Interview with ミスイ

Interview by TEAM JROCK’N’ROLL

Vo.柳 @misui_ryu / Gt.天音 @misui_amane / Gt.湊人 @misui_minato / Ba.Tetsuya @misui_tetsuya / Dr.LANA-ラナ- @misui_lana
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JROCK’N’ROLL saw ミスイ(MISUI’s) live show at Kawasaki Serbian Night on March 24th and enjoyed the show by all means. The atmosphere of the live show was just as wonderful ミスイ(MISUI) told it to be as they told us in their previous interview! JROCKNROLL is looking forward to seeing them again in the future! For those who haven’t seen ミスイ(MISUI) yet, JROCK’N’ROLL seriously recommends you to go watch them if you have the chance! They won’t disappoint you! Please enjoy this second interview as well!

■  During your spring and summer activities, do any of you have any particularly memorable events or memories?

柳(Ryu)：The most important happening for the band was our decision to join PARAGUAS inc. Even though it was my own decision, it took a lot of determination to restart the band in a new environment.

天音(Amane)：My  Birthday ONE-MAN live. It was our first ONE-MAN show after joining PARAGUAS, and it was also my birthday, held in a brand new environment. So I had a strong desire to make it a success. 

湊人(Minato)：To make a fresh start with our original intention by joining PARAGUAS inc. and to shoot the MV for 焼却炉(Shoukyakuro) . This has opened up new possibilities and allowed us to take another step forward.

Tetsuya： Joining PARAGUAS inc. as a member of ミスイ(MISUI) was a very big deal for me personally as well. I would say that I am asking myself to be even more “prepared”. Also my birthday show 「INVADERS MUST DIE」was a challenge. 

LANA： I guess it’s probably the same for everyone, but joining PARAGUAS inc. and being able to release the 焼却炉(Shoukyakuro) MV along with the first announcement was a big happening. When the band started, I wanted to shoot a MV for 焼却炉（Shoukyakuro), but at that time, it was difficult to make it happen. But I’ve always wanted to release it as a video someday, which now finally happened. 

■  On May 27th, you announced that you joined PARAGUES inc. What has changed since then and how did your fans react?

柳(Ryu)：” What do you need to do to make what you want to do as ミスイ(MISUI)?“,  PARAGUAS inc. helps us to look at points where we cannot find answers ourselves, and offers us suggestions and encouragement. Being able to think about what a band should be along with that kind of presence is a big change. 
As expected, our fan reaction was mixed(smile). It takes courage to accept that something will change, so I guess it cannot be helped to have received negative reactions as well. But I want to cherish all the feelings of our fans but also not to waver from my own beliefs, so I really want to make people think “I’m glad I believed in you and kept on following you“.  

天音(Amane)： It has given us new options and new  challenges, they provide us with support and created an new environment where we can do our best as an artist, we are now able to face the and and music stronger than before.
Our fan response was mixed. There were a lot of positive reactions, but I think they are just like me. When we think about changes in the environment and we don’t know how things will change, we get anxious and start to think negatively. For now I think it’s good to give our fans a sense of security if we continue to be consistent as we have been in the past.

湊人(Minato)：It feels that we have more options as a band now and that we can move forward more speedily than before. I also would like to thank all our fans who continued to support us despite the changes in the environment. 

Tetsuya： I guess some things will change and some things will stay the same. Of course, it is true that some fans expressed their confusion. However, I am very positive about the changes that are taking place. I also continue to make new discoveries, such as seeing perspectives that I couldn’t see before. I can now return to music more purely as a player, and I feel that what remains the same is the core that must not be changed. Based on this, I will continue to do what I have to do.

LANA： Some of our fans supported us joining the label, while others were concerned. But in order to protect the band that the five of us created with all our “YOWAMUSHI”. We needed to take this step. We hope to show through our own communications and actions that PARAGUAS inc. is a reassuring presence in order to continue to protect us as a band. I mean, we had a lot of High-Pressure work as well, so by removing that stress, we have more time for things we couldn’t do before. Which is a big change for me, but I think it’s a good one.  

■ Your new Visual for your release “ねんねんころり(nennenkorori)” was revealed on August 30th! Please tell us something more about the choices of the costumes.

柳(Ryu)： “I want to wear something like this”, was floating in my mind for a long time already… and now it was the time! So I made it come true(laugh). Anyway I like everything about it, so please lick over them!

天音(Amane)：I have a complex of stroking my shoulders.
In the past I had to wear a special part on my right shoulder no matter what. 
For this costume, I added it back. Between you and me, I’ll tell you that it was inspired by a certain character of F◯5, my favourite RPG game.

湊人(Minato)： I was conscious of the fashion style from our previous costume, so I improved that aspect even more. I also have cut off my hair by stopping wearing it long. Because of that I created a necklace to match, so that everyone can notice the length of my neck.

Tetsuya： We imagined a Western-style atmosphere, such as single rider’s and no-sleeve lace shirts. It may be a kind of classical rock style, but I like it because it has an atmosphere that I haven’t tried much before.

LANA：guess it’s the twin tails that have returned…! Among the costumes I’ve made so far, I use leather, which gives it a heavy feel, but the top has a mountain hoodie silhouette that still retains my personality and is simply cute.

■ In August a 2MAN 4-week continuous performance “激突(Gekkitsu)” was held at Denatchiniman in Higashi-Koenji. Such as wearing a Yukata or Jinbei. Which of those events left the best impression on you?

柳(Ryu)：It was our 3rd week show when we were wearing Aloha shirts. Even though I was dressed in an everlasting summer outfit, which is probably the farthest thing from ミスイ(MISUI)’s visual image, for some reason it was a really satisfying live performance(smile). But I still hate summer.

天音(Amane)： My favourite outfit was from a different week. It was when we performed on stage with makeup and hairstyle that we wouldn’t normally be able to show. Usually we wear a lot of makeup and a hairstyle that matches our costumes, but this time it was fun to see us as refreshingly handsome guys. I also felt happy that some of our YOWAMUSHI came to our live in matching outfits(smile)

湊人(Minato)：To me it felt it was difficult to express our wordview of our songs without the help of our costumes, however we could accomplish this challenge with even more passion. Still creating a serious atmosphere while wearing a Hawaiian shirt was a difficult challenge. 

Tetsuya：I can’t say that our band fits well for the summer(laugh), but personally the summer is my favourite season, so it’s okay even if we are forced to match to summer, I really hope our YOWAMUSHI enjoyed and felt the summer from what we did wear. And because we had a battle 2-MAN every week, each live was full of excitement.

LANA：We did wear the military uniform on the last day… It was a traumatic experience. So I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to the members for ordering such a fleece outfit. 

■ Please tell us your thought behind the title of the performance “一蓮弱生(ICHIRENYOWASHEI)” Which was held on September 28th to commemorate your 4th anniversary as ミスイ(MISUI).

柳(Ryu)：I think you can understand it with a glance, but it’s a ミスイ(MISUI) word that is a play of the four-kanji idioms “Ichirentsusei(一蓮托生)”(laugh) (means; sharing one’s lot with another). No matter how things turn out, we share a common destiny! It’s an idiom with a similar meaning, so I thought it would be perfect, I leave the enthusiasm to the other members(laugh)

天音(Amane)：4 years is a quite long time, right?  On such a milestone, we want to express our gratitude to our YOWAMUSHI who always support us everywhere and we would love to show them our vision for the future, whether it’s our next 5th anniversary or our goal of 10 years.

湊人(Minato)：No  matter what happens, all of us and our fans will share the same fate. We want to create a space where everyone can come together, as befits the title. 

Tetsuya：It has the same meaning as the original four-kanji idiom, but it’s also something like “We’ll be together until the day we die!”(smile). It may be taken as a kind of desperation, but it’s not a word that can be easily uttered. But I really wanted to convey that meaning.

LANA：I’m always grateful that we’ve been able to do this for four years with the five of us and it’s all because of our YOWAMUSHI-chan’s who always supported us, so we always are doing our best to convey that feeling. It’s my first anniversary show in two years, so I’m really happy.

■ Regarding your 10-city one-man tour across the country “死に損ないの子守唄(Shinainai no Lullaby)” Is this tour title also connected to your new song “ねんねんころり(nennenkorori)“? 

柳(Ryu)：Of course, we decided to choose a title that was related to the word “nennenkorori”. In addition to that, we wanted a word that would be easily associated with the band-name “ミスイ(MISUI)”, with some focus and phrasing, we came up with the word ” Shinnainai no Lullaby” 

■ Regarding your new song “ねんねんころり(nennenkori)”, please tell us about the feelings you would like to convey.

柳(Ryu)： The firs thing which came to my mind was the title, so I decided to write about a world that was the complete opposite of what you might expect from the title. It’s a method that I’m pretty good at(laugh). In terms of vocal skills, I used my highest pitch ever without using a falsetto. So I would be happy if you could feel my “challenging attitude” in that sense. 

天音(Amane)：It’s our first new song after joining PARAGUAS inc., so we created it with the desire to refine the “ミスイ(MISUI)-ness” and turn it into a song. It’s dark, aggressive, lyrical, melodic and includes lots of content as well. When we summarised what we all wanted to do, it turned out like this(lol). Also there is a hidden message from me for our YOWAMUSHI in the intro(smile).

湊人(Minato)：It starts with an intense section of a harmonious guitar riff, but when the melody of the song appears it gets a softer approach.  We layered the melody in the hope that the melody and words will be conveyed more clearly.

Tetsuya：It’s packed with chord progressions, sound usage, and riffs that most easily convey the ミスイ(MISUI)-ness. As a bassist, I usually don’t play with a plectrum, but I used one for some parts of this song. I discovered by playing with a plectrum that it adjusted the melody at those points, which gave a very nice sinking sound.

LANA：100 metre dash! That’s the feeling!(lol). My muscles hurt after hitting the song for only 3 times during the recording. So I decided to do some muscle training before our lives, but it didn’t really matter…

■ How were the 10 cities of the tour chosen?

柳(Ryu)：In addition to the five location in Tokyo Nagoya and Osaka, we also went to Sapporo, where we held a trial-oneman show last year, so going there was to fulfil a promise to our fans overthere. We’ve been doing live shows in Urawa and Kawasaki other than the centre of Tokyo for a while already. We will go to Niigata and Hiroshima. We would like to take a gamble to find YOWAMUSHI who still needs to discover us. It’s a mixed schedule, we have shows at places we are used to and places which we still need to discover as well, so I would like to enjoy the differences in a positive way.

天音(Amane)：I’m especially looking forward to my hometown Sendai. They always welcome us warmly and show much energy, which makes me always really excited. I’m also looking forward to Fukuoka. I really like its atmosphere and always feel excited when a show gets scheduled over there. Fukuoka always welcomes us warmly as Sendai and also brings in lots of energy. I hope to eat delicious ramen this time as well and go home with a good feeling.

湊人(Minato)：I really enjoy that I can visit places we visit more regular and places which we didn’t visit in a long time gives me the joy of seeing them again. Places where we can do ONEMAN shows for the first time have a much stronger sense of challenge, and I’m gonna make sure not to be afraid to connect with them for the future as well. I’m gonna take that challenge. I’m also happy to be able to return to my hometown OSaka, I’m looking forward to making that day even more exciting. 

Tetsuya：For live shows, it doesn’t matter when or where we perform, whether it’s a ONE-MAN show or a regular event, what we have to do remains the same. However, it is very special to be able to spend the time at each place as ミスイ(MISUI). Each performance will create its own story and I hope that all our YOWAMUSHI will enjoy it to the core. As said in a previous interview, Sapporo is my second hometown and I love the city so much! I’m really looking forward to going back there! I’m sure we’re gonna have fun!

LANA： In terms of having fun, I’m really looking forward to all the shows. I wonder how far can the current ミスイ(MISUI) deliver good music to local places. For us touring to 10 cities is a big challenge, so we constantly will evolve ourselves after each show and with all or might we gonna have that big success at our final date in Tokyo.

■ Please tell us your enthusiasm for the 10-city ONE-MAN tour. 

柳(Ryu)：I do dare to say it out loud, we’re a clumsy band, led by the vocalist(bitter smile). To be honest, we’re not good at promoting ourselves using SNS, which is the mainstream now for self promoting. However, I have absolute confidence that if you come to our ONE-MAN show, you will feel satisfied. Even if you never have heard a single song of us the fullest, I still want you to come and give us a try. Don’t underestimate my and our motivation, we’re waiting for you!

天音(Amane)：Our strength are that we demonstrate our the fullest during live performances. We want you to experience that the most, so we have set some conditions to make it as easy for you as possible to join. Don’t worry about the details, just check them, you’ll definitely enjoy them.

湊人(Minato)：I’m burning my soul and playing my guitar the way that Ryu’s words can reach the hearts of as many visitors possible. There is nothing complicated I’m asking from you. Please come to visit us and experience ミスイ(MISUI)’s show how you want it.

Tetsuya：Nowadays you can easily listen to music digitally without the need to physically buy it. Personally I won’t argue over which one is better, but I’m definitely happy that it is possible for people to experience music so easily. Please try to listen to us and if it sparks your interest and you will visit our live show, I’m sure you will enjoy it!

LANA：We as ミスイ(MISUI) are a live band. So watching us live gives a different feeling of what you feel/hear from listening to us digitally or physically. If you come to watch us live you can experience the coolest vocalist and the coolest instrument players to support his voice! You won’t regret choosing us! So please come to enjoy it with us!

■ A special video as a bonus for purchasing an amount of cheki’s is included. What are your thoughts about this? And can your overseas fans also purchase it?

柳(Ryu)：Everyday I am reminded that it’s difficult to find the balance between demand and supply.(lol). But I’m also learning from it. Thank you for always ordering my cheki!
OVERSEA YOWAMUSHI should be able to buy it as well. Please check the online-shop for details.

天音(Amane)：No matter what you buy these days, the price is going up and cheki isn’t an exception. It’s much more expensive than it was before. I wonder if it’s just a trend, or that it’s just a normal thing. So as a token of my gratitude, I’m giving you a special gift to keep as a memory as well which you can enjoy too. Of course our overseas fans can also buy it. Some already have bought it, so please be free to buy!(smile)

湊人(Minato)： We always hope that everyone who has experienced the live show and the world of ミスイ(MISUI) will take one of the items with them home to keep their memories of the show.

Tetsuya：I want our fans to feel much happier. Not just enjoying ourselves by watching our shows. Of course it would be pointless to add a bonus if nobody would be happy with it, so I’m always worried about what kind of things our fans would love to get as bonus, but I’m enjoying myself working hard to create fun bonuses. Of course people living overseas are also welcome to buy it via our webshop. 

LANA：I want people to enjoy everything. What are they looking for and what do they want? There are things that I can’t understand on my own. I hope this made you happy! Oh it wasn’t good maybe? That’s why I always ask for everyones opinions, try, fail, succeed, try again and repeat. 
My video editing and planning skills also require me to be diligent.

■ Do you have any recent obsession or passion?

柳(Ryu)：Lately, my daily routine has been to fall asleep while listening to the audio of various comedians instead of a normal lullaby. I can sleep comfortably with Hakata Hanamaru and Daikichi-san

天音(Amane)： Its gaming. I do it all the time when I have time. I’m a PC gamer, but lately I’ve been thinking of buying a new one. And I do worry even more about the specifications of a new build of PC more than caring about my guitar equipment. 

湊人(Minato)：Lately I’ve been into retro games, I’ve been playing Pokemon Silver on my Game Boy Color. It’s difficult because it has no resemblance to current games. I’m also addicted to tarot reading, so ask me if you want me to read your fortune!

Tetsuya：Actually I don’t have many hobbies. (lol),,, other than music, the only things I do are shopping, eating and drinking and just going out for walks…I’m kind of obsessed with those things.

LANA：Lately I’ve been streaming a lot, I’ve even set up a Q&A corner, which is really fun(smile). I’m often misunderstood, because of my appearance, but I’m a native Kansai person, so I do love to talk…lol.

■ Do you have any favourite music you’ve been listening to lately?

柳(Ryu)：I still love to listen to old J-POP. This summer I spent listening to TUBE’s best album, so that I could enjoy the summer even a little bit more. However, even if I have discovered many famous TUBE songs, I still dislike the summer season.

天音(Amane)：I  usually don’t listen to music at all. I listen to the latest guitarists’ playing and trendy phrases to learn, so all I listen to are guitar instrumentals. 

湊人(Minato)：Lately I’ve been listing to ROUAGE.

Tetsuya：I’ve been listening to alot of 90’s trip-hop sounds like MASSIVE ATTACK and Portishead lately. THE 1975 also have been my favourite for the past few years. As a bassist,  I have been checking out a lot of extraordinary players in the gospel genre lately, so I’ve been checking them out half-heartedly.

LANA：I recently listened to the Maison Ikkoku soundtrack and was moved. I watched all the anime episodes as well. I hope that Kyoko and Godai will be happy together. 

■ Please tell us about the artist you listened to when you were young, the artist who inspired you etc.

柳(Ryu)：I’m from the generation that felt the so-called “Visual kei boom”, Honestly, I was a boy that believed that band = visual kei, without doubts. I admired what I saw on TV. When I found out about Dir en Grey I started thinking “I don’t only admire them, but I wanna be absolutely like them as well.” 

天音(Amane)：My father often played XJAPAN while driving his care, so I guess that influenced me a lot. The pattern of XJAPAN’s intense sound and beautiful melodies is also scattered throughout the songs I create. 

湊人(Minato)：I like D and hae always admired them.

Tetsuya：X、L’Arc〜en〜Ciel、METALLICA are my roots, then later I heard two more bands THEE MICHELLE GUN ELEPHANT and Limp Bizkit which greatly expanded my view of music.

LANA：I liked Janne Da Arc and SIAM SHADE various soft-kei bands. Among them, Junji from SIAM SHADE is the drummer who has the most influence on my playing style and staging.  

■ Please tell us your favourite movies, drama, manga, anime etc. 

柳(Ryu)：冷たい熱帯魚(Cold Fish), 相棒 (AIBOU: Tokyo Detective Duo), 彼岸島(Higanjima), あたしンち(Atashin’chi) and Crayon Shin-chan is a living legend.

天音(Amane)：I like foreign movies, specially the action-type. I also like  Crayon Shin-chan, whenever I have time I go to the cinema to watch each movie. I also really like Dragonball and JoJo. I also have lots of action figures displayed at home(sparkling)

湊人(Minato)：I like musicals, so when it comes to movies I recommend RENT. The anime I like is GUNDAM

Tetsuya： When it comes to movies, I like classic American movie series such as; Star Wars, Terminator, Back to the Future, etc. I like the manga Golgo 13 and the novels of Haruki Murakami’s, I collected almost all of them.

LANA：I like manga/movies which gives a feeling of “hate”, so I love the mangas such as Charisma, the Japanese movies such as 凶悪(Kyouaku) or was it 告白(Kokuhaku)? Foreign movies I like are movies such as Funny Games.

■ What’s your current favourite food or drink?

柳(Ryu)：I’ve been hooked of the “Aeru pasta sauce” sauce that you just pour over boiled pasta and it tastes great. I’m in that cycle right now.

天音(Amane)：Teriyaki McBurger set + Large Cola and side menu a large Potatochips with ketchup. A lifelong favourite.

湊人(Minato)：These days, I choose deeply roasted beans regardless of the time of day. I’m addicted to the smoky flavour of Italian roasts. I’m talking about coffee.

Tetsuya：I was addicted to soba noodles in the summer. I think I’ll be addicted to saury and bonito in the upcoming season.

LANA：Fuji soba-katsudon-set is the most delicious in the world.

■ Is there anything you would love to receive or anything you wouldn’t like?

柳(Ryu)：It’s maybe a strange answer but I like receive gift cards from Amazon or Rakuten. Alcohol and cigarettes also make me cry of joy. I don’t suck throat lozenges, but your love for me.

天音(Amane)：Anything I can use would be helpful, such as strings, plectrums and cigarettes. I’m also happy to receive something to take care of my body. I’m happy with any gift someone gives me (smile)

湊人(Minato)：I love to take a bath everday, so bath products such as bath salts are nice to receive.

Tetsuya：Alcohol! Anything is fine, no worries, but I would be glad if you chose that for me.

LANA：I’m happy with just cigarettes and rice!  Makes me really happy.

■ 2023 is almost over, if you have anything to reveal about your activity until the end of the year, please let us know.

柳(Ryu)：There will be various notable vents. the ミスイ(MISUI)-like (Or rather Ryu-like) most recommended event is November 19th! It’s up to you to make that choice, but please choose without thinking!

天音(Amane)：Our completion of the ONEMAN tour! We will give all our might to create the best scenery for everyone to enjoy the final show, without the feeling of having wasted your time.

湊人(Minato)：It’s the challenge of the ONEMAN tour, it’s really meaningful, because we’ll be visiting 10 cities. November 19th is the final at Shibuya, so I really wish to create a special time with everyone! Thank you!

Tetsuya：Of course, there are already things which have been decided for the future, but right now I also want to complete the tour together. We’re not a band that looks good with a smiling face, but we would like to have a great final show with the laughter and smiling faces of everyone.

LANA：Well… of course I’m thinking of the future as well, but I really want to cherish our current project, so I want to go through this 10-city tour and the final together hand-in-hand with everyone. 

■ Lastly, please give a message to your fans.

柳(Ryu)：When should I meet your parents?

天音(Amane)： Follow me forever!

湊人(Minato)：Thank you for your continued support. I wish that with ミスイ(MISUI) on everyone’s side it will be a band where everyone can find their strength in times of sadness and happiness. 

Tetsuya：We’ll be together until the day we die!!(I dare to say it.)

LANA：Because of you, I exist, without you there is no me. So live your life with all your pride.