Soshi: Up until now I've only done lives in live-houses, but unlike a live-house, BLITZ felt like a concert hall by the sound and the view. Honestly, there were some things I wasn't used to, and I was lost in some parts, but I think altogether we had an enjoyable show
Ryuto: It was the second time so I think we got through the live very calmly.
Yu-ki: It was bigger than I thought.
Ryosuke:This venue was just a step on the way to our dream. We're aiming for Budokan.
BAN: We've just started our adventure!!
69: If there was one thing you could re-do or improve, what would it be?
Soshi: The MC. [laugh]
Ryuto: I'd want to play my guitar solo with more consideration.
Yu-ki: The good and bad moments are both part of the memories of the day, so even if there were mistakes I don't think I would go back and fix them.
Ryosuke: I don't have any regrets. I'll reflect on the show and use that next time.
BAN: I want to do the whole thing over again, in exactly the same way.
69: The band has been together in its current form for just over a year now. What do you feel has changed, or on the other hand, hasn't at all?
Soshi: One thing that never changes is how well we get along.
Ryuto: I think we've become brighter than before.
Yu-ki: I haven't noticed [any changes] because we're always together [laugh]
Ryosuke: What's changed is that there are more smiles. What hasn't changed is our greed for more.
BAN: I don't think anything's changed. If we have to say something has changed, I guess it would be the songs.
69: Soshi, At Limited Ward in December 2010, we saw you dress up as Cloud from Final Fantasy VII. Are you much of a gamer? Is VII your favorite of the Final Fantasy series?
Soshi: I love it! 7 is definitely the best of the FF games. The world-view is very visual kei.
69: Ryosuke, we know you as “ANDROID_RYO:SUKE_23” from your regular DJ spot at Viju Love Night. In fact, the new –Hikari- video has a similar robotic theme. Do you have an interest in Sci-Fi as well as legendary punk rockers like Sid Vicious?
Ryosuke: I like science fiction and I love Kazuaki Kiriya's films. Musically, my roots aren't punk but there's a spirit of anarchy in the modern era, and I want to become a bassist who possesses that kind of avant garde and hard core spirit.
69: Ryuto, you seem to have a very serious outlook, but we wonder if you have a pet name for your guitar?
Ryuto: “Hagure Metal.”
69: Yu-ki, what kind of bribe will it take to receive full sentence answers from you?
Yu-ki: I desperately want to answer questions but it’s a personality thing, so unless I’m reborn it’s impossible to change.
69: BAN, tell us about your awesome drum kit!!!
BAN: It's an incredibly cool, top class drum kit even in the visual kei world. (I’m bragging here) It consists of two bass drums, three toms, and two floor drums, with lots of cymbals. The shell is an old Japanese Pearl model. The glass fiber shell covers the wood, and it's a drum kit that I set to make a hard, heavy sound. It's a model that just really suits me. I love making that sound so I simply adore this drum kit. That's the Tamaban FX.
69: By the way, who and why is that mini person in your blog image?
BAN: I have no idea who it is… but it’s an old guy. Why don't I know? Why should I know? This question is nonsense… there's no answer, go search for him yourself!!
69: [Laugh] Will do!
69: What does “Neo-Tokyo Empire” mean to you?
Soshi: Unification!
Ryuto: Like a modern Egypt.
Yu-ki: Hope. Advancement to the future.
Ryosuke: A systematic yet fantasy-like dream world.
BAN: Empayu? Empayu? The day of the vow to make the center of Japan our very own empire.
69: The video for―HIKARI―has a very sci-fi, dystopian feel. Where did that concept come from?
Soshi: From the song. We considered the world view of the song.
Ryuto: It came from both the darkness and light that people hold inside.
Yu-ki: I like western movies and music, and I've been inspired by them. I really respect the way foreign artists have so many ideas.
Ryosuke: The sense of the near future of electro and our band's heavy music and aesthetic melody naturally called this video into being .
BAN: It’s one little piece of our minds.
69: ―HIKARI―has been your only release this year. How long have you been working on it?
Soshi: Around three months, I think.
Ryuto: Three months.
Yu-ki: I think with making the demo it took longer than three months.
Ryosuke: We said “It will be a summer release!!” but it didn't go on sale until October. Please forgive us.
BAN: Making the song took a long time, but once we started recording it was over in a moment. Could it be that our image was just that fixed upon one bright light?
69: Two of the songs on the new single, “―HIKARI―” and “Lazer Light Themepark” have titles related with light but they have very different feelings behind them. Is this intentional?
Soshi: “Laser Light Themepark” is light and darkness. “Hikari” is darkness and light.
Ryuto: I didn't notice.
Ryosuke: From before we had the theme of a theme park of man-made lights, and if we were going to do it, we felt it had to be on ―HIKARI―so we wrote “Lazer light Themepark.”
I think in Hikari we did what we could and wrote Laser Light Themepark.
BAN: I think it works to think of it as hikari「光」=Dark and raito「ライト」=Light
69: Many of your songs combine electronic and visual stylings. What are your musical influences?
Soshi: Rock!!
Ryuto: Fusion.
Yu-ki: I like Western “screamo.”
Ryosuke: Prodigy/GARI/capsule/underworld/Daft punk/65daysofstatics/pleymo/ etc.
BAN: Of course, I respect many foreign artists. My drumming has been influenced by many foreign artists. There are so many amazing people in the world. I want to become one of them.
69: In the MC, Soshi said that a live is like a date. If that's the perfect date then what would be the perfect meeting?
Soshi: It would be love at first sight at a theme park.
Ryuto: My perfect girl would come out of the television.
Yu-ki: I don't know, at a show? [laugh]
BAN: Japanese toast dash! [Possibly referring to the supposed Japanese hazard of being too late to eat breakfast in the morning so you run out of the house with toast in your mouth, a la Usagi from Sailor Moon.]
69: You planned 23 Party Night in December, an all-night live limited to adults. Is it safe to say it's going to get crazy? Is there anything fans should be especially looking forward to?
Soshi: Please look forward to an R-18 event.
Ryuto: There will be crazy surprises.
Yu-ki: There will be things you can't see at an ordinary show! You won't guess unless you come watch!
Ryosuke: It's still secret. Personally, I want to do something erotic.
BAN: It's a surprise because it's secret.
69: Since the live is so close to Christmas, do you have an ideal present in mind?
Soshi: A television!!
Ryuto: Nintendo Wii.
Yu-ki: PSP Vita.
Ryosuke: Mac Book Air or clothes, or something.
BAN: Some days I can be serious. That's right, I want a Mac mini.
69: Lastly, please spare a few words for our readers.
Soshi: Nice to meet you, I'm Soshi. If you come to understand a bit about us from this interview I'll be really happy. Sometime we'll come and do a live for you!!
Ryuto: 69uu!
Yu-ki: ROCK!!
Ryosuke: Please listen to ―HIKARI―a lot.
BAN: If you keep supporting us we can meet many people. I hope you'll help this humble band achieve our dream. We want to make your dreams come true, too. Pa.
(see the original article :link
by Kate Havas, Ayame Takahashi, Mio Nagasaki, posted November 21, 2011
Following their Neo-Tokyo Empire oneman at Akasaka BLITZ, ROKKYUU had a few questions for Lolita 23q about the live and their personal stylings.
69: Self introduction: Please introduce your name, part in the band and the most wild childhood dream you had.
Soshi: I’m the vocalist, Soshi. I wanted to be a manga artist.
Ryuto: Guitarist Ryuto. I wanted to go to Kanto (Tokyo area).
Yu-ki: I’m guitarist Yu-ki. When I was young my dream was to join Nirvana.
Ryosuke: I wanted to be an astronomer.
BAN: I’m Lolita23q’s drummer, BAN (my nickname is Tamaban). My wildest dream was to become Godzilla.
69: We saw you play Blitz, how does it feel playing in such a big venue?
Soshi: Up until now I've only done lives in live-houses, but unlike a live-house, BLITZ felt like a concert hall by the sound and the view. Honestly, there were some things I wasn't used to, and I was lost in some parts, but I think altogether we had an enjoyable show
Ryuto: It was the second time so I think we got through the live very calmly.
Yu-ki: It was bigger than I thought.
Ryosuke:This venue was just a step on the way to our dream. We're aiming for Budokan.
BAN: We've just started our adventure!!
69: If there was one thing you could re-do or improve, what would it be?
Soshi: The MC. [laugh]
Ryuto: I'd want to play my guitar solo with more consideration.
Yu-ki: The good and bad moments are both part of the memories of the day, so even if there were mistakes I don't think I would go back and fix them.
Ryosuke: I don't have any regrets. I'll reflect on the show and use that next time.
BAN: I want to do the whole thing over again, in exactly the same way.
69: The band has been together in its current form for just over a year now. What do you feel has changed, or on the other hand, hasn't at all?
Soshi: One thing that never changes is how well we get along.
Ryuto: I think we've become brighter than before.
Yu-ki: I haven't noticed [any changes] because we're always together [laugh]
Ryosuke: What's changed is that there are more smiles. What hasn't changed is our greed for more.
BAN: I don't think anything's changed. If we have to say something has changed, I guess it would be the songs.
69: Soshi, At Limited Ward in December 2010, we saw you dress up as Cloud from Final Fantasy VII. Are you much of a gamer? Is VII your favorite of the Final Fantasy series?
Soshi: I love it! 7 is definitely the best of the FF games. The world-view is very visual kei.
69: Ryosuke, we know you as “ANDROID_RYO:SUKE_23” from your regular DJ spot at Viju Love Night. In fact, the new –Hikari- video has a similar robotic theme. Do you have an interest in Sci-Fi as well as legendary punk rockers like Sid Vicious?
Ryosuke: I like science fiction and I love Kazuaki Kiriya's films. Musically, my roots aren't punk but there's a spirit of anarchy in the modern era, and I want to become a bassist who possesses that kind of avant garde and hard core spirit.
69: Ryuto, you seem to have a very serious outlook, but we wonder if you have a pet name for your guitar?
Ryuto: “Hagure Metal.”
69: Yu-ki, what kind of bribe will it take to receive full sentence answers from you?
Yu-ki: I desperately want to answer questions but it’s a personality thing, so unless I’m reborn it’s impossible to change.
69: BAN, tell us about your awesome drum kit!!!
BAN: It's an incredibly cool, top class drum kit even in the visual kei world. (I’m bragging here) It consists of two bass drums, three toms, and two floor drums, with lots of cymbals. The shell is an old Japanese Pearl model. The glass fiber shell covers the wood, and it's a drum kit that I set to make a hard, heavy sound. It's a model that just really suits me. I love making that sound so I simply adore this drum kit. That's the Tamaban FX.
69: By the way, who and why is that mini person in your blog image?
BAN: I have no idea who it is… but it’s an old guy. Why don't I know? Why should I know? This question is nonsense… there's no answer, go search for him yourself!!
69: [Laugh] Will do!
69: What does “Neo-Tokyo Empire” mean to you?
Soshi: Unification!
Ryuto: Like a modern Egypt.
Yu-ki: Hope. Advancement to the future.
Ryosuke: A systematic yet fantasy-like dream world.
BAN: Empayu? Empayu? The day of the vow to make the center of Japan our very own empire.
69: The video for―HIKARI―has a very sci-fi, dystopian feel. Where did that concept come from?
Soshi: From the song. We considered the world view of the song.
Ryuto: It came from both the darkness and light that people hold inside.
Yu-ki: I like western movies and music, and I've been inspired by them. I really respect the way foreign artists have so many ideas.
Ryosuke: The sense of the near future of electro and our band's heavy music and aesthetic melody naturally called this video into being .
BAN: It’s one little piece of our minds.
69: ―HIKARI―has been your only release this year. How long have you been working on it?
Soshi: Around three months, I think.
Ryuto: Three months.
Yu-ki: I think with making the demo it took longer than three months.
Ryosuke: We said “It will be a summer release!!” but it didn't go on sale until October. Please forgive us.
BAN: Making the song took a long time, but once we started recording it was over in a moment. Could it be that our image was just that fixed upon one bright light?
69: Two of the songs on the new single, “―HIKARI―” and “Lazer Light Themepark” have titles related with light but they have very different feelings behind them. Is this intentional?
Soshi: “Laser Light Themepark” is light and darkness. “Hikari” is darkness and light.
Ryuto: I didn't notice.
Ryosuke: From before we had the theme of a theme park of man-made lights, and if we were going to do it, we felt it had to be on ―HIKARI―so we wrote “Lazer light Themepark.”
I think in Hikari we did what we could and wrote Laser Light Themepark.
BAN: I think it works to think of it as hikari「光」=Dark and raito「ライト」=Light
69: Many of your songs combine electronic and visual stylings. What are your musical influences?
Soshi: Rock!!
Ryuto: Fusion.
Yu-ki: I like Western “screamo.”
Ryosuke: Prodigy/GARI/capsule/underworld/Daft punk/65daysofstatics/pleymo/ etc.
BAN: Of course, I respect many foreign artists. My drumming has been influenced by many foreign artists. There are so many amazing people in the world. I want to become one of them.
69: In the MC, Soshi said that a live is like a date. If that's the perfect date then what would be the perfect meeting?
Soshi: It would be love at first sight at a theme park.
Ryuto: My perfect girl would come out of the television.
Yu-ki: I don't know, at a show? [laugh]
BAN: Japanese toast dash! [Possibly referring to the supposed Japanese hazard of being too late to eat breakfast in the morning so you run out of the house with toast in your mouth, a la Usagi from Sailor Moon.]
69: You planned 23 Party Night in December, an all-night live limited to adults. Is it safe to say it's going to get crazy? Is there anything fans should be especially looking forward to?
Soshi: Please look forward to an R-18 event.
Ryuto: There will be crazy surprises.
Yu-ki: There will be things you can't see at an ordinary show! You won't guess unless you come watch!
Ryosuke: It's still secret. Personally, I want to do something erotic.
BAN: It's a surprise because it's secret.
69: Since the live is so close to Christmas, do you have an ideal present in mind?
Soshi: A television!!
Ryuto: Nintendo Wii.
Yu-ki: PSP Vita.
Ryosuke: Mac Book Air or clothes, or something.
BAN: Some days I can be serious. That's right, I want a Mac mini.
69: Lastly, please spare a few words for our readers.
Soshi: Nice to meet you, I'm Soshi. If you come to understand a bit about us from this interview I'll be really happy. Sometime we'll come and do a live for you!!
Ryuto: 69uu!
Yu-ki: ROCK!!
Ryosuke: Please listen to ―HIKARI―a lot.
BAN: If you keep supporting us we can meet many people. I hope you'll help this humble band achieve our dream. We want to make your dreams come true, too. Pa.