Interview with GERTENA – 2025

It’s been about two and a half years since we last interviewed GERTENA. Let’s take a look at how much they’ve grown and evolved in style, concept and music during that time. We’re also excited to announce that GERTENA will be touring Switzerland and Germany this October! 【COUNTDOWN to GERTENA】 Europe Tour 2025 presented by VKBeats. Recently, Toyo joined the band as their new bassist. We also had the chance to chat with support drummer Tatsushi.

■ ■ ■ INTRODUCTION ■ ■ ■

■ Please introduce yourself using your favorite kanji.

Agato: 「憂 (yuu)」(unhappy, gloom, etc) I’m always living with a kind of worry and the feeling of always struggling with something inside of myself, like I’m endlessly searching for my own value. (smile)
Yuh: 「楽 (raku)」Because I always want to live joyfully. Life is meant to be enjoyed!
Satsuki: I want to stay passionate at all times, so I pick 「熱 (netsu)」
Toyo: 「風林火山 (fuurinkazan)」
Tatsushi: 「音楽 (ongaku)」, because I love music. I love to watch, to hear and to play it. 

※Note: Originally “Fuurinkazan” is a famous Japanese military motto saying “Swift as the wind, silent as the forest, fierce as fire and immovable as a mountain” written on a flag.”

■ Please share some interesting facts about your new bassist, Toyo.
Agato: He may seem soft and laid-back on the outside, but I think he’s actually ambitious and has a strong core.
Yuh: I think he’s a genuinely good person. He gives off the impression that he faces and takes things seriously.
Satsuki: Out of all the bassists I’ve met, he’s honestly one of the best. Of course, there’s always room for improvement, but he’s an extremely skilled bassist.
Tatsushi: He is really smart. He always seems to have ideas I’d never think of myself.

■ Toyo has joined the band. Tell us how he joined and why he decided to join.

Agato: From the moment we started playing together, everything just clicked: the sound, the groove, the vibe. It felt like all the gears were perfectly in sync.
Yuh: Ever since Toyo became a support member, working together has felt really comfortable. I felt like I could trust him during those times. Everyone agreed that it would be great if he joined the band, and I’m happy our wish came true.
Satsuki: Whenever we played together, our energy and harmony felt unreal. Everything just clicked perfectly. Toyo often said that it would be a shame to mess up that vibe. I strongly felt the same way. And at some point, I thought, “Toyo has to be GERTENA’s new bassist, no matter what.” So I kept teasing him until he agreed. (Laugh.)
Toyo: It’s been exactly a year since I started supporting GERTENA. It was THE time to really step up to the next level. So, after spending the past year getting to know the band, officially joining just felt like the next natural step.

■ Please tell us some interesting facts about your new support drummer, Tatsushi.

Agato: He’s completely wild. No doubt about it.
Yuh: In a good way, he’s totally wild. He plays more from instinct than from overthinking, and I think his style fits GERTENA perfectly as a drummer.
Satsuki: Not only does he have amazing drumming skills, but the way he plays also fits GERTENA perfectly. His drumbeats alone can hype up the whole band! I still remember how impressed I was during our first rehearsal together. I knew right away that he was the drummer we needed.
Toyo: We’ve been playing rhythm sections before, so it was really easy for me to perform with him. I hadn’t performed with him or met him in a while, but he didn’t change at all.
Tatsushi: Thank you for inviting me to join as a support member! 

■ It’s been a while since we last spoke, but how are you all doing lately? How is your life? Have you achieved any personal goals? Has anything happened that had a big impact on your life?

Agato: Life keeps changing crazy fast every day and I still haven’t reached my personal goals yet, but I’m taking it step by step, at my own pace that stays true to myself.
Yuh: Lately, I’ve been meeting a lot of new people both in the band and in my personal life and I’m really feeling how important connections with others are.
Satsuki: Graduating from supporting Zeke Deux was a huge change for me. Everything I learned there, I’m now pouring 100% into GERTENA! My personal goals keep evolving and I still haven’t reached them yet!
Toyo: Thanks to everyone, I’ve been having a busy and hectic time lately.
Tatsushi: Since I started doing support, I’ve been going to a lot of places I’ve never been before. It’s always a great source of inspiration.

■ Are there any new hobbies that you’ve recently started that you like? If so, please tell us.

Agato: I talk with elderly people a lot about everyday stuff or world events.
Yuh: Nothing special to mention.
Satsuki: Nothing new.
Toyo: I watch zundamon videos on YouTube. 
Tatsushi: I enjoy listening to music.

■ ■ ■ MUSIC ■ ■ ■

■ A new visual for the new single “KARMA” was released on July 17th, and at the same time the new logo was also changed. If there’s a reason for changing it from the previous logo, please tell us.

Satsuki: The logo has become simpler than before, but there is a meaning behind it: simple = Easy and clear.
GERTENA’s concept has changed as well. Now, we focus on expressing our emotions directly through our music. That’s the idea behind the new logo.

■ I see, so GERTENA has an entirely new concept. Could you explain GERTENA’s new concept in more detail?

Satsuki: Up until now, as GERTENA we expressed ourselves with positive lyrics, living strongly, and expressing the positive side of ourselves. But we thought it would be good to try to consciously express our darker inner side as well!

■ There are many different styles of visual kei, such as Kote-kei, Iryo-kei, Menhera-kei, etc. What style of visual kei best represents GERTENA’s aesthetic?

Agato: Loud Rock.

■ LOUD ROCK? I always thought GERTENA is kote-kei. So why do you call it LOUD ROCK?

Agato:  Actually our visuals are just mere expressions of our personalities. The music born from GERTENA is the core of our inner intentions, and the “visuals” are just elements added to our music. Our visuals are nothing more than just a tool to draw attention to be noticed.  

■ GERTENA has recently released many new songs. What are the interesting points and characteristics of each song?

・BREAKER・

Agato: This song is about breaking free from the limitations forced by our society, the expectations of others, and the pressure to live up to others’ expectations.

Yuh: There’s a part in the chorus where we shout “yeah!!!!”.  When we play this song live and shout “Yeah!!” together with our fans, at that moment the whole venue feels totally united. So let’s all shout it out together!

Toyo: Like Yuh said, that “yeah!!!!” in the chorus.

■ Please tell us some interesting stories of the shooting of the MV of BREAKER

Agato: The transparent foil decorations got stuck to my face a few times during the shooting, leading to some bad takes, but we totally pulled through, didn’t we?

Yuh: While decorating the studio, I was climbing a stepladder and almost fell. I’m so glad I didn’t…

Satsuki: There was a shot with just our silhouettes, and in those moments our movements need to look flashy to look good. But for some reason, we all wanted to do a pose where your leg kicked perfectly straight up in the air. But nobody was flexible enough to lift their legs high enough.
Yuh tried as hard as he could to lift his leg, but he was the stiffest of all and couldn’t do it!
We all tried really hard, but that part wasn’t included in the final version.

Toyo: During the shoot for my Acrylic keychain, the members handed me something and I used it as is for the shoot.  

Tatsushi: During the filming, everyone was shouting and roaring with all their might as it was our last day on earth. It was quite lively shooting, wasn’t it?

・ ETERNALLY ・

Satsuki: I wrote the lyrics and music for this song when I was 18, making it the first song I ever wrote. I came across it when I found my old songwriting notebook while cleaning up at home. I thought, “What if I rearranged this song that I wrote when I was 18?” and decided to try it out with GERTENA. So that makes this song really special to me. I was too embarrassed to use the original lyrics that I wrote. But I shared the image and feeling I had with Agato. Even during the recording we kept tweaking the lyric, going back and forth about which version of the lyric would sound the best.

・ IMMORAL QUEEN ・

Agato: I’m leading my soldiers, the battle against our inner-selves begins. Because everyone is a slave to fate. 

Toyo: A contrast of stillness and motion.

・ CRAZY PARTY-Welcome to the party..- ・

Agato: This Halloween-themed song is about stepping into a mysterious world full of strange, Yokai-like monsters and getting lost, unable to return home.

Yuh:  When I first heard the demo, I thought it really fit the Halloween vibe perfectly. I added the intro melody myself, and honestly, I think I nailed the right mood. (laugh)

・ RAISON D’ETRE ・

Agato: This straightforward song asks the big questions: What is the meaning of life? What is my own value?“

Satsuki: I wanted this song to be straightforward and meaningful. I created it as a continuation of our previously released song, “DAZZLE.” People can interpret the lyrics however they want, but it would make me happy if this song inspires those who listen to it.

・ SNOW DOME ・

Yuh: It’s hard to put into words, but I think this song really touches the heart. With a title like “SNOW DOME”, you might imagine it’s a winter song, but to me, it’s packed with a message for someone you love.

Satsuki: I wanted to create a ballad that would surpass our previously released song, “PLEDGE.” This SNOW DOME  is a masterpiece too, but honestly, “PLEDGE” is still my favorite ballad. (Laugh.)

・COUNT DOWN TO ZERO・

Satsuki: The concept behind this song was to create the wildest and most intense track GERTENA has ever produced. We play it often during our live shows, and it gets the crowd the most hyped up. The band and the crowd both explode with wild energy during this song.

Toyo: During the chorus, everyone spins their towels. Also, Agato jumps down onto the floor and into the crowd to get everyone excited and enjoy the song together.

・KARMA・

Satsuki: KARMA’s concept is expressing our dark side, just like our new concept. Every human has a deep inner dark side;  like the hate for a human, feeling annoyed and getting pissed off, wanting to kill someone and so on. KARMA releases those dark feelings!

■ Can you tell us any funny stories that happened during the shooting of the MV of  KARMA?

Agato:　There aren’t any particularly stories to mention, but I feel this MV expressed Agato’s inner thoughts the most.
Yuh: The studio was filled with red strings stretched all around, and when we had to move through them, everyone kept getting caught in the strings, which was quite a hassle.
Satsuki: I remember how we all worked hard to put up papers with kanji written on them all over the place, and that was pretty tough. It was very surreal how everyone was silently focused on doing that.
Toyo: There were so many assets that it didn’t even feel like we were filming for a band.
Tatsushi: I can’t think of any interesting stories because the preparation and shooting felt so serious.

■ While shooting the new MV of KARMA, were there any funny events or happenings that stood out in your memory?

Agato: Yuh was painting his neck black, and it looked like he was wearing a high-neck shirt, so I couldn’t stop grinning.
Yuh: I painted my neck black to give off a dark vibe, but I was surprised when the makeup remover wipes turned out much darker than I expected, after I took it off.
Satsuki: For this shoot, my concept was to try something I’ve never done before. Since KARMA’s theme is showing the dark side of GERTENA. I kept focusing on bringing out my own darkness, or rather, the bad Satsuki.
Toyo: I changed my makeup quite a bit from usual, so I was able to shoot with a fresh feeling.
Tatsushi: It wasn’t used in the final video, but during a part of the shoot, I decided not to play my drums while seated, but went drumming all wild all over the place, and the next day my body was all sore.

■ You create new visuals for each new song release. How do you come up with visual ideas each time? Are there any points that you should pay special attention to when creating a visual kei look?

Satsuki: We don’t really think about doing something “visual-kei” style. We just focus on what looks cool to us and fits the vibe of the song we’re releasing at the time.

Tatsushi: Visual Kei is all about freedom.

■ ■ ■ LIVE SHOWS ■ ■ ■

■ Please tell us some behind-the-scenes stories about the GERTENA × deva:ed coupling tour “CONFUSION Vo.2”.

Agato: During the tour, we were talking about how I do the death vocals in the recording. I remember saying, “Huh? When I do that sewer-voice kind of sound, I’m literally eating the mic.”
Yuh: I talked with deva:ed’s You-suke about guitar tones, and during our chat he tweaked my gear for me. I even played the live show with that sound, and it turned out super gritty and badass (lol).
Satsuki: Not exactly a behind-the-scenes story, but on our second couple tour with deva:ed, I feel like we got to cooperate and understand each other a lot better than the first time. It seemed that deva:ed fans enjoyed GERTENA and GERTENA fans enjoyed deva:ed a lot as well. Btw, I also played as a support member for deva:ed during this tour. (lol)
Toyo: On the collaboration stage with deva:ed, I stood on stage without my bass, which was fun in its own way. I want to do it again.
Tatsushi: I joined since vol.2 and even though it was all brand new to me, the deva:ed members and staff were really friendly to me. I’m looking forward to Vol. 3!

■ You seem to have a strong bond with deva:ed. Please tell us why you decided to hold a couple event tour with them.

Agato: We’ve ended up on a bunch of tours and events together over time and I feel like our bond really deepened after we took all those horror YouTube videos together.
Yuh: At first, when we met at events, we’d just chat occasionally. But on the first couple tour, I felt like we really became close all of a sudden. So it felt natural that a second one would happen.
Satsuki: I often hang out with deva:ed. We love going out for dinner or just having fun together. During those times, we always talk about our bands or various other things. At some point we were chatting about how fun our first coupling tour was, and then we started saying, “Let’s do a second one!” So, we decided on the second tour without even checking with the other members.
Toyo: Their visual look is great, their playing is amazing and they’re just really good people. I like them a lot. Actually, I’d known them personally before GERTENA, so I was super happy to tour with them. I remember being touched that they still remembered my name even after meeting again after a long time.

■ July 22nd was SATSUKI’s solo birthday concert. I’m sure a birthday concert is a special day for you, so was there anything you hoped would happen, or anything that actually came true?

Satsuki: Every year, I set a concept for myself. Two years ago, I wanted to show my past self, because who I am now exists thanks to that past me. So I organized  an event where I invited artists who influenced me and helped shape who I am today.
Last year, I wanted to show my present self. I wanted to show everything about who I am now, performing with GERTENA and Zeke Deux, so a twoman event was held. 
And this year, it’s about my future self. I wanted to show how much I’ve grown and evolved compared to before.  Honestly, I’m still not fully satisfied. This birthday OMEMAN made me realize I can still pour out so much more out myself.  That realization alone is a huge gain for me, and I intend to take full advantage of it.
Actually, I’m already planning next year’s birthday show! I hope everyone’s looking forward to it.

■ ■ ■ OVERSEAS CONNECTION ■ ■ ■

■ You’ve been able to perform overseas. How do you feel about achieving this goal?

Agato: Two years ago, during our overseas show, I had some personal regrets and felt really frustrated. Now that we’ve got another chance to perform abroad, I want lots of people to see the new GERTENA.
Yuh: The Switzerland show two years ago was GERTENA’s first overseas show. I’ve always wanted to play there again and now we’re also doing a show in Germany, which makes me really happy. It’s not something you get to do often, so I want to cherish this opportunity.
Satsuki: Among the GERTENA members, I’ve performed overseas the most. I’ve also done overseas shows with Zeke Deux. Performing with both bands, I’ve noticed that our fans are incredibly enthusiastic, and above all, their vibe is so warm. It makes me want to keep bringing GERTENA overseas to play in front of even more people. But for me, performing overseas isn’t the goal itself, but just the start, because I’m thinking even beyond that. So I’d love to answer this question again when my vision of that is realized.
Toyo: I just renewed my passport for the first time in 10 years.
Tatsushi: Since this is my first time going overseas, I rushed to get a passport.

■ You’ll be performing in Europe again in October. One show each in Switzerland and Germany. Tell us about your enthusiasm for this tour.

Agato: We get to cross the ocean and meet everyone who knows and supports GERTENA again. We’re aiming to become an even more worldwide band!
Yuh: I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone in Switzerland again. And for those in Germany, it’ll be our first time, so I want to show them just how amazing GERTENA is! I hope we can connect through music.
Satsuki: I’ve already performed in both countries before, so I want to surpass the previous shows. I’m super excited to see everyone in Germany and Switzerland again. It was really heartwarming that so many fans from Switzerland still remembered me.  Also I really enjoy that many of my German fans are telling me on SNS that they are looking forward to seeing me perform in Munch, so I’m seriously pumped!
Toyo: I’m really looking forward to meeting everyone there in person.
Tatsushi: I hope we can break through the language barrier and share the excitement with everyone who comes to see us.

■ What are you most looking forward to about going to Europe again?

Agato: I’m excited to bring our music to everyone in Europe again.
Yuh: I’m looking forward to the food and sightseeing. But meeting our fans in Europe is what I’m most excited about! Please wait for us!
Satsuki: Being able to see our European fans again through our music.
Toyo: EVERYTHING!!!
Tatsushi: Since it’s my first time, I’m excited about absolutely EVERYTHING!!!

■ This is your first time in Germany. Is there any German food you’d like to try?

Agato: Beer! 
Yuh: Sausage and Beer!
Satsuki: The sausages I had during Zeke Deux’s Germany show last year maybe!?
Toyo: Sausages and Beer!
Tatsushi: I don’t have any foods I dislike, so I’m sure I’ll be amazed by whatever I try.

■ ■ ■ TO THE FUTURE ■ ■ ■

■ What challenges does GERTENA face as a band? And how do you overcome them?

Agato: The challenge is for each of us to figure out what we can do and keep a proactive mindset.
Yuh: I think the band still has a lot of growing to do. We need to keep finding challenges and overcoming them one by one. I wonder what it really means to be “GERTENA“, but at the same time, maybe it’s just as important not to be stuck on that idea. The key is to keep moving forward.
Satsuki: Each member needs to take a deeper look at the band and what needs to be done. This isn’t just for now; it’s a mindset we have to maintain in the future. If we don’t keep evolving and pushing forward, we’ll get stuck, like stagnant water that goes bad. Staying the same is not an option. We all want to grow, so we’ll work together to decide what the band needs to do to continue to grow and not to stand still.
Toyo: I want us to become an even more unique band.
Tatsushi: I strive to perform with passion and emotion, aiming to convey our feelings visually and leave a lasting impact on our fans and audience’s hearts.

■ How do you see the future of  GERTENA?

Agato: I don’t know what the future holds for GERTENA. But right now, we undeniably exist in this moment, so I’m walking forward right now.
Yuh: The future is uncertain, but all we can do is keep pushing to head in a good direction.
Satsuki: I don’t know what the future brings. What I do know is that every member is struggling and pouring their full heart and soul into GERTENA. It’s about giving everything we have right now to make music with this band. All I think now is that I just want to make music with these people together which I love from the bottom of my heart.
Toyo: I think we’ll keep changing in a good way, both as individuals and as a band.
Tatsushi: I don’t know what’s coming next, but we’ll keep giving 120% at every single live show to show everyone the fired-up GERTENA.

■ ■ ■ FINAL MESSAGE ■ ■ ■

■ Please give a message to everyone who supports GERTENA from overseas.

Agato: Thank you for always supporting us. Because you’re here, we can keep moving forward.
Yuh: Thanks so much for always supporting us. Your support is what gives us strength. This time we’re playing in Switzerland and Germany, but we want to go to many more places and connect with lots of people. We’ll keep working hard to make that happen, so please keep cheering us on!
Satsuki: I’m really looking forward to the Europe tour. I feel the warmth from everyone there and it makes me happy that you’re excited too. We’ll definitely bring our best music, so please look forward to it. And not just Europe. I want to visit lots of countries! I’ll definitely come see you all. I love all our overseas fans who support us.
Toyo: Thank you for your continued support.
Tatsushi: Thank you for finding us! Please, keep supporting and listening to our music. Let‘s meet at the venues! 

■Finally, please give a message to your fans and readers!

Agato: Thank you for reading this interview. GERTENA is always with you.
Yuh: Thanks for reading all the way to the end. We’re only able to keep going because of your support and I’m truly grateful. To everyone reading this and everyone who’ll discover GERTENA in the future! We’ll keep pushing forward to bring great music to you!
Satsuki: Thanks for reading! We’ll keep making the kind of music we think is cool and giving it everything we’ve got. Music is made by people and meant to be shared and that’s what makes it so awesome. Since we all love music, let’s keep enjoying it together the fullest. We’ll keep creating great music and showing an amazing GERTENA so that you’ll be glad you found us. That’s a Promise!
Toyo: Thanks for all the Love and continued support. I love you all!!
Tatsushi: I’ll keep playing with all my heart, so that everyone who sees us can say, “That was fun“, or “I’m glad I came“. Let’s enjoy the music together!