It would be great if you could support us with a small donation.
It might not be much for you, but it would help us providing more and better interviews in the future.
With a little bit of your support we might be able to realize even more!
MATENROU OPERA is a well known name within the visual kei scene and we had the pleasure to talk with their vocalist, Sono, about the band, the current visual kei scene and about their member changes.
All replies made by Sono (Vo.).
Matenrou Opera was formed 14 years ago. Since then the members have changed frequently, but you always managed to continue. It must have been difficult for the band during those member changes, right?
Every member decided for themselves whether they wanted to continue or break up. But if we decide to continue, we have to be prepared to die trying! I think that’s why we are still continuing.
You will celebrate your 14th anniversary this year. What advice would you give yourself when you just started with Matenrou Opera?
Aim higher, more greedily!
Using a keyboard is something you don’t see often in the visual kei scene. What made you use one in the first place?
We use one because it would broaden the range of our songs. I always had a piano close to me to begin with and I really like it. Another reason is that I liked X-JAPAN when we started the band
What are your thoughts on the current visual kei scene?
I have the impression that the scene itself is decreasing. There are no new characteristic bands anymore.
What was the most interesting MV you did so far and why?
The MV for our latest song HAKANAI KIERU AI NO SANKA (儚く消える愛の讃歌) was fun! I was excited about the wide space of the location. And it was fun facing the sea while singing.
Are there any concepts for a MV you want to try one day?
I want to sing in the sea.
Your new Single HAKANAKU KIERU AI NO SANKA got released on 17th of February. What kind of single is it?
It’s a metal song with a triple metre melody. It is a song that helped us get through the pandemic as well as the departure of one of our members.
With the new single you also get the opportunity to participate in an “online tea party” with the members. It’s also possible to purchase it from overseas, isn’t it? Is the online tea party an alternative for instore events, which can’t be held freely during the current pandemic?
The opportunities to meet our fans directly decreased and we can’t have instore events either. We thought that we had to create a chance to talk with our fans, even if it’s just for a short time and therefore planned this online tea party. I really want to talk a lot with them.
Next we would like to talk about your concerts. Before we first saw a concert of Matenrou Opera, we had the impression that it would be rather calm as many of your songs are very melodic. However, we were really surprised how energetic your concerts are! How would you describe your own concerts?
They’re a place to enjoy music with your whole body. It’s a matter of fact that I want the audience to listen to our songs, but above that I want to enjoy everyone singing along and moving their bodies to our beats.
How do you decide your setlists usually?
First of all we gather songs we want to nominate for the upcoming concert and then gradually arrange them into a setlist.
Because of the current situation with the new coronavirus, online streamings have become quite normal. What do you think about lives without an audience?
I actually want to avoid doing concerts without an audience as much as possible. As you might expect, concerts without fans are missing something. However, broadcasts are perfect for people who can’t go to the venues. That’s why we want to continue doing them even after Corona.
Are there differences between your concerts in Japan and those you did overseas?
I was surprised how loud the voices were. It seemed as if they were singing along to nearly every song.
Which song would you recommend to people who don’t know you yet?
HAKANAI KIERU AI NO SANKA (儚く消える愛の讃歌), KASSAI TO GEKIJOU NO GLORIA (喝采と激情のグロリア) & HELIOS.
Last question: Does anyone have any weird habits in the band?
Definitely, but unfortunately I can’t reveal them.
And before we close this interview, we would like to ask you to leave a message to your overseas fans.
Thank you for always supporting us! I definitely want to do an overseas tour again to meet all of you. The tough times because of the pandemic are still continuing, but let’s give our best to get through them!
It would be great if you could support us with a small donation.
It might not be much for you, but it would help us providing more and better interviews in the future.
With a little bit of your support we might be able to realize even more!
paradox-translations.com 