How did you get into modular synthesis?
Originally, I thought I wanted to be in a band. In fact, I even produced music like Public Image Ltd. However, to be honest, it was very troublesome to gather the members. So, I decided to create a band sound by myself using modular synthesizers. Synthesizers are very flexible, so they were perfect for me to implement my idea.
I dig your Pikachu mic. It's out of the ordinary, to be expected from the rock n roll amoeba. Have you ever used any other kind of odd thing to make music?
I have tried many different pieces of equipment for vocals. One of them is the Pikachu microphone, which is a Pikachu toy modified by a Japanese guy named Mr. Kaseo. I've also used an iPhone handset for live performances. I also used a walkie-talkie to record the vocals for my first album "Kyomurima". These are not expensive, but the cheaper they are, the less feedback they cause, so they are more useful as instruments. This is an interesting phenomenon because usually the more expensive the instrument, the better it sounds.
What made you want to start doing the great fusion of music that you make? How has it evolved overtime to where it is now?
In order to perfectly express myself, I needed to mix different genres of music, which led me to create this kind of music. At first (2015-2016) I was making music mixing noise and rap only on my iPad. But in 2016, I started listening to a lot of black metal CDs, and from there my musical style changed to making music that also mixed elements of black metal and punk. In the process, I started to use mainly modular synths. I still listen to a lot of different genres of music. I still listen to many genres of music, such as reggae, soca, and healing music. Maybe my next work will be all about party tunes and ambient music.
What's your approach to writing? Do you jam a lot and come up with things
or is everything much more calculated? OR is it a little bit of both?
When it comes to composing, I just mess around with modular synthesizers at random, and when I get a good sound, I record a shot. Basically, I write lyrics first before composing music, and I do some calculations while playing with the synthesizer to find the right sound for the lyrics. For drum sounds, I use DAW software (Cubase).
How much time do you spend making music every week?
I have spent very little. I am so mentally exhausted from just going about my daily life that I don't have time to devote to music production. But that exhausting daily life is also my greatest inspiration. One day, my brain suddenly gets creative and I write the lyrics all at once. It only takes me about an hour. Perhaps it is the mental fatigue of daily life that makes me a musician.
What was the process of recording Rock N Roll amoeba like? Did you record it all yourself?
I recorded the sound part (drums and synthesizer) on my PC. After that, I had my friend Jiro Yoshida (guitarist of the Japanese band Jolits) record the vocals. He also did the mastering. I didn't give him any special instructions for the mastering.
Do you have any advice for any vocalists who are starting out and want to sing in the black metal style?
I wish that people would not imitate the lifestyles of black metal vocalists, but practice only imitating their vocal techniques. Don't suffer from mental illness or get addicted to drugs or marijuana like some black metal band members do. As with any music, it is ridiculous to imitate the lifestyle of a musician. Only music created by a person in his or her own unique lifestyle can be true and real music. There is no need to be death-conscious just because that vocal technique is called death growl. I have always thought that the name Death Growl should be replaced with another word, because I feel that the word Death attracts bad elements that have nothing to do with music. If you want to become a black metal vocalist, all you have to do is imitate the vocal technique of someone who is good at it and keep practicing.
What's your approach to choosing the tracks listing and sequence of tracks on an album?
I focused on the ease of listening. However, since the first song, "Rock'n'Roll Amoeba", was a self-introduction song, I decided from the beginning that it would be the first song. The next three songs were arranged for ease of listening. The last song, "In Fact," was too long, so I decided to put it last. I decided on the order of the songs based on the premise that they would be listened to over and over again, and I think the result is an album that can be listened to without getting bored. You'll have to hear for yourself if that's true or not." You can buy the CD version of "Rock'n'Roll Amoeba" at commmonsmart (a website run by Ryuichi Sakamoto's label). It's also available on my Bandcamp. It is also available on subscription services such as Spotify and Apple Music. I made my own unique music that no one else has made. Please enjoy listening to it.
commmonsmart:
Bandcamp:
Listen on Bandcamp below:
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