Menopause was formed at the end of 2016 by the duo Aya-ne on Vo+Prg & Kenji on Guitar.
Menopause, Thank you very much for taking time to answer this interview!
How do you know each other?
Aya-ne: I got to know Kenji via a band I joined a year before the formation of Menopause. (however that band disbanded before her activity).
After the disbandment, Kenji contacted me and asked me “Let’s do an industrial band together”
Kenji: I’ve met Aya-ne when he played in a different band.
Please describe yourself in a few words.
Aya-ne: Craftsman (laugh)
Kenji: Passionate person (laugh)
What does your band name “Menopause” mean?
Aya-ne: ” It’s from the word “menopause,” in the sense that “giving birth isn’t possible anymore,” or “birthing music”. I named it with that meaning, because when this band ends I will stop my activity as a song producer, this band is my final musically activity.
Kenji: isn’t? (laugh)
What makes Menopause different from any other bands?
Aya-ne: Being a unit band.
Kenji: That we are a dark industrial duo
—Last year in September you released your Mini-Album “ViViSECTALiZZ”
Why did you name this mini-album ViViSECTALiZZ?
Aya-ne: The title of the album is merged with the name of a certain industrial master artist together with the names of my cats(ViVi & LiZZ). To say it simple it’s a gag. (laugh)
Kenji: It’s Aya-ne’s idea.
What was your biggest inspiration for creating this mini album?
Aya-ne: As the number of Menopause songs increased, I wanted to release a CD with a bunch of songs.
Kenji: I thought it was about time to release a mini album.
Please tell us some story about each song of the mini-album.
1. Ashes to Ashes
Aya-ne: I wanted to create a SE song that would lead to the second song, “ASH”, so I made an SE song based on “ASH”
Kenji: The SE has a dark industrial feeling.
2. Ash
Aya-ne: It’s the first song which shaped Menopause, also I think the initial impulse in Menopause shaped well via this song.
Kenji: It is no exaggeration to say that Menopause started with this song.
3. enchantress
Aya-ne: I created this song with the intention of making a song with NEW WAVE elements which is easy to listen to. I think that this Menopause song is a song which everybody can listen to.
Kenji: It’s a NEW WAVE-like song that is different from other hard-hitting songs.
4. Corrupted Paranoid (from 2016)
Aya-ne: So far, it is the only song written by Kenji for Menopause, and also this song we played at our lives since the beginning of Menopause, Kenji’s sense of riffing shines through!
Kenji: This song was written by me and has been around for a long time. The guitars are heavy and match nicely the darkness of the song.
5. deadly night shade
Aya-ne: It’s a rearranged version of “Cradle Syndrome” from our first demo CD-R. It’s Menopause’s representative hardcore number.
Kenji: The finished song is a rearranged version of the original song and is more aggressive.
6. monogatari
Aya-ne: I wrote this song because I wanted to show the darker side as well as intensity. For a while we played this song as the last song at our gigs.
Kenji: This song has a storyline. It expresses hatred, suffering and despair in the rain.
7. FILTHY ZONE
Aya-ne: It’s a straight and fast digital slash song.
Hopefully the metal spirit of Menopause is well expressed though it (laugh)
Kenji: Isn’t the song tempo 210 beats? It’s a song that reminds me of the old indie metal times.
What did you enjoy the most while working on this album?
Aya-ne: When we recorded the guitar for “Filthy Zone”, Kenji played a brilliantly fast backing guitar in just one single take.
Kenji: As with this album, I am excited and satisfied with Aya-ne’s sudden idea statements and then executing them at every recording. (laugh)
—LIVE PERFORMANCES
How do you prepare for a live performance?
Aya-ne: Deciding the set-list→creating a backtrack→rehearsal→LIVE
Kenji: After determine the set-list, I’ll play the set at home and at studio rehearsals.
Ikebukuro Chop seems to be your homebase, is there any special reason why you always play in this venue?
Aya-ne: Chop understands Menopause’s musicality the best, it’s easy to perform over there. And of course the staff are wonderful people too!
Kenji: It’s a very valuable place for me, because it’s a venue that continues to have that old-fashioned live music feeling! The staff feel as parents for me, because they all take good care of me.
Beside musical equipment and make-up. Is there anything you always carry with you when you perform a live performance?
Aya-ne: Cigarettes
Kenji: Nothing in particular? (laughs)
—STYLE
Your style is “Gothic industrial”. Do you see this style as visual kei? Also do you have any thoughts about visual kei in general?
Aya-ne: I don’t really think of it myself, also these days I don’t really follow visual kei, however personally I do like the early visual kei.
Kenji: It’s Gothic industrial, but the old-fashioned visual kei is still hidden in my heart!
To be honest, I don’t know much about the current visual system…
—Final words
What is Menopause goal for the future?
Aya-ne: Ultimate self-satisfaction (laughs)
Kenji: Playing overseas?
What’s your most valuable memorable memory of Menopause’s activity?
Aya-ne: I guess it’s the fact that various people say that our lives and music are mega cool.
Kenji: Each GIG is a cherished memory.
Please write your final greeting to your fans
Aya-ne: I am truly grateful to all of you for making this a fun activity. I would be happy to stay with you for a while longer until you get bored.
Kenji: Menopause just keeps evolving and keeps going on! I won’t disappoint you!
(We are always grateful to our customers who come and buy our albums! )
Thank you very much for this interview!
SNS:
Twitter: Aya-ne
Twitter: Kenji
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Aya-ne 
Kenji 
Menopause