INTERVIEW – ARS NØVA

VIJUTTOKE2023/12「ARS NØVA」INTERVIEW

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TRANSLATION: Team JROCK’N’ROLL
日本語版・JAPANESE Ver.

It has been about 9 months since the start of the new Ars Nøva, and the new Ars Nøva continues to outgrow the changes to be proud of the Ars Nøva it has become! The three songs that Ars Nøva released for three months in a row are exactly the songs that made them look different!

■This is Ars Nøva’s second appearance at Vijuttoke. The last 3 months you have released one song a month. After listening to all the songs, I have the impression that you were aiming for a tone and sound that would change the image of Ars Nøva. Please tell us more about it.  

HIVARI: About 9 months have passed since we started, and we felt that the image of Ars Nøva had been established among us. However, if we continued to be satisfied with that image and just tried to maintain it, it would lead to the audience slowly rejecting Ars Nøva. So we knew that we had to fight with a new attitude. Our new concept is that we continue to improve what we are proud of and what Ars Nøva has become.

Noie: Sometimes I tried to be straightforward, and sometimes I tried to swell the name of the band Ars Nøva and give it character and novelty in my own way. 

RyO: “Raisøn D’être” and “vanitas,” which were released as venue-only singles, were made with a lot of care, but they were only available at live venues, which wasn’t easy for everyone to get, so we could say that our world was a bit closed. So this time we decided to deliver our songs in a more listenable distribution format, which will hopefully help to touch the hearts of more people.

■ Let’s listen to the three songs and talk about them in more detail. Let’s start with “KAISER” which was released on October 21st. “KAISER” is a fusion of digital and good melody! Please tell us more about this song.

RyO: Since it is the first release, we tried to change our image of the past by boldly incorporating digital sounds while keeping the classics in mind. Even for someone like me who usually uses classical and symphonic sounds as a weapon, this song was a challenge for me to create using a “new technique”.

HIVARI:  As soon as I received the demo from RyO, I was convinced that it would turn out to be the best! Even now I think it’s the most suitable song for us. That’s why I dared to be straightforward in the lyrics and focused on conveying one’s determination.

Noie: As a drummer, I was very conscious of trying to keep the beat simple and keep it cool.

■ “慾亡(Yokuna)” was released on November 17th and is an enchanting and intense song that also tells a story, as the kanji in the title suggests! Please tell us more about it.

RyO: “KAISER” showed the change in our sound, this song showed the change in tone by incorporating elements of metalcore. On top of that, it has a melancholic melody, which makes it dramatic and typical visual-kei-ish.

HIVARI:  More than anything, I wanted to show that we have these weapons now. But with the lyrics of this song and the way I sang it, I was able to create a new version of myself.

Noie: This song was a new challenge for RyO-kun because he was able to create it. I was sure that I would push myself to my limits as well.

RyO: I’m happy to say that both of them brought me something radical that even went beyond what I’d imagined (lol).

■ “sixth sense”, which was released on December 8th, felt like a perfect song to end the three consecutive months of releases. It feels like a fusion between “KAISER” and “慾亡(Yokuna)” or rather a culmination.  Please tell us more about this song.

HIVARI:  The last piece we needed to enter a new battlefield was a song that would lead us to unity at our live shows. After all, Ars Nøva’s greatest weapon is the cool appearance of our Stella(‘s) (= fan’s name). That’s why this is a twisted love song dedicated to our Stella’s. 

Noie: The rhythm is easy to understand so that everyone can enjoy it, and there are changes in tempo as well, so I hope that people can feel the fun of “Rhythm” as well.

RyO: That’s right. After incorporating the new elements from “KAISER” and 慾亡(Yokuna), we discussed the song structure and rhythm pattern based on HIVARI’s suggestions. In the end, we came up with a song that everyone can enjoy live. We’ve also added some fun ways to enjoy it just by listening to it, such as playing unusual sounds on the synthesizer and making it a 6-beat track.

■ And in this new artist photo, I see a uniformity in the costumes that incorporate military uniforms. Did you have a concept for the art photos?

HIVARI: “Battlefield”. That’s where we are now.

■ Currently, Ars Nøva is a 5-member band including the supporting members (Gt. 恋(Ren), Bass. めぐむ(Megumu)). What is the current balance of being a 5 member band like Ars Nøva?

HIVARI: Acoustically and visually, Ren and Megumu go beyond the boundaries of their support. They bring out their own colors. So, thanks to Ren and Megumu, we are able to pour out the colors of Ars Nøva like never before. Thanks to this power, we can proudly say that Ars Nøva is the coolest right now.

Noie: I have the feeling that with the help of our supporting members, we have been able to form a beautiful pentagon.

■ On February 7th next year, the “Ars Nøva HIVARI Birthday hosted event “EGØIST” will be held at Takadanobaba CLUB PHASE. What kind of day can we expect?

HIVARI: Anyway, on this day I will be the happiest person in the world!
To achieve this, it is important that our Stella, the fans of the other bands, the bands and everyone involved is happy. I want everyone to be happy to make me happy!

■ On March 8th next year, the Ikebukuro BlackHole “Ars Nøva 1st Anniversary Performance” will be held. Please tell us your enthusiasm for your 1st anniversary!

HIVARI: From my perspective, it may have only been a year. But also our Stella’s who walked with us knew that it was not an easy journey. On that day, we’re going to put everything into our longed-for BlackHole show and carve it into something that only we can shape.

Noie: It hasn’t been an easy year, but I’m going to push through with all my might so that everyone involved can honestly say it was a really good live show!

■ Finally, please give a message to Vijuttoke readers.

HIVARI: Let us walk together into a future that is torn by war.

RyO: I would be happy if you listen to our songs that we have distributed digitally at your own pace. If you like it, I would like to welcome you as a part of the STELLA family.

Noie: Ars Nøva’s music has become more accessible than ever, so I really hope various people will listen to it and enjoy it and of course also enjoy our live shows!