Interview with Sakashima na Haguruma wo Kamen ga Warau.

Sakashima na Haguruma wo Kamen ga Warau. is a welcoming yet unfriendly, with no escape out band. Their sound has the taste of a slightly wild rock musical fused with emo-dark-jazz-blues-gothic-Kayou influences. With Jun’s raw, uncontrollable mentally at the its core, drives their theatrical show our reality upside down. Powered by an ever-changing musical world as the engine and the stories woven with lost sheep as the fuel, they continue our journey.

■ ■ ■ SELF INTRODUCTION ■ ■ ■

■ Please introduce yourselves. 
Loki: I’m Loki, the vocalist. I’m a drinker.  
Jun: I’m Jun, guitarist, born on February 13, from Saitama Prefecture.  
En’ya: I’m En’ya, the bassist.  
Late: I’m Late, I came from the moon, and I play the keyboard. I enjoy Islay scotch. I recently tried an espresso martini that was recommended to me at a certain place, and it tasted delicious.

■ What’s your favorite kanji, and why?
En’ya: “感” (feeling). I prefer to handle things with emotion and not just with logic.  
Late: This is a great opportunity to tell you! The kanji “玲” (Rei) in my name means “the beautiful tinkling sound of a jewel.”

■ Why did you choose your current role in the band?
Loki: I have loved singing for as long as I can remember.  
Jun: My mom is a piano teacher and my dad is a drummer. Growing up, our family home sounded like a music school, so it just happened naturally.  
En’ya: I started with the guitar, but when I picked up a bass, I had the gut feeling of, “This is it.” The bass felt perfect in my hands, and I loved playing those deep notes and setting the tone for the band.
Late: To sow seeds of kindness on Earth, then return to the moon.

■ What inspired you to pursue a career in music?
Loki: Again, naturally It just felt like the only right path for me.
Jun: Same as above.  
En’ya: I’ve given different answers before, but now I think music was the only thing that mattered for me.
Late: Watching live videos of various artists in middle school had a big impact. But, back in elementary school, I wanted to pursue a career involving manga or anime.

■ Do you have a motto or a phrase you hold dear?
Loki: “If you try, you can succeed. If you don’t try, you won’t. Nothing is achieved without effort”  
Jun: “If you want to know all about me, just look at the surface of my work and there I am. There’s nothing behind it.” (Andy Warhol)  
En’ya: “Sky is the limit.” Possibilities are as infinite as the sky.  
Late: It’s important to maintain your confidence and keep your anxiety level under control.

■ What would you like to try outside of music?
Loki: I’m a motorbiker, so I’d love to go on a journey with no set destination.  
Jun: I’m already doing it. Right now, I’m into aggressive inline skating, the inline skate version of skateboarding tricks like jumping or grinding rails. I’m seriously aiming for the pro level, haha.  
En’ya: I do a lot of things. Like with music, I want to try everything that gets my interest.  
Late: Acting (in film), writing, or creating analog art or paintings.

■ ■ ■ “Sakashima na Haguruma wo Kamen ga Warau.” ■ ■ ■ 

■ Could you give a 3–5 line introduction to “Sakashima na Haguruma wo Kamen ga Warau.” that conveys its vibe, especially for first-time listeners?
Loki: It’s welcoming but also unfriendly, with no escape.  
Jun: A slightly wild rock musical. An emo-dark-jazz-blues-gothic-Kayou[1] band. Including my deep uncontrollable mentally emotions.  
En’ya: A theatrical band that turns the world upside down.  
Late: With an ever-changing musical world as the engine and the stories woven with lost sheep as the fuel, we continue our journey.

※kayou(kyoku); is a Japanese pop music genre. 

■ Could you tell us about the formation of the band?
Loki: It started with reuniting with my late best friend Yune^[1]. Through a friend’s introduction, I met Jun, then En’ya pushed his way in, forming “More.” After some twists and turns, Jun brought Late, and we became “Sakashima na Haguruma wo Kamen ga Warau.”  
Jun: A bandmate introduced me to Loki. Our first contact was awful, haha.  
En’ya: I was drinking buddies with Loki and Yune, and since they needed a bassist, I dropped by the studio.  
Late: I was picked up by Jun’s cosmic intuition.

※ On December 28th 2022, drummer Yune (由寧) passed away due to a sudden illness.

■ What’s the origin or meaning of the band name “Sakashima na Haguruma wo Kamen ga Warau.,” and who named it?
Loki: I came up with in our demo stage for our previous band, “More.” It abstractly represented the concept of “More.” Since “More” was chosen for its simplicity, I deliberately chose something that felt like the complete opposite—something so long it hardly seemed like a band name at all.  After various happenings, when we decided to restart the band, the other members strongly wanted to continue as “Sakashima.”  
Jun: The name was originally just for a secret session.^[1] . 

※ At the very beginning they played in a total of 4 secret sessions as “Sakashima na Haguruma wo Kamen ga Warau.” before starting MORE.

■ How do you decide on the band’s visual style? Where does the inspiration for your visuals come from?
Loki: Jun comes up with the main theme, and then each member adds their own touch to shape the final result. 
Jun: I decide on the theme. I’m always looking for inspiration, which I find by traveling and trying new things. My themes are based on experiences that resonate with me and my philosophy.

■ Visual kei has various styles like kote-kei, medical-kei, or menhera-kei. What best describes the visual style of “Sakashima na Haguruma wo Kamen ga Warau.”?
Loki: I can only say our style is “Sakashima na Haguruma wo Kamen ga Warau.”  
Jun: I don’t know, haha. I’d like to know what genre you think we are.  

JRNR: Maybe Art-kei?

■ Visual kei music spans genres like rock and metalcore. What genre most characterizes the sound of “Sakashima na Haguruma wo Kamen ga Warau.”?
Loki: Kaleidoscopic rock.  
Jun: It might not be a music genre, but “musical.”  
En’ya: Rock, Kayou, shoegaze, metal, jazz etc. Diversity + unique entertainment value.  
Late: Strange Jun-scale.

■ What feelings do you want to convey to listeners through your music and lyrics?
Loki: My own impulses are the core, but I hope listeners can interpret it in their own ways and enjoy it.  
Jun: Each song is a story I’ve crafted, and I want everyone to become the protagonist of that story.  
Late: To live beautifully in the present.

■ You held a 10th anniversary one-man live, “the end of the Decade【S】,” at the end of June. Could you share some memories from that event?
Loki: I am deeply grateful to all of our fans and friends who have supported us throughout this journey. Thank you for allowing us to continue for so long.  
Jun: I strongly felt that I wanted to stay with everyone. I want us to stay together just as we are now for the next ten years, without changing anything.
En’ya: We enjoyed our live show and gathered with all of our supporters from the past 10 years. It was a night of gratitude, closure, and looking toward the future.
Late: I felt the power of all our fans. Thank you!

■ What’s your best memory from these 10 years of activity?
Loki: The fact that we’re allowed to keep going—just all of it.  
Jun: Every moment when we felt united with everyone at our live shows is the best memory.  
En’ya: Despite many hardships, being able to keep making music with my bandmates.

■ What have you learned through your activities?
Loki: That strength and weakness together make up who I am. The importance of gratitude.  
Jun: The difference between bluffing and true strength.  
En’ya: The difficulty of continuing and the gratitude for being able to do so.  
Late: Through tours, the band’s sound becomes solid.

■ What was the greatest challenge the band faced?
Loki: The loss of our bandmate.  
Jun: When something we took for granted suddenly disappeared.  
En’ya: The moment when making music was no longer a given.

■ Ten years is a long time. What’s the secret to maintaining such a close friendship that allows you to keep the band going?
Loki: Trust built on respect, being unafraid to clash when needed, and going all-in together, even for silly things.  
Jun: We don’t get too cozy. We tighten up when needed, like a married couple rather than just friends. Never forget gratitude and respect for each other.  
En’ya: Trust. A relationship where we can clash and come back together, driven by the desire to make music with these bandmates.  
Late: Having similar restaurant preferences and everyone’s role inside the band is clear.

■ ■ ■  Dystro EP ■  ■ ■ 

■ Why did you title the album “Dystro”?
Loki: It was Jun’s decision on this as well.  
Jun: It’s an antithesis to a media-dependent society.
“Dystro” is a coined word combining
“dys-” (bad, diseased, abnormal, incomplete)
“trope” (cliché, stereotypical expressions in movies or dramas),
That’s how I came up with the made-up word “dystrope.”
I wanted a stateless sound, similar to our previous works, such as “Hypno” or “Morphe,” so I named it “Dystro.”
The image behind it is “an abnormal paradise (dystopia) for people who are swayed by information and can no longer think for themselves, responding only with predetermined reactions.” 
En’ya: I didn’t come up with the title, but I see it as a kind of “modern fable.”

■ The lyrics have many striking phrases. Could you share the thoughts behind each song?

01. Dystrose  

Loki: It’s based on the image of the album title. I wrote it all at once, using an image that seems disconnected, like a deep and meaningful theatrical act that is actually meaningless. However, as you figure it out, the real meaning emerges.
Jun: I envisioned a psychopathic serial killer for this song, so I told Loki to go for that image.
En’ya: An ominous start.  
Late: Even before we started working on Dystro, the concept of “ominous” emerged in our shows from late 2024 to early 2025. I believe that inspiration from those shows is woven into this track as well. This completed track has been the opening SE for our live shows since the 10th-anniversary one-man show, and it will connect us to the future as well.

02. 道化は揺籠の中で踊る (Douke wa Yurikago no Naka de Odoru)

Loki: Sarcasm towards the world and my own sense of emptiness.  
Jun: The theme song for Dystro. To convey the fear and anxiety of media pollution, I intentionally incorporated dissonance.
En’ya: Humans continue to dance even though they don’t know its meaning.   
Late: I used my keyboard from end to end, like unrolling a scroll to start the story from track one.

03. STRAY SHEEP  

Loki: They’re both fools, so why not dance? ^[1]
Jun: This electro-swing-inspired track is the final chapter of our “Lost Sheep” story. In it, the lost sheep head to the moon in a rocket.  
En’ya: Are you/we okay with being just a manipulated sheep? An aggressive anthem.  
Late： “When you dream of the cosmos and take off,” I love how this phrase conjures images of sheep. The keyboard captures a mix of slight anxiety and mania before takeoff.

※It is a saying from the Japanese Awa Odori Festival that reflects the idea that everyone should join in the fun, no matter their skills or abilities.

04. 赫灼マスカレイド (Kakusyaku MASQUERADE)

Loki: Lust and passion.  
Jun: It has a thrilling sense of speed and an extreme song structure. This type of song might become our tradition, haha.
En’ya: Lust, fiction, frenzy. A sense of Euphoria and trance.  
Late: I was drawn to the ethnic and floating vibe. The kanji used for onomatopoeic phrases, such as “sara-ra-ra-ra (紗裸裸裸),” added a vivid, colorful touch.

※Sararara is an Kigo onomatopoeia (seasonal vibe onomatopoeia ), In the lyric it possible gives the vibe of the “summer season”. 

05. 徒花讃歌 (Adabana Sanka)

Loki: The sorrow and resilience of a girl swayed by society.  
Jun: Made with a 2000s vibe. It might feel nostalgic for some listeners.  
En’ya: A longing to scatter beautifully.  
Late: Capturing the fleeting emotions, impulses, joys, and sorrows of life. 

06. 寧日に悼む (Neijitsu ni Itamu)

Loki: Mourning for a friend..  
Jun: This came to me suddenly after I finished another song. I remember staying up all night to write down the melody that popped into my head. When I finished the demo, I couldn’t stop crying. I believe it will become a masterpiece.
En’ya: Requiem and prayer.  
Late: I started playing without much of a plan, and many parts turned out well enough to be approved as is. The outro was also improvised and completed in two to three takes. I once went to the sea with a friend to raise a toast to Yune-san. The indescribable winter cloudy sky and the feeling of something unreachable—I later realized that scene is reflected in the outro.

・desert rose [6/25 one-man venue limited single]  

Loki: A longing for fleeting beauty.  
Jun: It’s the image of gradually releasing suppressed emotions. I love the progression of the chorus.  
En’ya: The coexistence of beauty and fragility.  
Late: I focused on coloring the song’s world with an arrangement that stayed true to our Sakashima style, especially in the chorus.

■ Could you share some behind-the-scenes stories or details about the songwriting process?
Loki: I usually write lyrics quickly, but this time, I took my time and experimented. “Neijitsu ni Itamu” was an exception; it was written naturally, like a letter, in one sitting.
Jun: Inspiration hit me suddenly, and I couldn’t stop writing. I wrote all the songs in about a month. It was like a whirlwind!
En’ya: It was a cycle of trial, error, and playfulness. I focused on how my basslines could complement the story.
Late: The keyboard solo in “STRAY SHEEP” was written in about an hour. In contrast, arrangements for “Kakusyaku” and “Adabana” took much longer, but I love the piano in the A-melody and chorus of “Kakusyaku,” as well as its outro. 

■ Are there any points you want listeners to pay special attention to?
Loki: The band’s strong waves of emotional energy.
Jun: Our goal is to create a live, immersive sound, and I hope that comes through.
En’ya: The depth of the sound and the range of emotions.  
Late: Some of the songs’ arrangements have already evolved during live shows. We’re always moving forward!

■ ■ ■ Visual Kei ■ ■ ■

■ Visual kei is often said to be characterized by “freedom of self-expression.” Do you think there’s a big difference compared to other music genres?
Loki: First off, I don’t think of visual kei as a music genre. To me, it’s more like an outlet where you can freely express yourself and include whatever you want. That’s what makes it so appealing. 
Jun: I like that it’s not categorized by musical style. You can do emo, punk, jazz, kayou, anything you want..  
En’ya: I think the difference lies in the freedom and the ability to create a worldview that includes visual expression.
Late: The combination of a theatrical aspect and live-like performance (interaction with the audience).

■ What’s the best part of being active in visual kei?
Loki: The coexistence of freedom and restriction.  
Jun: Becoming a resident of another world in real life.  
Late: Having my sensitivity shared with others. In the cycle of everyday and extraordinary moments, I hold onto what’s important to me and rediscover it again.

■ What’s the most challenging aspect, and how do you face it?
Loki: Same as above. Embracing it wholeheartedly.  
Jun: I felt that gaining understanding from mainstream society was impossible.  Instead of half-heartedly trying to appeal to that side for money purposes, I’d rather prioritize protecting it as a sacred place where everyone can always return and continue to move forward at their own pace, at least for now.
Late: If something’s difficult, just unravel it…

■ Visual kei artists often adopt androgynous or feminine styles. Is this to make it easier for female fans to connect, or is there another reason?
Loki: To express beauty and emotion in a multifaceted and deliberately unstable way.  
Jun: I’ve always loved shojo manga and its beautiful character illustrations, and admire feminine aesthetics, so it came naturally.  
En’ya: To avoid limiting expression.  
Late: I was never into overly masculine looks, so I was naturally drawn to visual kei visuals.

■ What does visual kei mean to you, and how has it impacted your life?
Loki: It’s the foundation of my entire being.  
Jun: Without it, I’d probably be a living corpse, in a cage, or no longer in this world.
En’ya: Visual kei gave me a place to express my emotions.  
Late: Listening to LUNA SEA in middle school influenced my sensibilities. I also love UK new wave and post-punk music as my roots.

■ How important are choreographed movements (furi) at live shows? Are you happier when fans do them in unison or when they enjoy freely?
Loki: Do as you like. Seeing fans’ happy faces is enough to make me happy.  
Jun: I’d love to see a unified furi, but I’d be happier if you enjoyed it freely.  
En’ya: Everyone feels the music differently, so enjoy it your way.  
Late: Either is fine with me! Since it’s rhythm music, it’s more exciting when I can see people moving their bodies.

■ Having been a band member for many years, what do you think has changed the most in the visual kei scene?
Loki: The fact that it’s easy to communicate and that it has its pros and cons.
Jun: Communication has become easier and more convenient.  
En’ya: The fundamentals probably haven’t changed, but I feel like genre and style barriers have faded, leading to greater freedom. Social media and streaming have definitely changed the way we express and share ourselves.

■ ■ ■ Overseas Connection ■ ■ ■

■ Are there any members who speak English or other languages? Are you confident in using them?
Loki: I did a homestay in the U.S. long ago, so I know some English, but I’m not confident enough to say I’m fluent.  
Jun: I study occasionally. I’m confident I could pick it up quickly if I would stay abroad.  
En’ya: I’m terrible at it. Music does the talking.  
Late: Tokyo has many foreigners, so I chat casually with people I meet at bars. Recently, many have been interested in Japan through NARUTO or SHOGUN.

■ Do you feel a language barrier when interacting with overseas fans, or does music help overcome it?
Loki: No barrier. Music is a universal language.  
Jun: With translation apps, I don’t feel any barrier.  
En’ya: Maybe at least one of the members can talk. But in the end, I think it’s the music that communicates.
Late: A lot of our fans also put effort into being able to communicate with us.

■ Have you been overseas? If so, what was the purpose, and what were your impressions?
Loki: I went to the U.S. for a homestay as a student and for live shows with a previous band.  Privately I’ve traveled to Thailand and Taiwan.  
Jun: I went to LA’s Roxy to see MR.BIG live. Meeting the band afterward was an amazing night.  
En’ya: Feeling the local energy at live shows in the U.S., France, and Germany was incredible. Privately, I’ve been to Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cambodia and Turkey. Each culture was stimulating and educational.  
Late. I visited India when I was very young and saw many of the typical Indian sights that you would imagine.

※Loki went with Sugar to USA in 2008.
※En’ya played together with “12012” in Germany, France and the USA in 2006, and USA in 2007 and 2010. 

■ ■ ■ ROAD to FUTURE ■ ■ ■

■ What are your goals as a band moving forward?
Loki: To keep growing without stagnating.  
Jun: To strengthen our bond as members, fans, and staff, united as one.  
En’ya: Next up is something like “Saniwa”.
Late: To increase the number of annual events and become more stable.

■ What are your personal goals?
Loki: To become more otherworldly, balancing beauty and astonishment.  
Jun: Bushido. To complete myself as a work of art.  
En’ya: To turn my emotions into sound more honestly.  
Late: To perform at Blue Note or Billboard.

■ ■ ■LAST MESSAGE ■ ■ ■

■ A message to your fans and readers.
Loki: Thank you always, and look forward to your continued support.  
Jun: Thanks for reading. Looking forward to seeing you at our live show!  
En’ya: Thanks for reading this far. Please keep supporting us.  
Late: There are a lot of things you only can hear and see at live shows, so we’re always waiting for you!

■ ■ ■ LIVE SCHEDULE ■ ■ ■

2025  
– 10/07: Shinjuku WildSide Tokyo (En’ya Birthday Event)  
– 10/22: Meguro LIVE STATION  
– 10/28: Umeda BANGBOO  
– 11/18: Ikebukuro Chop
– 12/08: Nishiogi BETTY ROOM  
– 12/17: Kagurazaka Tenmado (Late Birthday Event)
– 12/22: Shinjuku WildSide Tokyo (Loki Birthday ONEMAN)
[DETAILS]